I'm more than happy about this game giving up some "realism" for streamlined game-play, but there's always been a couple sticking points.

1. Mechanic for being able to shoot over other units or terrain.

2. Mechanic for attacking an enemy when blocked by a friendly unit.

I've learned to play around these limitations, but they always seem to come up when I'm teaching new players. One guy had his cavalry charge held up for a number of turns by a friendly, single-tray Hawthorne. Does anyone have thoughts on these limitations or house rules? Even something like being able to add dice to the attacks of friendly units you are touching might be more realistic.

As for point number 2, I really think that "exposed" should be added to most terrain. If anyone has opinions on this I'd love to hear them! I'd just like to have more explanations for new players.

Terrain blocking line of sight is critical to game balance. Ranged attacks are, by their nature, much more powerful than melee attacks, so there absolutely needs to be a gameplay mechanism to mitigate that power. Line of sight, combined with the game's relatively short range, is that mechanic.

That said, I do expect a volley or bombard style ability to be introduced sooner or later that selectively allows units to ignore some or all line of sight requirements. I guess Heartseeker already does, and at 10 points you can see how valuable the ability is.

Being jammed by your own units is kind of a big part of learning to maneuver. It's frustrating as a new player, sure, but I think it's important to remember that we're playing a game that simulates moving and fighting in formations, so spacing is a very real concern. Maybe something like if you have a friendly unit touching you while you're in combat, you gain steadfast?

I can definitely see your frustration, but I’d argue the mechanics as is support practicality about as much as can be expecting.

1. Archers not being able to shoot over units in front of them IS realistic. Shooting over a unit is not, assuming you are all on perfectly level ground (which is where elevated terrain comes into effect). Archers need to be able to see what they’re shooting at, and archers are far more effective firing directly than max range arched shots. Not saying it never happened, but the norm for archers is much more commonly to be deployed on the flanks or forward as skirmishers and then retreating behind formed infantry lines. I’d even argue to the contrary that the game allowing you take a ranged attack with a partially obscured ranged unit is a liberal stretch of realism for the sake of practicality instead of say, making you calcuate ranged threat by measuring the firing arc of each tray.

I would argue that elevated needs to work both ways though.

2. Definitely can see plenty of scenarios where this can seem rediculous, but I think the game letting you overlap ONE friendly tray while moving as long as you completely clear it is about the most concessions they can make with a rank and file game based on trays.

And before anyone retorts with the “sorry there isn’t enough realism in this FANTASY game for you,” I’d offer that with any sci-fi/fantasy setting, a person fills in the gaps of said universe with either historical context or common sense until the contrary is supported by lore in said universe. The argument that “well this is fantasy so they can just shoot their magical bows over them” is not supported in the lore, historically, or in common sense.

I think the idea of getting a bonus for having an ally touching your unit is interesting, but I'm not fully in favor of it. It sounds like the issue is maneuvering poorly and wishing you weren't completely hosed by your mistake. I could understand feeling boltered by having friendlies behind you, but that mechanic seems like it rewards mistakes. If you send a unit to charge into an enemy, but an ally is in the way, why would the unut that failed the charge suddenly be supporting the unit that is in the way? They would be confused and disoriented (hence the panic token for the failed charge), not suddenly supporting an ally they didn't anticipate being in the way.

Besides, I think the rank and reroll mechanic does a great job of simulating the support you get from having friendlies behind you.

Also likely to blame is the Oathsworn's complete lack of a shift, so when they get jammed they get JAMMED.

I could maybe be in favour of closing in being possible while still overlapping a friendly tray.