What determines retreat path?

[Almskaar]

So I read in the manual that units can not retreat 1. into an enemy ZOC hex unless occupied by a friendly unit, 2. into or across terrain normally prohibited (i.e. a river), and/or 3. a minefield.

Aside from that if there's more than one valid hex to retreat to how is that determined? Is it random? Does it retreat toward it's HQ, nearest supply hex, hex affording the most cover, or hex costing the least amount of movement points?

[Ricky B]

Purely random as best I have ever noticed.

[Almskaar]

Purely random as best I have ever noticed.

Found this post on WDS forum, it's for a different series but... sounds like there's some sort of algorithm.

https://forum.wargameds.com/viewtopic.ph...ath#p10490

[Ricky B]

That is routing in the black powder style games. PzC/MC and such don't have routing, just retreat single hexes from an assault - and broken units from fire and still will be to a hex not adjacent to an enemy unit but otherwise random also, but that is a bit different. There may be things that guide the retreat route but not that I have ever noted a pattern of.

[Liebchen]

Rule No. 1: Retreat into a hex that is not in an enemy ZOC.

Rule No. 2: Retreat into a hex that has enough stacking points to allow it to enter.

Beyond that, it's a mystery.
 

[Steel God]

Rule No. 1: Retreat into a hex that is not in an enemy ZOC.

Rule No. 2: Retreat into a hex that has enough stacking points to allow it to enter.

Beyond that, it's a mystery.
 

There are many things that are undocumented and therefore unverifiable, but which I categorically swear exist somewhere buried in the code of the engine.  For example, I have very good results using suppressive fire, shelling a target and then moving adjacent to it even in T mode will not trigger OpFire (not counting having bled off it's 3 shots before hand).  Likewise with retreat paths from assaults, not always but fairly reliably, if all other things are equal, I can usually count on a retreated unit going directly back from the direction of the assault.  I've used that tactic to assault in an X pattern and thereby open a hole in a line if it's not defended in depth. 

Now I freely admit that I can't prove any of that, and it may be completely in my imagination, but it works for me and I've had my fair share of success, so I'm gonna keep on keeping on with it.

[ComradeP]

Besides units retreating into a hex without an enemy ZOC, it might be random. Though I haven't studied retreat destinations in detail, they seem to be otherwise random.

[Almskaar]

Rule No. 1: Retreat into a hex that is not in an enemy ZOC.

Rule No. 2: Retreat into a hex that has enough stacking points to allow it to enter.

Beyond that, it's a mystery.
 

That's right, stacking too.

[Almskaar]

There are many things that are undocumented and therefore unverifiable, but which I categorically swear exist somewhere buried in the code of the engine.  For example, I have very good results using suppressive fire, shelling a target and then moving adjacent to it even in T mode will not trigger OpFire (not counting having bled off it's 3 shots before hand).  Likewise with retreat paths from assaults, not always but fairly reliably, if all other things are equal, I can usually count on a retreated unit going directly back from the direction of the assault.  I've used that tactic to assault in an X pattern and thereby open a hole in a line if it's not defended in depth. 

Now I freely admit that I can't prove any of that, and it may be completely in my imagination, but it works for me and I've had my fair share of success, so I'm gonna keep on keeping on with it.

I think OpFire might be an even bigger mystery probably because ranged weapons make for more possibilities, I've moved some cavalry way off in the distance only to have it fired upon by artillery that I've got a plethora of units directly adjacent to. Nice to know there's still some mystery left in the world.

That's probably a good rule of thumb about retreating directly away from the assault tho

[Steel God]

 Nice to know there's still some mystery left in the world.

YES - THAT!!  

I'm as guilty as the next person of wanting to understand the rules of the game so I can maximize my effectiveness, but I would definitely say I am much more willing than the average player to pass off those things which I don't understand or can't quite make sense of as "the friction of war" and move on.  I've encountered some poor souls who simply can not enjoy a game if they can't figure out why their assault failed or what have you.