elephant Recoil

Whichever way the second elephant is facing, they are both destroyed. (p11, third paragraph of the section headed "Recoiling or being pushed back").

I'm not part of the FAQ team and I'll leave them to speak for themselves.

My understanding is that if an element is exactly 1BW behind a recoiling elephant, which means that the elephant is just in contact at the end of the recoil, that element doesn't count as having been "met" for the purposes of the rules and so isn't destroyed even though it has, obviously, been contacted. If the gap is less than 1 BW, even just by a fraction of a millimetre, then the element is destroyed. This is what I think the part of the FAQ which you mention is dealing with

However, if the two elements are already in contact, then the one behind the elephant is destroyed if the elephant recoils. And if they are both elephants, both are destroyed.

My reading. Let's see what others make of it.

The question from Bluestone28 has a clear cut answer.

What if a recoiling elephant has the side of any other element (not elephant) in contact with its rear?
(as would happen if an elephant were to close the door withing a gap for instance)

I think that the FAQ covers this situation with:
"Q: If my Elephants receive a recoil result and aren’t “flanked” or “reared” do they meet and destroy all elements in their recoil path?
A: In most cases, yes. Elements in BUA and Camps are exceptions to this. Elements in these terrain features usually aren’t destroyed unless they are other Elephants"

But, there were complex debates before 3.0 was published, so do people now agree that the recoiling elephant would indeed destroy the element in side to rear contact?

Yes.  That seems very clear and doesn't make any exceptions - for example by saying "an element other than ....." 

But then the preceding sentence "A recoiling or pushed back element whose rear edge or rear corner meets....." doesn't specifically exclude recoiling elephants either.  So does a recoiling elephant (with a running start) squish any other elements it meets - as per the previous paragraph - or stop when it meets them?

When situations like this arise, I frequently resolve them by placing myself in an ancient warriors shoes
(or should that be sandals?). I also like to paraphrase or re-word the rules without changing their meaning
in order to make their intent clearer.

In this case, there seems to be two words missing from this conversation (and the rules)...
...and those two words are ‘penetration’ and ‘trample’.

So to me the meaning is as follows:-
　　El trample those penetrated (unless in a BUA or Camp) then continues to recoil [rule 12.4, clarified by the FAQ].
　　If a recoiling El penetrates another El, both are destroyed and recoiling ceases [rule 12.4, clarified by the FAQ].
　　If any troops prevent movement by fleeing El or SCh, both are destroyed [rule 12.8].

Thus, as the FAQ says:-
　　Flanked El do not recoil, they are destroyed instead before they even start to recoil...
　　Recoiling El that try to penetrate other elements trample and destroys them...
　　Meeting/touching/contacting is not enough, they have to actually penetrate those met to trample them...
　　Cities, Forts and Camps are obstacles that halt recoils, so no penetration...
　　El can recoil into Hamlets and Edifices, but those inside are just pushed-back or block as normal...
　　Facing doesn’t matter...penetrate is penetrate, no matter if it’s the front, flank, rear or corner.
Oh, and if a recoiling or fleeing El penetrates another El, both are destroyed and the recoil or flight ceases.
(The panicked trumpeting and the calls of distress frightens the other elephants, and their instincts take over)

I find that thinking in this way makes things much easier to understand and remember.

See if this makes things clearer.

An elephant behind another elephant doesn’t have to be touching those in front to be ‘destroyed’.
There could be a gap of less than 1 BW between them.
It doesn’t matter...an elephant that recoils will move 1 BW straight backwards, no matter what.
And anything it encounters will be penetrated (unless in BUA or Camp) and trampled...
...or, if it penetrates another elephant, both will be stampeded and classed as ‘destroyed’.

You see, the Recoiling rules on page 12 say:-
    “Elephants [12.4]: If the recoiling element is Elephants, all friends or enemy met (i.e. ‘penetrated’) not in a BUA or camp are destroyed.
     Surviving elephants [12.4]: Surviving elephants finish their recoil.
     Halting [12.5]: A recoiling or pushed back element whose rear-edge or rear-corner meets terrain it cannot enter, a battlefield edge,
     friends it cannot pass through or push-back, an enemy, or a city, fort or camp, (or a city gate) ends its move there (see figure 19b).
     Recoil destruction [12.5]: An element already in such contact with any of these cannot recoil and is destroyed instead (see figure 20f).”

Recoiling elephants ALWAYS penetrate those they meet, no matter who they are, unless they are in a BUA or Camp.
So only a recoiling elephant that already has its rear already in contact with a Waterway, a battlefield edge,
a City, Fort, or Camp, will be destroyed...
...recoiling elephants don’t try to pass though or push-back other elements, they trample them! (or stampede other elephants).
And once trampled and destroyed, the elephant has nothing to impede its recoil, so it survives, as rule 12.4 says.

Well, I can only repeat what the rules say...


Think of it this way:-
　　Normal troops recoil, either ½ a BW, or a base depth, or 1 BW, if they can...
　　Elephants don’t ‘recoil’ as such, they penetrate and trample for 1 BW, no matter what...
　　(i.e. “all friends or enemy met (i.e. ‘penetrated’) not in a BUA or camp are destroyed”).

And if this trampling destruction happens instantly to troops already in contact with the rear
of the elephants, before the recoil even begins, what is there left to impede the elephant recoil?
Otherwise, what does “Surviving elephants finish their recoil” mean?

In other words, recoiling El can pass through anyone...but if they do they will trample and destroy them.
They are only destroyed if they have to recoil and cannot 'pass though' or penetrate an obstacle they are
already in contact with, such as a Waterway, a battlefield edge, a City, Fort, or Camp [rule 12.5].