Question Re Orders

[DBeves]

Can someone please explain the Counter Charge Order ie whats the difference between this and defend.
The manual vaguely states there are bonuses and penalties but not what they are. What is difference between this and a defend order. Are the benefits different for infantry and cavalry. Also the same with a charge order - I know there are benefits to using a charge order in the first round of combat - but the manual seems to suggest there are penalties in the rounds of combat following the first round of combat . It would seem to suggest (so long as its straight ahead of course) you would always use a charge order instead of a melee order.
Thought the manual could have done witha bitmore detail onthe orders bit as some of it needs clarifying I think.
Or maybe I just didnt get it ...
Great Game ..

[sol_invictus]

You know, after playing two battles, I don't think I have ever used a melee or a countercharge order.

[CamelCity]

Charging is not always as good as the regular melee attack.

Cavalry charging into a foot unit armed with spears is a bad thing: -4 Roll modifier! There is not really a "penalty" in the subsequent phases of the charge attack; the attack simply reverts to a regular melee attack, where any bonuses or penalties for that type of attack would apply.

The way I read the counter-charge bonus is that the counter-charging unit receives the charging bonuses the first phase it defends an attack, and reverts to regular defend after that. The charge modifiers determined by weapon type: +2 for spearmen, +1 for swordsmen or axemen.

So a unit armed with spears in a counter-charge would, on the first phase it is attacked, receive a +2 bonus to its own roll. The next phase it is attacked, the unit reverts to regular defend, so it receives no bonus to its roll, and the attacker would receive a -1 to its roll (for the defender's "defend" posture).

Table 1.0 in the appendix lists the modifiers.

Again, this is just my understanding of the orders & roll modifiers; if I've got it wrong, I'm sure the nice folks at Koios who read the board will correct me![:D]

[Budge4]

Sounds good to me CamelCity, havent actually used counter-charge myself either but deffinately will try using it now.

Budge