Marching Cornicen has the following text: "When you perform a [march] you may treat it as modified by [turn]."

My ultimate question is whether this can be modified by a charge. I'm assuming it can. So the next question is, does the charge modifier you choose have to match straight or turn depending on which you choose to execute with Marching Cornicen? If you choose a straight charge and change to a turn template, do you still get the benefit of the charge?

For example, I dial in a 2-march and select the straight charge as my modifier. I go into the activation phase and reveal my dial. Can I still charge with a turn template? My charge modifier is a straight charge, but Marching Cornicen makes my march a turn instead of a straight. Now, as far as timing goes, both Marching Cornicen and the charge modifier happen when a unit performs or is performing a march, so according to RR 83.9, I can choose which to apply first. I can choose to modify my march with a charge and then modify it with the turn from Marching Cornicen.

So it seems my question is resolved after 10 minutes of flipping through the rulebook, but I figure I might as well post it now in case someone sees a problem with this interpretation that I am missing, or in case someone else has the same question.

Rule 85 states that a Turning Charge counts as a combination of the Turn modifier and the Charge modifier.

Rule 84 states that a Turn modifies a Move or a Shift (fun fact there! I didn't realize you could modify the shift to use a curved template!

Rule 16 states that a Charge modifies by changing what happens when you collide with an enemy obstacle during movement.

The Marching Cornicen effectively gives you a free Turn modifier to any Move action, so you always have a Turn modifier with no movement penalty (if you choose to use it). You could then use your command dial to add a Charge modifier, a Turning Charge (Charge+Turn). If you do a Charge, it modifies all movement for the specific penalty to initiative, and then you get your free modifier from the upgrade to add a Turn too. If you do a Turning Charge, you end up with an extra Turn, which is wasted because you are already applying a Turn action to change the template from straight to turn (they don't stack). I would think you are always going to want choose a Charge modifier on your command dial, because it will give the lowest initiative penalty.

The same logic would apply if you have an Aggressive Cornicen, you could choose the Turn modifier on the command dial and have the same effect as a Turning Charge for a lower initiative penalty.

30 minutes ago, drkpnthr said:

fun fact there! I didn't realize you could modify the shift to use a curved template!

Yeah, there are some cool design implications there for sure! Right now, it's just the heros and archers that would be able to take advantage, as everyone else only has a 1-shift, and their turns are -1 speed.

And I agree on the interpretation. There is nothing in the rules saying an action can only have one modifier. It's not like one would cancel the other out.

@drkpnthr i don't see the initiative penalties that you are talking about can you please clarify?

@MysteriousRacerX if the reanimate archers get a way to turn their turn modifiers white they will get to use them with the green 2 shift to shift-turn or shift-wheel 1.

23 minutes ago, Orcdruid said:

@MysteriousRacerX if the reanimate archers get a way to turn their turn modifiers white they will get to use them with the green 2 shift to shift-turn or shift-wheel 1.

Gah, you're right! Forgot all about matching the colors. So in the rules, you are able to use a turn modifier to modify a shift, but in practice, there isn't a way to pull it off right now. Unless you pair the Lance Corporeal and Trumpets upgrades on a unit of spearmen.

Sorry, to clarify I meant with the initiative stuff that usually a Turn+Charge with the same distance as using the Cornicen would require you to act at a later initiative, or that you would have to sacrifice distance to use it on the same initiative.

So for instance, normally a Spearmen unit could choose to do a Move 2 Charge on Initiative 4, or a Move 2 Turn or Move 2 Turn+Charge on Initiative 5. They can do a Move 3 Charge on Initiative 5, but are not able to do a Move 3 Turn let alone a Move 3 Turn+Charge

With the Marching Cornicen upgrade, they can now do a Move 2 Charge or a Move 2 + Turn + Charge on Initiative 4, and a Move 3 Charge or Move 3 Turn or Move 3 Turn+Charge. The real effect of this upgrade will be that you can use an earlier initiative to do a Turn or Turn+Charge, and that some units will be able to Turn and Turn-Charge farther.

Spearmen w/ Marching Cornicen