Reaction Fall Back and movement

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Reaction Fall Back and movement

(9 posts) (5 voices)

Started 7 months ago by Valmy92
Latest reply from Another_Grognard

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Valmy92
Member

A question came up as we were playing yesterday, and at the time my search fu on this forum was weak.

If a unit falls back as a reaction, can it move (and particularly charge) in the activity phase. From what I did find on the forum, that Sam said a unit that counter-charged in the reaction phase could move in the activity phase, we extrapolated that as fall back was movement like counter-charge we applied the same principle - that it did not preclude movement in the activity phase.

The reason for this is that my cavalry fell back, not wanting to be the defender and so only able to cause 1 hit and fall back as best result while risking being destroyed. I then moved in my action phase into contact to create a combat in the same place with me as attacker and him as defender thus reversing the risks. Did we play that right? Something about this just feels wrong. I looked up the counter-charge reaction to see if perhaps contacted cavalry could counter-charge and thus equalize the risks, but that clearly stated a cavalry unit not in contact.

An additional question that comes to mind: If we played the above correctly, can a unit that fell back as a result of an indecisive combat move in the activity phase?

Incidentally, this was our first game (I had "played" once before when Sam introduced the game at a convention but had a cavalry command stuck behind a traffic jam so didn't get to do much but observe - from which I did learn what I wanted to from playing.) and we both thoroughly enjoyed it, look forward to playing again.
Thanks in advance,
Phil

Posted 7 months ago #
Sam Mustafa
Le Grand Fromage

Yes, you may fall back as a Reaction, and then move.

Posted 7 months ago #
Valmy92
Member

Thanks Sam. What about Fall Back as a the result of an indecisive combat then move? (probably to re-engage the same opponent)

Posted 7 months ago #
Sam Mustafa
Le Grand Fromage

I've always liked it, personally. It looks like the way we read about cavalry battles, or even infantry battles over heavily-contested positions: give and take and falling back to regroup and trying again.

Posted 7 months ago #
Another_Grognard
Member

Valmy92, more and more Lasalle players are discovering this “Fall Back and than Charge your attacker” tricky strategy. That is, during the Reaction Phase, their unit that was charged can attempt to "Fall Back" with an average of 66 percent chance of success. Then, during the Activity Phase of the same turn it will charge the unit that charged it.

This “Fall Back and than Charge your attacker” tricky strategy works, and it works very well for the defender, because you want to do anything to run out the turn clock, right? Also, as you noted, it is better to be the charging unit than the defending unit since there is no chance of "being destroyed".

Have a look at the following thread:
http://www.sammustafa.com/honour/forum/topic/really-silly-situation-in-lasalle

It's a pretty long thread, but worth the time going through it.

Hope this helps.

Posted 7 months ago #
Mycenius
Member

Yes - my Brunswick Hussars possibly might have done that more often yesterday in Cam & My latest 100-Days game but being Valiant we couldn't possibly have considered such behaviour...

;-p

...however my Brunswick Uhlans suffered new-unit syndrome and were wiped from the board in their very first combat on about turn 5 - their sum total of activity being to turns of movement - so never got the chance!!!

:-o

Posted 7 months ago #
Biggreenbugeyedmonster
Member

Sam wrote: " It looks like the way we read about cavalry battles, or even infantry battles over heavily-contested positions: give and take and falling back to regroup and trying again."

Hi Sam,

My vague knowledge is limited to the Peninsula really, but I can't think of anything like that (defenders falling back, instantly rallying and then immediately charging) in the Peninsula war.

Do you have any examples of this from the rest of Europe?

Posted 7 months ago #
Biggreenbugeyedmonster
Member

Another Grognard: "This “Fall Back and than Charge your attacker” tricky strategy works, and it works very well for the defender, because you want to do anything to run out the turn clock, right? "

If you are playing the Victory conditions in the book there is no incentive to "run out the turn clock". If the game ends with neither side breaking, it is a draw (see pages 66-67).

Posted 7 months ago #
Another_Grognard
Member

Biggreenbugeyedmonster, see "Using the Objective Marker" on page 91. Also, some scenarios might have a time limit for the attacker. But that wasn't the main focus for the “Fall Back and than Charge your attacker” tricky strategy. The simple fact is, a charging unit cannot break.

One good example for the thread mentioned above:

A British Guard unit with six bases in Line formation was attacked by not one, not two, but three French veteran infantry units in Attack Column formation. Aware of the possible defeat of his British Guard unit against three attacking French columns, and also wanting to delay the French on their way to the objective, the British player decides to Fall Back during the Reaction Phase of his turn. He doesn’t even consider standing and firing as a reaction after muttering, “If I decided to fire, I could at best do one DISR, maybe two if lucky enough, to only one of the three attacking units. Not good enough to turn the tide. My best chance is to Fall Back, and that is what I’m doing”. Since the subcommander in control of the British Guard unit has a +1 vigor, he is confident that the unit will be able to Fall Back. The player rolls a 2 on the d6 (the +1 vigor was needed) and the British Guards fall back 2BW (even roll).

Now here is the interesting part, the British player sees an opportunity here. Since he fell back 2BW, he can wheel up to 1BW and charge those three pesky attacking French infantry units. But because he wheeled 1BW before charging, he makes contact with only one of the three French units and not all three. The British player is all excited now since he has delayed the attacking French force one more turn, and maybe more. He thinks the French player will attempt to fall back with that one solitary unit being charged, and then during the activity phase of the French turn, the French player will charge with all three units again thereby soaking up three precious turns total (French Turn, British Turn, French Turn) with a possibility of a forth and fifth if he could just fall back again if attack. However, during the French turn, that one French unit failed to Fall Back (rolled a “1”) and broke during the Combat Phase since the French scored two hits and the British five (Decisive). Despite protests from the French high command, in this case, the best tactic for the British unit was to carry out the “Fall Back and then Charge your attacker” trick. That is, take full advantage of the loophole in the rules.

Posted 7 months ago #

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