Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

A place to read and talk about our official updates, errata and addenda for Darklands. Please post all rules queries here!
Byzantii V
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2014 1:38 am

Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Byzantii V » Sun Jun 19, 2016 1:50 am

Hi all, I have another rules question... On page 155 Units under Scout or Flank orders can choose direct or indirect engagements. Direct engagements are broken into Charge, Trample and Slam.

On page 135, Flank orders permit none of these things. Scout orders only allow you to Charge. Is this an error or am I missing something? Thank you!
Jonathon Chester
Posts: 1324
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:09 am

Re: Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Jonathon Chester » Sun Jun 19, 2016 8:28 am

It's an ambush attempt you are making when you burst out of appropriate terrain you take a skill test and if passed you can charge.
One Hundred Minis Challenge 2018 - 127/100
One Hundred Minis Challenge 2019 - 128/100
One Hundred Minis Challenge 2020 - 100/100
One Hundred Minis Challenge 2021 - 12/100
Dave Fraser
Posts: 118
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:35 am

Re: Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Dave Fraser » Sun Jun 19, 2016 12:09 pm

Isn't trample/slam etc a "charge and ..." Action?
Byzantii V
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2014 1:38 am

Re: Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Byzantii V » Sun Jun 19, 2016 10:06 pm

Thanks guys, I'll look into the Ambush action. For Dave, I am pretty sure that Charge is its own action but I should double check that too.
Rob Boyce
Posts: 114
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 8:42 pm

Re: Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Rob Boyce » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:55 am

Thematically I think it's correct that flankers don't have access to the direct engagement actions, as it specifies that units on flank orders are keen to take the enemy by surprise wherever possible. If you are on flank orders you have to be deployed off the table, and if you are changed to flank orders you have to leave the table. So the only way you would have an opportunity to charge on flank orders would be either via an ambush, or if you had entered the battlefield via a flank/emerge action and not had your action changed.

However! I think Rob might need to address this, as it does seem from the Action table that flankers cannot charge (although this is not specified either in the charge or engagement action, and the engagement action does say you can choose direct or indirect engagements) and Ambush basically allows you to make an embedded charge action. In the ambush action it states that if you cannot charge for any reason then you count as having failed your ambush test. To my mind charge not being one of your allowed actions on the action table is a reason why you can't charge, but it does say that it's not always as simple as the table makes it seem, so no idea how bible that table is supposed to be?

Another aspect to this question is feral troops change their order to attack before they resolve their flank action, and according to the action table units on attack orders cannot ambush, so can Feral troops ambush?
User avatar
Rob Lane
Site Admin
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:46 pm
Location: Warsop Vale, Nottinghamshire
Contact:

Re: Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Rob Lane » Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:11 am

Rob Boyce wrote:Thematically I think it's correct that flankers don't have access to the direct engagement actions, as it specifies that units on flank orders are keen to take the enemy by surprise wherever possible. If you are on flank orders you have to be deployed off the table, and if you are changed to flank orders you have to leave the table. So the only way you would have an opportunity to charge on flank orders would be either via an ambush, or if you had entered the battlefield via a flank/emerge action and not had your action changed.


Correct; it's designed that way. If you're a Flanker, you can't perform Direct Engagements except via Ambush. Flankers are designed to harry, not threaten directly, except for big fliers. Remember, orders can be changed relatively easily.

Rob Boyce wrote:However! I think Rob might need to address this, as it does seem from the Action table that flankers cannot charge (although this is not specified either in the charge or engagement action, and the engagement action does say you can choose direct or indirect engagements) and Ambush basically allows you to make an embedded charge action. In the ambush action it states that if you cannot charge for any reason then you count as having failed your ambush test. To my mind charge not being one of your allowed actions on the action table is a reason why you can't charge, but it does say that it's not always as simple as the table makes it seem, so no idea how bible that table is supposed to be?


The Orders and Actions Chart is meant to be "bible" - i.e., the last word - but the "If the Ambushing unit cannot perform a Charge action for some reason" is talking about the unit failing any of the Charge requirements; which an Ambushing unit doesn't.

It looks like I do need to add a little change here; Flankers can obviously Ambush regardless of the fact they can't perform a Charge action (it would be silly if they couldn't), so just treat that last sentence ("If the Ambushing unit...") as if it wasn't there for now.

Rob Boyce wrote:Another aspect to this question is feral troops change their order to attack before they resolve their flank action, and according to the action table units on attack orders cannot ambush, so can Feral troops ambush?


Yes, I don't think it's quite as clear cut as how you make it out to be, but I'll make it explicit:

"Flanking units that have entered the battlefield may immediately perform an Ambush action to surprise a nearby enemy and engage them in combat. This occurs before a Feral Flanking unit's order is changed."

Cheers
Rob
Rob Boyce
Posts: 114
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2016 8:42 pm

Re: Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Rob Boyce » Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:31 am

Cheers Rob, I can obviously see what the intent is, but would have had trouble arguing that if I came up against a stickler
User avatar
Rob Lane
Site Admin
Posts: 3701
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:46 pm
Location: Warsop Vale, Nottinghamshire
Contact:

Re: Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Rob Lane » Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:50 am

Those sticklers ;o)

At least I can provide a semi-immediate answer...!

Cheers
Rob
Byzantii V
Posts: 47
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2014 1:38 am

Re: Direct Engagements with Scouts/Flankers

Postby Byzantii V » Mon Jun 20, 2016 6:08 pm

Thanks for the clarifications. I'm really enjoying the rules supporting the theme and feel of the game.

Return to “Darklands Rules and Musters - Updates, Errata and Addenda”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests