Originally posted by gdpsnake
As you say bivouaced over a huge area - just where are the men?
It just doesn't matter. It is not relevant at the scale of EiA. This is the point I am trying to get across.
I'm curious, since feudal corps can't detach, do you say they can garrison a city from the area too (do double duty)?
Yes absolutely. It'd be pretty strange if they couldn't.
Since you staunchly hold onto 7.3.3.3.2 as justification for corps to garrison a city while in the area do you agree that 7.3.3.3.1 allows those other units to do so as well? The rule verbiage IS the same for both rules.)
Yes absolutely, the presents no conflicts.
In game terms, it's a harder concept to grasp over a month. What day do the cossacks enter? Does the timing work out with the arrival of a fleet? I say yes, it's possible. There are many historic examples of small units investing lightly defended targets and disabling shore batteries for fleets irrespective of the "larger armies" billeted all over the place. (D-DAY ranger regiments, paratrooper drops in enemy territory, special forces etc.)
But again it just doesn't matter. That you would allow a cossack to do as you describe to me is just another reason why it's plain the rules should not be interpreted "your" way. It's nonsensical both historically and as a game mechanic, and creates strange situations not well covered in the rules.
His post refererred to rule 7.3.3.5.1 which contradicts 7.3.3.3.2 and others and is one 'quirk' I mentioned as an example of problems with the rules. I don't believe corps can garrison depots by being in the area. Rule 7.3.6.2 specifically contradicts by saying "...the player controlling the garrison FACTORS..."
Why does it contradict? Doesn't
7.3.3.3.2 allow factors in a corps to garrison? It fails to mention depots but from the precedeing rule and evidence in
7.3.3.5.1 is not the intent there? And if it isn't, then what does it matter anyway? If
7.3.3.5.1 says corps can garrison depots then that's good enough.
So if one argues he can garrison his depots with corps in the area (Or on top of the depot) then I say he must follow rule 7.3.6.2 and either the corps fights and the status of the depot is per 7.5.2.14 or the corps destroys the depot and MUST follow rule 7.3.6.2 and surrenders (or that part which does not retreat into a city surrenders and NO FIELD COMBAT can be fought. The player could not therefore, destroy the depot and fight! After all, if the commanders ordered the destruction of his supply depot, doesn't that sort of admit "I'm going to lose this battle so I must apply scortched earth policies!" Well, that policy doesn't work very well if you then fight and lose your standing army!!! No, you fight to protect or preserve your base of supply - you destroy only if you intend withdraw so I say 7.3.6.2 applies!
Strictly speaking you are correct, and I don't think I'd dispute this line of logic. Doesn't have all that much to do with what we're talking about except to underscore that allowing corps to garrison depots does not in fact cause any problems with the rules.
So spice it up and try playing the game with my intrepretations, but watch out for the irregular unit slipping into the ungarrisoned depot and destroying it! OR sneaking into your cities to scuttle blockaded fleets or damage your economy in capitols - after all, isn't that what raiding is all about? It's not about controlling the city but damaging the economy! I like to use irregulars this way - much more fun and challenges players to actually protect their depots/cities with garrisons.!
Well considering that you need to have unbesieiged factors to damage someone's economy and doing what you are suggesting the "irregular" forces would simply be somehow beseiging themselves in the city... but to be honest I can't imagine a player who would willfully leave his provincial capitals ungarrisonned (except maybe right at the very beginning of the game), or his major fleet bases unprotected by sizable forces. It's not sensible not to garrison for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is that if you happen to lose a field battle outside a given city your enemy wont have to siege it to gain control (if you didn't detach a garrsion).
If one uses the 'double duty' concept then why are relieving force battles fought with different rules than a Field battle? Under your concept if a corps can garrison the city and area at the same time then why can't factors in a city garrison be with the corps for a full field battle.?
Um becuase one component of the force is BESEIGED inside a city. Thats the whole point of a relieving force combat. A corps clearly cannot be "outside" the city if it is in fact, beseiged inside it. The rules are quite clear on sieges.
Ultimately, players can choose to play any way they agree beforehand but I hope my arguments show the faulty logic of double duty especially referring to 7.5.1.2. Men can't be two places at once. The rule CLEARLY states forces in the city are not involved in field combats in the area and double duty implies they are in BOTH places.!
Sure, they are in both places, therefore they take part in the field combat. Factors form the corps are only "inside" the city if they need to be. The individual men no doubt cannot be in both places, but since each factor is 1000-2000 men and turns are a month long there is huge amounts of "leeway" and trying to reduce the game to some sort of accounting nightmare buys you nothing.
I simply find the play more challenging and depictive of the age the way I choose to intrepret these garrison rules. And yes, cities are seperate areas in my mind, And yes, why make it easy?!
If you can find one historical example of cossacks doing what you describe I might agree with you. But probably still I wouldn't because WHY BOTHER! There are plenty of very good reasons to detach garrison factors most of the time, without adding in some trickiness about corps somehow not preventing "irregular" forces form waltzing into and capturing strategic forts and population centers, or corps in an area not bothering to provide manpower to fortification, especially of vital ports. Since going to ALL the effort of playing "your" way nets you only two very sneaky tactical possibilities that would never work agianst anyone but a total novice who you should be helping instead of taking advantge of anyway, I ask you why, why play it your way?
There is simply no compelling reason to go to the extent of createing the extra rules and tracking constantly the status of all corps WRT to position in a region when the bulk of the time it is largely irrelevant.
It adds nothing to the game. But I find it interesting that you are constantly trying to point out "problems" with "my" interpretation that invariably boil down to being "problems" with YOUR interpretation
