DBMM New Zealand : Questions about recoils and push backs - asked by Graham Starkey, 16 Febraury 2026

Rule Question.

The section on "Pushed-back Elements" says "Elements in combat or of a type that does not recoil cannot be pushed back".

What is "a type that does not recoil", I assume it is things like Art and Hd(O) (in a group).

My reading of this is that a rank of Bd with Hd(O) behind cannot recall.

Likewise two ranks of Bd in front of Art. If only one rank it could interpenetrate the Art.

Am I wrong?

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Vincent Cholewa

Admin

All-star contributor

Hi Graham, those are interesting questions. I agree that Hd(O) behind the Bd would stop the recoil but I don't think the Art stop a recoil.

My reading of the rule for interpenetrating Art is it is the Art that need to be one element deep. The Bd could be in two ranks. In which case, the second rank Bd would be pushed back through the Art and the front rank Bd would recoil and stop in front of the Art.

I don't recall this happening in a game I have played and am keen to hear what people have done and others' views.

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Barry Norris

p40 Recoiling Elements - "if land troops it pushes back any but Elephants, War Wagons, Baggage or naval". That's pretty clear and I think p41 just muddies the water. So the Bd do push back the horde but I think you are right about the artillery - unless they are facing in the same direction on a road. And of course that happen millions of times.

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Vincent Cholewa

Admin

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Barry Norris good point. P.40 would mean for Graham’s examples: 1, the Hd(O) are pushed back by the Bd; and 2, the second rank of Bd interpenetrates the Art.

Graham Starkey

Author

My reading is that Recoiling Elements and Pushed-Back Elements are different things. Elements fighting recoil, elements further back are pushed-back.

Vincent Cholewa

Admin

All-star contributor

Graham Starkey exactly

Barry Norris

True. Good point. But the rules seem to be the same since the pushed back elements are stopped by anything that "would prevent recoil". Interesting side question, since you are right that pushed back troops are not the same as the recoilers. What about two ranks of blade with an elephant behind? The front rank can start a recoil since in theory it can push back the blades. The pushed back rank immediately stops its push back because of the elephants? Does the front rank suffer the -1 for can't recoil? My read of the wording is they don't. BTW argh argh my head is exploding ...

Vincent Cholewa

Admin

All-star contributor

Barry Norris I agree, the wording is confusing. I read it that the second rank of Bd cannot be pushed back because the elephant prevents it. Then, the front rank Bd cannot recoil because it can neither pass through nor pushback the second rank.

Barry Norris

Ah but the front rank is not in contact on its rear edge with troops that would prevent a recoil - which is the wording of the -1 penalty. The troops that it is in contact with are but is this supposed to be transitive or are we assuming that the front isn't aware of the fact that further back something prevents the column from recoiling? You could read it either way since recoils are supposedly happening continuously during the combat. In reality how much compression do you need? If the front rank in my example had a few paces to fall back into then all would be fine. What if you had 4 ranks of pikes and an elephant? Surely the pikes would compress somewhat (equivalent to having a small gap behind the leading element). The answer is that there isn't an answer. The words strictly as written appear to imply that recoilers must be stopped directly along their rear edge or rear corner by something that itself directly blocks recoil. Argh argh my brain still hurts ...

Vincent Cholewa

Admin

All-star contributor

Barry Norris I know! I thought it was pretty straightforward until I read the wording of the recoil and pushed back sections. Then I saw different ways of interpreting it