VMD, terrain, and pursuit

[Ryryd]

Here is the scenario: HF has broken MF and is pursuing and in contact on open terrain. MF is forced to burst through its support troops that are 3/4" inside of broken terrain. MF rolls a 6 vmd and clears the support troops, causing them to be disrupted. HF rolls a 5 vmd and follows. In open terrain, the HF would have a total movement of 4. At the beginning of its pursuit move, HF is 2 and 3/4" to the disrupted troops. Is the HF required to stop on the edge of the rough, or can it have the additional 1" vmd? It seems to me that the HF should get the additional vmd and make contact. My opponent deliberately placed the MF support in the rough to stop the HF at the edge and get a free, unanswered bow shot.

[hazelbark]

You move at the lowest speed you will be in plus the VMD.

So if you'd enter terrain that had a speed of 2 MU then you'd move 2 MU + VMD and potentially enter terrain.

If you read about pursuits in the Joint Action Phase section you will read.

Pursuers can choose to stop at the edge of any terrain that would severely disorder any of their bases.

Note it is the pursurers choice.

So in this case if the terrain was uneven or rough, then your HF MUST pursue. If the terrain was difficult, your HF could choose to stop at the edge.

So from my read of your post. You should have dropped to 2 MU speed +1 for VMD = 3 MU and you then you plow forward.

You were robbed.

[bbotus]

V1 answer (since we are getting V2 on this site now). Look at page 40, "Move Distances and Disorder". The lower move distance applies to the whole move if any part of any base of the BG is in distance-reducing terrain at any stage of its move.

If the pursuing HF enter the broken (uneven) terrain, their movement would be 2 MU (normal for uneven) plus 1 MU (for rolling the 5 on pursuit) for a total of 3 MUs. Sounds like they contact the disrupted support troops. You also mentioned rough terrain but that still has the same answer since heavies move the same in uneven and rough.

For the record, pursuers and routers in contact always make VMD rolls.

[Ryryd]

Thanks, guys. For the record, we played it as you said but decided to check here later to get a better ruling. So, I wasn't robbed at all.

[bbotus]

If you read about pursuits in the Joint Action Phase section you will read.

Pursuers can choose to stop at the edge of any terrain that would severely disorder any of their bases.

Note it is the pursurers choice.

So in this case if the terrain was uneven or rough, then your HF MUST pursue. If the terrain was difficult, your HF could choose to stop at the edge.

[Edit Note: The following statement is in error since the HF are pursuing not charging as Phil points out in the next post]

I, also, relooked at the option to stop before entering severly disordering terrain. I'm not reading it the same. As I read it, if HF charge and the target evades, page 68 says the HF then makes its 'charge move' plus a VMD. It goes on to say the HF halts instead of going off the table edge but makes no comment about stopping because of terrain. I'm thinking, if you declare a charge that could end in terrain, that is your choice. You have no option to stop before entering terrain. In fact shock troops don't have to test 'not to charge' if there is any possibility of entering terrain. If shock troops could stop prior to entering terrain, then why exempt them from testing 'not to charge'?

[philqw78]

But this is a pursuit not a charge. You can stop pursuing for terrain, not charges.

[bbotus]

But this is a pursuit not a charge. You can stop pursuing for terrain, not charges.

OMG, your right. Not that I'm surprised you are right but that I didn't reread the original statement. We played a crusader game this week-end and had 2 fragged units break from failing the CT when charged. I couldn't remember if the chargers rolled VMD or not so I was reviewing that issue and got it confused with this one. My apologies.