Art De La Guerre

[Mike Bennett]

When an evade is blocked you can wheel to avoid it. If the obstruction is perpendicular to the evade either wheel would be equally 90 degrees. Can you freely choose which way?

Sometimes one direction would take you towards a further obstacle, but would be out of the line of the charge and so avoid any risk of being caught.

[SteveR]

We're getting a bit legalistic here I fear.

You question is valid, but the rules are silent on the choice as far as I know.

page 49 third bullet specifies that the wheel can be up to a maximum of 90 degrees while also being the minimum necessary to avoid the obstacle.

If it is exactly 90 degrees either way then I personally would default to evaders choice - there is nothing textual that seems to require the evader to look ahead for future problems in the choice.

Of course once they wheel 90 degrees they may not wheel any more after that

[Neep]

I would interpret (the errata that) you must move an evader as far as you can, to prevent choosing a direction that would stop you short. It does violate the "no look-ahead" model.

[SteveR]

That is a valid point - choosing a direction that makes you end up moving less is pretty gamey

[Ramses II]

Spot on Steve. When avoiding an obstacle, the initial choice of the direction is up to the evading player. 

[Zoltan]

The general principle remains: an evader MUST choose an evade route that endeavours to expend its full VMD. If there is a choice between 2 routes, the evader MUST chose the one that consumes the greatest amount if its VMD.

Accepting that there will be some situations where the evader is ‘trapped’ short (with an increased likelihood of being caught).

[Mike Bennett]