I've received very little feedback on the idea of allowing troops winning their close combats to expand their frontage during a follow-up move. I'll give you my own pro's and cons.

At Clontarf in 1014, the Irish would push back the allies, but would remain the same formation...no expanding or contracting. The Norse would in turn push units of Leinstemen back, also remaining in their original formation. This resulted in exposing the flanks which the Irish finally managed to exploit. One big strike against allowing expansion. Clontarf was not unusual. In fact, I find little evidence of ANY foot units actually expanding outward as they pushed back their opponents, especially in the ancient period. The weight of the rear ranks were needed to give the necessary push, keeping the mass moving forward. Two strikes against allowing expansion.

What would the effect be on a unit that expanded out? I envision the rear ranks breaking formation to run towards the flanks, disordering any formation remaining for the winning unit. Three strikes and done. Foot will definitely not be allowed to expand while pushing back an enemy. Yet, we allow wedging cavalry to expand (actually, they are flattening out as the wedge is blunted...and they are disordered as the wedge formation is lost). Why not just allow this to mounted troops?

Again, as a game mechanism, it is perhaps desirable. Your cavalry in two ranks will find the rear rank is useless other than to be used for casualty removal. Allowing it to wrap around to the flank will at least allow it to be involved in fighting. Was it an historical maneuver? At Muret, the French cavalry could and did manage to expand out as they swept the Spanish horse before them. Bohemond also used his mounted troops in the same way during a battle against Turkish relief forces at Antoich during the 1st Crusade. Brumele in 1119 had the French attacking the dismounted Normans, hitting the few hundred mounted Normans, the French caused them to retire, then hit the massed foot and swirled among them. Thought they lost, it sure sounds like they managed to bring their forces to bear...assuming their rear ranks were brought forward to fight.

I believe that cavalry should perhaps have this ability, but not foot. Any comments?