I’ve been introducing players at our game night to various elements of the D@W system. I’m also slowly learning the system myself, with the intent of running a fully integrated campaign instead of just independent tactical sessions using the Battles rules.
One question I have, after comparing the two rule sets, is how battles using the tactical system are concluded when one side decides it doesn’t want to continue to fight. The draft of the Battles rules says that pursuit begins “when all the units of one army have been destroyed, routed, or voluntarily retreated from the battlemap”.
Does this mean that, if desired, an outnumbered army can simply step off the battlemap during the first round of a battle, immediately ending the battle and going directly to pursuit throws?
In some cases, this seems like it would be the most logical decision for a weaker force to make. Even more perversely, an evading army might decide to sit on the bottom edge of the map for a few rounds while the attacking army attempted to close, and then step off right before engagement, in order to maximize the modifier to pursuit rolls! This seems wrong to me, but I’m not sure what prevents it from happening.
A related issue appears in the faster combat resolution method in the Campaigns rule. The start of a battle allows units to be designated as “participating” or “reserve” units. What consequences does this have? Are there any restrictions on how many units can go into reserve? Could I put all of my units in the reserve, effectively making the battle jump directly to pursuit throws?