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In FFG's A Game of Thrones boardgame, can routed units be supported?

In a recent game, one player (the aggressor) attacked another (the defender) but was defeated. His routed units had to retreat into the area they started from and were turned on their sides - exhausted.

The defender had a March order on the newly-victorious units, and used it to attack the routed units in their original area. But the aggressor had an adjacent supporting unit, and a third party did as well.

It seemed to me (I was neither the aggressor, the defender, nor the interested third party) that units have to be able to give battle in order to be supported.

But we couldn't find a rule that said specifically either way. We found rules that said that battles ensued when one player moved units into an area with another player's units already in it. We found rules that said that routed units have no combat strength and must be lost if they would be forced to retreat again while exhausted. But nothing specifically relating to whether an exhausted force can be supported and therefore have a combat strength.

3 Answers 3

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One of the players in the game in question just sent me this link: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/98106/supporting-routed-units

Routed units have no combat strength. They still count towards a player s Supply limit, but if a routed unit is forced to retreat again in the same game turn, it is automatically destroyed. Routed units may never be taken as casualties in battle. Routed units may not participate in a march, even if a March order token is resolved at their new location. After all March orders have been resolved for the turn, return all routed units to their normal upright position.

It seems that the accepted interpretation is that routed units may give battle (with a strength of zero) and may be supported.

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  • +1: the one time I played, all 6 players came to agreement that, by the wording of the rules, this is correct.
    – aramis
    Jun 7, 2011 at 0:07
  • Does that mean that house cards need to be used, regardless of whether the routed troops are being supported or not?
    – dwjohnston
    Dec 3, 2015 at 2:47
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Yes, routed troops can be supported. A battle against routed troops (who have zero combat strength) still follows all the regular rules of combat (including Calling for Support).

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To quote the rulebook:

  1. Yes, combat ensues normally:

    "Whenever a player marches one or more of his units into an area containing units from another House, combat ensues." on p17

    They are still units. And there is no rule telling you otherwise.

  2. But they provide 0 combat strength:

    "Routed units provide no Combat Strength, but still count towards a player’s supply limit." on p21

  3. And they can't retreat:

    "If a routed unit is forced to retreat, it is instead destroyed." on p21

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