A fall back is a fighting withdrawal, not an out-and-out rout. Sometimes a fighting retreat in the face of overwhelming odds is the only option left. A withdrawal can give troops the chance to retire to a stronger position, to regroup and mount a fresh attack, or hold back the approaching enemy.

Units make a Fall Back move upon failing a Morale test, and in each subsequent Movement phase until the unit regroups or leaves the table.

Most units fall back 2D6". A unit falls back directly towards the closest point of the player's table edge or of the base line where the unit deployed/entered the table if it came on at a different place. Certain missions may also specify different rules regarding fall back direction. If possible the unit must remain coherent, with gaps of no more than 2" between models as they fall back.

A unit that falls back must move within a corridor lying between its most extended models as shown in the diagram on the left - but each model can move anywhere within this corridor, as you wish. If a unit is spread out such that its models are more than 2" apart, the models must be moved back into coherency as the unit moves. If the unit moves into, out of or through difficult terrain, the distance roiled on the dice is halved for a Fall Back move.

Troops who are falling back may continue to shoot, but are obviously moving.

A unit that is assaulted whilst falling back must check to regroup immediately (see Regrouping below), before any charging models are moved. No modifiers apply to the check in this case and even units which would not normally be allowed to regroup are allowed to make the check.

If successful, the unit regroups and will fight the close combat normally. If it fails to regroup then the unit is scattered and destroyed. Note that this rule applies if a unit consolidates into enemies falling back too.

Sometimes a unit will find its Fall Back corridor blocked by impassable terrain and/or models (ignoring enemy models that have fought in close combat against the unit this turn but including friends). A unit falling back may move around any obstruction in such a way as to gel back to their base line by the shortest route.

If a unit cannot perform a full Fall Back move in any direction, without doubling back, it is destroyed.

As noted in the Pinning rules. Morale checks are not taken by units which are pinned. However, it is possible that a Pinning test may be required of a unit already falling back. Take the test and apply its full effects if failed. To make matters worse, a unit may not regroup while pinned either, unless they are charged (see Assaulted While Falling Back). When the pinned unit has missed a turn it will revert to falling back again, no doubt fervently hoping to get out of the mess they're in.

Sometimes a unit will be almost entirely wiped out, with only a single member left. Such lone individuals must take a Leadership test at the start of each of their turns, li they pass they are filled with heroic fervour and continue to fight on single-handedly. If they fail, they suffer an outbreak of common sense and begin to fall back. Units that start the battle as a single model never have to take Last Man Standing tests as they're obviously used to fighting on their own.