BATTLE ASTRAFIELD MANUAL
CHAPTER 11 / 14

CHAPTER 11

Retreat

Retreat preserves damaged ships, but only a vessel already positioned and facing toward a safe neighboring sector can leave the battle.

LEGAL EXIT

When a ship may retreat

  1. 1

    Begin in an exit zone

    The ship must start its activation in a zone along the outer edge of the tactical map.

  2. 2

    Face off the map

    Its heading must be one of the three directions that leads outward from that edge zone.

  3. 3

    Retain engine capacity

    The ship must still have functioning engines.

  4. 4

    Have a safe neighbor

    The selected neighboring campaign sector must be neutral, controlled by the same faction, or allied, and must not already contain an upcoming hostile battle.

RETREAT COMMAND

The battle control changes when retreat is available

When the active player ship qualifies, the ordinary round-completion control changes to a warning-colored RETREAT TO XX command, where XX is the neighboring campaign sector.

Retreat is a ship activation. Confirming it flashes the destination, fades the departing ship, records the event, and removes the ship from the current battle.

RETURN TO THE WAR MAP

Where the retreating ship arrives

The game first uses the corresponding entrance zone of the neighboring sector. If that entrance is full, it may place the ship in another connected interior zone rather than rejecting an otherwise legal retreat.

After arrival, the ship’s destination, reset, and live headings point back toward the sector it departed. It keeps its existing damage.

!
RETREAT IS NOT DESTRUCTION

A retreating ship survives with its existing damage. Instant-battle displays use a retreat arrow rather than an explosion so the result remains clear.

AUTOMATED RETREAT

Instant retreat and watch retreat

FAST

Instant Retreat

The AI seeks legal exits for the player faction without displaying every move, then presents the resulting survivors.

VISIBLE

Watch Retreat

The AI seeks the same exits while movement and battle activity remain visible.

AI

Enemy retreat

AI factions consider retreat when the odds are poor, adjusted by faction doctrine, risk tolerance, surviving strength, and available exits.