Formations

Benefits

• Movement is simultaneous: the whole Formation can be Reacted to, but not any individual member.
• When using medium shields or larger, Defense and Missile Evasion are raised by +1 for each non-Dazed neighbor also using a shield.
• Formations can fire together. Simultaneous missile fire at a single target reduces that target's Missile Evasion by 1 for each additional attacker.
• Spear walls have defensive advantages (see Spearman feature).

Starting a Formation

To start a new Formation, all following requirements must be fulfilled:

• Direction must be available:
  • There must be a leader of Level range of any one member able to direct, OR
  • All members must have been trained to fight in formation autonomously (GM's call)
• All members must have Combat expertise
• All members must be adjacent to each other, without gaps
• No member may be Dazed, Panicked, or Berserk

To start the Formation, all members (including a directing leader) must spend a Free Action. They may use a free Short Movement in order to position themselves and form a valid Formation. However, if it turns out the Formation is illegal and doesn't take place, their Move and Complex Action for the Turn are gone.

Maintaining Formation

A Formation breaks if:

• There is a gap at the end of Movement or at the end of any Step that already started with a gap, OR
• Its directing leader is out of range at the end of any Step that he already started out of range.

Panicked or Berserk members count as gaps, but Dazed members don't (although they cannot move).

Breakup

When Formation breaks, each part may continue moving as a new Formation provided they still fulfill the requirements (but a leader can only direct one Formation).

These new Formations move sequentially, each with remaining MP at breakage. They cannot join again except by forming a new Formation.

Members who don't continue in a new Formation must end movement.

Step Movement

Formations move a Step at a time. A Step is a subdivision of movement during which each member (including its directing leader) may move up to one Hex.

At the end of each Step, all members are considered to have expended the same amount of MP as the highest cost of movement of any member.

Members who have enough MP left to cover their own move but cannot afford the whole Step are reduced to 0 MP but remain in Formation.

In order for each member to be able to move with the Formation, they need to have a Complex Action left. Members don't need to move as long as they can keep formation while standing still.