THE SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT SYSTEM & Terrain

1. Both sides write orders for each of their units (groups of figures of like type), including direction of movement and facing.
2. Both sides move their units according to their written orders, making one-half of the move, checking for unordered melee contact due to opponent movement, and conducting split-moves and missile fire and taking any pass-through fire; then the balance of movement is completed as ordered.
3. Artillery fire is taken.
4. Missile fire is taken.
5. Melees are resolved.

Note:Exact orders for each unit (group of figures of like type) must be given. Cavalry may be given the order to "Charge if Charged" (CIC), either in their own behalf or in support of any nearby friendly unit. Such CIC movement begins at the one-half move and is only half of a normal charge, i.e., a unit of medium horse CIC to support a unit of archers would move up to 12" during the second half of the turn.

MORALE CHECKS ARE NOT INDICATED IN EITHER OF THE TWO SYSTEMS OF MOVEMENT AS MORALE CHECKS CAN OCCUR DURING THE FIRE AND/OR MELEE PORTIONS OF ANY GIVEN TURN, DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER, MORALE CHECKS MUST BE MADE DURING WHATEVER SEGMENT OF THE TURN THE RULES REQUIRE

TERRAIN EFFECTS UPON MOVEMENT

TYPE OF TERRAIN:	EFFECT:
Hill	Slows movement 50%, prevents all charge moves, but movement downhill is at normal speed.
Wooded	As Hill, with the additional penalty of preventing the movement of formed bodies of troops.
Marshy	As Hill, with the additional penalty of preventing the entrance of heavy equipment, catapults, and guns.
Rough	Prevents all charge moves.
Ditch and Rampart	As Hill
River and Stream	Treat individually as to fordability, penalty for crossing, and so on. (A typical stream would require 6" to cross and prevent charge moves, while a typical river would require troops to halt before and after crossing and cost an entire move to cross.)

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LIGHT WOODS: Infantry units moving through light woods pay 3" of movement for every 2" (or fraction of 2") traveled through that terrain. Cavalry units in light woods pay 2" per 1" moved. Special units of cavalry size or larger cannot enter light woods; special units smaller than cavalry size are treated as infantry (3" per 2" or fraction thereof).

DENSE WOODS: Movement in dense woods is prohibited to all units except infantry. An infantry unit moving through dense woods pays 2" for every 1" moved.

ELEVATION: Elevation increases on the battlefield are shown in 1" increments (10' in scale). Generally, a unit pays 2" of movement to climb 1" of elevation. A scenario may specify that a change of elevation in a certain area is a steep slope, requiring 3" (or more) for a unit to ascend instead of 2". Some changes in elevation may be too steep to negotiate, either ascending or descending, such as the face of a cliff. Descending from a higher elevation to a lower one is done at no additional cost in movement (unless the particular rules for a scenario dictate otherwise). Note that the cost of movement while ascending a slope is cumulative with any other terrain costs that may apply; the cost for an infantry unit moving to a higher elevation within an area of light woods is 6" per 2" traveled.

SWAMP: Only infantry units can enter a swamp. Each 1" of actual movement through swamp costs 3" of a unit's movement allowance.

DEEP WATER: This terrain feature represents a stream, pond, lake, ocean, or other body of water having considerable depth and/or a soft, mucky bottom. It is a body of water that cannot be waded through by troops, and movement into it is prohibited.

SHALLOW WATER: This represents a body of water with a relatively solid bed (gravel or packed clay, not mud or quicksand), with water not more than shoulder-deep to creatures that might enter it. Any type of unit (infantry, cavalry, or special) can move through shallow water at a cost of 3" per 1" moved.

The depth of any body of water should be indicated in the setup information for a scenario. It is quite possible that a pool would be deep water to human (and similar-sized) troops, but shallow water to ogres and giants (large troops).

OBSTACLES: Obstacles include barriers such as walls, fences, hedges, gullies, and ditches. It usually costs 4" of movement to cross an obstacle, though some scenarios might specify different amounts (6" for a deep, muddy ditch, for example). Any type of unit (infantry, cavalry, or special) can cross an obstacle, but the unit must assume irregular formation in order to do so.

ROUGH/ROCKY: This terrain represents jagged rock outcroppings, boulder-strewn fields, steep-sided gullies, and other irregular features. Cavalry units cannot enter rough terrain, and other units pay 2" per 1" of movement through such an area.

BRUSH/SCRUB: This terrain is composed of shrubbery, moderately thick underbrush, and/or small trees. Any type of unit can move through brush at a rate of 3" per 1" traveled.

ROADS: A unit moving on a road that runs through an area of light woods, dense woods, swamp, rough/ rocky ground, or brush/scrub does not suffer any movement penalties or restrictions because of the special physical features of the area; it is treated as clear, open terrain. The unit still pays the normal cost for moving uphill or for clearing an obstacle that lies in or across the road. A road may or may not include a bridge that allows the path to continue over a body of water; if there is no bridge, a unit moving along the road must pay the normal cost for crossing the water (or may be prevented from traveling farther, if it is prohibited from moving through the water).

TRAILS: A trail is similar to a road. But, because the path is narrower, a cavalry unit cannot move along a trail. (Large-sized or giant-sized figures may also be unable to benefit from a trail; the width of a trail and the largest figures that can use it should be specified in the setup information for a scenario.)

Terrain Effects on Movement

Very seldom is the battlefield for a scenario composed of nothing but clear, flat ground. The presence of other physical features, known collectively as "special terrain," can have a significant impact on the outcome of a battle. Special terrain affects the movement of units as specified here; it can also affect combat, as explained in Chapter 5.

A unit must be in irregular formation before it can move in or through special terrain—unless it is moving along a road or trail that cuts through the special terrain. After emerging from special terrain onto clear, open ground, a unit can reassume regular formation (if it is otherwise able to do so) for the standard movement cost of 3".

Movement costs for various types of special terrain are applied to changes in facing and frontage as well as to normal travel. For example, in accordance with what is given below, the cost for an infantry unit to change frontage in light woods is 3" per 2 figures instead of 2"; a special unit making a left face turn on rough/rocky ground must use 8" of movement instead of 4".

Favored Terrain

Some types of units in a fantasy milieu have a special affinity for certain types of terrain. When the roster for a unit in a scenario includes a mention of "favored terrain," the unit can move through the indicated terrain as if it were clear ground.

Lizard men, being creatures native to the swamp, often have that terrain type listed as favored terrain. Likewise, dwarven infantry may be able to travel across rough or rocky ground with no movement penalty; elves on foot can move freely through light woods, and through dense woods as though the area was light woods.

Favored terrain is not always listed for a certain type of unit; the specification may appear in some scenarios but not in others. Special cases are possible, such as a unit of human "amphibious" troops that can negotiate swampy terrain as easily as lizard men can.