Napoleonic Wars OnLine
Gathered In Their Masses
Rule Book
Last modified July 23, 2008
This document provides the rules of Gathered In Their Masses (GITM), the land combat module of the Napoleonic Wars OnLine (NWOL). A player who has read and understood these rules should be able to command units in GITM. New players should start with the rules summary before going through this document. More details of the rules aree available for those seeking more information about the mechanics of GITM by clicking on the "More Details" links in this page.
The basic rules are divided into twelve sections:
1. Strategic Map
| 1.1. GITM takes place on a
strategic map
of Europe,
120 columns wide by 80 rows high. Each square on the strategic map is
approximately
15 miles square. Each column is referred to by a letter and number; the
westmost column is A0, the next is A1, and the eastmost is L9. Each row
is also referred to by letter and number; the northmost row is S0, the
next is S1, and the southmost is Z9. A given square is referred to by
its
column and row, separated by a dash. Thus, G7-V8 is Venice. 1.2. Each strategic square has a particular terrain. There are seven possible types of terrain; open, water, hill, forest, mountain, high mountain, and swamp. Some strategic squares also contain cities. Squares with water, high mountain, and swamp are impassible. 1.3. Each strategic square belongs to one of the eleven NWOL nations: France, Great Britain, Prussia, Austria, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Naples, the German states, or the Italian states. Each city is controlled by one state. Clicking on the city icon will display its name, the state that controls it, and the amount of supplies available there. |
Sample strategic map: northeastern Italy |
2. Tactical Maps
| 2.1. Each strategic square on the
GITM
strategic
map has an associated tactical map, 15 columns wide by 15 columns high.
Each square on each tactical map is approximately one mile square. Each
column and row is referred to by a number. Column 0 is the westmost
column
and column 14 is the eastmost column; row 0 is the northmost row and
row
14 is the southmost row. Each square on a tactical map is referred to
by
column and row, separated by a dash. For example, 14-1 is the tactical
square directly below the upper right-hand corner of a tactical
map. 2.2. Each tactical square has a particular terrain. There are ten possible types of terrain; open, hills, high hills, river, ford, mountain, pass, water, forest, and town. Tactical squares with river, mountain, and water terrain are impassible. 2.3 Rivers and mountain ranges join continously across the edges of adjacent tactical maps. For example, if tactical square 0-5 is a river square in a given strategic square, then tactical square 14-5 will also be a river square in the strategic square west of the given one. 2.4. Each tactical square has a defensive terrain rating from 0 to 4 indicating the general suitability of that square for defense. A rating of 0 indicates poor defensive terrain; a rating of 4 indicates excellent defensive terrain. 2.5. Tactical squares which contain one or more units are marked with flags in the same way as strategic squares are. Clicking on a flag on a tactical map will reveal the identity of the units present in the tactical square. A tactical square cannot contain more than 24 brigades, and cannot contain more than 12 units allied to one another. 2.6. City tactical squares may have forts. Forts are rated for strength (1 to 5, 5 being strongest) and capacity (measured the same way as transport capacity: 1 per man for infantry and HQs, 3 per man for cavalry, 2 per man for artillery, brigades with attached batteries count 100 men as artillerists). Clicking on a city will show the strength and size of its fort, and units in forts have an F appended to their unit IDs. 2.7. A city can be besieged (with or without a fort). If the city is besieged, there will be a note at the bottom of the tactical map noting that it is, and the movement of units and supplies into and out of the city tac square will be limited. |
Sample tactical map showing river with |
3. Units
3.1. The basic unit of GITM is the brigade. Brigades come in ten types; infantry, light infantry, heavy cavalry, medium cavalry, light cavalry, heavy artillery, medium artillery, light artillery, siege artillery, and militia. Each brigade has a nationality and a number within that nationality, and its unit ID is composed of its nationality, number, and type. Thus, FR3LI is the French 3rd Light Infantry Brigade. There are also two types of headquarters units, army headquarters and corps headquarters. Each brigade is composed a number of men and a number of attached artillery batteries (possibly zero).| 3.2. Each brigade is rated for
quality,
experience,
morale, and fatigue. Quality represents the innate abilities of the
officers
and men of the brigade. Experience represents their exposure to combat
over the course of previous campaigns. Morale represents their elan and
willingness to fight. Fatigue represents their endurance and ability to
execute orders. Most actions a brigade can take increase its fatigue [More
Details]. At the end of each turn, cavalry, light artillery, and
headquarters
units regain 4 points of fatigue; other units regain 3. 3.3. Each brigade is located in a particular strategic square and a particular tactical square within that strategic square. 3.4. Each brigade has an commander and a deputy commander, both of whom receive reports from the unit and |
FR1IN
Sample unit status report |
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3.5. A state can merge of its units into another if they are of the same type (IN, MC, etc). If the combined unit exceeds the maximum size allowed for that type (4000 for infantry, 2000 for cavalry, 400 for artillery, 3000 for militia, no more than 1 battery or 4 batteries for artillery) then the excess manpower returns to the manpower pool at the end of the following season, and if the units are on foreign soil, 40% of the manpower is lost and casualty VPs apply. HQs and militia units may not be combined. The units must be in the same strategic square, and if there is an enemy unit present in the strategic square, then they must be in the same tactical square. If BR1IN is merged into BR2IN, then the combined unit will be BR2IN, its commander and location will be those of BR2IN, its strength and batteries will be the sum of the strength and batteries of the two merging units, its quality, experience, morale, fatigue, and ammunition will be the average of the two merging units weighted by their strengths, and the new unit will be carrying a supply only if both units were before the merger. Merger will happen during the supply phase (before movement and combat).
3.6. Units gain experience by fighting in battles, 1 to 5 points in each tactical phase of combat depending on the odds of the battle, receiving more points in battles with even odds. They also gain experience by marching, 1 point per turn, until they reach 8 experience, at which point further marching does not increase their experience. At the end of each campaign, units lose a fraction of their experience, reflecting turnover of men within the unit and the effects of inactivity if they have not been gaining experience by fighting and marching.
3.7. Units gain morale by being in winning battles or by being close to them. They lose morale by being in losing battles or by being close to them. Larger battles produce greater increases and decreases in morale. Units that capture cities, or are near them, gain morale, and units near cities that are captured lose morale. Morale starts at 50 for each unit and moves up or down. Each turn morale tends to return towards 50 if the unit has not gained or lost morale from battle or city capture. [More Details]
4. Detection
4.1. During a campaign, on the strategic map, active units can detect same-side and actively allied units up to 3 squares away, except army headquarters units which can detect same-side and actively allied units up to 5 squares away. Units can detect all other units up to 1 square away, except light cavalry brigades which can detect other units up to 2 squares away. Inactive units do not detect other units at all. During peace or truce turns, active units detect same-side and actively allied units up to 5 squares away except for army headquarters units which detect same-side and actively allied units up to 10 squares away, and detect other units up to 3 squares away. Position reports will display all squares within 5 squares of an active unit. Number of enemy and allied units will be reported only approximately. Units reported as "brigades" normally have 2-3 units, "division" have 3-5, "divisions" have 6-8, and "corps" has more than 8. If more than one corps is reported, the number of units is approximately 12 times the number of corps reported. Reports will also have the letters I,C,A,H to indicated infantry, cavalry, artillery, and headquarters units, and these letters are also only approximately correct. Militia will be reported as infantry in this instance.4.2. On the tactical map, units can detect all same-side units, all actively allied units, and the nearest enemy unit (or units if two or more are equally close) in each of the eight directions (north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest). Headquarters units (army and corps) do not sight units nor block sight by enemy units (this prevents them from taking advantage of their immunity from combat to do screening or reconnaissance - see rule 9.2 below).
4.3. Units in the strategic square of port cities (whether in the city tactical square or not) will receive reports of the ships in the port (both harbor and coastal waters). Ships located in the port will automatically report the identities of GITM units in that port's tactical square, and have a chance to report the identities of GITM units in the port's strategic square but not in its tactical square.Garrisons of off-GITM-map ports will report the presence of ships and frigates in those ports to the Naval Minister with a one-turn delay.
4.4. During a campaign, when units move tactically, their movement is reported to all same-side and actively allied units in the same strategic square. If the start and end points of their movement are visible to any other unit in the strategic square, the movement is reported to all other units in the square as well. If only the end point is visible, then only the end point is reported; if only the start point is visible, then only the start point is reported. If neither the start point nor the end point of the movement is visible to a non-actively allied unit, then the movement is not reported to non-actively allied units. A movement through a waypoint is treated as two separate movements for the purposes of this rule.
4.5. During a campaign, if a unit moves strategically, its departure is reported to all same-side and actively allied units in the square it is departing from, and if the unit is visible to any non-actively allied unit, then the departure is reported to all non-actively allied units in the square. Its arrival is reported to all actively allied units in the square it is arriving in, and if its arrival point is visible to any non-actively allied unit, then its arrival is reported to all non-actively allied units.
4.6. On the strategic map, each player can see only what is visible to the units assigned to his personal command. On the tactical map, each player can see what is visible to any same-side or actively allied unit on the same tactical map.
4.7. Each side's War Minister will receive two types of additional information about enemy dispositions. First, he will receive occasional reports of the location of headquarters units; second, he will receive reports of the location of non-actively allied troops on his nation's territory and not within sight of that nation's troops. The locations of these reports will be one turn out of date and may contain errors, sometimes large ones.
5. Turn Sequence
5.1. GITM is played in turns. One campaign consists of 15 campaign turns, unless all hostilities end earlier. Peace and truce seasons consist of a single turn.5.2. Campaign turns are divided into a supply phase, tactical phases, and strategic phases. Combat occurs during tactical phases, after tactical movement is completed. Tactical movement happens first and strategic movement happens subsequently, with three exceptions. First, at the start of the turn, units in squares where battles were fought the previous turn can make a strategic move to withdraw from the battle. Second, in the middle of tactical movement, there is one phase of strategic movement, to permit brigades to join a battle in progress if they are in an adjacent strategic square. Third, after strategic movement there is a final phase of tactical movement, to permit arriving units to deploy on the tactical map. Each turn has five tactical and six strategic phases. Thus, a GITM turn begins with a supply phase, followed by strategic withdrawal, followed by two phases of tactical movement, then one phase of strategic movement, then two more phases of tactical movement, then five more phases of strategic movement, ending with a final tactical phase in which combat does not occur. The following diagram shows the exact sequence of a campaign turn.
In peace and truce turns, there is no supply phase, and there
is no
division into tactical and strategic phases; instead all movement
happens simultaneously.
5.3.
At the
end of each turn, every player will
receive
two reports. The first one contains a list of all events that happened
during the turn that were observed by the player's units. The second
one
contains maps and unit status reports showing the positions of the
player's
units at the start of the following turn.
Click here for more information on turn reports
Click here for more information on position reports
6. Orders
6.1. Units send orders for each brigade, for each turn, at the GITM Order Desk. Orders may be sent by the commander of the unit or the deputy commander of the unit. No other player may send orders for the unit unless it is reassigned. If multiple orders are sent for a unit, the last one sent by the commander is accepted; if the commander did not send orders, then the last order sent by the deputy commander is accepted. The orders sent govern the actions of the brigade during the turn. During campaign turns, players submit orders using the campaign order submission form, which is divided into six sections.6.2. In the first section, players type the ID of the unit which they wish to send orders, and their password to identify themselves as commander or deputy commander.
6.3. In the second section, players send orders for strategic movement. Players can specify a path for movement, and can also indicate that the unit should pursue enemy units moving strategically, or should move to the nearest adjacent battle square. They may also specify an entry square, and indicate whether they wish the unit to halt its movement if it encounters an enemy unit during strategic movement, in the case that it moves into an enemy-held square (halt on detection) or an enemy moves into its square (halt on enemy entry).
6.4. I n the third section, players specify tactical movement. They can specify a destination square and an intermediate waypoint (they do not need to specify the entire movement path), and the tactical phase for movement to take place. They can specify that a unit should not enter a fort if it enters a city with a fort (units will enter the fort unless ordered not to). They can also indicate that the unit should engage an enemy combat unit in its strategic square, and the tactical phases in which it should do so. They also specify the line in the battle formation in which the unit should attempt to place itself (first line, second line, or rear) if it finds itself in combat.
6.5. In the fourth section, players specify the unit's reaction to the movement of other enemy units. Units can give support to battles in nearby squares if combat takes place, or can move to intercept enemy units moving nearby. In both cases, units can specify the area in which they wish to react, by specifying its center tactical square and its radius, and the tactical phases in which they wish to react.
6.6. In the fifth section, players indicate the offensive and defensive postures they wish their units to take, in a range between seeking combat and avoiding it.
6.7. In the sixth section, players indicate the amount of supplies they wish their units to carry, and the source from which they wish to draw supply, if they desire. A unit need not specify a supply source; if it does not, the closest available source will be used. It is only necessary to specify a source if there are two or more available sources and it matters to the commander which source is used. If a unit does not wish to draw supply at all, it can enter "None" and it will not draw supply.
6.8. In general, players may submit orders in all sections in any combinations they desire.
6.9. If a unit fails to send orders, default orders will be carried out for the unit. The unit will not move, will use skirmish formations on attack and defense, will seek the front line in combat, will support a same-side or actively allied brigade in combat within 2 tactical squares of its start-of-turn position, and will draw one unit of supply.
6.10. During peace or truce turns, players send orders using the peace/truce order submission form, which has only one section, in which players specify the unit ID, their password, and the strategic and tactical locations to which they wish to move the unit.
6.11. On all turns, if a unit is reassigned during a turn, or its commander or deputy changes passwords during a turn, then orders for the unit submitted before the reassignment or password change was submitted are evaluated using the old assignment and passwords, and orders for the unit submitted afer the reassignment or password change was submitted are evaluated using the new assignment and passwords. [More Details]
Click here for more information on the order submission form
7. Strategic Movement
Rules 7.1 through 7.15 apply to campaign turns: rule 7.16 applies to peace and truce turns.7.1. Units can move one square on the strategic map in each phase of strategic movement. Infantry units, heavy and medium artillery units, and corps headquarters have a normal movement allowance of three squares per turn; light artillery units, cavalry units, and army headquarters units have a normal allowance of four squares per turn. Siege artillery have a normal movement allowance of two squares per turn. Militia have a normal movement allowance of two squares per turn; they may not move to a strategic square outside their home nation. German militia may mvoe anywhere in Germany, and Italian militia may move anywhere in Italy. Units pay one point of fatigue for every strategic square moved, or two if moving into a mountain terrain. Units with fatigue in excess of 18 may not move strategically.
7.2. A unit's normal movement allowance is decreased by one square if it is carrying supplies, as it is compelled to remain with its wagon train, and is decreased by one square if it is not in communications (see rule 10, Communications and Supply, below).
7.3. A unit can move one strategic square beyond its normal allowance as a forced march, but pays three fatigue points (four points, if cavalry or light artillery), rather than one, for the additional square of movement. Militia may not force march.
7.4. Units specify the path they wish to take in strategic movement in the strategic movement section of the orders page, one square per box. Diagonal movement is permitted, except that diagonal movement between E0-T3 and D9-T4 is blocked by the water squares at E0-T4 and D9-T3 (movement between F7-V0 and F8-U9 is permitted, however). For example, a unit moving four squares (in four strategic phases) could move G4-V6 G5-V6 G6-V7 G7-V8. If a unit is ordered to move to a strategic square not adjacent to the one it is in, it will halt its movement at that point. Example: a unit ordered to move G4-V6 G5-V6 G7-V8 will halt in G5-V6 because G7-V8 is not adjacent to G5-V6.
7.5. A unit in a strategic square where a battle was fought on the previous turn may make a strategic withdrawal during the strategic withdrawal phase. Units making strategic withdrawal cannot move to a strategic square containing active hostile combat units at the start of the turn. A unit that makes a strategic withdrawal does not move in strategic phase 1, having made its first move in the strategic withdrawal phase, but continues moving normally in strategic phase 2 and later. It pays two fatigue points rather than one for making a strategic withdrawal move, and will lose some stragglers; 10% to 20% if an enemy unit is in an adjacent tactical square, 0% to 5% if not. Units can skip a phase of strategic movement by leaving a blank box in the strategic movement sequence; it can still movent its full movement allowance as long as it fills in at least three (four for LC/MC/LA) of the boxes.This permits units can choose in which of the six phases of strategic movement they wish to make their three or four moves, as long as they make only one in any given phase.
7.6. Units move in random order in each strategic phase, and the order is different in each phase of the turn.
| 7.7. A unit cannot make a strategic
movement
unless it
has a path to the edge of its current tactical map which is free of
enemy
units (see illustration). Neutral units block movement in this way only
when in their home nation. [More
Details] Units cannot march strategically if to do
so, they must pass diagonally between two non-actively allied units
adjacent to them on their present tactical map. Units in besieged
cities may not move strategically. If a unit's move is blocked in one
strategic phase, it will attempt to make the move again in the next
strategic phase, and will continue the rest of its movement orders,
each one phase later than ordered (including any phases skipped). 7.8. If a unit is in the presence of enemy combat units (that is, non-HQ units) at its turn to move, then it cannot make a strategic movement that requires it to cross a river or mountain range. It must first cross to the proper side of the river/range in tactical movement. Neutral combat units block movement in this way only when in their home nation. [More Details] 7.9. If a unit selects the "halt on detection" option in strategic movement, it will halt strategic movement when it moves into an enemy-occupied square. If it does not, then it will attempt to continue its strategic movement (the enemy unit may block its further strategic movement under rule 7.7). 7.10. If a unit selects the "halt on enemy entry" option in strategic movement, it will halt strategic movement upon detecting an enemy unit entering its strategic square. If it does not, then it will attempt to continue its strategic movement (again, the enemy unit may block its further strategic movement under rule 7.7). 7.11. A unit can select the "pursuit" option in strategic movement. If it does so, then if an enemy unit leaves its strategic square, it will attempt to follow that enemy unit. It may fail due to rule 7.7. If a unit has both a strategic movement path and the pursuit option selected, it will follow the strategic path and attempt pursuit until it makes a successful pursuit, at which time its strategic path will be cancelled and it will exclusively pursue for the rest of the turn. A unit in pursuit mode will make a forced march to pursue if it can do so. 7.12. A unit can select the "march to battle" option in strategic movement. If it does so, and does not have a specified strategic move to make, then it will find the largest battle (strategic square with at least one same-side or actively allied unit and at least one hostile unit present) in or adjacent to its own strategic square. If the largest battle is in its own square, it will not move. Otherwise it will move to the square with the largest battle, force marching to do so if necessary. If there are no battles in the same or adjacent square the unit will not move. A unit with a specified strategic path will not march to battle until it completes its specified path. |
appropriate colored squares (red for north, gray for northwest, etc.) must be clear of enemy units to the edge of the tactical map |
7.14. If a unit attempts to move diagonally, so that it passes between two squares adjacent to its current square, then its movement may be blocked by an active (not inactive or shattered) enemy unit in one of the adjacent squares the moving unit is passing between. The unit will be charged one step of strategic movement and be assessed fatigue points. However, in the next strategic phase it will attempt to continue its movement to its original destination square, and in subsequent strategic movement phases will attempt to remain on its planned movement path. [More Details] Neutral units block movement in this way only when in their home nation.
7.15. Movement into the squares of the Ottoman Empire is forbidden.
7.16. During peace and truce turns, non-militia units, whether they are active or inactive, may move to any strategic square in their home state or in an allied state. [At the moment they may not even move to a city they control in another state. Exceptions can be made by the GA on a case by case basis.] Non-militia units that are not in their home state or an allied state may remain where they are. Squares in Germany and Italy belong to the state that controls the nearest city. [More Details] They are not limited by distance or by movement paths; they need only specify the strategic square in which they wish to be placed, and the tactical square. (Note: a distance limit may be added.) If the tactical square is left blank, the current tactical square will be kept if it is passable terrain in the new strategic square. If the strategic square is left blank, the unit will move to a new tactical square in its current strategic square. Movement into the Ottoman Empire remains forbidden since the Ottoman Empire can never be allied to a unit's native state. Militia units can only move to their home cities in peace or truce turns. Militia not in their home city will be moved to their home city automatically during peace or truce turns.
7.17. Units (except militia) may board transports and move with the transports according to the PATE rules for moving ships, then land at another part of the map or at off-map ports. See PATE rules section 9 for details. [More Details]
8. Tactical Movement
Rules 8.1 through 8.11 apply to campaign turns; rule 8.12 applies to peace and truce turns.8.1. Units can move on the tactical map in each phase of tactical movement. Light and medium cavalry and light artillery ("fast units") and army headquarters units can move up to six tactical squares in each tactical phase. Other units, including corps headquarters units, can move up to four tactical squares in each phase. If there are hostile units in their strategic square, units pay one fatigue point for each phase in which they move tactically; otherwise tactical movement does not incur fatigue. Units with fatigue in excess of 8 may not move tactically if enemy units are present in their strategic square.
8.2. Units moving tactically specify the tactical square to which they wish to move and, optionally, an intermediate waypoint to move through en route. If no waypoint is specified, then units move in a straight line to the destination square; if a waypoint is specified, units move in a straight line to the waypoint, then in a straight line to the destination from the waypoint. They can also specify the tactical phase in which they wish the movement to begin. Movement will commence in the specified phase (in the first phase if no starting phase is specified). If the unit can reach its destination in one phase, it will complete the move; if not the unit will move as far as it can along the straight-line path to the destination, and will continue moving in later tactical phases until the movement is completed or the turn ends. Units can also specify not to enter a fort if they move into a fortified city tac square. Units currently in forts wishing to exit, or currently in tactical squares with forts wishing to enter the fort, can do so by sending an order to move to their current tactical square (the fort's tactical square) and checking or not checking the "Do not enter fort" order, as appropriate. Units moving in and out of forts, but not moving to a different tactical square, will move before any unit which is moving to a different tactical square.
8.3. If a unit encounters an enemy unit during its move, either at the destination or prior to the destination, then its movement is halted, as is the movement of the enemy unit or units it encountered, and a combat begins. [More Details] When units of more than one state are in the destination square, each state fights on one side in the battle according to whether it is allied to, or hostile to, the unit which initiated the battle. [More Details] A unit which is in evade offensive mode and cannot attack an enemy unit this way, or a unit which cannot enter combat for other reasons, will instead halt one square short of the enemy unit. If a unit's movement calls for it to encounter a neutral unit, then it will not move at all.
8.4. Units inside a besieged city may not move out of the city tac square unless they move only 1 tactical square and they move to attack a besieging unit. Units outside a besieged city that are not hostile to the side controlling the city may not enter the city tac square. Units that are hostile to the controlling side may enter the tac square of the city and a combat will result.
8.5. If a unit is in the same strategic square as an enemy unit, then if its path to its destination or waypoint square in tactical movement crosses through impassible terrain, or crosses a cliff (a border between a high hill tactical square and a non-hill tactical square) then the unit's path is blocked and it does not move at all. This rule applies when the moving unit is in the same strategic square as a neutral only if the neutral unit is in its home nation or a nation with which it is actively allied. This limitation is not applied if there is no enemy or neutral unit present in the square. [More Details] If a unit moves in more than one tactical phase, and an enemy or neutral unit enters the square between tactical phases (either between tac phases 2 and 3, or between phases tac 4 and 5) then the limitation will apply in the tac phases after the enemy or neutral unit enters.
8.6. In each tactical phase, all fast units move, then all other units move. Within each group, units move in a random order, and the order is different in each tactical phase of the turn.
8.7. Units may not cross from one side of a river or mountain range to another in tactical movement unless they use an appropriate ford or pass square as the waypoint for the movement; units ordered to cross without using a ford/pass waypoint will not move.
8.8. Units may also be ordered to engage the nearest enemy combat unit. Units may be ordered to engage in specified starting and ending phases. If a unit has two or more enemy units that are equally near, it will attack the one requiring the fewest diagonal moves. If a unit has both an engage order and a destination or waypoint order, it will move to the waypoint and destination, and begin to engage the nearest enemy unit in the tactical phase after the one in which it reaches its destination. Units will not engage an enemy headquarters unit unless there is no enemy combat unit available to engage. If a unit fails a morale check, it will cease attempting to engage enemy units.
8.9. Units can specify the line in which they wish to fight if they enter combat during tactical movement. A unit cannot occupy the second line or rear unless another unit occupies the line or lines in front of them; if not, the unit will automatically move forward as required. They can also specify the attitude they wish to take if they find themselves attacking or defending in combat. Assault and last-ditch defense mode represent extreme effort in combat resulting in increased combat strength, but heavier losses. Skirmish mode represents a lighter form of combat, and evade mode represents leaving a screen in front of the position while keeping the majority of the unit disengaged.
8.10. Units can indicate the desire to support same-side or units in combat. If a unit has an order to support, then after all other tactical movement is finished, the unit will move to join a battle in progress. Units must specify a location at which to support and a radius around that location. For example, if a unit specifies support location 10-5 and a radius of 2, then the unit will move to support any combat in the box between columns 8 and 12 and between rows 3 and 7. If there are two or more combats in side the support radius, then the supporting unit will move to the closest one; if two are equally close, it will move to the one in which the odds against its side are the worst. Support moves cannot be longer than two tactical squares, or three tactical squares for LC/MC/LA units.
8.11. Units can also move to intercept the movement of other units. If a unit has an order to intercept, then it specifies an interception location and a radius around that location in the same manner that it specifies a box for a support order. If an enemy unit moves through the specified box, or if a neutral unit does so when the given unit is in a strategic square controlled by its own state, then the unit with the intercept order will move to engage the enemy/neutral unit if it can do so. Interception of enemy units will result in a combat. Interception of neutral units will not, but will halt the neutral unit's tactical move at the intercept point. The interception will take place when the moving unit reaches the edge of the intercepting unit's intercept box if possible; if not, it will be made at the first possible point of contact, which may or may not be inside the intercept box. If the enemy/neutral unit is moving only one square, then interception is not possible. If two units attempt to intercept the same enemy/neutral unit, then the first one to move in interception determines the point of interception, and all subsequent interceptions must take place at that point. A unit may move to intercept an enemy/neutral unit whose point of interception is farther away than the unit's movement allowance (4 or 6 squares depending on branch) but if the interception requires the unit to move more than its tac movement allowance, it will move only to its allowed limit, and will not intercept the enemy/neutral unit. A unit which has selected evade as its attack mode may not intercept the movement of enemy/neutral units.
8.12. During peace and truce turns, tactical movement is automatic and unlimited. See rule 7.16 for more details.
9. Combat
9.1. During a campaign turn, if at the end of a tactical movement phase, two or more units hostile to one another are in the same tactical square, combat begins. Combat cannot occur on peace or truce turns. Combat occurs in two segments, a firing segment and a melee segment.9.2. Army and corps headquarters units do not engage in combat. If an enemy unit enters their tactical square, there is a small chance that they will shatter (see section 12 below). If they do not shatter, they will fall back before the attacking unit and take no further part in the battle. If they cannot fall back from the attack they will shatter. If a corps HQ is carrying supplies when it is shattered or forced to fall back, the supplies will be destroyed.
9.3. At the beginning of combat, units place themselves into lines according to their orders. There must be at least one unit in the front line, and there cannot be a unit in the rear unless there is at least one in the second line. If no unit wishes to be in the first line, or the second line when a unit is needed there, a unit is selected randomly and placed in that line.
9.4. The number of units that can fit in the front line depends on the size of each unit and the length of the battle line. If the attacking side entered the tactical square where the combat occurred from one direction, then the front line can contain up to 6000 infantry, or 2000 cavalry, or 750 artillerists, or combination thereof where 1 infantryman takes up 1 space, 1 cavalryman takes up 3 spaces, 1 artilleryman takes up 8 spaces, and 6000 spaces total are available. If an infantry or cavalry brigade has a battery attached, then 100 of its men count as artillerists. For example, an infantry unit with 3000 men and no battery takes up 3000 spaces, but one with 3000 men and 1 battery takes up 3700 spaces (2900 infantry plus 100 artillerists at 8 spaces each). If more units wish to be in the front line that there is space available for them, then each unit contributes enough strength in proportion to fill the front line, and the remaining strength fights from the rear line (even if no unit is in the second line). If a side's front line is reduced by casualties in the firing phase, then the strength in the rear line will return to the front line to fill the space. If the attackers entered from more than one direction, then the front line extends by another 6000 men for each direction the attackers came from, or 3000 if an additional direction is adjacent to another, or 0 if an additional direction is adjacent to two others. Example: If attackers came from the north and east, the front can contain 12,000 men, but if they came from the north and northeast, only 9000, and if they came from north, northeast, and east, again 12,000. The second line has the same size limit as the first. The rear can contain as many men as the stacking limit of the tactical square permits.
9.5. When infantry units are attacked by an enemy force containing primarily cavalry, they will form squares. When in squares, they fire less effectively but fight in melee more effectively. Infantry units will not form squares if the attacking enemy contains an infan