How do most players treat army morale, when commands are not on the table. My friend and I played a game recently where each player had three commands. I am simplifying the example to make it simple to follow.
Two cavalry commands (all cavalry commands were four units) began on the table and each side’s infantry command (six units) entered if the commander passed an order starting turn 2 for the attacking player and turn 4 for the defending player. Each player could start up to 12″ on the table with their cavalry commands. On the first turn, the player with the superior force rolled for both commands to charge to contact and rolled three moves for each command. Starting 12″ on the table and adding 27″ put them in contact with the defending player’s 2 commands (the opposing cavalry being 24″ apart at the start). After some amazing die rolls, one defending command held but took serious damage and the second command retreated off the table. In the second turn, the command that retreated off the table failed its command roll to return on to the table. And the other defending command broke being overwhelmed by the two attacking commands.
So, how do players treat this situation for army morale.
The defending player has one broken command and two commands off the table; one retreated the other had not yet arrived. Has the defending player lost more than half his commands (since it has one broken command and two commands off the table)? If not, can the defending player choose not to return to the table until his third command activates hopefully on Turn 4? In other words, for army morale purposes does the total number of commands equal the total per army or the total commands on the board including those that were broken/shaken or does it include commands that retreat off the board but are not shaken/broken. And, how about commands that have not yet arrived on the board?
Given the situation, the defender best strategy was not to try to return to the battlefield until the infantry arrived on turn 4, alternatively, it seemed logical to argue that with no commands remaining on the board, the defender had lost. Do the rules address this?
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