What if withdraw wasn't a thing in 3rd?

Does the withdraw move rule actually add to the game? What does it achieve other than allow corkscrews?
Cheap banner in the way type problems seem to be solved by the yielding rule.

Keep in mind that other rules would be slightly different instead. Which rules would have to be different if there was no withdraw?

Corkscrews would still be possible, just with a more limited range of units, as it is quite a large range of units can make it happen, as long as the length isnā€™t more than 50mm longer than the depth.

Does create some weird situations such as a snow fox regiment not being able to corkscrew, where a monstrous infantry horde can.
I kinda feel like withdraw might be better off as a special rule attached to nimble and allow 3" back. That way, hit-and-run could be baked into the rules as a legit strategy for specific units rather than being perceived as a rules exploit/ trick that a lot of people dislike the first time they encounter it (generally on the receiving end!).

Iā€™d say the main issue isnā€™t withdraw as such, or even corkscrews, but rather how itā€™s how thereā€™s this odd rules interaction that wasnā€™t tidied up and given a proper place in the rules or consideration for how a units footprint ratio impacts gameplay. For me, a unit of nimble snow foxes should be able to do it, whereas the big monstrous infantry should not. At current, itā€™s intuitively the opposite from what youā€™d expect a unit to be able to do a lot of the time and I think that contributes to the dislike of the rules interaction. Could use some tidying up and thought put into which units can use it and which canā€™t, rather than the randomly-assigned footprint ratio lottery that it currently is.

Scrapping withdraw would make corkscrews even more arbitrary, requiring square footprints, the only way to level the playing field would be to increase withdraw to 2-3" so any unit can do the corkscrew.

Of course, big core rules changes a few months in arenā€™t going to happen, but perhaps a cheap magic item that increases withdraw distance could help even things out.

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For TC armies you can get a second charge off in some circumstances when not disordered and you would nt be hindered.
Mostly withdraw is tn a big issue though

Changed so all movement in the players turn, plus stops some shenanigans with dumping characters behind units which switched which moved.

Rules have always been odd in that troops (and some regiments) are less maneuverable than the larger versions.

Well I guess it depends on what exactly you mean with the removal of the withdraw rule.

If you canā€™t withdraw, then you are still in base contact with an enemy, meaning still engaged.
Without withdraw, should the unit still be allowed to simply walk away, or should they be ā€˜stuckā€™ in the combat and not allowed to move (counts as counter-charging). It would all depend on that.

Personally I wouldnā€™t mind experimenting with the idea of units being ā€œstuckā€ in combat once engaged, but then following @scarletsquigā€™s suggestion of allowing specific units to disengage as a special rule. I quite like that idea.

I would envision it as unit being left engaged, but allowed to declare the normal movement orders.
Units can spend their move disengaging, counter charge a unit in contact, charge through a yeilding individual or press forward after a flank attack (if a unit isnā€™t wavered after being flanked it canā€™t be from a serious threat in my mind).

I does give square based units and single chariots an edge though. That could be corrected, or monsters, chariot heroes and chariot troops could have the perk of having more options when engaged. Thematically those are the units, if any, that could disengage and do something else in a turn. In my mind anyway.

You could probably fix most of the issues if they added a sentence saying you canā€™t Withdraw and Charge in the same movement phase.

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Why would you withdraw then?

Shoot (if not Disordered) or reposition?

In some cases you can withdraw, then charge a different unit.

This opens for some shenanigans as the charge rules allow you to come within 1" of another unit, so theoretically allows more unit shapes do corkscrews etc.

I think Vigoā€™s suggestion puts a decent temporary band-aid on the problem, but I agree with the other suggestions on this thread, I think it will make the game better

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