Art De La Guerre

[Mark G Fry]

Just a quick question hopefully.

When a Flank March (of all mounted units) comes on-table on a dice roll of a 5 or 4 (as it is all mounted) can it appear on-table in its dismounted form, if the circumstances on the table (e.g. enemy elephants, fortifications, obstacles) would have permitted it to dismount had it been deployed on-table originally. Or if it is a unit type with the automatic ability to dismount regardless of the enemy it is facing (e.g. Mounted Knights) must it dice as if it is on foot rather than mounted, if it intends to dismount upon arrival?

Likewise when a flank march is forced back, am I right in assuming that if the circumstances on the table would have permitted the mounted elements of that flank march to have dismounted, had they been deployed on-table originally; that they can opt to arrive on-table either mounted or dismounted (although the dismounted option may not be a particularly wise move).
Or, do the Forced Back mounted units make their initial move on-table and then have the option to dismount?

It might be that the sequence of play dictates when a unit can only dismount (after full deployment) and so a flank march must always remain either mounted or dismounted (& this must be noted at the start of the flank march? That then begs the question as to how units in ambush that can dismount are treated - must the fact that they are dismounted be noted ?

Thanks
Mark
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'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

[Neep]

I think you mean can LH dismount and still count for "all LH" when rolling for entry.

[Mark G Fry]

[KevinD]

I think they can (if allowed by the list or presence of enemy such as elephants, war wagons or stakes) choose whether or not to dismount the moment they enter the table. Given they are likely to have to flee next bo7nd from the enemy’s arriving FM dismounting might cause a lot of grief.

[Neep]

Yeah, the decision is made upon placement on table, so I think until then LH is LH.

[Mark G Fry]