The Commander Series Forum

Hi guys,

How do you play flank deployment ?

Do you choose the flank and put the command unit on this flank before the begining of the game and try to get in while playing.

Or

Do you say, at the begining of a command phase of your choosing, "I now want to try to get in from this flank" and then you put the command unit on the flank and start rolling to get in.

I'd say the first option.

IanS

Interesting, we have been playing the second one... It works as well.

Thing is, I'm not a native english speaker and from the letter of the book I can't really tell which one to choose. Is it because my english is not that good, or is it confusive for a native speaker as well ?

Seee thing is, it says that you deploy the command unit but it does not says when. I'm sorry to insist with this point but we are making an intensive use of this rule...

Thanks in advance to anyone who could give me a definitive answer !

For the reminder, here is the original text :

"
Flank Deployment
Deployment on one of the flanks of the table is possible for the attacker in most scenarios. To determine the number units that can be deployed as a flanking formation, count all on-table unit except command and transport units, then divide by four, rounding up. A formation must contain one command unit (CO or HQ) and at least three other units. To deploye a formation on the flank, first decide which flank and then decide how deep into the table you would like to deploy. To determine the depth, split the table into three equal sections, then place the command unit at the edge of the table in the centre of the desired section. The nearer to the enemy you deploy, the more difficult it will ben due to the tropps having to infiltrate of fight their way through. You may not deploy in the farthest third of the table when playing attack-defence games.

You may make a command roll at any time during the command phase of a turn, deducting one from the core required if attenmpting to deploy in the centre third of the table, and two if in the third nearest of your opponent. If this command roll is successful, you may move the units up to their full move distance from the specified table edge at any point within the chosen section. The command may then issue successive orders to the units as normal. Should the command roll fail, the formation remains off-table and you may continue testing once per turn until successful...

We play the second, otherwise the enemy knows you're coming and get can ready, thus removing the surprise! If you fail to roll to enter then that's tough - the enemy's been alerted somehow (off table recce / radio intercept etc...)

Make sense to me as well. Frankly both make sense to me, I can see pros and cons in both cases.

So, regarding your answers I guess it is also confusing for a native speaker ?

I've played the first option and my opponent got to move first, moved some armour to 20cms away and then just blew my flank attack to pieces with opportunity fire as soon as they appeared!

I play the same way as the second option now!

I think you can do either - deploy a commander on turn 1 and then roll to arrive on the flank, or decline to deploy until a later turn to retain surprise. But the intention must be noted secretly, as note p48, flank deployment : 'if both players attempt flank deployment, the first one to succeed wins. The loser must deploy his formation along his own baseline, from the corner point on the table he was attempting to ... etc'.

You can also show a decoy force by buying a cheap HQ with no troops in formation, show a flank deployment in turn 1, and 'fail' to deploy anything for some time...

isn't the p48 flank deployment bit only if both players try to deploy on the same flank in the same turn?