Is the penalty for being flanked severe enough?

[Korvessa]

In a recent game of Macedonians against the Greek League, I had a situation where two Macedonian units were hitting one unit of Greeks.
24 Veteran Macedonian Pikemen were to the front against 24 Athenian veteran hoplites. 18 Macedonian Hypaspists were hitting them to the flank.
For most of the games I have played (several Warhammer incarnations), including this one, a flank attack is worth one combat result point and a rear attack is worth two.
In my particular battle, the Athenians passed their command test, so still counted as a Phalanx and got their rank bonuses (correct me if I am wrong on this). The fight lasted four rounds! Of course, it didn’t hurt that Athenians kept passing morale checks (They beat morale checks of 5, 4 & 3 before failing a 2).
I realize only one game (earlier in battle 12 Spartans stood for two rounds while being hit in front by those same Hypaspists & in th eflank by ALexander & 8 Companions (They beat a MC4 – because Spartans I guess).

Anyway, got me to wondering if the penalty for being flanked is severe enough – or do I just stink at rolling dice 😉

[Rob]

A phalanx fighting to the flank loses its phalanx bonus see page 126 third column middle paragraph regardless of whether its disordered or not.
If they passed the command test they do get the rank bonus

In the proposed errata, then taking the test to the flank or rear, there is a modifier to the command test to put more pressure on the owning player to throw in SIPS or just hope they get lucky 🙂
Thats proved popular

I can’t comment on your dice rolling!! It may be better than mine — or worse!

Kind Regards
Rob
Scarab Miniatures

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