Attacking 2 units in Hand-to-Hand Combat

[George]

Hello,

First time this happened to me today. I had a single, “blue” infantry battalion in line formation charge and make contact with an enemy “red” cannon and a “red” infantry battalion. It is exactly like the example on page 63 of the BP2Ed rules.

So, here is the part I couldn’t figure out. I know that when attacked by two units a defender may divide up their defense rolls between the attackers (with 1/2 the dice having to be to the front). However, my attacking, infantry battalion (with 6 hth dice) is in contact with two units. Does it attack just one of them? Does it break it’s attack dice up attacking both (3 dice and 3 dice) ? Does it get to roll 12 dice (6 against each unit)?

The way I resolved the issue was I announced I was charging the guns. My “blue”infantry gloriously survived the closing fire from both the “red” artillery and “red” infantry. All 6 of attacking hth dice were put on hitting the guns. The “red” guns fought back with 1 hth hit roll and the”red” infantry fought back, to0, with their 6 hth rolls. My infantry took a lot of damage but won the fight and took out the guns. “Blue” infantry stayed in contact with the “red” infantry to resolve in a later round. Still, I’m not sure I resolved this correctly.

• This topic was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by George.
• This topic was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by George.

[Mike]

So you would have attack both units as you did.  If you won the melee, than both the infantry and artillery unit would be required to take a break test.  Artillery is destroyed if it loses a melee, so it would be gone.  If the enemy infantry rolled 7 or higher, it would “hold its ground” and continue in melee.  But keep in mind in the next round you would get the bonus for having won the last round of melee.

Based on games I have seen Rick Priestly narrate, you should have allocated your six attacks roughly equally against the two units.  If you look at page 69, the last sentence under FIGHTING COMBAT… “If facing more than one enemy unit to its front, a unit must divide attacks between them as nearly equally as possible, allocating the odd dice as the player wishes.”

I think an argument can be made among gentlemanly games that the attacks should be allocated then relative frontage of the two targets makes sense so either four or five infantry and two or one artillery.  But it is hard to envision all the attacks going against the artillery as it suggests the infantry is “supporting” and not fighting in the melee.

[George]

Thank you, Mike. I found that sentence in the rules after you mentioned it.

Here is another question. What if the winner in combat is also shaken? I read nothing that it has to make a break test. Only the loser.

[arcole]

If you look at the table on page 77, a shaken unit will not need to tabke a break test if it won the melee if they lose or draw they will need to take the test.

[George]

Thank you Mike and Arcole

[Author]

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