So, this came up on the RMG FB page, so I thought it'd be good to talk about.
The rule in question is RR-82.1, which reads (in part) "
When performing a melee attack, a units threat is equal to the number of trays that comprise the contacted edge. If the contacted edge is shortened by a partial rank, calculate the number of trays as if the partial rank was not present."
So, let's consider the following example.
Red was charged by Blue the previous turn ,resulting in the loss of a tray from Red's rearmost rank as per damage allocation rules.
Red then wants to attack Blue without reforming, so.
Red initiates a melee attack action, rolls the appropriate dice. Then we are asked to determine threat.
The black line indicates the "contacted edge" of this engagement. We can see that the number of trays comprising the contacted edge of Red is one single tray.
The contacted edge
is
shortened from two to one by the partial rear rank as shown.
EDIT: For the sake of clarity, let's define "Rank" here. RR 66 "Ranks" reads "Each
horizontal row
of trays running the
width
of a unit is one rank of that unit", 66.2 continues "A full rank is any rank that contains as many trays as the front rank for the unit", and 66.3 adds "A rank is partial if it contains at least one tray, but fewer trays than the front rank of the unit"
Also importantly, 66.4 reads "A unit's front rank is not full or partial" Thus, the front rank can never be considered a partial rank.
So, using this definition it is easy to establish that the rearmost rank is partial, as it contains at least one tray, but does not contain as many trays as the front rank of the unit.
Under 82.1 we are instructed to ignore the partial rank that caused the edge to be shortened.
This
partial
rank is ignored, and the Red's threat is one, as there is only one tray on the contacted edge.
Thoughts? Comments? Counterpoints?