ESR Series 3 revises the five order Directives you know and love to make them easier to execute and clearer to understand, but it also adds a new, sixth order Directive: Withdraw [W].
Withdraw [W]
The Withdraw [W] Directive is entirely new and dependent on the new Threat mechanic. It can be intentionally issued or be the involuntary Conversion result of building Fatigue. It requires a Formation to move outside of the enemy’s Threat at which point the Formation will Convert to Defend [D].
Attack [A]
The Attack [A] Directive closely resembles its ESR Second Edition implementation but has been revised to respect the Regulating Unit mechanic of Movement and now requires the Formation to Threaten any enemy intervening between it and its Force’s Objective instead of being required to close to contact as in ESR Second Edition. The Attack [A] Directive also now has circumstantial Conversion options it previously did not.
Move [M]
The Move [M] Directive remains very similar to in ESR Second Edition, but now utilizes the Regulating Unit mechanic. When the Move [M] Directive is allowed/required to Convert to Defend [D] due to proximity to the enemy has been revised.
Defend [D]
Movement of the Units in a Formation functioning under a Defend [D] Directive has been heavily reworked to clarify legal movement by tethering the Regulating Unit to the Reformation Area.
Reserve [R]
The Reserve [R] Directive remains nearly unchanged from ESR Second Edition.
Support [S]
The Support [S] Directive is the most changed and expanded from ESR Second Edition. The changes include defining the proximity of its Regulating Unit to the Formation it is supporting, the specific parameters of its available Conversions, and how Support [S] functions when supporting Formations of a different parent Force.