Support and Reserve

Support and reserve are roles that may be assumed by forces when an allied force is in map contact. The roles permit the relief, reinforce, support, and exploit operations as explained below.

These rules assume already that regiments serve assault, support, and reserve roles within the same hex. Support and reserve roles may only be assumed by forces of different armies from each other and from the supported force. For example, Ingegerd’s army may support Arn’s army, and Aeskrvald’s army may be in reserve. But Arn could not separate his army into its three regiments, moving each to a different hex and putting them in support and reserve to each other.

The relief and support operations permit two forces to “switch” hexes, a move not normally permissible. The first time per turn a force (commander figure) participates in a relief or support operation costs no points and requires no time. The second or subsequent times in a turn that a force conducts such an operation, the necessary time and move points are required.

Note: There is a difference between the support role and the support operation. I’m open to suggestions for a better term for the latter to avoid confusion.

Contact and Deployment

“Support, Reserve, Maneuver” is the first of six parts of “Contact and Deployment” in the Valormr Campaign.

Support

A force adjacent to an allied force and not in map contact with an enemy force may support the allied force. A force so supported gains a bonus when conducting disengagement operations (explained later) or when opposing such operations.

Relief: A supporting force may switch hexes with the supported force. Their roles are also switched. The support force becomes assault, assault becomes support. The relief may take place at any time before contact dice are rolled or after any disengagement.

Reinforce: If the results of a disengagement operation indicate displacement, the supporting force may opt to reinforce the supported force, thereby preventing the displacement. The disengaging force then takes normal losses.

Reserve

A force adjacent to an allied force currently supporting another allied force can act as reserve to the supported allied force.

Support: Similar to the relief operation above, a reserve force may switch hexes and roles with the supporting force. Unlike relieving the assault force, the support operation may take place at any time.

Exploit: A reserve force may use the exploit operation to move two hexes. The intermediate hex must be the hex occupied by the supporting force, which the reserve force moves through, and the destination hex must put the reserve force in map contact with an enemy force. The exploit operation costs move points only to move from the intermediate hex into the destination hex. It takes place immediately following contact resolution, including after a battle.

Maneuver

A force in a hex adjacent to an enemy force may use the maneuver action. The maneuver action costs move points to move into the figure’s current hex but takes no additional time. Only a formed force which is not fatigued may maneuver.

The maneuver force gains a bonus on the deployment dice and any disengagement dice during the half period. Furthermore, the commander may force a second map contact in the half period, immediately following resolution of the first. A commander may begin the maneuver action, spending the move points and gaining the bonus, at any point during a half period, but the maneuver action ends with the half period.