Rules query - Dispersal
Hi peeps, i wonder if you can help here as to your thoughts on this as we were playing a game last night and this came up. Austrain line battalion had suffered about 45% casualties from artillery and was charged by a French battalion in column, the line broke and retreated on its morale test to stand against a charge, the french halted as they could not rech the fleeing Austrians and no other targets in range ~ all fine and dandy so far. Next turn the French shoot some skirmishers into the hapless austrian battalion and take it down to 50% causing an automatic dispersal check. At this point the austrian battalion had taken its 10cm compulsort move due to the morale failure of the charge and was sat about 4cm from the second austrain line. In the morale phase it took the dispersal chack forced upon it and passed. Now the question is. 1. Does passing the dispersal check mean it passes its morale and so rallies from the charge retreat morale effect. 2. Simply does not disperse but continues its retreat (second 10cm compulsort move into column of mob) and so has to take a second morale cgheck in order to rally from the retreat. 3. As above but the dispersal check also counts as the rally check for the retreat and the austrian battalion halts unformed but rallied behind the second line? In our game we took option 2 as the rules seemed to indicate that, but seeing as how tough it is to stick around from a dspersal check anyway it did seem a bit harsh to have to roll to rally again. Incidentally the austrain battalion failed its rally check and routed causing a brigade morale, which in turn also failed and got a retire 30cm result. regards Alan

As we play it, there is only ever one Unit Morale Test die roll per unit, regardless of the cause of the check, and that single roll is used for all purposes (e.g., cross-referenced against both the 'Other' and 'To Rally' column of the Morale Results Table). If the unit was ineligible to Rally, however--due to formed enemy units being in Charge range--it must still check under the 'Other' column (with -5 for Casualties of 50%, and -1 for Retreating in modifiers). In this case, on rolling a 'successful' result (11 or 12 only!), it carries on Retreating in the next Compulsory Move phase; failure = Dispersal. Just my 2P. The more experienced Forum members may have other wisdom to share.

Yes, Alan, sorry if I was unclear. In the situation you describe, following a successful 'pass' of the Morale Check for Dispersal (but ineligible to Rally), the unit would make a full Retreat Move in the Compulsory Movement phase of the following game turn. In the Morale Test phase of that following game turn, it takes a Unit Morale Test to 'Rally' as it is still in 'Retreat' status, (if eligible & not in charge range of formed enemy), and applies the appropriate results.