""Unit" action" Topic

I'm one of the least experienced gamers on here, so I'm looking for help determining when a multi-base unit qualifies as doing something. I'm currently using some rules with units of 12-16 individually-based 54mm toy soldiers, but I believe my question holds for any multi-base unit.

1. Assume a unit charges… What needs to make contact for the "unit" to make contact? All bases? >50% of the bases? Officer base? Geographic center of the bases?

2. Assume the charge succeeds and the units enter melee… Which bases take action when the "unit" takes action? Only the bases in contact? All bases? For example, would I bring up the bases that didn't make contact into contact? Would all defender bases rout if the unit fails a morale check?

I ran into a situation where 4 of 16 bases contacted 3 of 12 bases and didn't know if the "units" counted as being in melee.

Now, I understand different rules handle this differently and that's exactly what I'm asking. What are some ways to handle this?

Thanks much.

Count 'em all in melee! The whole unit routs if it fails.

Yes, much easier to resolve at the unit level. If one is in contact they all are, they fight and rout together.

Assume the unit commander knows what he is doing and is shuffling sub units up to the front, front or something.

If multiple unis are moving into contact, you may wish to consider some sort last minute sideways shuffle so you don't get multiple overlapping contacts.

In most games (but by no means all) the whole unit fights. Some games require units to match up with one another (this tends to make multi-unit combats simpler, and works when both units are the same size.). Other rules have a unit stop at the moment of contact (so that often only a single point of contact is made).
The more complex question comes when you have multiple units in combat: the options I can think of immediately are:
- divide the unit's attacks against all available targets
- concentrate all attacks on a single contacted unit
- determine a 'combat value' for each of the units in melee and results are determined by comparing each of the values
- specify a 'main combat' between two units with additional units only being counted as support

I'd go with one in, all in.

Measuring a figure at a time will raise too many edge cases and questions otherwise.
You only have that one guy there "in" so the rest of my guys will shoot yours. etc etc.
Consider a unit as being a unit, even if there are individual figures.
Consider making some movement trays.

Gents,

This was a tremendous help. Thanks for everyone's input. One in all in, one contacted all contacted it is. Much better than the mess I had.

- Cort

I'm glad you have your answer. I agree it's much easier if you just align your units together to show they are fighting. Where envelopments happen in your rules it's from two units against one. Number of attacks is not affected by approach. Units don't form column or spread out in different situations.

Something to consider for these kinds of question is what scale of action you are simulating, and from that, what those toy soldiers represent. Game rules when abstracted from models are about moving elements around. What the element represents can make for more or less detail in the rules.

If your element size is a large number of actual soldiers, (regiment / battalion / company / platoon etc), then your game rules would work fine if you just had cardboard counters for each unit. The role the toy soldiers play in your rules is just to make your unit visually recognizable.

Now if the toy soldiers represent actual soldiers marching in formation, then each toy soldier is or could be its own element. Your game is a skirmish of individual soldiers, or about squads attacking squads (or perhaps double squads or half platoons). At that scale of action, individual soldiers can separate from their unit under various circumstances, and you need to decide if those should be handled by your rules. Maybe the unit's rear rank of toy soldiers *should* come up along the side and try to envelop the enemy flank!

There are middle grounds too. Some rules represent their elements with a tray of soldiers, but the toy soldiers aren't just visually appealing, they also track stats. In these rules your unit is really the tray itself, and the toy soldiers are removed to represent casualties or loss of morale or reduction in effectiveness.

When charging, any part of the front edge making contact is enough to qualify as contact. I'd say the whole unit should conform to the enemy. This will involve a pivot if the units were not lined up parallel. If the units are very wide, this can look and feel a bit off, but that's a problem you have to accept with wide frontage units.
You may then want the unit to slide into as much contact as possible, or not. Then the choice is between unit vs unit fighting, or counting actual figures in contact. Unit vs unit is much simpler, but there may be issues if the units are of unequal frontage. The easiest way to do it IMO is have all units of equal frontage, and all combat is one unit vs one unit. Extra friendly units in contact with the enemy unit give a bonus in the combat.

Simple is good and it's simpler if all units have the same frontage.
So when you take casualties, mark reduction in strength somehow rather than removing stands out a unit.
I prefer markers rather than picking up individual figures.
The less handling of my figures, the less chance they bend chip or scrape.
Plus of course if your period is one where line is de rigeur then having a line shaped movement tray is one way of encouraging players to stick to line.
Column can then either be line with the guys on the front turned 90 degrees or the facing ignored for convenience over realism.

And I agree on wide units.
If you think they look cool then you have to just accept some weird stuff will happen if one contacts another at an angle.
Not quite so wide may not look quite as cool but has less issues.

Guys, again, thanks for the help. I think where I complicated things was the large scale of the skirmish with well-defined units (approx. 100 vs. 60 figures). I got confused between the skirmish aspects (i.e. individual figures) and unit aspects of the battle.

In this particular case, the battle worked much more cleanly following the one in, all in guidance above. I'm going to try a smaller battle with the individual actions mentioned by CeruLucifus. I'm also building some trays per AONeill's recommendation for my next large engagement.

- Cort