Commands and Colors Medieval FAQ, v1.0, 15 Mar 2021
ERRATA
Warrior Example on Page 11
The second to last sentence of the first paragraph should read as follows: “The warriors roll two swords and one flag, scoring a block loss on the medium cavalry and forcing it to retreat 3 hexes.”
Catalaunian Fields (Roman Right) scenario
The Roman Cavalry is a heavy cavalry unit that is not armed with bows. The special rule should read “The Visigoth Heavy Cavalry and Roman Heavy Cavalry units are not armed with bows. Place a non-bow marker on these units.”
GENERAL RULES QUESTIONS
Ambush Card and Warriors
Q: Both the attacking and ambushing units are full strength warriors. After the momentum advance, the ambushing warrior unit rolls 6 (4+2 for the card) dice. If the attacking warrior unit sustains losses, does it still attack with 4 dice?
A: Yes, it was at full strength when the combat was initiated. As written in the rules, a warrior unit will lose these two bonuses after its first block is lost, but this only takes effect when attacked again a second time after losing its first block or when it is ordered to battle during its own side’s turn after losing its first block.
The key point is that a full-strength Warrior unit that loses a block in close combat is entitled to battle back with 4 dice against the unit that inflicted the first block loss.
INSPIRED ACTIONS
Move a Leader Battlefield Action
Q: On page 8, it says that a leader may only be ordered once per turn. Can the “Move a Leader” battlefield action be used to move a leader that already moved?
A: This battlefield action takes place at the end of your turn and is not an order; therefore, a leader that was ordered during your turn can take advantage of this battlefield action
Leadership Card and Inspired Action Token
Q: If a Leadership Command card is played and an inspired action token is used for a battlefield action during the turn, will the player still gain an inspired action token at the end of their turn?
A: A token is gained as long as a token is not used for an inspired leadership action. A battlefield action can be used during the turn and the player will still be able to gain a token.
Inspired Leadership Actions
Q: When playing a Leadership card and spending an Inspired action token, does the chosen inspired leadership action replace the instructions of the card or is it used in addition to the instructions of the played card?
- The inspired leadership action supplements the command card played. For example, with a Leadership Left Section command that orders 1 infantry unit and 2 cavalry units, only the 2 cavalry units are affected by the Mounted Charged inspired action. The infantry unit is ordered as normal.
Note also that the Mounted Charge inspired leadership action states "Mounted units when ordered must charge." This means that cavalry units that are ordered may not engage in ranged combat. All ordered cavalry units must charge if they do anything.
Do the ordered cavalry units need to move adjacent to the enemy? NO
Do the ordered cavalry units need to battle? NO
Do the ordered cavalry units even need to move? NO
Can ordered Super Heavy and Heavy mounted cavalry move 3 hexes? YES
Can the ordered cavalry units engage in ranged combat? NO
Basically, if a cavalry unit is ordered to battle with a Mounted Charge, it must be close combat.
Note that the same thinking applies to other inspired leadership action:
- Foot Onslaught: Foot units may not engage in ranged combat.
- Darken the Sky: Units with ranged weapons cannot move.
- Move Fire Move: Light foot and light mounted unit may not initiate close combat.
Vandal Inspired Leadership Actions
Q: In the 4 scenarios with Vandals, the Vandals are labeled as orange, but the inspired action reference has them listed on the Purple (Byzantine) side of the card. Which side of the card do they use for Inspired Leadership Actions?
A: The Vandals use the Tan blocks, but the Byzantine inspired actions.
COMMAND CARDS
Timing of Ambush Card with Special Momentum Advance
Q: When is the Ambush card played if a cavalry unit uses its special momentum advance with the additional move? Is it stopped after the first hex or does it complete its entire momentum advance?
A: The procedure is the following:
1) The active unit conducts a successful close combat and makes a momentum advance.
2) The unit completes its entire momentum advance (2 hexes for certain cavalry units).
3) The non-active player plays an Ambush card and battles against the unit that made the momentum advance.
4) If the unit that advanced is not eliminated or retreats from its hex it may make a bonus close combat, but only against the unit that played the Ambush card. The unit that ambushed cannot battle back.
5) If the ambushing unit is eliminated, the active unit may make a momentum advance, but cannot close combat after the second momentum advance.
6) The non-active player draws their Command Card first at the end of the turn.
Fire and Close with Momentum Advance
Q: A bow cavalry (or light infantry with a leader) is ordered by Fire and Close. It fires and moves adjacent to its (non-eliminated, non-retreated) target unit and conducts a close combat attack.
If the attacking unit eliminates or makes the unit it attacked retreat, may it momentum advance and bonus close combat? If so, must the bonus combat be made against the initially attacked unit or can it battle another unit?
A: After an ordered unit's Fire and Close initial close combat is complete, the usual momentum advance and bonus close combat rules found on page 18 apply.
The unit's bonus close combat does not need to be against the initially attacked enemy unit.
Clarification on Fire and Close
If the unit that was ordered to Fire and Close cannot move the two hexes and close on the enemy unit it targeted (move adjacent), the unit cannot move and close combat
Fire and Close Card
Q: Usually in C&C, unless specifically noted by the card, units are allowed to partially take a card's action. With Fire and Close, may units fire even if they can't reach the target unit in movement? Can they then make a partial movement that does not result in contact?
A: A unit that is ordered to Fire and Close may fire even if it cannot reach the target in two hexes of movement; however, it may not move if it cannot close (move adjacent) to the unit it targeted. “Close” on the targeted enemy unit means that it is able move adjacent and is able to close combat.
The ordered unit may close (move adjacent) to the enemy unit and then may or may not battle, according to the player’s choice. Thus, if the unit moves, it must close to the enemy unit, but it does not have to battle.
Fire and Close as an inspired leadership action is a bit different, but the intent is the same. Any ranged units that use the inspired leadership action must not be adjacent to an enemy unit or leader; however, ranged units that are adjacent (and non-ranged units) can be ordered normally (without any benefits of the inspired leadership action). If the unit battles in close combat, it must battle the unit it targeted, similar to the card.
Rally Card and New Leader
Q: When a new leader is placed into a unit that regained blocks from a rally card, can it be placed into a unit that already has an attached leader.
A: No, two leaders cannot be with the same unit.
SCENARIOS
Dara Special Rule
Q: The language of the rule seems to indicate that the leader Pharas may be entered either with a unit or independently. Is that the case?
A: Yes, but if Pharas enters on his own, he must be ordered independently, since he is not attached to a unit off the board.
Q: Is the number of these offboard units entered dependent on the number of units activated by the left section card played?
A: Yes. One order allows 1 unit or 1 leader to enter the board.
Q: Can these units be entered in combination with activating other left section units already on the board if the card would allow that?
A: Yes.
Q: May Pharas and his units be activated by an Inspired Leadership Action instead of a section card?
A: If a player plays a Leadership Any Section card, it would order Pharas and up to two of his cavalry units to come onto the battlefield. If a player plays a Leadership Left Section card, it would order Pharas and up to three of his cavalry units to come onto the battlefield.
Q: Can you use a combo section card which includes activating unit(s) on the left, such as Forward, Coordinated Attack, and Out Flanked?
A: Yes. The special Rules state "by the play of a Command card in the left section". These cards can order units in the left section and can thus order units onto the board.
Lazic War – Onoguris
Q: Can a unit ignore a flag on a city gate or on a city gate hex after the gate is destroyed?
A: Only Sassanid units and/or leaders may ignore one flag when on an open city gate hex. In addition, the hexes inside the city walls allow Sassanid units and/or leaders to ignore one flag.