Combat at Different Levels and Flight

[elaxter]

I have a question about the Combat at Different Levels and a flying character.

https://i.imgur.com/X9g1m0Q.png

In the linked image: A is 3 yards in the air due to Flight. He wields a longsword, which has a reach of 1,2 with his thrusts. B is SM+1.

My question: What happens when A stabs at B with his longsword?

Is it:
1) A is considered 9 feet above B, which effectively becomes 6 feet above because the longsword has a reach of 2 (Effects of Reach). B defends as if "up to 6 feet below", instead of "over 6 feet below."
2) A is considered 6 feet above B because B is SM+1, and thus effective attacking height difference is 3 feet above due to reach. B still defends as if "up to 6 feet below."
3) Not at all possible because A is too far away.

[Taneli]

Ok, assuming that A’s feet are is 3 yards off the ground and that they’re in relatively upright position. Being charitable and assuming that they could hit anything within 2 yards of them, even directly underneath them, A can’t hit the B without moving closer.

https://m.imgur.com/a/D5NpF3d

[Bruno]

Except that B is SM +1, so it looks more like this:

https://imgur.com/gUmQn3J (one bar on the height chart is one yard). [1]

B is effectively standing on top of As "space", so to speak - A may be 7' or 10', tall, SM +1 is a band of heights, just like SM 0.

If B is 9' tall (which is what I drew), it is similar to the 6' height difference case between two SM0 combatants, but it's important to remember that larger creatures have longer Reach.

As far as the benefits of height, GURPS goes a bit more in the direction of "logic" rather than "rules". If you're having trouble visualizing it and the details matter (sometimes they don't), it's worth sketching it out.

[1] Todays diagram brought to you by MS Paint. I might do something prettier later if I decide to poke around at this further.

[elaxter]

Originally Posted by Taneli

Ok, assuming that A’s feet are is 3 yards off the ground and that they’re in relatively upright position. Being charitable and assuming that they could hit anything within 2 yards of them, even directly underneath them, A can’t hit the B without moving closer.

https://m.imgur.com/a/D5NpF3d

I thought that the "Combat at Different Levels" rules automatically take into consideration the reach of the weapon, with how it affects the vertical difference, thus a persons ability to Reach for attacking is only limited by distance in the X and Y axis, with penalties being applied by distance in the Z axis -- for simplicity's sake so you don't have to bust out the Pythagorean theorem.