The question: should Plautius attempt momentum?
The voting:
Option | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 6 | |
| No | 2 |
A clear majority here, with which I concur. Plautius will fail most of the time anyway, so it's probably academic. As it turns out to be in this case, with a dieroll of '5'.
So, Rebilus is now activated. Votes on his course of action were:
Option | Votes | |
|---|---|---|
| Keep moving the Hastati forward (three hexes) | 1 | |
| Keep moving the Hastati forward (two hexes) | 1 | |
| Keep moving the Hastati forward, unspecified amount | 2 | |
| Keep moving the Hastati forward, oblique to right | 1 | |
| Move 8 hexes west, use a VE to attack a routed SK | 1 | |
| Withdraw the velites | 1 |
So the hastati are going to advance. The Epirote PH line is eight hexes away, meaning the cohorts need move seven hexes to get adjacent. Since they've got a movement allowance of five, any advance of 2-5 hexes will position them for an attack next turn.
With little else to choose between the various votes, I went with advancing the line two hexes. Although the center cohorts can actually move only one hex, the ensuing combat should allow them to advance back into line.
The single cohort near the center with 4 TQ hits is left behind, since moving it again would force it to rout. (The rules aren't clear on whether you can actually do this or not. It all seems to hinge on how you interpret the weasel words in 5.22, Line Command , #1: "Move any/all units in that one line....")
On the Roman right, the slight oblique move drives the Epirote cavalry back, inflicting a total of three TQ units (two for OW through a unit, one for a flank OW). It's not enough to do real damage, but every little bit helps.
In the center, the routed LIs are eliminated handily, although one brave soul passed his Pre-Shock TQ check and inflicted a hit on a cohort in the subsequent melee.
The rout point totals are now Romans 35 (limit: 185), Epirotes 22 (limit: 120).
The next questions: