Retire 3MU in shooting phase - can you then CMT to advance?

[KitG]

An interesting question arose at NATCON in NZ, deep in the black hills of Manurewa...

A unit of the phasing player's (the bloke whose turn it was) received three hits in the shooting phase from the opposing unit. The phasing player moved his unit back to 3 inches. Then in the movement phase he wanted to advance it. Therefore leading to the question - can he? I could find nothing in the rules to prevent this, providing the phasing player passed a CMT (to advance) and then a further CMT if he was then advancing this unit within 2 inches of an opposing unit (as the unit will be disordered). This argument seems a reasonable one to me, at first glance - it has already been established on this forum that a retire to 3 MU away is NOT an outcome move, therefore movement by a unit which does this is not excluded in the movement phase, provided the CMT required is passed.

As I thought more on the issue I wondered about whether this result tallied in with the rest of the rules. What I mean is that the results of shooting provides a cumulatively worsening outcome for the unit that is hit in terms of either CMT that must be taken or consequences for the unit that is hit. Using the argument quoted above the effect would presumably create the following categories of result*:
(a) 1 hit = CMT to advance,
(b) 2 hits = cohesion loss + CMT to advance + CMT to close to within 2 inches,
(c) 3 hits = back off 3 inches + cohesion loss + CMT to advance + CMT to close to within 2 inches,
(d) 4 hits = cohesion loss (possibly 2 if short range) + outcome move and therefore no moving in movement phase.
*in this particular case the unit concerned was a small infantry unit.

Problem therefore becomes what is the difference between (c) and (d)? I suggest that it would be nothing given that every unit in this game is more than capable of moving a inch in order to bring them back into close range (should they want to).

Therefore I would much prefer it if the result of (c) were to be: 3 hits = back off 3 inches + cohesion loss AND the unit cannot come within 3 inches of any opposing unit in the movement phase, but can otherwise move. It also provides a clear break between shooting which disorders a unit and shooting which drives off a unit by establishing a category of result that drives back a unit (without driving it off), BUT will prevent that unit from being able to close within 3 inches of any opposing unit that turn.

I suggest that such a result makes sense, particularly for Cavalry (without artillery attachment) as otherwise if you hit a cavalry unit within two inches of your infantry (in your opponent's phase) he will simply go back to three inches and try to pass two CMTs in order to place that unit back where it was - if he should want to.

Unfortunately I can find nothing in the rule book to suggest that my preferred result is the way the shooting results should function.

[Blathergut]

Note the QRS: 3 hits = Retire to 3MU if closer. May not advance during the following movement phase.

[BrettPT]

Long question.
Short answer