Dem units fleeing

[richvalle]

Does a Dem unit in a town hex that can be spotted only by enemy units that are in assault hexes have to flee when failing a recovery roll?

4.0 rules. All I find is:

14.32 Going to Ground

Once a fleeing demoralized unit reaches a safe hex, it must stop moving and remain in the safe hex until it recovers. If enemy units move so that they can spot the demoralized unit and hit it with Anti-Tank or Direct Fire that could hurt it, and if the unit fails to recover when activated, then it must flee again to a new safe hex.

[zaarin7]

The key here to me would be can the units in the assault hex fire out of that hex. If they can't then both conditions, "...spot the demoralized unit and hit it with...Fire..." are not satisfied.

[vince hughes]

Rich,

We always played it the other way than Keith. If the enemy units are in range and can spot it then it flees regardless of theat enemy units current status. Basically the logic being the battle is too near. We also decided that if you only do it by the "Then & There" factor (ie: An assault stopping in range units from making DEM units flee), it would then lead to units ALREADY activated and with a MOVE/FIRE counter on them also "Not being able to fire" at that point. It starts a rocky slide to ifs and buts. So to summarise, our way was simple:

Can spot and in DF or AT range that can hurt = Flee (and yes that even included enemy DEM units).

[richvalle]

Yeah, I'm inclined to do it Vince's way but I've played it Keith's way for now.

Any tie breakers?

[vince hughes]

Rich,

One more thing on this and I hope people that have played me on Skype a few times would vouch for.  I'm of the opinion that wargamers, whether PG, ASL whatever want too much control of their DEM or BROKEN units. To me, once a unit is in this state, they should just go as per a well stated rule that has little to no wriggle room for gamey flee/rout moves. A Napoleonic game I'm playing at the moment has very clear ROUT rules where the system takes over and you have no control (Jours de Gloire). When they rout, those boys run backwards and run and run until rallied. They run through units, woods etc.

Now an acid test to me for DEM units is when you ask yourself "Should they flee or not". The fact the gamer has to ask that question and the fact that they are within spotting LOS and within range of a unit that happens to be battling out with some comrades is a biggie. What if the enemy win that fight? They'll be coming after us. If in the shoes of those demoralised disinterested soldiers, I think the answer as to what their instinct will make them do is a pretty sure one. So it fits in nicely with the post above. In game terms, to me, once a unit is DEM then the less control the gamer has over them to stop them running the better..... unitil they're recovered.

[richvalle]

Right. The thing is, I WANT them to run and get out of the way. Making them stay gives me less control over them in this case.

[Matt W]

They run until they are out of sight and/or out of range. As Vince said, if the enemy is in an assault hex but has LOS and sufficient range the DEM unit flees.