Q- I am enjoying CHARGE very much. In your last two scenarios on the Atlanta campaign, you have some companies using repeaters. How is this handled? Given that the size of the company is so small, will the company fire by itself or is the modifier applied to the whole unit?

A- While the standard JRIII rules work nicely for an entire regiment with repeaters, there is no standard way to handle the occasional instance where one or two companies within the regiment had repeaters. In that instance, I would simply add one extra +DRM for each two companies that have the repeaters, with the minimum being +1 DRM for one company to a maximum of +3. If more than four or five companies within the regiment are armed with repeaters, I would recommend breaking them into separate battalions. However, do note that obviously, you should use one benefit system or the other, not both.

Q- On page 38 under "Forced conditional hold, " the rule indicates that when a unit marked with either a move or formation change order is charged, the order is canceled and is automatically changed to conditional hold. On page 44 under "Charged while forming, " the rule states that if a unit is charged and is marked form, the charged unit does not change its order to conditional hold. I assume that the rule on page 38 is meant to cover units marked move only?

A- If a unit is marked FORM, the penalty for being charged is less severe than if the unit had been marked MOVE. The logic being that the unit that marked FORM at least realized that it was time to be in a different formation, while the unit marked MOVE was somewhat more clueless to its impending predicament. Hence, the FORM unit is not forced to go to Conditional Hold.

Q- Since, under some circumstances, veteran and elite units can perform both a move and a formation change, is this ordered by using a FORM or MOVE marker? How does this affect being charged while forming or moving?

A- In general, the veteran or elite unit would mark MOVE, and make his formation change as part of the move. However, that does create an issue if an opposing unit is charging it. One way -- if it is obvious -- is that if the formation change was intended to be at the back half of the movement, then the moving unit would be treated as if it was on Conditional Hold, as above, since the charge would obviously hit before the formation change was completed.

Q- A more tricky situation was if the intended formation change was supposed to happen at the beginning half of the turn. Would the unit be able to complete the formation change before the charge hit?

A- Good question! There are two ways to resolve it. Keep the defender in position and measure out the full charge distance of the attacker, and if the charge hits prior to halfway into the total charge movement, then the attacker would have caught the defender prior to the completion of the formation change. Then the defender would be hit in disorder. On the other hand, if the charge hit after half of its total charge movement was used, then the defender did have time to make the formation change, and he receives the charge in the new formation, but is penalized for "charged while forming." Another less mathematical, but maybe more fun way is to have the defender take a tactical competence roll, and if he makes it, he has reformed. If he doesn't pass the check, he has fallen into confusion and disorder. Either way will work, so it is up to the gamemaster to decide.