Q. Blocked Retreat After Combat

7.6.1
It is unclear what happens if a unit cannot retreat its full distance because of Impassible Terrain, Table Edge, Enemy Unit etc.

Does it go back as far as it can and then stop or is it routed?

cheers

Daz

Rules 7.6.1 says that a unit which cannot ‘even start its retreat’ is routed. By implication, a unit which can start it’s retreat isn’t automatically routed. So I believe a unit which cannot complete it’s full retreat distance stops when it reaches the obstruction (enemy unit, impassible etc.). What happens next depends on whether there is a successful pursuit, as the unit can’t retreat further if there is another combat

We had this when a retreating unit ‘backed’ into a unit of S. In BI2, the S are not dispersed, so the retreat stopped. If the victorious unit successfully pursued, there would be another melee with the S as support. If the pursuit failed, the S would be the main unit. In either case, if the unit which retreated got beaten again, it would rout.

RogerC

This situation arose in a game I played today. The blocking unit was skirmishers that were engaged in combat. It seemed a bit severe to eliminate the large unit and we settled to push the skirmishers back, their opponents following them up. Did we do right or should the unit have been destroyed?

If you cannot start the retreat then the retreating Unit is destroyed. In that case the supporting Legionary Unit must retreat and as it cannot start its retreat, it is destroyed. It may seem a bit odd but with some more experience you harly will find in that situation, probably next time you will allow your S to evade.

Thanks.  It was a trap for "Young Players".  The AAR can be found here: https://onesidedminiaturewargamingdiscourse.blogspot.com/2020/05/6mm-carthaginians-vs-romans.html