A question on armies

[hendriks65]

It states in the 2nd edition rule book something like; if you want to create a read guard, you may split your army and use one part for attack and the other part, the rear guard, won't participate. You may select leaders and characters into this army as well as rear guard and those will NOT participate in the upcoming battle...this rear guard will stay behind when the battle is won while the attacking part moves into the new territory.

Something like that.

This puzzles me and I never really understood nor can read what part of an army after a battle may go where.

I asked this before and the answer was if you attacked with your army, after winning a battle, you may chose to enter that territory with the entire army, with a part, or not at all.

Then why this part in the rule book on the rear guard? What sense would it make if I say, ok I have this big army of 10 with 6 leaders, but I chose to have as a rear guard 4 units and 2 leaders. During that battle, if it goes wrong, you can't select that indicated rear guard to continue the attack with...

If you can move with all, some or none of your attacking army into a conquered territory where a battle was fought against enemy units, then why EVER do a rear guard?? Just say, o, I only go into the territory with 5 units and these leaders...

So, my question is;

- After you win a battle against an enemy army, what part of your army should move there?

- What's with that rear guard story?

Thanks!!!

[Krieghund]

The most common reason to form a rearguard is when you have a Character in the attacking Army that you don't want to chance losing. Leaving that Character behind with a single unit keeps him from being exposed if the attack goes wrong (or to the effects of Combat cards). Another reason would be if you are doing a sortie attack out of a siege, you may want to leave a unit behind to hold the Stronghold if the attack goes bad.

[hendriks65]

Mar 6, 2015 0:52:31 GMT 1 Krieghund said:

The most common reason to form a rearguard is when you have a Character in the attacking Army that you don't want to chance losing. Leaving that Character behind with a single unit keeps him from being exposed if the attack goes wrong (or to the effects of Combat cards). Another reason would be if you are doing a sortie attack out of a siege, you may want to leave a unit behind to hold the Stronghold if the attack goes bad.

ok thanks Krieghund.

So, the main rule still applies, when you attack from one region into the other with a mixed army even (multiple factions in 1 army), after you win the battle or the opponent withdraws, you can still select with how many units you move into that region. With 1 (even if you attacked with 5 dices) unit, with any number, with any number of characters/leaders (leader can not stay behind alone, only Nazguls) or not at all, in which case if the region has a settlement, it remains in the hands of the opponent.

That's still correct right?

[Krieghund]

Yes. None of the figures in the rearguard may advance, however, as they did not participate in the battle.