Rule clarification for LOS, retreat and Kevan's ability

By fulgeru99, in Battles of Westeros

I have 3 doubts about the following rules:

1. LOS for troops in forest
Can an archer shoot at a unit that's inside a forest or is the LOS lost?

2. Kevan Lannister ability
Can Kevan Lannister give 2 dices without being ordered? Ex: a unit adjacent to Kevan Lannister is ordered with an order token. Can it use the 2 dices from Kevan when attacking?

3. Retreat optional
Can the attacker choose if the defender must retreat or not when rolling flag results? If so, can the attacker choose for how many hexes to retreat assuming he rolled enough flag results?

Can you share you opinion please?

(1) Units can shoot into/out of woods at a reduced maximum. Woods block LOS through its hex not to it.

(2) Kevan Lannister must be ordered to use his ability, but does not have to be in a position to attack an enemy units. Just adjacent to an ordered unit that can attack.

(3) The rules state that the target unit must retreat 1 hex for each flag result rolled. The direction it retreats can seem strange in the original rules, but an optional rule can apply to retreat units directly away from its attacker, with the alternative hex being the next closer to its board edge. In my opinion this rule is better as it gives the option to 'herd' units towards/away from areas.

I hope this helps. Cheers!

And here is the official answer:

1. LOS for troops in forest
Can an archer shoot at a unit that's inside a forest or is the LOS lost?
Yes. The target hex does not affect LOS.

2. Kevan Lannister ability
Kevan must be ordered in conjunction with that unit.

3. Retreat optional
The attacker cannot choose. The only time I believe you can do this currently is if you are stalwart, you can choose to not ignore the retreat as normal which is the difference of one hex.

I have to disagree with the 3rd question response. In the rules on page 21 in section D it states:

“If the target was not eliminated when taking hits, the attacker determines whether his attack causes the target unit to retreat one hex for each flag result rolled”

Now we have played this as all or nothing. Either the attacker does not force the retreat or he chooses to enforce the retreat and the defending unit must retreat all the hexes for the retreat.

Not allowing the attacker to choose is very hurtful to the attacker since it could cause him to lose flanking attacks from other ordered units.

Mr Brightside. I believe that you have only used part of the retreat rule. 'Determining' if a unit retreats is just checking for 'Flags'. The next bit of the rule states the unit 'must' retreat 1 hex for each 'Flag' result. The only choice in the matter is a unit with 'Stalwart' which may choose to take a 1 Flag retreat for the 1 it may ignore. If it gets more than 1 Flag it must retreat as normal.

I believe the optional 'Coordinated Attacks' rule was added to help in the situation where the attacker may lose a chance to attack with another unit due to a retreat. You could look at it as 'retreating' is the defenders perogative. The attackers exert pressure, but if the unit falls back, the attackers don't hold on to their shirt tails to stop them retreating! Once a unit wants to retreat, nothing can stop it unless it is blocked. Then more hits. Cheers!