Hello,
Our club has started the WSS using the BLB ruleset. And after a couple of tryout games we ended up with the following questions.
The following situation occurred.
The enemy was deployed in line with a gun base resting it's flank on a wooded area with next to it a battalion in line with next to that another batallion in line.
After some manouvering I managed to bring up three cavalry squadrons in line all within charge distance.
Three charges where declared, one for the gun (passed) and two othes for the two infantry batallions (both failed).
The gunners elected for business elswhere after a failed being charged test failed.
However I elected not to reign in. So I had to do the full charge distance as a (I presumed) compulsary move. Since the charge was at a 45ish degree angle towards the gun it ended up straight into the infantery batallion lined up next to the field gun.
The question arose what should happen next.
Does the cavalry stop because some' hidden force field' prevents contact because the initial charge was only declared to a different unit?
My opponents claim was that this is customary in other rule sets and this set isn't clear about this.
Or is the infantry contacted and should test for being charged in a similar fashion as is the case when contatced by a squadron in persuit.
Test for being charged and re-act according to the outcome.
Stand and deliver or fail and join the gunners ?
My viewpoint is that a charging squadron doesn't stops in it tracks just because an infantry line happens to present itself as an opportunity.
Where is the logic in that?
If the infantry manages to stand after passing the test and deliver a devestating volley then the squadron might end up the gunners way in the oppsosit direction.
Another issue that popped up during our evaluation.
Is a column a valid (effective) fighting formation in this period?
The rulebook refers to march columns as viable formations for cavalry and infantry.
From an answer in another topic a got that a cavalry squadron column in a village wasn't a threat to infantry because the squadron could only move trough in column and therefore isn't a threat.
Can a cavalry charge when not formed in line? Can it have the same momentum (first rond kills at (4),5 and 6) as a cavalry charge in line?
Another isssue we ran into was my allies infantry in column was charged by cavalry in line. The defending player claimed that because his infantry tested succesfull it therefore should be able to fire in defence albeit with one stand only. (To me that doesn't feel right for the period. )
Can a column formation put up a volley with the same fire effect as a single stand line ,1/3rd of a battalion , claiming first volley bonus and possible 'short range' fire effect?
Can anyone help us out with these questions?
Thanks in advance and
Regards,
Frank