[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by polydac

Hi,
Hoping someone could clarify the rules around stepping AFTER attack as part of a Wait maneuver. I'm particularly interested in the legality of using the step portion to move away from an advancing foe. As an example...fighters A and B have one hex between them. A has initiative and both have 1-hex reach weapons...

A1. Uses a Wait Maneuver (declares attack and step back if B advances)
B1 Uses Step and Attack...move into adjacent hex but....
A1 gets to attack before B can swing because of Wait. Player A attacks and then steps back out of reach of B. B can no longer attack and effectively loses remainder of turn
A2 Can step forward and attack B again (combat continues as normal from this point on...)

That looks correct if B declares Attack. Which mostly indicates that in that situation, B should probably declare something other than Attack.

Originally Posted by polydac

I remember reading another post (unfortunately I can't find link) that suggested making the step back equivalent to a retreat. As a result, B still gets his attack in the first turn since the exchange is almost simultaneous. Makes sense.

You could do that, but they're not all that simultaneous in other respects. B suffers any effects of A's attack before making his own (if he gets to make his own at all). He's got enough time to experience a shock penalty, or be physically stunned and fall over, or suffer more exotic consequences, any of which may hamper or prevent his own attack.

Originally Posted by polydac

But what happens if player A uses a Committed Attack (as part of the Wait maneuver) instead of a Step and Attack? Committed Attack does not allow a retreat so presumably this approach would no longer be valid???

I don't see any conflict between it and treating the step-away as a Retreat. They can't Retreat, but they're not trying to. They're just using the movement permitted by their Maneuver, and you're giving that movement effects similar to a Retreat.

You're already short-changing A by down-grading their preemptive step to a retreat. No reason to make it even worse.

Originally Posted by polydac

Also with Committed Attack, can player A take 2 steps away after attacking instead of just one?

Yes, though of course they have to decide that they're going to take two steps before they roll the attack, since taking the second imposes a penalty on the attack roll. The steps can be taken whenever you want with respect to the rest of the maneuver.