Editing Scrollhammer Rulebook (section)

===MORALE===

Your units have to check to see if their morale holds under certain circumstances. As you will have already gathered, particular events will require your units to take Morale checks, and a unit in particularly dire straits may be forced to take several in a single turn.

Morale Checks:

Morale represents the grit, determination, or (sometimes) plain stupidity of warriors in action. Morale checks are a specific kind of Leadership test.

Like all other Leadership-based tests, Morale checks (also sometimes called Morale tests) are taken by rolling 2D6 and comparing the total to the unit's Leadership value.

*If the result is equal to or less than the unit's Leadership value, the test is passed and the unit does not suffer any ill effects - their nerve has held.

*If the result is higher than their Leadership, the test is failed and the unit will immediately be Pinned Down or Fall Back, as described later. 

Some units have special rules pertaining to Morale checks that are detailed in their Army Book. For example, some particularly fanatical units might be immune to the effects of morale. Some units always pass Morale checks, while a few others always pass all leadership tests. This is a subtle but important difference. For example, units that always pass Morale checks will still have to test to use Shouts(see page XX).

Morale Check Modifiers:

Certain circumstances can make Morale checks harder for a unit to pass. This is represented by applying leadership modifiers to Morale checks, which can modify the unit's Leadership value by -1,-2 or sometimes even more.

Insane Heroism:

Occasionally, warriors will refuse to retreat even when faced with impossible odds or particularly harrowing experiences. Sometimes you can push someone just too far! A roll of double 1 on the 2D6 always passes a Morale check, regardless of any modifiers.

The most common reasons a unit must take a Morale check are as follows:

*Pinning Test: Units suffering at least one unsaved wound from a shooting weapon in the shooting phase that has the Pinning special rule must immediately take a Morale check. If they fail, they become Pinned Down: they immediately Go to Ground, hiding themselves behind whatever they can find and covering themselves with their shields in fear.

*A unit losing 25% or more of its current models during a single Shooting phase must take a Morale check at the end of that phase or immediately Fall Back.

*Break Test: Units that lose a close combat(see above) must pass a Morale check to hold their ground. If they fail, they must Fall Back. Units taking this Morale check suffer a -1 Ld for each point they lost by(subtract their score from the opponent's higher score).

*Panic Test: If a friendly unit Falls Back through another friendly unit(see below), the unit that the friendly unit is running through must pass a Morale check to hold their ground. If they fail, they too must Fall Back.

Fall Back:

Sometimes retreat is the only option left to a soldier on the battlefield. A withdrawal can give troops the chance to retire to a stronger position, to regroup and mount a fresh attack, or to hold back the approaching enemy. Of course, a retreat is not without its risks.

Units make a Fall Back move immediately upon failing a Morale check - the only moves they can make in subsequent phases are Fall Back moves until they Regroup. In each subsequent Movement phase, they will make further Fall Back moves instead of moving normally, until the unit Regroups, is destroyed or leaves the table.

Most units fall back 2D6". Fall Back moves are not slowed by difficult terrain, but incur Dangerous Terrain tests, as normal. Units with models that Fall Back at different speeds always Fall Back at the speed of the slowest model in the unit. Units that are falling back always count as being in the Skirmish formation until they leave the table or rally.

Each model in the unit moves directly towards their own table edge by the shortest possible route. If playing a mission where there is no 'own' table edge, models move towards the closest table edge instead.

If any model from a unit that is falling back moves into contact with a table edge, that model is removed from the game as a casualty, as it scatters and flees the battle.

Falling Back from Close Combat:

Models falling back from a combat can freely move through all enemy models that were involved in that combat (they have already missed the chance to catch them) This is an exception to the normal rules for moving that state that a model cannot move through a space occupied by another model. If any models would end their move less than 1" from one of these enemies, extend the Fall Back move until they are clear.

Friendly Models:

If, when rolling to fall back, a unit rolls a high enough score to completely pass over a friendly unit along the shortest possible route, it ignores those models for the purposes of falling back. That unit must take a Panic Test if this occurs(see above). If the unit falling back is unable to completely pass through friendly models without ending its move with at least one model touching one of them, it treats them as an obstacle instead. It goes around them along the shortest possible route(maintaining coherency), and might become trapped.

Trapped:

Sometimes a unit finds its Fall Back move blocked by impassable terrain, friendly models or enemy models. The unit may move around these obstructions in such a way as to get back to their table edge by the shortest route, maintaining unit coherency, even if this means moving away from their table edge. If the unit cannot perform a full Fall Back move in any direction without doubling back, it is destroyed (see below).

Morale and Falling Back:

Units that are falling back automatically fail all Morale checks, but can Regroup, as discussed next:

Regrouping:

Just because a unit Falls Back doesn't mean it is out of the fight. Courageous officers will try to inspire their troops to rally. Warriors might regain their will to fight out of honour, duty or sheer bloody-mindedness.

A unit that is falling back must attempt to Regroup by taking a Regroup test in their Movement phase just before they move.

*If at least 50% of the unit's models are still alive, this is a normal Leadership test.

*If less than 50% of the unit's models are still alive, then the Leadership test can only be passed with an Insane Heroism result of double 1. The exception to this is regrouping when assaulted (see right).

*If the unit fails its Regroup test, then it must immediately continue to Fall Back.
        
*If the unit successfully passes the test, it stops falling back and can immediately move up to 3". This move is unaffected by difficult terrain, but Dangerous Terrain tests must be taken as normal. If the unit is out of coherency when the Regroup test is made, then the 3" move must be used to restore coherency, or as near as possible. Units that Fight in Ranks Reform instead, following the rules for Reforming(see page XX).

Once a unit has regrouped, it cannot otherwise move or shoot this turn(so cannot Shoot or March in the Shooting phase or charge in the Close Combat phase).

Falling Back and Charges:

A unit that is falling back cannot charge.

Falling Back and Multiple Combats:

Sometimes, as part of a multiple combat, a charging unit declares charges against one or more units that are falling back as well as one or more units that are not. If the primary or secondary targets of a multiple charge are falling back, each retreating unit must test to Regroup as soon as one charging model is found to be within charge range (see below).

Regrouping When Charged:

Units that have charges declared against them while falling back must always test to Regroup as soon as the enemy is found to be within charge range. This test is always a normal Leadership test, and does not require Insane Heroism, regardless of the number of models remaining in the unit.

*If the test is failed, the charged unit is removed as a casualty at the end of the Charge sub-phase.

*If the test is successful, the unit Regroups (without moving), and the fight continues as normal, starting with the enemy moving his charging models. 

*The unit is considered to continue to be in Skirmish Formation if charged in this manner for the duration of the combat. If it leaves combat, it consolidates into its normal Formation.

Regrouping and Multiple Charges:

If the test is successful, that unit regroups (without moving) and the charge continues as normal(see details above). If the test is failed, the falling back unit is destroyed and the charging model must continue its charge move against the remaining enemy units as if the falling back unit was never there.