"Retreat into impassable going?" Topic

Another game -- another question. At the last club game we did Battle of Lake Trasimene. Not a good one for the Romans, but still fun to play.

A Carthaginian auxiliary advanced to contact a Roman light that was up against the impassable lake. Carthaginian threw a flag. Nothing to negate a retreat for the lights, so they must go back two hexes.

The rules say: "impassable terrain may not be moved through during a retreat move ."

No consequences are given, however, so is the unit destroyed because it cannot move back.? Does the unit lose two elements because it can't move the two hexes that are required? And then remains out of play but not destroyed?

Thanks.

I don't have the rules to hand, but have always played it the same as any other blocked/table edge retreat. Lose as many blocks as hexes you are not able to retreat, and no battle-back.

I agree with advocate.

The consequences are given under the last paragraph in the retreat section. If a unit is forced to retreat "off the battlefield or onto a hex that has impassable terrain, ….. one block must be removed for each hex of the retreat that cannot be taken"

Mollinary

Thanks, Mollinary. Isn't it always the case that it's there in plain sight :-) I just didn't read that whole paragraph because I thought it had to do with retreating into units.

Now to a part two. Once that element takes off the two blocks for hexes it cannot move into, is it taken off the board? Does it still count as an active element and no flag obtained?

If it has any blocks remaining it stays on the board. If the impassable terrain prevented it retreating at all (i.e. It is still in its original hex) then it MAY Battle back. If it retreated any hexes before encountering impassable terrain, it MAY NOT Battle back, even if it is still in a hex adjacent to its attacker.

If it loses its final blocks as a result of the retreat, a flag is given to the opponent.

Al these rules are available on line at the Commands and Colors site.

Mollinary