Swordpoint Drilled Troop Movements

[Atheling]

This is a bit of an off the wall question, maybe a long shot bit one never knows. I'm entering a "tournament on 12-14th August of next year and as I'm unlikely to get any practice games in I need to absorb as much of the rulebook as is humanly possible! 

Do any Swordpoint players out there know how Drilled Unit movement works?

****"Drilled Troops in open terrain may turn 90 degrees to the side as well as performing an about face. This
         takes a quarter of a move."

****"At the start of their movement, Drilled troops in open terrain are allowed to about face or change
        formation by up to two base depths for free, Once they have their free about face or formation
        change they make their move exactly as they ordinarily would. Take care that the troops only adopt the correct
        formation as the Drilled ability does not free then from this constraint."[/i]

****"Drilled troops that make a free formation change can charge in the same turn so long as their charge can
        charge in the same so as their charge declaration was legal  when made.

Given the novel movement system on Swordpoint (see video link below) this has all got my head spinning a bit.

The army I plan on using has a lot of Drilled cavalry (all down to using the extra point up due to painting time restraints).

If anyone id good with diagrams that would be very much appreciated! 

Movement Video (Minus and info on Drilled movement)(11:14 minutes in):


I've already popped the question on the Swordpoint Forum but received no answer as of yet.

Cheers.

[Johnp4000]

I always assumed this was similar to the drilled rule in WAB,  so a 90 degree move means the unit goes into a column facing left or right? In the first sentence, not sure what the about face refers to? The second sentence you change your facing by 180 degrees and can change formation, never seen that happen in a game? It will be interesting to see what answers you get, the movement rules confused me as well!

[Atheling]

I always assumed this was similar to the drilled rule in WAB,  so a 90 degree move means the unit goes into a column facing left or right?

I really have no idea  I think Martin et al wanted to move the rules as far away from WAB as possible in regards to movement. WAB was very clunky when it can to moving.

In the first sentence, not sure what the about face refers to?

Ah, that I do know. An about face is where an ordinary unit turns 180 degrees. So, ordinary units can about face 180 degrees but Drilled units can turn 90 degree- but how do they do it? By turning bases to face 90 degrees or by moving the unit 90 degrees; which,  if you watch Bob's video above, all units seem to be able to do anyway 

The second sentence you change your facing by 180 degrees and can change formation, never seen that happen in a game? It will be interesting to see what answers you get, the movement rules confused me as well!

I'm baffled! I hope I get a response. The Swordpoint Forum does not have the advantage of the ye olde WAB Forum in that it doesn't have many users.

[Johnp4000]

Yes, the Swordpoint forum is very quiet, it tends to be either Martin or Wayne, that answer most questions. I noticed Martin has answered your query, his explanation, is exactly the way drilled worked in WAB. In fact the whole drilled rules look almost identical to WAB 2.

[Atheling]

Yes, the Swordpoint forum is very quiet, it tends to be either Martin or Wayne, that answer most questions. I noticed Martin has answered your query, his explanation, is exactly the way drilled worked in WAB. In fact the whole drilled rules look almost identical to WAB 2.

They do look similar. Hopefully they are identical as I has the Drilled rule in WAB down to a "T"! The free change in formation takes place before other movement and the 90 degree turn takes place as the first part of their actual movement makes it easier to visualise.

It now seems quite simple!

"A free change in formation takes place before other movement: "at the start of their movement" and the 90 degree turn takes place as the first part of their actual movement. This turn only does what it says, i.e. each base in the unit turns 90 degrees. So you must use the free formation change to put the unit in a configuration which will be a correct formation for a formed unit after it has made the turn. Example: 6 bases of Roman legionaries are formed 3 bases wide and 2 deep. At the start of their movement, they increase their depth for free going to 2 bases wide and 3 deep. They then turn 90 degrees and are immediately 3 wide and 2 deep again, a legal formation. They still have three quarters of a move left."

I really need to get some games in! Oh I wish it were possible for me [yep, Covid]. Also no-one at my local club is playing Swordpoint. I've got the option to use a portable 6' x 4' table so I'm going to have to get in some solo practice games. I might video them and put them on YouTube! Maybe "How not to play Swordpoint" is a good working title 

[Johnp4000]

I think it will make more sense on the tabletop, then when you try to visualise the rule, hopefully!!

[Atheling]

I think it will make more sense on the tabletop, then when you try to visualise the rule, hopefully!!

That is my hope.

I'm really hoping that I manage to get a few games in against a real live person prior to the event. There's nothing worse then not knowing what you're doing and even worse, spoiling the games for others as they are i/ spend the game correcting you or ii/ feel like they have had a crap game.