So there's a +10 Combat Bonus for Withdraw. Is that to the Unit Commander's Maneuver roll or to the PK's melee combat rolls once an opponent has been determined? If it's for the latte (which is what is sounds like, to me), why would they get such a strong combat bonus for a withdraw? Because they're fighting defensively?

So there's a +10 Combat Bonus for Withdraw. Is that to the Unit Commander's Maneuver roll or to the PK's melee combat rolls once an opponent has been determined? If it's for the latte (which is what is sounds like, to me), why would they get such a strong combat bonus for a withdraw? Because they're fighting defensively?


+10 to Combat skills (Melee rolls). They are not fighting defensively, so could ad another +10 if they would like (I wouldn't recommend it, since it would decrease the likelihood of actually succeeding withdrawing).

I guess that the bonus would reflect the advantage of defensive maneuvering, protection from their own infantry and support by archers and crossbowmen and such like. In effect, it doesn't matter; the bonus makes the Withdraw action work (and the best tactical option in most situations in larger battles, but not in smaller).

Also, I do believe this bonus has now been reduced to +5. I'm not sure if it's in the errata, perhaps having been mentioned on the forums, but that's how I now play it; +10 always felt too powerful to me (tho agree with Skarpskytten on why you got a bonus in the first place).

EDIT: Here it is - see Greg's comment third from bottom
http://www.gspendragon.com/roundtable/index.php?topic=968.msg9134#msg9134

Thanks, guys! So, if I have a forced Withdraw due to a BI of 25, can I still try a charge in the next turn? I guess I only need to try the Rally Battalion maneuver if Intensity is greater than 30. This (forced withdraw) happened within 3 rounds last night in two consecutive tests. In our first test, we hit BI 25 after the first round! Seems like in an even contest, the knights have a very tough time. We've run 3-4 tests now and my PKs have yet to win a victory on an "even playing field" (no terrain or starting condition mods and pretty evenly matched commanders). The closest they've come is an indecisive outcome. But our understanding of the rules has improved with each test, and I attribute this mostly to unfavorable Battle Events dice, so hopefully things will start seeming less hopeless soon. It's interesting that the Battle Events table favors defeat by a slim margin, providing 7 negative slots compared to 6 favorable, with one neutral...

T.

Regarding the indecisive victories, you will get this a lot. Getting Decisive Victories is nails hard. Rightly so IMHO.

I played 3 days worth of battle between my PKs army and a Saxon horde, both sides numbering no more than around 300-400, with each day being considered a separate battle (adjusted for losses). Each one finished indecisive. My PKs got very close to victory one time but just missed out. I split the results to include Tactical Victories and Tactical Defeats based purely on who lost the most men to add a little more variety.

To get a win you really need to push for it from the start, charge and charge again as often as possible. Get to the enemy camp and trigger the -20 BI modifier.

I know it's not to everyone liking but now that I'm familiar with it, I like the system a lot. I've tweaked some options a little (for eg the Attack vs Two seems a total non starter, -3 Intensity for a Triumph which the odds say you will almost never get and nothing for a Win which is also very hard to achieve) and added a bit more cosmetic detail (weather effects and the like) and found it works fine for me.