Updated January 24, 2002
In a campaign game, it is often wise to break off a battle before the army is actually defeated. Similarly, it is wise for the victorious army to pursue a withdrawing army and defeat it, or to pursue a defeated army and destroy it utterly.
The following rule governs how an army withdraws from a battle (voluntarily or involuntarily), how the winner can turn a voluntary withdrawal into a defeat, and how lost elements are recovered after the battle.
A battle can end in one of three ways:
The game does not end until the entire defeated or withdrawing army has either left the table or been destroyed.
In a campaign game, the attacker must win within a limited time or withdraw. If the campaign scenario has some rule that specifies how much daylight is available for the battle, use that rule. If no such rule has been established, assume that the day ends at the end of the defender's twenty-fourth bound. It is the defender's job to keep track of the time, since it is in the defender's interest to "run out the clock".
An attacking army that withdraws due to the expiration of the time limit does not actually execute this withdrawal; instead, the attacking army is simply removed from the table (it is assumed to have withdrawn under cover of darkness) and the two armies conduct Post-Battle Recovery.
An army can voluntarily declare a withdrawal at a cost of five PIPs. Declaring a withdrawal when the CinC is absent costs an additional PIP.
Once a withdrawal is declared, it cannot be cancelled.
Elements of a withdrawing army can voluntarily leave the table across its friendly rear edge. After all elements of the withdrawing army have either left the table or been destroyed, the two armies conduct Post-Battle Recovery, considering the non-withdrawing army as victorious.
An army that declares a withdrawal can still be defeated if it loses one-third of its starting elements. An army whose opponent has declared a withdrawal cannot be defeated.
An element of a withdrawing army can move straight toward or across the friendly base edge of the table at a cost of zero PIPs.
An element making such a move
Such a move always costs zero PIPs, even if the CinC is absent or out of reach. However, if the CinC leaves the table, he is considered out of reach for all other moves, which will therefore cost an extra PIP.
An element of a withdrawing army that voluntarily leaves the table across the friendly base edge (either with the zero-PIP move or a normal move) is not destroyed. However, an element that recoils or flees across any edge of the table is destroyed.
The camp can be evacuated from the table during a withdrawal at a cost of five PIPs. The camp can be evacuated whether its garrison or camp follower element is present or not. The camp cannot be evacuated if there are enemy elements in contact with it. If the camp is evacuated, it is not destroyed.
An army is defeated when it loses the equivalent of one-third or more of its starting elements. Losing the Camp counts as two elements lost. Losing the General counts as two elements in addition to the General's element itself.
When an army is defeated, it must withdraw (see Volunary Withdrawal above for the mechanics of executing a withdrawal). Starting a withdrawal due to defeat does not cost the five PIPs that are required to declare a withdrawal.
In addition to the zero-PIP move to the rear (see Executing a Withdrawal), all elements of a defeated army suffer a -1 modifier in combat.
Only one of the two armies can be defeated; once one army is defeated, the other army wins. If both armies have lost one-third or more of their elements (and neither has already declared a withdrawal), the army that has lost more elements is defeated. If both armies have lost an equal number of elements, play continues.
One odd case: if an army has lost one-third or more of its elements and then declares a withdrawal, it will be defeated, not just withdrawing.
After a battle ends, the two participating armies will recover a varying number of elements depending on whether they won, lost, or withdrew.
Note that the owning player decides which elements are recovered.
After dicing for recovery of lost elements, an army that lost its CinC or camp loses two additional elements (a total of four elements if it lost both CinC and camp). The owner of the army choses which elements are lost to satisfy this penalty.