Fleeing demoralized unit move off the board?

[tsievers]

A demoralized unit fails a morale check in a hex near or adjacent to the board edge on which they entered. The only place it can flee to is off the board. 

Once off board is it considered in a safe hex? Can it continue to attempt recovery and if it succeeds re-enter the board?

Or, once the demoralized unit had fled off the board is it considered eliminated?

(Playing Pusan scenario #24 "Go Back", U.S. units ran into N. Korean units on one of the slope hexes only one hex away from the board edge. Several were demoralized and failed to recover, leaving them nowhere to flee but off the board edge they had entered just two turns before.)

[vince hughes]

14.33 - Fleeing demoralized units and leaders may only enter hexes farther away from enemy units capable of harming them with Anti-Tank or Direct Fire. If this is not possible, they may enter hexes at an equal distance from such enemy units. If this is also not possible, they must remain in place.

16.52 - No unit may exit the board unless the scenario instructions permit. Those that would be forced to exit but cannot (like fleeing demoralized units in a scenario that doesn't allow units to exit) remain in the board-edge hex.

[tsievers]

14.33 - Fleeing demoralized units and leaders may only enter hexes farther away from enemy units capable of harming them with Anti-Tank or Direct Fire. If this is not possible, they may enter hexes at an equal distance from such enemy units. If this is also not possible, they must remain in place.

16.52 - No unit may exit the board unless the scenario instructions permit. Those that would be forced to exit but cannot (like fleeing demoralized units in a scenario that doesn't allow units to exit) remain in the board-edge hex.

Thanks! I appreciate your help. Seems a little weird, having them huddle at the base of the hill when in theory there might be better cover in (hypothetical) terrain off-board, but the rules you've cited are clear.

[Shad]

The design intent is to prevent someone from having weakened units flee offboard and thereby deny the opponent VPs for eliminating them. The player would also benefit from having one less forced rally attempt per turn before passing. That being said, you could probably talk your opponent into letting you flee offboard by giving them VPs as compensation!

[tsievers]

The design intent is to prevent someone from having weakened units flee offboard and thereby deny the opponent VPs for eliminating them. The player would also benefit from having one less forced rally attempt per turn before passing. That being said, you could probably talk your opponent into letting you flee offboard by giving them VPs as compensation!

Thanks for the clarifications. They make sense. Board-edge play can create weirdness in lots of war-games. 

Re: negotiating with my opponent...I'm playing solitaire, still learning the game. I'm afraid if I start asking myself for special favors in the game, something very bad might happen!

[vince hughes]

Having fleeing demoralised units being cut to pieces because they can not move helps the learning speed LOL