Rabble and Skirmish Exceptions

[Bill Hupp]

Just to be sure I understand this in the combat results table:

Skirmishers in any Terrain that are doubled by Light Spear, Raiders or Warband are not destroyed but Evade. (Similar for Rabble but with Panic results)

My understanding: These are open order troops, but burderened by weapons (spears), armor (Raiders) or numbers (Warband) that prevent them from being destroyed (essentially they can't catch them.)

Thanks.

[David Kuijt]

Just to be sure I understand this in the combat results table:

Skirmishers in any Terrain that are doubled by Light Spear, Raiders or Warband are not destroyed but Evade. (Similar for Rabble but with Panic results)

My understanding: These are open order troops, but burderened by weapons (spears), armor (Raiders) or numbers (Warband) that prevent them from being destroyed (essentially they can't catch them.)

Your understanding is focused on the receiving type (LtSpear/Wb/etc) -- that isn't how I'd phrase it. Look instead at the Skirmishers/Rabble. Those types do NOT stand to fight, they irritate and run away. If there is any way for them to succeed in that. "Run away!" is their watchword. They fight with slings/bows (Skirmishers) or thrown javelins (Rabble). When they fight enemy troops who fight with weapons of the same range their skirmish-and-run technique is much less effective, which is why they are killed if doubled by (things with bows). Against stuff that tries to fight in melee, if doubled they run away rather than getting killed, because that is their solution against melee -- "don't do it!"

Does that help?

[Bill Hupp]

Yes, thanks. Like close range bow fire, they don’t really close and then escape, they run up, deliver and escape.

It is interesting that since they are doubled they are pursued, I.e. chased off.

Maybe it’s easier to visualize as being pushed/pursued first, which makes them take off to a safer distance. Rabble need to go farther to reorganize and use a command point to turn around (Panic vs Evade).

[David Kuijt]

Rabble need to go farther to reorganize and use a command point to turn around (Panic vs Evade).

Rabble actually go about the same distance. A Panic for them is a fall-back (1.5mu), flip, full move (3mu). 4.5mu total. An Evade for Skirmishers is a fall-back (1mu), then an evade (4mu backwards). 5mu total. Nearly the same.

But yes, as you say, Rabble have more difficulty resuming the fight -- they are "more in disorder", in effect, as they are not exerting ZOC to help hold the gap their withdrawal created (they're facing the wrong way), and it will take one more command point (usually) to get them back stuck in (because of facing the wrong way and having withdrawn a longer distance than their full move would take them back).