Threat zone

As I understand it, you must head towards the enemy generating the Threat Zone, if you move forward at all.

Page 9 paragraph 8, “Threat Zones” says:-
An element or group which is at least partly within or whose front edge enters an enemy TZ or touches its far edge can move only:
(a) to line up its front edge with one such enemy generating the TZ, or
(b) to advance into or towards contact with such an enemy (i.e. one such enemy) or
(c) if a single element, to move straight back to its own rear for the entire move.


The “Frequently Asked Questions” also has this to say:-

Moving into Contact with Enemy
Q: I have an element of Blade that starts its move in the threat zone of a Spear that is on the end of a line of three enemy Spear. My Blade is lined up with the opposing spear. As I move my Blade forward, can I do so at an angle to catch multiple enemy Spear elements in my Threat Zone? Is this move allowed?
A: No, you must stay lined up with Spear in front. Please reference diagram 7b for the proper ways to respond to a threat zone.

(A link to the “FAQ” is at the bottom of this post)


Some potentially useful player aids can be found here, including the latest June 2017 FAQ and the Quick Reference Sheets from the Society of Ancients:-
fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reference_sheets_and_epitomes

a) I do not think that you are required to do that. Only on contact you must line up. (NB, in many cases moving towards the unit whose TZ you are in will require you to also line up more or less).
b) Yes, but
d) also yes.
c) You can do that. It is the only movement allowed other than moving towards a unit whose TZ you are in.

You are allowed to move as a group, provided that the element(s) that are in a TZ move "into or towards contact" (as the rules say). I understand "into or twoards contact" to mean a movement at an angle that would end in contact if far enough. Or, phrased a bit easier: You are not allowed to just cross the fron of an enemy element whose TZ you are in.
Since the rules treat this as a different case from lining up, I would say that both is possible: You can either line up, or you can move into or towards contact.

A vexing question.

"(b) to advance into or towards contact with such an enemy" - so what does that mean? My best guess is that you can keep moving forward as long as you would eventually contact the TZ generator. But can you pivot to become less aligned as long as you would still eventually contact the TZ generator as long as you then again started moving straight? I don't allow this - I don't allow you to become less aligned. But I'm on thin textual ice here. (There is nothing in the text which prevents you from moving forward into another TZ and then changing the TZ that applies to this new TZ - but I don't allow that either.)

But I'm always interested in how players think this should be interpreted.

TomT

Answer to medieval thomas:
agree on the fact that if you already are in a TH you cannot move to be less aligned to the opposing front edge but...
when you are not already in TH, I do not see what is preventing you to come to fix 2 opposing TH in advancing forward without not be compliant with the rules???

Answer to Michael :
Agree with Stevie and 7b scheme you can choose between 2 TH if you are in so disagree with your point 1
Agree wiith point 2
Agree with point 3 but it is not the question
Agree with point 4 but a scheme would be clearer

thank you anyway for your answers, may be other inputs on this tricky case.

I think that Ronisan’s ‘magnetic’ analogy is an excellent way of describing the situation.

For what it’s worth, here is how I and my friends interpret the Threat Zone rules.
You can use a single element to approach and pin two enemy elements, but the moment you touch the far edges of a Threat Zone you have to make a decision:-
        a) halt when you touch the TZ and stay 1 BW from the two pinned opponents,
        b) or advance and end the move in contact with or be aligned and lined-up with one such enemy.
So either stay at the edge of the TZ and pin two elements, or advance deeper into the TZ and only pin one of them.
(As Ronald says, advancing deeper into the Threat Zone draws you magnetically towards one enemy front edge)

I also agree with medievalthomas about already being in a Threat Zone and entering another new Threat Zone.
Being in a Threat Zone should be a disadvantage, not an advantage.
It shouldn’t be that the more TZ’s you enter the more freedom you have to pick and choose who to attack.
So we strictly apply the “one such enemy” rule.
If you start in one TZ and advance, then you have chosen your “one such enemy”.
If during the advance you now enter a new TZ, you can’t decide to change your target, as that would be picking more than “one such enemy”.
(Think of the confusion caused by ordering cavalry to attack one enemy, then half way through the charge trying to suddenly issue new orders to swing the entire body in a different direction…the result would be chaos!)



Some potentially useful player aids can be found here, including the latest June 2017 FAQ and the Quick Reference Sheets from the Society of Ancients:-
fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reference_sheets_and_epitomes

Ah Ronald, but what you are describing is when an element starts its bound already within two Threat Zones.
And what you say is right…Spear ‘A’ in figure 7b can pick which to advance towards, but not both.
It couldn’t for example spend half its bound heading towards one enemy, then the other half towards the other.
That would be targeting two and not one such enemy generating a TZ in a single bound.

But I’m talking about starting in one TZ and then while advancing it enters another new TZ.

Indeed, the dialogue accompanying figure 7b says the following about Spear ‘B’:-
“The options for Spear B are to halt, to line-up with Blade Y (see FAQ), or to move straight back. If Spear A was to move towards or into contact with Blade X and leave sufficient space, Spear B can move straight towards and/or slide sideways to line-up or move into contact with Blade Y.”

Note that it does not say that Spear B can move towards Blade Y but when it enters the TZ of Blade X it can change its mind and go after Blade X instead.
It starts in the TZ of Blade Y…it can only target one such enemy generating a TZ…so Blade Y is it’s target.
To head towards Blade Y and then part way through its move change its target to Blade X is like Spear A spending half its bound heading towards one enemy, then the other half towards the other.
One such enemy…not two, not three, but one.

After all, what exactly is a Threat Zone?
Well, it’s DBA’s abstract way of simulating real life simultaneous movement.
It represents situations where you are so close to the enemy that your movements are restricted due to a nearby threat.
Basically, the enemy could charge you and catch you at a disadvantage if you just wandered blindly across the enemy’s front.

So consider this example:-

             Ps
           Sp

           Ax


Here the Auxilia starts in or has just entered the Threat Zone of the enemy Spear.
It can only pick one such enemy generating a TZ in a single bound, so the Spear should be it’s target.

Now some players think that as soon as the Ax advances into the TZ of the Ps, it can change its target and go for the Ps.
This would mean that it is targeting two such enemy generating a TZ in a single bound…1st the Spear, later the Psiloi.
It would also mean that the Spear just sits there picking it’s nose while the Ax wanders across it’s front.
So the Spear wasn’t much of a threat in the first place!

Now I ask you…which of these two outcomes seems the more realistic.
The first, where the danger of being charged by the Spear restricts the Auxilia move options?
Or the second, where the Spear just stands there doing nothing while the Auxilia exposes it’s left flank as it freely advances on the Psiloi?

I’ll let you decide…



Some potentially useful player aids can be found here, including the latest June 2017 FAQ and the Quick Reference Sheets from the Society of Ancients:-
fanaticus-dba.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Reference_sheets_and_epitomes