"ROUGH TERRAIN QUESTION" Topic

Getting back to TSATF after 20 year lapse. Teaching new gaming group the rules. One of the newbies noted the following differences for handling cavalry in rough terrain. I cannot explain. Lose high die or 1/2 move? Someone help, thanks

PAGE 22 Movement Through Rough Terrain – Rough terrain
consists of woods, rocky areas, gullies, scrub brush,
hills, swamp, etc. For all British, British-trained, Egyptian
and Boer infantry, and all mounted forces, roll
the prescribed number of movement dice and then discard
the highest die rolled. .

PAGE 24: g. Rough Terrain Penalty – Moving cavalry on or
through rough terrain, or over low walls and barricades,
incurs a terrain penalty. This is calculated by rolling the
prescribed number of movement dice and moving the figures
only 1/2 of that total distance. Round this total up to
the next number divisible by 2 to preclude any fractionalization.

I have taken the rule on page 22 to apply to infantry/foot personnel and the rule on page 24 to apply to cavalry and mounted forces. I usually use the Page 24 rule for all other troop types as well.

My view as well

I always saw it as everyone gets a Rough Terrain modifier--one discarded die. Then for Cav, probably because men move better through Rough Terrain than horses (all things considered), they get an actual penalty of half of the number of the remaining, undiscarded dice.

Except that Pg.22 includes mounted forces. I vote for removal of high die also.
The pg 24 includes walls not mentioned on pg 22.

I've always played that the unit loses the high die.

In the errata pages in the back of the 20th anniversary edition, it says the rule on page 24 applies to cavalry making a phased move while the rule on page 22 applies to cavalry moving otherwise.
Bob

All good comments. The movement charts show discard high die, as on page 22. That rule refers to ALL MOUNTED

So why the rule on page 24. That was in 3rd edition also, but move 2/3.

Why the rule on page 24? Note that the rule is part of the section on "Phased Movement." That complicates the matter more because the Phased move involves removing dice, thus taking 1/2 move is harder to compute?

Did no one ever ask Larry about this when 20th Anniversary edition came out???

There can be quite a difference
Discard High die on cav charge 6 6 6 6 = 18"
Take half of total 12"

with average roll 3.5 x4 = 14 10.5 minus high, and 7 if half.

Example: A cavalry unit uses phased movement, rolling 2 of it's 4 dice to enter some rough terrain. It rolls a 3 and a 4, bumped up to 8 (to avoid fractions) divide by 2 gives 4 inches of movement into the rough. A native unit pops up out of the rough and moves toward the cavalry, stopping 22 inches away. The cavalry unit rolls another movement die, scoring a 6: it can move 3 more inches. The cavalry can now use it's 4th movement dice to dismount and has the native unit in range of it's carbines.

At a convention: Lose the high di. Keep the game flow.
Private game: Decide before the game starts.

As per the official 20th Anniversary Errata.

Imperial infantry, rough terrain: drop the high die.

Cavalry, rough terrain: 1/2 Move

We routinely use the drop the high die roll for many movement situations.
Moving over a low undefended wall/fence/obstacle, entering or exiting a structure, mounting or dismounting any type of transport, loading, unloading, limbering, unlimbering, etc.

sergeants3.com/13.html

Hi Jeff, please see the errata pages in the 20th anniversary edition. Cavalry using phased movement has it's movement cut in half going in the rough.
Bob