(Research) CCSW: Pursuit track: Defender wins before attacker deploys

[Bison AIs]

In the pursuit track the defender must cross the field longwise. The defender (the player fleeing) consists of up to 75% of their total force. The playing field is one map for every full lance the defender fields, defender's choice. The attacker follows the defender onto the field three turns after the defender enters.

It appears that if the defender has at least one unit in their force that can run at least 6, they can field just that one unit for this track, place one map, and cover the 17 hexes by round three, winning the match before the attacker enters. Is this right?

(It also seems to be the case with a less cheapskate full lance deployment, so long as each unit can muster 6r and the defender picks a relatively open playing field.)

Obviously the track costs mean it'll still bleed both players, and the defending player has the strategic option to try and hold the field, but I can't imagine the track was designed to be effectively optional in many cases, so I assume I'm missing something...

[Bison AIs]

Update:

I misread!

The fleeing force does not determine the maps, the pursing force does.

However, it is incumbent on the pursing force to field more than one lance in order to drop more than one map. Though that creates a meta pressure to maintain a large enough force to have a chance for the match. (I'll take this kind of dynamic as a net positive given that the existence of these pressures is why players are playing linked scenarios in the first place.)

That said, if players are using contemporary maps — opposed to old niche stuff like 'large lake' and 'river delta' — it seems a fleeing player could likely scrounge a single moderately agile 6/9/6 scout to field and get away without a practical fight, even if there were more than one map. Moreover, given that the only objective option is to turn and route the opponent, there's a good incentive to just field the speediest single unit on hand.