According to the BoB p26, a charging unit cannot change maneuvers even to Run Down a Sprinting unit. Also according to the BoB p34, when the unit commander chooses to attack a sprinting unit then the unit attacks with results determined by the Run Down maneuver. This seems contradictory to me.

What should the battle round result be if the charging unit faces skirmishers who run away? Common sense makes me think we should follow the directions on p34 of BoB.

According to the BoB p26, a charging unit cannot change maneuvers even to Run Down a Sprinting unit. Also according to the BoB p34, when the unit commander chooses to attack a sprinting unit then the unit attacks with results determined by the Run Down maneuver. This seems contradictory to me.

What should the battle round result be if the charging unit faces skirmishers who run away? Common sense makes me think we should follow the directions on p34 of BoB.


The instructions under Charge are deliberate, an exception to page 34.

Popular fiction, both medieval and modern, focus on the crazy hero or intensely over-impassioned nobleman, and tends to make a medieval battle look like mobs of individuals fighting each other. Truth is, if a mob of heroes fights a trained army, the latter wins. Medieval commanders knew that.
When we read about the differences between the early milites and soldeiers being the cost of the horse and armor, we need to remember that the matter of unit training is foremost, even among these honor-bound nobles.
An eschille charge is a practiced maneuver, drilled and worked out together by the men to obtain maximum results. They all know when to trot, canter and then gallop, when to drop their lances, and when to pull up and stop, so the unit does not disintegrate after every charge.

Look at the Zone change results for Charge and Run Down: except for the Crush results, they travel the same distance. But the Unit Integrity is different for the Run Downers because they didn't plan to go that far. The charging knights did.

It would be wrong to penalize the charging knights for doing what they intended to do, just because their opponents are cowards.

Nonetheless, perhaps I have missed something?

When we read about the differences between the early milites and soldeiers being the cost of the horse and armor, we need to remember that the matter of unit training is foremost, even among these honor-bound nobles.
An eschille charge is a practiced maneuver, drilled and worked out together by the men to obtain maximum results. They all know when to trot, canter and then gallop, when to drop their lances, and when to pull up and stop, so the unit does not disintegrate after every charge.

Look at the Zone change results for Charge and Run Down: except for the Crush results, they travel the same distance. But the Unit Integrity is different for the Run Downers because they didn't plan to go that far. The charging knights did.


OK. I'll buy that.

So then what would the battle round results be? Move forward 2 zones, no change to battle intensity?

OK. I'll buy that.

So then what would the battle round results be? Move forward 2 zones, no change to battle intensity?


The results are the results of the Charge.
They started with a charge, and they end with a charge.

The results are the results of the Charge.
They started with a charge, and they end with a charge.


So just to be painfully obtuse, a Charge action is a valid tactic that will result in a combat exchange with the sprinters (ie Lance vs Dex)? You then apply the Triumph/Win/Lose/Crush results of the Charge to the knights, not the 'Run Them Down' results?

Regards
Luke

The results are the results of the Charge.
They started with a charge, and they end with a charge.


So just to be painfully obtuse, a Charge action is a valid tactic that will result in a combat exchange with the sprinters (ie Lance vs Dex)? You then apply the Triumph/Win/Lose/Crush results of the Charge to the knights, not the 'Run Them Down' results?



Yes