The rules state that a unit must have one stand completely past the front edge of an enemy unit in order to count as charging/advancing into the flank of the enemy unit. This appears as the diagram below:

At the beginning of the Charge Phase, Unit A has a complete stand past the front of unit B, so can attempt to make a flank charge.

Unit B, depending on orders, has several options to avoid this situation. If given a Deploy order, Unit B could wheel 45 degrees to avoid being hit in the flank as below:

This avoids the flank charge.

Unit B could also have been given an Advance order which could be turned into a Countercharge against Unit A, also allowing for a wheel of 45 degrees before the Countercharge move is made. (Note that Unit B could not have been given a Charge order against Unit A as it was not in normal movement range of it at the start of the turn as the wheels cost double movement for each inch moved).

If Unit B had Defend orders, no orders or if it was already involved in a close combat, it would not be able to respond and would have been hit in the flank, becoming immediately disordered.

Extreme Flank Attack

This illustrates an extreme flank attack, with only Deploy or Retreat orders saving Unit B.

Unit B could Deploy and turn 90 to face the charge to avoid the flank attack.

Unit B could attempt to Retreat and try to outrun Unit A. If it fails, it is hit in the flank or rear and disordered.

Any other orders would result in it being contacted in the flank by Unit A.

Fitting into a Multiple Unit Melee

You must be able to get a stand in contact with an enemy stand to fit into fight. In the example below, the enemy units (red) have tied up one of your units (green) and you wish to help your lone unit out.

You want to charge into the melee with Unit C. You can do this, as the enemy foot unit has an overlapping stand that is an eligible target for your charge. Unit C will be forced to drop back stands in order to charge past Unit B, but this does not slow its movement at all and the charge will result in Unit C being in a 3-deep column as it slams into the enemy foot unit.

If there is no overlapping stand that you can hit with Unit C, the charge is cancelled and unit may either change the Charge order into an Advance or simply pick have the unit sit there this turn.

Multiple Unit Combats Revisited

Remember that all of the units fighting in the multiple unit close combat phase fight it out before any morale tests are taken.

In this combat, two units have charged into the existing melee this turn. Both Unit A for the Saxons and Unit 1 for the Normans.

Unit B would have to take an immediate morale test for being charged. Since this happens before the close combat phase begins, this morale check is taken and acted upon.

Because they were hit in the flank, both Unit B and Unit 2 are immediately disordered.

The player who won the Initiative die roll now decides from which flank to begin the fighting during the close combat phase. Each combat is fought out in its entirety. Once all of the multiple close combats have been fought out, then the morale tests are taken.

Again, the morale tests are taken from the flank chosen by the winner of the Initiative. As you can see this can be a very important decision each turn, dictating the ebb and flow of the battle.

More Messy Melees: MW Clarifications from Fall In

Several interesting situations came up at Fall In that I felt could use a bit of rules clarification. One problem really wasn't one at all as the players simply had to follow the Intiative procedure to figure it out. I'll use this as the first example.

Here is the situation at the beginning of a turn. The player who has Unit A has won the Initiative for this turn.

Unarmored Infantry Archers        Unit A

Skirmish Infantry Archers       Skirmish Cavalry

The SC declare a charge on the archers, Unit A. They decide to roll for frenzied, pass and then make their charge move, easily reaching the enemy archers.

During the Missile Fire Phase, the Initiative player, controlling Unit A, decides to begin the missile fire from the his left flank, or the SC/SI right

flank as they are facing him. The UI begin their fire, directing it all onto the SC unit. They first must roll their morale To Pass number of higher to fire at close range, otherwise fire at effective range. They pass, so fire at close and destroy two stands of the SC!

The SC are now required to take an immediate morale test. They fail miserably having lost two stands and being unsupported, so rout. The SI see this and before they get to fire, must take an immediate morale test of their own. If they had been shot at, they would have been allowed to fire before taking the test as units shooting at each other are considered to fire simultaneously, but they were not fired upon, so must test morale before their turn to shoot. They fail and rout as well.

Here is another one that came up at the tournament.

      Unit A   

   Unit 1           Unit 2

Unit A and Unit 1 are in the second round of a close combat. Mounted Unit 2 has declared a charge on Unit A. Unit A must take a morale check for foot being charged by mounted in the open and fails miserably and routs. The question is, where does it go and which unit will pursue it?

It has two enemies, so has to split the route it will take to get away from both equally. It will rout at a 45 degree angle from its opponents, wheeling to do so. Unit 2 caused the rout, so it will have precedence over pursuit. It will also wheel 45 degrees and most likely catch the slower foot unit, destroying it.

Unit 1 will remain in place as it did not cause the rout and could not fit in to get at the routing unit anyway.

Exposing a Flank

This is another typical situation that we often see in our battles.

Unit A

                       Unit B

   Unit 1

Unit 1 charges Unit A. Unit A has Defend orders so it holds, passing its morale test for being charged by mounted in the open.

During the Tactical Movement Phase, Unit B, with Advance orders, cannot advance into the exposed flank of Unit 1, as it did not start the turn with a complete stand behind the flank of Unit 1. Unit B can move into position to charge into the flank of Unit 1 next turn, but cannot move into contact with it this turn.

The Question of Wider and Deeper

This question continues to come up so let me give some examples and straighten it out once and for all.

If you have a wider unit, this is very simple to see. Unit A has an overlap on Unit 1. Even though he overlaps both flanks, he only gets a +1 modifier for being wider.

Unit A                    Unit B  

Unit 1                    Unit 2

 Unit B has both an overlap and depth on Unit 2. Unit B will receive a +1 modifier for each of these, both wider and deeper for a total of +2. If Unit B was missing two of its back stands, it would not count deeper as it did not have complete ranks vrs. Unit 2.

In the example below, Unit D has complete deeper ranks, so counts as deeper vrs. Unit 4. Unit 4 is wider, so counts that overlap vrs. Unit D. Unit 5 has complete ranks so counts as deeper than Unit E which is missing one stand.

Unit D    Unit E    

Unit 4      Unit 5

Questions

The player who controls the unit removes the stand.

No. They are allowable and usable as a charge/advance response or a normal deploy move.

The only real advantage is that they fight with either a full two ranks deep in wedge or a rank and a half for conrois.

Disadvantages: They are an easier missile target and if they do not breakthrough or rout/destroy their opponents, they are disordered.

If the wedge/conrois unit will be fragmented if they lose, being disordered for both falling out of wedge/conrois and for being pushed back.