Slitherine

this created a geometric question

imagine a pike block engaged frontally

elephants next them (on the pikes left) engaged frontally and to the flank, so the elephants are two elements deep in relation to the pikes front

ccccc
cepp
cepp
xxpp
xxpp

c= emeny
e = elephant
p= pike
x= space

the elephants rout, question is what happens?

in the rules (my limited understanding) routers can 'slide' upto 1 base width to avoid friends, the routers bisect the angle to get direction of rout

Q's when the elephants turn to make the bisected angle they will temporarily 'interpenetrate' the pikes bases, does this 'count' as interpenetration, are they even allowed to do this 'turn' due to lack of room

if they are allowed to do this turn and it doesn't count as interpenetration, where do you count the 1 base width slide from?

if its the original position of the elephants, 1 base width won't get them around the pike

if its the new bisected angle, the rotation of the base gets them a few millimetres towards the gap and the 1 base width slide will clear the pike and there isn't any interpenetration

so what should have happened?

They rout by bisecting the angle, so at 45 degrees.

This sets a "direction of rout" just as you have a direction of an evade.

Routers follow evade rules to try to avoid things and if they can't they burst through friends and die before enemies.

You get onto a path by wheels and turns - whichever way works. So here the Elephants would turn 180 degrees and then wheel and rout on the 45 degree line.

Si they immediately wheel onto the direction of the rout and then see if the 1 base width will let them get past. I doubt it - loos like the Pikes are going to get burst through to me.

Si