Post by stevie on Dec 28, 2017 17:12:03 GMT
Overhead Shooting
Troops on a hill that have a line of sight to an enemy element may shoot over intervening troops if they are uphill of them and their shooting edge has at least ½ BW of space empty of troops in front of it and the target edge has the same. Likewise, elements may shoot uphill if their target is uphill of intervening troops and they meet the same ½ BW of empty space requirements.
All other shooting rules (including rule 10.4 shooting priorities) are unchanged and still apply.
Limitations of Overhead Shooting
A hill crest and more than ½ BW of difficult hill will limit the line of sight, and so block shooting.
And the rear element of a column couldn’t shoot, because there would not be ½ BW of empty space in front of it.
Likewise, the rear element of an enemy column could not be a target, as it also does not have ½ BW of empty space in front it…all the shot would hit the the front of the column instead (assuming that the front of the column also had ½ BW of empty space in front of it making it a legitimate target).
Historical Examples
At Onomarchos in 353 BC, Philip of Macedon was repulsed by artillery shooting overhead on a hill behind the Phocian front line.
At the Battle of Crecy in 1346, Edward III kept a full third of his army in reserve, further up the hill.
Reasons For This Rule
I have always found it strange that at Crecy the English deployed with a third of their army behind their front line.
(see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cr%C3%A9cy#/media/File:BattleofCr%C3%A9cyVisualisation.svg )
I strongly believe that even a re-enacted battle should have the troops in a ‘natural’ formation.
And what wargamer wants to fight a battle when a third of their army is in a bad position and cannot shoot?
Under DBA, this reserve is of no use and might as well not be there!
Ah, but if we allow overhead shooting because this reserve is uphill, then Edward III’s formation begins to make sense.
Effects Of This Rule
This House Rule is not quite as devastating as it may at first appear.
Some popular bow heavy armies, such as the Republican and Classical Indians, are tropical, and cannot have hills.
Even bow armies that do have access to hills will still have to position themselves correctly.
And they’ll need an opponent willing to charge them frontally to be able to make the most use of this effect.
Lastly, having shooting elements behind your troops will shorten your front line, increasing the risk of being outflanked.
But it would allow the battles of Onomarchos and Crecy to be re-enacted correctly.
And if overhead shooting happened in these battles, then it could also happen in hypothetical engagements as well.
Some potentially useful player aids can be found here, including the latest June 2017 FAQ and the Quick Reference Sheets from the Society of Ancients:-
fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reference_sheets_and_epitomes
Troops on a hill that have a line of sight to an enemy element may shoot over intervening troops if they are uphill of them and their shooting edge has at least ½ BW of space empty of troops in front of it and the target edge has the same. Likewise, elements may shoot uphill if their target is uphill of intervening troops and they meet the same ½ BW of empty space requirements.
All other shooting rules (including rule 10.4 shooting priorities) are unchanged and still apply.
Limitations of Overhead Shooting
A hill crest and more than ½ BW of difficult hill will limit the line of sight, and so block shooting.
And the rear element of a column couldn’t shoot, because there would not be ½ BW of empty space in front of it.
Likewise, the rear element of an enemy column could not be a target, as it also does not have ½ BW of empty space in front it…all the shot would hit the the front of the column instead (assuming that the front of the column also had ½ BW of empty space in front of it making it a legitimate target).
Historical Examples
At Onomarchos in 353 BC, Philip of Macedon was repulsed by artillery shooting overhead on a hill behind the Phocian front line.
At the Battle of Crecy in 1346, Edward III kept a full third of his army in reserve, further up the hill.
Reasons For This Rule
I have always found it strange that at Crecy the English deployed with a third of their army behind their front line.
(see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cr%C3%A9cy#/media/File:BattleofCr%C3%A9cyVisualisation.svg )
I strongly believe that even a re-enacted battle should have the troops in a ‘natural’ formation.
And what wargamer wants to fight a battle when a third of their army is in a bad position and cannot shoot?
Under DBA, this reserve is of no use and might as well not be there!
Ah, but if we allow overhead shooting because this reserve is uphill, then Edward III’s formation begins to make sense.
Effects Of This Rule
This House Rule is not quite as devastating as it may at first appear.
Some popular bow heavy armies, such as the Republican and Classical Indians, are tropical, and cannot have hills.
Even bow armies that do have access to hills will still have to position themselves correctly.
And they’ll need an opponent willing to charge them frontally to be able to make the most use of this effect.
Lastly, having shooting elements behind your troops will shorten your front line, increasing the risk of being outflanked.
But it would allow the battles of Onomarchos and Crecy to be re-enacted correctly.
And if overhead shooting happened in these battles, then it could also happen in hypothetical engagements as well.
Some potentially useful player aids can be found here, including the latest June 2017 FAQ and the Quick Reference Sheets from the Society of Ancients:-
fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reference_sheets_and_epitomes
