How do duels, or any battles, take place if your opponent can simply apparate to a different position each time you fire off a spell? In the DoM, why did Bellatrix not simply Apparate past the Fountain of Magical Bretheren to get to Harry? How can you duel someone that can apparate to your back and have their wand at your throat?

Can wizards 'sense' where someone will soon apparate to, within a certain small radius of their body? Does apparation heavily drain your magic, so that it is tactically unwise to use it during battle (unless you're of Dumbledore's/Voldemort's caliber)? Is there a spell a wizard can use that will create a type of short-term 'apparation jamming field'. If you've read fanfiction, you've heard of anti-apparation wards 'going up' at the start of a battle, but canon wards seem to be more of fixed-position deals than on-the-spot barriers.

How does apparation affect overall strategy of a war? Unless you are fighting in an area with anti-app. wards that don't differentiate between friend or foe, classical strategic concepts like the ambush, encirclement, cover, cohesion and more go out the window (if your enemy can simple apparate away, or into the middle of you).

If there is no type of 'jamming field' or 'QUICK(Tm)Wards,' how could the Ministry ever hope to aprehend Voldemort, or any Dark Wizard? Find his hideout and he simple 'pops' (or 'cracks') away.

Indeedily I say unto you, Apparation is very cool, but why do wizards (both canon and fanon) not take full advantage of it, or have it taken advantage of against them?

 

Good questions, though there is no real standard, there are popular examples.

In the DoM, she did not Apparate likely due to there being wards preventing such things placed on the ministry. As for how it works in battle, yeah it makes it harder, I have read fanfics where in battle Harry and other wizards do apparate.

It would likely take some magic to keep doing so, probably more so than running around. Factors like distance would affect how much magic is needed. Also why is it not used more in stories, simply put, many fics point out it is risky to do when distracted (you could end up losing body parts), so doing it too much in battle would not make sense, unless the character was extremely reckless and not too sane (yeah bellatrix would qualify as such a character).

As for jamming fields, some fics have included portable ward stones or artifacts, however such things would require a great amount of magic to make and like many authors realize and have noted in their fics, such wards in general are complex to make, I would think making them portable as well would add some to that complexity.

I would not think short term spells to set up jamming fields, well they likely would be a heavy drain on ones magic and might not be nearly as effective as wards, plus would take time to set up (not nearly as quick as using ward stones or artifacts).

In Cannon wards and other magics are not really explored nearly as much as in fanfiction.

Also more powerful wizards would be able to apparate more before tiring, just due to having larger reserves and or endurance.

As for wards capable of friend or foe, that would probably add to its complexity and amount of magic needed.

Many fics present the idea that wizards are lazy and the wizarding world in general is hundreds of years behind the muggle world in technology. Some even attempt to going into theory as to why. Magic itself and spells, are slow to adapt and be invented, factors such as politics and inbreeding are given as examples as to why.

Also as to finding voldemort or any dark wizards hideouts and they just pops or cracks away. Most of the problem is finding the places to begin with. Given that wards often hide them and make tracking very hard (maybe next to impossible) for enemies.

One fic I have read has likened the creation and casting of wards as sewing or weaving with magic, creating a net over an area. Thus having a premade net, like from ward stones and or artifacts, would make more sense then casting the wards and or spells at the start of or during battle.

That is not to say that wizards would not cast such spells, indeed many would (remember many fics claim that not all wizards are all that bright, take for example malfoy's two thugs). However anyone trying to apparate through those spells, would encounter and need to overcome resistance, like walking or swimming through mud, again it would depend on the power, skill and effort put into the spells. A average wizard would not be able to stop voldemort or dumbledore, however they could make them work harder for it and it would have the effect of wearing them down each time they apparate.

At least this is what I think based on the vast amount of fanfiction I have read.

 

This is a subject I've always liked. I really think that apparation could be the greatest combat maneuver, but it's probable that the concentration required for apparation prevents the wizard/witch from popping all 'round the battlefield. Really, it's the individual writer who decides.

 

It is Canon not Fanon. However it sounds like something that you are hit with instead of an general area of effect.

In order for Apparation to work as a combat maneuver you would have to assume that not only do you control where you appear at but in what direction you are facing. It does no good to appear directly behind your opponent if you end up facing the opposite direction. With the sound it makes your opponent would more than likely get the drop on you.

Also,

This seems to suggest that at least Voldemort can sense when someone is apparating in, they did not start appearing until after he said that. Although you could argue that it is because of the Dark Marks.

 

It really isn't a wonder why Wizards don't generally apparate willy-nilly during combat, in addition to Anti-(Dis)Apparition spells, the process of apparating itself is incredibly uncomfortable, and probably painful as described in HBP. Only Wizards of Dumbledore or Voldemort's caliber would have the experience to use disapparition as a combat tactic.

 

I agree that few people would be able to concentrate like that in a combat, so that's probably why it's not used more often. I do find it strange, though, that the DEs in the Death Chamber didn't simply Disapparate when they saw Dumbledore. Maybe he cast that jinx on the whole area first thing when he entered?

 

As Avitus said, the pain caused by it would probably be a major factor. Also, when they are learning to apparate in HBP, the amount of concentration required is immense. That would reduce to an extent with practice, but not to the extent required for use in a battle for most people.

Think also, how quickly would a battle move...apparation takes maybe a second or more to complete, what with the twisty thing you need to do. Thats a second where you aren't concentrating on what your opponent is doing, which is long enough for them to gain the upper hand.