Flee Reaction

[Solution9]

I'll try my best to explain the situation I was in as best as I can. Here is what happened and let me know what the ruling should be.

I charged with Unit A to opposing Unit B. Unit B opted to flee and fled behind one of his own units. Now my charge roll was higher than his flee. Normally the fleeing unit would have been destroyed because it did not leave my charge range. Since Unit B fled behind one his own units does he get away or is that unit still crushed from my charge?

[Wildeybeast]

The unit is only destroyed if you are actually able to complete the charge and make contact with the enemy unit (p23). Since you couldn't complete it, they are not destroyed. Are you aware that you can redirect your charge against another unit when a unit declares a flee reaction (p18)?

[Solution9]

I did redirect the charge to have the second unit elect to flee. So because the first unit elected to flee behind a friendly unit despite that my charge exceeded his flee distance?

[Chronowraith]

Correct, Unit B is safe and you would either have failed the charge or had to redirect and charge another unit.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Units flee directly away from the charging unit so in order to end up "behind a unit" they would have to flee through another unit.
2. If a unit flees through another friendly unit, the unit fled through must make a panic check even if it wasn't within 6 inches when the unit fled.

[Solution9]

He took his panic tests alright and being HE they never fail.

[Mr Mystery]

Hold on....this might be Edition Lag, but......

Unit A declares a charge against Unit B.

Unit B opts 'FLEE' as it's charge reaction, and flees through Unit C.

Unit C passes it's Panic test, but finding itself the new subject of Unit A, also elects to FLEE.

With you so far.

However....I'm not 100% convinced Unit B is in fact all that safe. If Unit C fails to flee outside the reach of Unit A, then Unit C is wiped out. If this also causes Unit A to approach the already fleeing Unit B, does Unit B not FLEE again, potentially clear off the board?

I know it certainly worked that way once upon a time, but Edition Lag is a pain, and I do get easily confused.

[Wildeybeast]

I spent ten minutes typing up a big answer and realised I had completely misread what you asked. D'oh.

In answer to your actual question, unit b is safe. Fleeing troops don't take panic tests, so don't care about c being wiped out and since unit a isn't charging b anymore, b can't be destroyed or take another charge reaction. There is no reason you couldn't have unit z charge unit the now fleeing unit b and chase them off that way, but it would have to be done before the you rolled to see whether unit c is caught and wiped out.

[Mr Mystery]

Tangental question, but still related.....

Used to be that when breaking from combat, if your opponent rolled higher than you for his pursuit, you were wiped out, even if that unit could not move the whole distance (for instance careening straight into a following unit, who elected to Stand). Reasoning there was you catch the enemy unit flat footed before they really get speed up, and scatter them that way.

Is that still how it works?

[Wildeybeast]

Yes. That is exactly what happens. The unit "is completely destroyed where they stand". The pursuer then makes their pursuit move into whatever obstacle.

[Mr Mystery]

Ace cakes! That's another cobweb dusted from the brainrafters.

I do have the rules - only I had the diddy book somewhere, cleaned the flat and now can't find it. Only other copy is the massive Collector's Edition (gorgeous bit of print work!), which is a bit chunky for casual rules checking