Attack Priority: Pole Weapons and Charging Opponent

David Bofinger · 07-24-2018, 04:35 AM

It seems to me that pole weapon charge attack priority and last shot at a charging opponent lead to some confusing cases. For instance, if a pole weapon user charges an archer, does the archer get to shoot at the last minute? These are similar ideas and probably should be implemented the same way. I've also thought that pole weapon priority is very powerful and it wouldn't hurt to make it a little weaker. There are probably lots of ways to do this, but one way would be something like this:

Preemptive Attacks: To make a preemptive attack, instead of a regular attack, all the following must be true.

An attack must just have been announced against you through your front hexsides.
You must not have been engaged at the start of the turn.
You must be either
- A missile or thrown weapon user, attacked in melee.
- A polearm user, attacked in melee by a non-polearm user.

You make the preemptive attack before the attack just announced. This is instead of your regular attack that turn.

Any thoughts? Are there simpler ways to do or say this?

Rick_Smith · 07-24-2018, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Bofinger

It seems to me that pole weapon charge attack priority and last shot at a charging opponent lead to some confusing cases. For instance, if a pole weapon user charges an archer, does the archer get to shoot at the last minute? ...

Any thoughts? Are there simpler ways to do or say this?

Hi David,
The way we do it, is that last shot archer attacks and pole weapons attacks go off at the same time, so the higher DX, (often the archer), gets the first shot. I agree that this rule is not defined in the old TFT.

As for your rules, they are very clear. As I read them, the archer / thrown weapon guy beat the pole weapon if they are charged by the pole weapon user.

Warm regards, Rick.

Nils_Lindeberg · 08-04-2018, 08:09 AM

The last shot by an archer rule we always thought was just another way of saying you can't reload a bow in melee. So we never thought of it as the shot happening before the other guy cinematically closed with the archer but in the adjDX turn order as usual. And if the other guy had a pole weapon it would go first as usual.

Do we need extra rules for this? Pole weapons in general needs to be fixed. But is this special case really a problem?

Maybe just change the rule to something like: If you have a missile or only throwable weapon ready at the start of your action, you can use it one last time and drop it, or use it to defend (but then I think it will be broken).

I see no place in the rules for inventing another attack phase, since you most often get suddenly engaged during movement. But I could live with the interpretation that if you get engaged during movement, you shoot once, drop your bow and then during your normal action you draw your melee weapon. That would make it a more interesting option to start with a missile weapon in hand even in close quarters.

Skarg · 08-04-2018, 10:00 AM

I think Rick's way (ranged attacks convert the pole weapon priority to normal adjDX order) makes a lot of sense because the reason for the priority is weapon length, and ranged weapons have even more reach as a pole weapon.

However it does mean that last shots happen sooner than normal missile fire. Perhaps there should also be a -2 accuracy DX penalty to account for the rushed shot happening sooner than it would if not rushed.

Perhaps (if anyone in the game cares to use it) that option of rushing for -2 DX should also be available to the archers who are not being charged, too. (If not, there are some inconsistent edge cases where usually you can cover your pole-arm users with missile fire, but not when they are charging someone, etc.)

07-24-2018, 04:35 AM	#1
David Bofinger Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Sydney, Australia	Attack Priority: Pole Weapons and Charging Opponent It seems to me that pole weapon charge attack priority and last shot at a charging opponent lead to some confusing cases. For instance, if a pole weapon user charges an archer, does the archer get to shoot at the last minute? These are similar ideas and probably should be implemented the same way. I've also thought that pole weapon priority is very powerful and it wouldn't hurt to make it a little weaker. There are probably lots of ways to do this, but one way would be something like this: Preemptive Attacks: To make a preemptive attack, instead of a regular attack, all the following must be true. An attack must just have been announced against you through your front hexsides. You must not have been engaged at the start of the turn. You must be either A missile or thrown weapon user, attacked in melee. A polearm user, attacked in melee by a non-polearm user. You make the preemptive attack before the attack just announced. This is instead of your regular attack that turn. Any thoughts? Are there simpler ways to do or say this?

08-04-2018, 08:09 AM	#3
Nils_Lindeberg Join Date: Jul 2018	Re: Attack Priority: Pole Weapons and Charging Opponent The last shot by an archer rule we always thought was just another way of saying you can't reload a bow in melee. So we never thought of it as the shot happening before the other guy cinematically closed with the archer but in the adjDX turn order as usual. And if the other guy had a pole weapon it would go first as usual. Do we need extra rules for this? Pole weapons in general needs to be fixed. But is this special case really a problem? Maybe just change the rule to something like: If you have a missile or only throwable weapon ready at the start of your action, you can use it one last time and drop it, or use it to defend (but then I think it will be broken). I see no place in the rules for inventing another attack phase, since you most often get suddenly engaged during movement. But I could live with the interpretation that if you get engaged during movement, you shoot once, drop your bow and then during your normal action you draw your melee weapon. That would make it a more interesting option to start with a missile weapon in hand even in close quarters.

08-04-2018, 10:00 AM	#4
Skarg Join Date: May 2015	Re: Attack Priority: Pole Weapons and Charging Opponent I think Rick's way (ranged attacks convert the pole weapon priority to normal adjDX order) makes a lot of sense because the reason for the priority is weapon length, and ranged weapons have even more reach as a pole weapon. However it does mean that last shots happen sooner than normal missile fire. Perhaps there should also be a -2 accuracy DX penalty to account for the rushed shot happening sooner than it would if not rushed. Perhaps (if anyone in the game cares to use it) that option of rushing for -2 DX should also be available to the archers who are not being charged, too. (If not, there are some inconsistent edge cases where usually you can cover your pole-arm users with missile fire, but not when they are charging someone, etc.)