'Disengage' in combat resolution feels off?

[Chyttering]

I'm struggling to understand the thinking behind the 'Disengage' option in melee combat resolution. The main rulebook p272 says "Disengage may only be selected if the Unit for which it is chosen has lost the combat, not if that Unit won or drew the Combat."

 

As written, only the losing player can elect to Disengage. If they do so they get an unobstructed move away from combat, can't be shot at, can't be pursued, and don't take any tactical status. Or they can choose to Fall Back, in which case they can be shot at or pursued and have the Routed status. The winning player... can only Hold? 

 

It really feels like they got the text backwards, and the intent was that the winner could choose to Disengage, but the loser, even if passing a test, could only Hold or Fall Back. Or am I missing something that keeps this balanced?

[Brother Kraskor]

Think you're missing the third bullet point under Aftermath on p272. If all enemy units are Falling Back or Disengaging then the winner can choose gun down, pursue, or consolidate.

[Chyttering]

But only targets that have Fallen Back are eligible for a Pursue or Gun Down responses:

Quote

 

Gun Down - The Unit may make a Shooting Attack targeting any one enemy Unit that has Fallen Back from the selected Combat.

Pursue - ... Each Model must move... directly towards the nearest enemy Model from a Unit that has made a Fall Back Move from the selected Combat. [extraneous detail omitted]

 

 

So yes, the winner can choose responses besides Hold, but they can't target a losing unit that disengaged. So in a straightforward combat (one unit from either side), if the loser decides to Disengage, the winner can only Hold. 

 

EDIT: I may have misunderstood your point that the winner can also Consolidate (and in fact can only Consolidate if all opponents have left combat without falling back). So if combat continues, the winner can only Hold. If combat has ended because every unit on the losing side Disengaged, the winner can only Consolidate. 

Edited August 12 by Chyttering

[Brother Kraskor]

I take it all back, you're right. I think the bullet point I was referring to must be covering a scenario where you've beaten two or more enemy units - if only one of them falls back and the others hold, this bullet point prevents you running off after the fleeing unit and abandoning the combat.
 

But if all enemies have left combat, whether fall back or disengage, you're then free to pick from those options - however as you correctly identify, pursue & gun down have a further requirement, the enemy has to have fallen back. 
 

This makes disengage very powerful. I could be holding an objective, receive a charge, just about manage to pass morale, then disengage 1" without fear of any reprisal and safely score that objective in my turn. Or, I could charge something of yours that I know will survive more than one turn, then disengage in your turn and be free to move on my next turn.

 

In fact it advantages the loser of the combat, seeing as they get to decide first what they do. The loser can disengage, then move where they want to position themselves, and the winner has to consolidate whilst respecting the 2" space around the loser. It's busted!

 

Thinking even further, there are few situations when you would not choose to disengage in the enemy turn. Unless the unit you're in combat with has a nasty Volley attack, you're almost always better off pulling out, softening them up further with some shooting, then either getting the original unit away to safety or sending them back in.

Edited August 13 by Brother Kraskor

[Chyttering]

I agree with all of that! Disengage feels like the obvious decision at the end of combat... but only the losing side can pick it. And that's why I question whether this is functioning as intended, or whether the intent was for the winning side to have this option but not the loser. 

 

This feels beyond the remit of the GW rules query e-mail, though - "excuse me, did you get this rule completely backwards?"

[Brother Kraskor]

Yeah it's arguably one of the best outcomes and only available for the loser. It is backwards I agree!

[Xenith]

Best try to wipe the unit on the charge then! 

[Chyttering]

Tactically, yes, I think the conclusion is that it's generally not enough to win combat, you need to win big - either wiping your opponent or winning by a large enough margin that their chance of passing the morale check is very low. 

 

I had originally intended this as a rules question, though. While not as egregious or clearly unintended as the Imperial Fists reaction in which they shoot themselves, I have difficulty believing that this was the designers' intent.