Art De La Guerre

[Three]

Is it allowed? Assuming the river is either rough or difficult, can you move along it at the appropriate rate?

I get the bit about crossing it at 90°, but I can't see anything that expressly prohibits moving along it.

[Ramses II]

I would say “no”.

Actually walking along a river, through water and on an unseen uneven surface, with hidden plunge pools and weeds, would be very difficult. 
Trying to do so while keeping in formation would be almost impossible. 

That is why troops try to get out of the river as soon as possible, and why the French did not think to include this prohibition. 

[Hazelbark]

It explicitly says you can only cross and if you cross its at a 90 degree angle.

There is no flowing with the river.

[Three]

Whilst I agree that that is the sensible way to read the "crossing a river at 90 degrees" section, my opponent, who unfortunately wasn't French, made the point that as long as you turn and exit at 90, thereby complying with that part, and move at the appropriate rate for the troop type (in this case Medium Swordsmen) there is nothing specific at all that says you can't.

I can't find the section that says you can "only cross" a river?

On pg64 where Terrain Description is discussed, it says to cross you must be at 90 degrees. Now as I said above, I agree that that should mean that a river can "only be crossed", but it doesn't actually say that. If the word "only" were inserted into the first bullet point, 3rd paragraph then that solves it, something like -

" A unit can only cross a river, and that must be at an angle of 90 degrees"

I know you can reduce this argument (it doesn't say you can't) to ridiculous levels, but in this case, again as I said above, it is difficult to argue with during a game.

Thoughts?

[Pebbo]

I don't have the rules in front of me but I think crossing means moving from one bank to the other. So moving along a river and then exiting at 90 degrees by turning or wheeling would not in my opinion come within the rule. Also if the rule allows for just one way to cross a river I think its pretty clear that other ways are by implication not allowed.

[fdunadan]

the first item of p64 is very very clear: only perpendicular mouvement is allowed in a river. Your opponent was obviously trying to cheat.
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Audentes fortuna iuvat.

[Three]

He was certainly chancing his arm, but I think that there is a certain mindset, perhaps a hangover from other rulesets, that expect everything to be explicitly forbidden and by default, if it isn't then It's allowed

The first section on pg 64, which I missed during the game and since, does look to point firmly to the act of crossing being the only action allowed.

Thanks for the replies.

[Hazelbark]