Movement Cost

Tooltip box for a Spearfighter, showing default movement value of 14.

Each military unit in FoE has an assigned movement value, which enables the unit to move a certain distance on the battlefield map. Different types of terrain on the map, however, are easier or more difficult for a unit to cross, with easier-to-cross terrain given lower movement costs, and harder-to-cross terrain given higher movement costs.

Tooltip box in a Postmodern Era battlefield, showing a trench hex with a movement cost of 6.

When it is one of your unit's turn to move, a series of hexes will be highlighted green if your unit is able to move to that hex in the current turn. As a unit moves onto (not off of) a hex of a particular terrain type, the movement cost (summarized in the Movement Table, below) of that terrain is deducted from the unit's movement value. If the movement cost of the terrain exceeds the remaining movement value of the unit, the unit will not be able to move onto that hex, and that hex will not be highlighted. The unit's default movement value will be restored in that unit's next turn. It is important to note that certain types of military units cannot move onto specific types of terrain, regardless of the movement value remaining. For example, no unit can pass through water terrain. Both fast units and artillery units cannot pass through rock terrain. Furthermore artillery units can't pass through swamp.

In the image below, an MG Team with a default movement value of 14 is able to move to a bush tile, passing through three plains tiles. In the Postmodern Era, each plains tile has a movement cost of 3, and a bush tile has a movement cost of 4.5, thus requiring a total movement cost of 3 x 3 + 4.5 = 13.5 to make the unit move to the desired hex. Any hex the unit can move to is highlighted in green, with the path that the unit will take to reach the desired hex indicated by the red arrow. Hexes shaded in red around the desired hex represent hexes that can be attacked by your unit if moved to the desired hex.

Postmodern Era battlefield, showing an MG Team moving three plains hexes and one bush hex. Note the hexes highlighted in green or shaded in red.

Movement Table

In the Progressive Era, movement costs increase by 50%, as map scaling is increased to 1.5. In addition trenches, entrenchments, barbed wire and broken ground make their first appearance in the Progressive Era. NOTE: Flying units can move onto any hex tiles that units of that type cannot ordinarily travel. For example, attack helicopters are fast units that can move onto rock tiles.

Terrain	Movement Cost Pre-PE (PE onwards)	Light	Ranged	Fast	Heavy	Artillery
Plain	2 (3)	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Bush	3 (4.5)	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Forest	3 (4.5)	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Hills	4 (6)	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Rock	4 (6)	yes	yes	-	yes	-
Swamp	6 (9)	yes	yes	yes	yes	-
Trench	(6)	yes	yes	-		-
Entrenchment	(6)	yes	yes
Barbed Wire	(7.5)	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Broken Ground	(6)	yes	yes
Lake	(3)	Can't be passed unless Flying
Rubble	(9)
House	(9)