(Answered) Leaving a Bridge Not Along Road

[Jackal]

I have a question about exiting bridges with mechs.


If you have have a mech standing on a bridge over water (let's say it runs north-south) and there is an adjacent clear hex, but which is NOT in the direction the bridge runs (so, let's say to the SE):

1) is the mech allowed to leave the bridge and move directly to the clear hex, even though it's not in the direction of the road?
2) must the mech pay some sort of additional cost (for example to climb down into the water and wade to shore)?

With certain vehicles the water would be considered illegal terrain, so they must clearly stay on the road.  But for a mech to exit the bridge, not following the bridge, you would think it would need to first climb down from the bridge and wade through the water (hexes are like 100 feet across, so it's around 50 feet from the bridge to the land).


Any guidance on this?

[Jackal]

Also it's worth asking if the reverse is allowed.  If the mech starts on the clear hex, and there is an adjacent bridge over water, but the bridge doesn't run in the direction of the clear hex, can the mech step directly onto the bridge?  Or must it enter the water and then climb up on the bridge?

[Jackal]

Last follow-up question.  Lets say the mech standing on the bridge has no armor on one of it's legs.  Is THIS mech allowed to leave the bridge hex in a different direction than the bridge?  (Consider that if has to step in the water on the way to the clear hex it's leg would flood.)

[Jackal]

Sorry I forgot the page number(s). 

Bridge Movement Rules (TW p. 62) says nothing about exiting bridges, and actually only explains maximum capacity of bridges and under bridge movement. 

Movement On Pavement (TW p. 61) says that units can enter and exit prohibited terrain when on a road (and a bridge is basically a road through prohibited terrain) and that units "must begin and end their movement through such terrain on the road."

Water is not a prohibited terrain for mechs, however, so it leaves this issue somewhat of an open question.


My personal feeling, is that units must follow the road or climb down into the water, because mechs are not tall enough to simply leap 15 meters/50 feet to the shore without stepping in the water. 

I need an official ruling on that subject, however, as I play in a tournament style environment that stresses strict interpretation of the rules...

[Xotl]

1. Yes.  There are rules for falling and descending more than one level at once.
2. Unless you're using jump jets, yes.
3. Not without the rules for climbing buildings.
4. Yes, it's allowed.  Yes, it's a very bad idea.

I would also add that WiGEs can do this freely.  It's actually a much less inherently terrible idea for them.