Orders

[Larabic]

Given the rules a few reads now and i still don't get orders. They seem... unnecessary. There seems to be little difference between them, do you think they should be more restrictive? Maybe it will become more clear when i actually get a game on the table going, but am experienced enough of a gamer to see that this doesn't make sense, maybe i am missing something.

[Cincydooley]

It actually makes a big deal when you look at initiative and charging units, etc. An example:

Your unit of Sronax, and already low skill unit, are within charge range of the opponents higher skill sword melusines. Yo lose the initiative, so you're going to get charged. You put a hold order on your Sronax which allows you to make a brace action, which grants you easy parries, increasing your sronaxs survivability.

That's just one example, but I think well start to see it having a lot more impact as we all play larger games.

[Endor]

But in your example, the sronax need to be under the hold order already for this to be true, right? If you lose initiative and your sronax is already on attack orders, will they get the chance to change orders in time?

[Rob Lane]

Given the rules a few reads now and i still don't get orders. They seem... unnecessary. There seems to be little difference between them, do you think they should be more restrictive? Maybe it will become more clear when i actually get a game on the table going, but am experienced enough of a gamer to see that this doesn't make sense, maybe i am missing something.

There is actually a lot of difference between them when you start playing. There's the rub - you mention "when I get a game going" so - with respect - you simply can't know how it plays until you've actually played dude.

Additionally, these are QuickStarter rules. There are more actions to play with in the full rules... and more orders...

Cincydooley has it right for me; Endor, what he means is that if you have the activations to do so you get the general to issue new orders to them (and if your general is in the Srónax, even better as he can change the orders immediately). If you don't have the activations, you don't.

Again, cincydooley's correct - in larger games, on 6' x 4' tables, Move orders are essential and when we introduce archers more - well, Hold orders become useful too.