Dippy toes or splashy-splashy at rivers?

As I see it the key elements on page 6 and page 9 (without re-typing them here) basically say you only find out any restrictions when you first attempt to cross the river, i.e. you must be trying to move into it.

Personally Ian I don't think it's an either/or situation but both. That is, I think your Ps can move from say 1BW away to the river then test to cross. If it's paltry they move through the river, say 1BW then have another 1BW to move on the opposite side. However if they test and it's not paltry, to continue crossing they'd have to stop as movement is 1BW max during that move (see last point in Tactical Move Distances on page 9) and they've already moved that. If they'd only moved 1/2 a BW and it was non paltry then they could move the remaining 1/2BW in the river.

Similarly you could attempt to cross a river with a group and if it's paltry that's fine. If it's a 5/6 river then you'd have to stop and then cross as single elements but could continue to do that in the same turn if you had the move and PIPs.

Another question though.
As you are only attempting to cross I presume that when you find out the state of the river you can change you mind and not continue crossing.
So your Ps moves 1BW to the river and tests. Finds the river is 5/6 decides not to cross and so moves the remaining 2BW away on the same bank?


(I thought it was strange Stevie hadn't answered this, but he got his answer in during the time it took me to write the reply above!)
(Nice to see he'd already answered my question without him even knowing I'd posed it!!!!)

Ah good point.

Don't know, what do others think?

If you moved say a group of 3Ax 1/2BW to a river and threw a 5 or 6, could you:
a) continue to move one Ax for the remaining 1/2BW and use 2 more PIPs to move the other two their 1/2BW as well or
b) Just move one of the three forward or
c) Stop because the original move was a group move and you can't now split down into single element moves? or how about
d) Move one element forward and form column with one other following behind? (Presumably not though as it's part way through the move.)

I'd say you probably would have to stop unless you could double move.

Would you take more of a risk if not crossing meant you were wiped out by an advancing force or you were too late to come to the aid of the other part of the army.
I wouldn't try to cross one by sending everyone in but may push it if it seemed a little too high to be absolutely safe.

Sure, you can still march an entire group up to a river without knowing what state it is in.
But I refuse to believe that brilliant generals such as Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, and many
others never thought of checking a river’s depth before drawing up their battle plans...
...and that George Armstrong Custer was the only soldier in history that had the sense to check first.

In this particular instance (and leaving aside his later military career!), I’d rather be a Custer than a McCellan.