Slitherine

can routers shift to avoid friends if they still will burst through some friendly units? we play that you can, ie if two units are behind the routers the routers can be shifted (up to 1 base width) and effectively choose which unit they burst through?

(the rules could mean that you can only shift routers if they avoid friends all together, ie they head for gap, no gap they simply rout the straight route) i'm fine with either interpretation but which is it?

That's how we have been playing it - you can slide to avoid one unit and burst through the other. Also adds an element of player decision making - which of my supporting units should I burst through and make test.

pugsville wrote: (the rules could mean that you can only shift routers if they avoid friends all together, ie they head for gap, no gap they simply rout the straight route) i'm fine with either interpretation but which is it?

That is how it is played in other FOG versions, which means nothing. But this is worth getting clarity on.

can routers shift to avoid friends if they still will burst through some friendly units? we play that you can, ie if two units are behind the routers the routers can be shifted (up to 1 base width) and effectively choose which unit they burst through?

The rule on shifting to avoid bursting through friends is optional (pg 64, 1st bullet - "the unit MAY slide one base").
You can therefore choose NOT to slide a base to avoid one unit, and slide to avoid the other.

As Brett says - this gives you a decision to make of which unit to burst through and which to avoid.

terrys wrote: As Brett says - this gives you a decision to make of which unit to burst through and which to avoid.

Why should a player have that choice? Sliding to find represents common sense but how is the commander the player represents supposed to steer the rout? Or is he supposed to be ordering one or other unit to open its ranks to let the routers through?

My guess is its up to the local commanders of the routing unit to decide where to steer their troops, the fact that the player makes that final decision is due to a lack of self motivation of our lead and plastic troops.

Also, there is the gaming side of it.

One of the great things about FoGN is that it endeavours to allow for player decision making throughout the phases. I much prefer this to systems where the only real decisions made occur during an assault or movement step - with the rest of the game being dictated by the rules and a dice telling you what to do.

It might be more realistic to have retiring troops go straight back through eveything in their path, however it is also possible to argue that they could be directed to a certain extent, or might veer of their own accord to go one way or another.
We've all no doubt scratched our heads during a game and had to think 'which unit should I get to take the extra CT for being burst through'.

So the rule brings a player decision into the game even when routing - a feature of the rules to my mind.

Fine. I like to have decisions to make but I also like to have stuff just happen. It seems the rest of the FoG corpus uses the alternative of routers who don't see a gap, just trying to get through whatever is in the way. It does fell a little gamey to pick which unit for a rout to disrupt. Maybe I'm just a hopeless Romantic
Btw this is the 198th anniversary of Bluecher's great victory: so here's lifting a virtual glass of schnapps to all