The game assumes that characters may learn strategic maneuvers, various practiced team actions in which characters work together to achieve a defined goal. It is not reasonable that all characters are equally able to learn these, nor is it fair that any character should have unlimited ability at this. Thus, these rules have been adopted to define how many maneuvers a character can know.
The character may know a base number of maneuvers as appearing on this chart:
Fighter classes other than Barbarians are bonused +1 maneuver per level. Cavalier classes are bonused +2 maneuvers per level.
A learned strategic maneuver is any formation or procedure which the character can because of practice move into immediately upon a single command word or phrase. Some obvious examples include: Double File Rank (for exploration); Single File Rank; Infantry Advance Formation; Cavalry Advance Formation; Wide Field Missile Formation; Narrow Field Missile Formation; Break to Teams; Break to Squads. Movement to a known formation requires a number of segments dependent upon complexity; movement to an unknown formation requires the same number of rounds.
Known strategic maneuvers must be maintained by weekly practice sessions; new maneuvers may be added at such all-day sessions in quantities up to half the additional number of maneuvers which can be known, or at least one. (Thus a character with Intelligence 10 may learn 10 maneuvers on the first day, five on the next, two on the third day, and one on each of three succeeding days to a total of twenty.) New maneuvers may be learned at the same time as old ones are reviewed.
Known formations may be altered or permanently replaced by new ones in the same way as new ones are learned. In a known formation, a character knows exactly where he and everyone else should be. It will be assumed that known maneuvers are always executed properly by all characters, except where morale or injury are critical factors or the maneuver is impossible under the conditions. Any character who knows a particular maneuver may take the place of any other character.
It is assumed that the total maneuvers a character knows will include all formations and attack plans of the group and of each sub-group to which he belongs. Maneuvers will be ordered by the current recognized leader. Orders by another constitute full surprise, to be dealt with at three segment penalty modified by reaction. A character does not need to know a formation merely to get out of the way; nor is it necessary to have "formations" for obvious commands with no specific order attached, such as retreat, charge, fire missiles, go to melee, except when it is intended that characters will act cooperatively. Any two characters may establish teamwork operations.
Mundane special procedures, such as those involved in setting or breaking camp, may be taught separately without involving the special maneuvers rules.
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