Skirmishers in melee with elephants / formed units

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aaloki
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2017 2:09 pm

Skirmishers in melee with elephants / formed units

Postby aaloki » Sun Nov 05, 2017 6:09 pm

Hi

just to check my understanding / ability to read rules.

Combat with Skirmishers: [page 39] says that Elephants in combat with skirmishers have a -2 modifier to their attack rolls.

But an Elephant is a formed unit of one model [also page 39] and skirmishers not in difficult terrain which are charged by a formed unit must evade and, if caught, are destroyed in the subsequent combat phase [page 37].

Therefore the only way Skirmishers can end up in a melee with an Elephant (or indeed any other type of Formed unit) is that the Skirmishers are in difficult going.

Is this correct or have I missed any other way(s) in which a unit of skirmishers can find itself in melee with Elephants / Formed units?

Thanks

Simon

Bob Stradling
Posts: 393
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:46 am

Re: Skirmishers in melee with elephants / formed units

Postby Bob Stradling » Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:12 pm

No Simon, you have it correct. I half expected a special rule in the classical book called Elephant Hunter or something liked that which would allow specially trained skirmishers to front up to elephants when not in difficult ground. Perhaps it will come in Ver 1.1

aaloki
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2017 2:09 pm

Re: Skirmishers in melee with elephants / formed units

Postby aaloki » Fri Nov 10, 2017 1:48 pm

Thanks.

quick follow up question

A unit of skirmishers, not in difficult going, is fighting an enemy skirmish unit, when it is charged by a formed unit.

what happens?

cheers

Simon

MartinG
Posts: 926
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:48 am

Re: Skirmishers in melee with elephants / formed units

Postby MartinG » Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:50 pm

As the unit is in combat it will stay there, taking a cohesion test if flanked.
"No one ever achieved anything without making a few mistakes along the way"

DennisW
Posts: 72
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2017 5:43 pm

Re: Skirmishers in melee with elephants / formed units

Postby DennisW » Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:59 pm

a way to counter he elephant would be a unit of skirmishers in front of another unit of quality skirmishers. the front unit gets close to the elephant and begins shooting... if charged by the elephant it evades through it's support, who cannot evade ( page 19, 4.7 final sentence). Since the supports cannot evade, and hence not caught evading, they should be able to fight. This is situational and may work if the support are Thracians with halberds.

I also assume that skirmishers cannot charge elephants, although page 39 " combat with elephants" suggests they can??


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