Patrol

Patrolling is an Action that can be performed by Formations. This action puts the Formation in a permanent patrolling state until a different order is given to it. While the patrolling is active, the formation monitors adjacent territories and auto-intervene against enemies in range if the conditions are met.

## Starting a patrol

The patrolling action can only be started in settled territories that are not sub-territories (so neither on territorial claims nor countrysides) and costs 50 AP to initiate.

Once a formation is in patrolling state, it will appear as walking circles within its territory in the world map, visually confirming that the patrol is now active.

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A formation in patrolling state does not recover any AP!

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## Patrol range

Once a formation is patrolling, it monitors adjacent territories within it's range. The range is of 1 tile by default, and 2 for formations with a base movement cost equal or below 4 (usually formations of mounted units). Within this range, territories included in the Patrol depend of their ownership.

Included in the patrol:

* territories owned by the State of the patrolling formation
* territories of other States with right of passage
* territories occupied by the State of the patrolling formation

Excluded from the patrol:

* neutral unowned territories
* enemy territories
* territories of other States with no right of passage
* territories occupied by a foreign enemy State

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The tiles included in the Patrol's range will highlight when the patrolling formation is selected in the world map, making it clear in which territories it may intervene in.

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## Patrol options

When a patrol action is ordered, 2 options must be chosen:

### Enemy strength threshold

The patrol will only intervene against enemies whose military strength score is lower or equal to the input value. By default, the value set is the same as the patrol's own military strength score.

### Intervention condition

* enemy in range: will intervene as soon as an enemy (within the strength threshold) enters a territory covered by the patrol.
* enemy attacks: will only intervene against an enemy (within the strength threshold) involved in a battle on a territory covered by the patrol. This will apply no matter who starts the battle.

## Patrol intervention

A patrol considers as an enemy:

* any formation belonging to hostile NPCs (Barbarians, Rebels...)
* any formation belonging to a State at war with the patrol's State.
* any illegally trespassing formation violating right of passage of the patrol's State.

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Patrols consider trespassing formations violating right of passage as enemies and will therefore auto-engage them in the same way. However they will not engage formations trespassing on neighbors or allies.

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When a patrol intervenes, it is teleported in the territory immediately at no AP cost. After the battle, the formation is teleported back to its base at no AP cost either, and the patrol resumes.

In battle, the patrol deploys on the map's edge and will actively engage any enemy as if it had been given the Battle action. If an enemy baits a patrol into battle and then sends reinforcements resulting in a total exceeding the threshold value, the patrol will attempt to withdraw from the battle.

## Base is attacked

If the patrol's "base" (the actual territory where the patrol action was started) is attacked, the patrol will act like a regular idle formation: it will defend normally and the strength threshold of the Patrol action will not be active (the formation will not withdraw if it is exceeded).

If the base is attacked while the patrol is intervening in another territory, upon returning to its base the patrol will enter any ongoing battle and deploy from the map's edge as if it had executed a normal movement. It will not cost the patrol any AP to enter the ongoing battle.