7. Movement | grandetactique

Movement

Move distances

3” for infantry or limbered foot artillery

1.5” for infantry in square

9” for cavalry, limbered horse artillery, or a general

6" for cuirassiers

Half movement when

entering/exiting woods or a BUA, or crossing a linear terrain feature
shaken
moving sideways or backwards (not wheeling and moving other than within a 45° arc of straight ahead)
NB: these half-movement penalties are not cumulative.

+2” bonus to all units’ movement on a road, if the move is such that the moving unit always stays in contact with the road. The road can pass through woods or BUA. A move that gets this road movement bonus cannot end in contact with enemy.

Movement restrictions

Units can never occupy the same place at the end of movement.
- In particular, only one infantry unit can occupy a wooded area or a BUA area at a time.
Artillery can never enter woods or BUAs except on roads. Artillery passing through woods or a BUA on a road cannot unlimber there.
Cavalry can never enter woods or BUAs except on roads.
- Exception: Cavalry can charge routed infantry that is sitting in a BUA, and if they “take the position” they may then find themselves in a BUA.
Squares can only be formed in the open.
Artillery cannot move unless limbered, though it may pivot (for 1 PIP) without limbering. They cannot pivot while firing, but must first pay to stop firing, then pay to pivot, then pay to start firing again. Thus to switch from firing in one direction to firing in another costs 3 PIPs. Artillery pivoting can pivot into contact with an enemy unit if that enemy unit was already in contact with the artillery.

Moving to Contact

To charge, cavalry must move to contact (at the cost of 1 PIP) and then spend a further PIP to get a Charge marker.
Cavalry may not move to contact unless charging. They may start a turn in contact, of course, and from there move or (if they are not shaken) charge.
To charge or fire, infantry must first be in contact or move to contact that turn.
Contact does not have to be edge-to-edge: edge-to-corner is fine.

Contacting the Flank or Rear

An attacker is considered to have moved to contact the flank of the defender if both the following apply:

the attacking unit began its movement wholly to the side or rear of the defending unit, i.e. no part of it was directly in front of the defending unit;
the front edge of the attacking unit is in contact with one of the rear corners of the defending unit.

An attacker is considered to have moved to contact the rear of the defender if both the following apply:

the attacking unit began its movement wholly to the rear of the defending unit, i.e. no part of it was ahead of a imaginary line extending sideways from the rear edge of the defending unit;
at least half the front edge of the attacking unit is in edge-to-edge contact with the rear edge of the defending unit.

Disengaging

An infantry unit cannot disengage if it is in contact with another unit, though it may fire, charge, go into square, or come out of square.
A cavalry unit cannot disengage from another cavalry unit, but it can disengage from infantry or artillery.
Limbered artillery can disengage, but unlimbered artillery cannot limber up while in contact with enemy.
Note that units move backward or sideways at half movement.

Pivoting and Turning to Face

For 1 PIP, a unit can pivot or turn to face an enemy unit in contact.
- Note: this means that 2.5”-wide infantry units that are shaken can turn 180°, even though this is more than their normal 1.5” movement allowance.
This does not apply if the unit is in contact with more than one enemy unit.
You cannot both move and pivot on the same turn.

Interpenetration

You cannot end movement overlapping with any other unit.
You cannot pass through enemies.
In the PIP Phase, infantry cannot pass through other friendly infantry.
Other than these restrictions, all interpenetration is permissible.

Squares

Squares give a morale bonus (+1), a firing penalty (-1), and intimidate charging cavalry (-2 to the cavalry's morale).
It costs 1 PIP to enter square and 1 PIP to leave square. You cannot both enter and exit square on the same turn.
You cannot enter/exit square (or move, for that matter) while in a state of Firing.
You cannot move and then enter square, but you can go into square and then move.
Units coming out of square can come out facing any direction at no cost, their new base (if substituting bases for units in square) being centred on the middle of the squares base. This is effectively a free pivot.
To show squares in 2mm scale, I substitute a 1.5”x1.5” base with battalions in square formation, but you could mark the ordinary infantry base with a Square marker.
If substituting bases, ensure that all enemy units in contact before the change of formation are also in contact after the change of formation, adjusting their position slightly if necessary.