7.2.8 Hand-to-Hand Combat
If two enemy federations are on either horizontally or vertically adjacent co-ordinates (i.e. North, South, East and West) they will engage in hand-to-hand combat.
Federations engaged in hand-to-hand combat cannot shoot, be shot at or move unless they flee.
If more than one enemy federation is on an adjacent co-ordinate your federation can only fight with one of them per half-round(see 7.2.4., p73).
Two federations can only engage in hand to hand combat if both are able to enter the other's co-ordinate's terrain type (see 7.2.6., p79). That means that a cavalry federation cannot engage in hand to hand combat with an infantry federation which is in a village. However, they can engage in long range combat with the appropriate penalties (see 7.2.7., p81).
Combat points:
The basic calculation for hand-to-hand combat points is :
HC x EF x Men x z(1.3)
1500
HC:Hand-to-Hand combat factor
EF:Experience factor
Men:Head-count
z(1.3):Random number between 1 and 3
The following conditions modify the above result:
Firing federation's formation:
| Formation | Infantry | Cavalry | Artillery |
| Column | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Line | 60% | 60% | --- |
| Skirmishing | 40% | 40% | --- |
| Square: | 35% | --- | --- |
| Flight: | 40% | 40% | 40% |
Example:
Only 60% of an infantry federation advancing in line would engage the enemy federation in hand to hand combat.
Other modifications:
-light cavalry(LC under 'Troop Specifications' on the Army Table) have 35% less effectiveness against infantry in forests; all other cavalry cannot enter forests
-light cavalry has 20% less effectiveness against infantry in bushes
-all other cavalry has 30% less effectiveness against infantry in bushes
-heavy cavalry has 15% less effectiveness against light cavalry
-all infantry suffer 20% fewer casualties when in a village
-cavalry with lanceshave 20% less effectiveness against other cavalry
-cavalry has 80% less effectiveness against infantry and artillery in entrenchment’s
-infantry has 60% less effectiveness against other infantry or artillery in entrenchment’s
-if one federation is on higher terrain than another it has 10% more effectiveness
When skirmishing federations engage in hand-to-hand combat they will try to change into a column formation. The chance of success is:
(EF x 10%) - 30%
Example:
A federation of riflemen, with an experience factor of 5 (see simulated battle set-up or report), in skirmish order would have a 20% chance of forming a column.
(5 x 10%) - 30%
=> 50% - 30%
= 20%
Previous Topic:7.2.7.3 Long range combat - effective firing range