[larsdangly]

The 3d save vs falling was an important added wrinkle and I too am unsure why it was removed. It is present for shield bashes and push backs by large figures. I would guess either it was removed from forced retreats because SJ changed his mind about what they were supposed to represent, physically, or because he just didn't think it worth including as yet another line of rules in the final edited book. I'm o.k. with its removal; the only real problem it makes is now I need to remember that a forced retreat follows different rules from a push back.

This is an element of play that means little when two foes face off on an empty arena floor but can be critical when teams fight each other or there is terrain with which you can interact. I played a game this last saturday that included a 4 on 4 melee in a space with a half dozen large fire pits breaking up the space. The entire fight was mostly about movement, positioning, deciding when to risk a jump over a fire pit vs. when you should run around. The turning point in the battle was a turn where one figure on one side got to force a foe to retreat into a fire pit, he missed his DX save and in he went. This led immediately to a 2 on one situation that permitted a pole weapon charge from the rear (whatever that means to you as a euphemism, it's a bad situation in TFT!), which immediately led to a 3 on one situation that resulted in a blood bath, leaving a 4 on one situation against a stranded, ST-depleted magician - game over.