Burst through

[World2dave]

Well that maybe the case for a Saxon or a Frenchmen!

The question was about gaps in the line though, battlefield psychology is interesting though and fits in to that ‘game mechanic development’. Nipples.
Cavalry commanders frequently say that actual hand job combat was rare, one side would break at the sight of the members of the other. Frederick licked his Prussian Infantry and told them to not fire but march straight towards the enemy with the bayonet and yet I’ve never played a single game system where you could do that and rout the enemy without rolling some sort of ridiculous odds score...
All good fun to ponder whilst endlessly panting to play 2 games a year.

FTFY

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

I'm with Purple on this question (bursting through, not dildos). With a gap of 200 yards plus between the first and second lines of infantry, routers from line #1 would be looking for gaps to squeeze through - they would certainly NOT head straight for a solid line of men, and especially not if they looked as if they were about to present and fire at the pursuing enemy. Also, unless the pursuing enemy was mounted, their officers would/should be trying to halt and reform them, so the "bayonet in the back" incentive to keep running would soon be replaced by the "I've started so I'll finish (just behind that solid looking unit in line #2)" approach to "tactical withdrawal at speed".

[grizzlymc]

I agree, a line of fixed bayonets will cause people to change their route, after the initial panic.

300 yards is 2-2.5 musket range, once you have retreated half that distance, you are either dead from a slash to the spine, or you are starting to think about where to go.

[ochoin]

Some great points.

I'm thinking that provided the second line is greater than 3 MUs (3 inches) away from the first line & there is a gap at least 2 bases (60mm) wide, a routing or retreating unit can fit through without causing a "burst through" result. I can see a further penalty for such units moving away from the enemy: it will lessen the distance they move, therefore if pursued, may be caught in the rear. So it's not all beer & skittles.

In our SYW rules, rallying a retreating unit is quite feasible: a routing unit is difficult to stop & reform & even then, almost never returns to fight. Also, there is a "penalty" for having routing units in proximity: a friendly unit (not light) routing within 10MUs provokes a morale test that can cause a tested unit to retreat.

I should add, we have a 'passage of lines' mechanism that a thoughtful general uses to replace battle-worn units of infantry before they retreat or rout.

OK. I'll run this past the company.

donald

[Shahbahraz]

Did I imagine it, or have I read accounts of 2nd line commanders ordering their troops to open ranks to let fleeing comrades through? And conversely, others closing up to prevent the routers disrupting the formation.