I wanted to ensure that I was clear about a few areas of the rules before the convention next Friday (get it straight from the horse's mouth so as not to look like the other end...)

1) Regarding terrain, my understanding is that nobody gets the charge die bonus for combat, but do get the movement bonus, for charging either uphill, in light or dense delaying terrain, or across obstacles.

[This is correct. Though the actual distance charged may be shorter or longer, due to the vagaries of the movement dice, there is no way I can reconcile an attacker receiving any 'impetus' bonus when charging uphill or thrashing through broken terrain. Through my experiences with reenactment groups, there is no way to maintain charge impetus when stumbling uphill or over rocks, etc. If lucky, the attacker will arrive undisordered as he pushes into close combat with the target of his charge, but certainly should receive no bonuses.]

2) Does SI (Skirmish Infantry) still have to retire when charged by any but SI in terrain or defending obstacles? [Yes, they were not trained to stand up to charging closer ordered enemy, no matter what the tactical circumstances.] Are SI still prohibited from charging any but SI in terrain?

[Yes, unless they can charge onto an enemy flank or rear.] Also, touching on terrain and missile fire, what is the definition of cover? [ a stand must be entirely within the cover to take advantage of it (in woods or behind an obstacle that blocks an enemy's clear view such as walls, hedges, wagons and houses.]

3) Pursuit: The rules discuss pursuit and pursuit moves but I can't quite make out how this is to be implemented. How far is a pursuitmove?

[It is the same as a Rout or Retire move, see the Movement Table.]

Does it differ depending on whether the unit it was opposing was defeated by a charge or in later melee?

[No.]

Can a unit conducting a pursuit move wheel to contact another unit, or only to pursue the unit it has beaten? I am probably missing something simple or fundamental here, but I need clarification.

[It must pursue the beaten enemy unit and can wheel to accomplish this.

Let me clarify the Pursuit Move.

Pursuits: All units whose close combat opponents either Rout or Retire

A. The unit they were pursuing outruns them and there is another enemy unit directly in the path of the Pursuers. If they run into the new enemy unit, fight again immediately, counting as pursuing, but not charging (there is no charge die roll combat bonus). The new enemy perceives itself as being charged, however, and must take any appropriate morale tests and/or charge response moves allowed.

B. The enemy unit they are pursuing is totally destroyed by a further morale failure or leaves the table and is removed from the game. The pursuing unit takes its required pursuit move only if Frenzied and may hit any new enemy as above or leave the table themselves. Non-frenzied pursuers do not move and receive a Recover marker. Next turn they may face 180 degrees or remain in place with no further movement. If they make any other movement, replace the Recover marker with a Disorder marker.

4) Disorder levels.... Are all types of morale results strictly cumulative?

[Yes.]

For example, if a unit becomes disordered by failing a being charged morale test and then either loses the melee or loses a stand and receives a disorder result on the morale table does it become Fragmented, or just disordered?

[It is now Fragmented.]

What if the unit, which had just become disordered had received a Retire, Fragmented result on the morale table? Would it now be routed? or just Fragmented?

[Routed.]

I guess what it comes down to is, is there a difference between going TO a specific level of disorder and taking a specific number of "steps on the ladder of disorder levels"?

[Disorders are all cumulative. If you go to a Fragmented state initially (two Disorder markers) and then receive a further Disorder result, you now have three Disorder markers and are Routed. If a Routing unit receives another Disorder marker (how much worse can it get?) the unit is immediately removed from the game. It is certainly possible to receive three Disorder markers in a single turn. The rules reflect the very real problems of unit cohesision which plagued all Medieval commanders when attempting to keep their armies in some semblence of order. The value of giving units Recover orders cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, this often results in the general having to make a decision on whether to order a necessary attack, or having to try to recover a unit's order before it runs away. Quite a dilemma, and very important to the reality of warfare in the Medieval period.]

That's it for this issue, send in your rules queries and I will attempt to satisfactorilly answer them for you.

Other Medieval Warfare Rules Questions and Answers (Saga #63)