Thanks for digging out this Q&A, JR. I agree that the restriction should apply to both regular routing and Low Crawl. If so, however, there is clearly a problem with the RB.
In the RB, Routers (under the routing rules) are not absolutely denied the ability to move further from their destination. The Low Crawl Rules merely say that regular rout rules apply:
A10.52 ...All other Rout provisions apply unchanged to Low Crawl, e.g., rout must still be towards the nearest woods/building Location within 6 MF.
While it might
intend to limit Low Crawlers from moving further from their destination, it reads literally as saying that they must still select the nearest woods/building target location in an attempt to reach it
using the standard rout rules.
The Q&A seems to imply the opposite:
Q. (A10.51) If a DM broken unit that must rout is within six MF of the nearest woods/building, must it attempt to reach the woods/building in a single RtPh?
A. Yes, unless it uses Low Crawl, but it need not take the shortest route (in hexes/MF) to do so. Even if it uses Low Crawl, however, it must still do so toward that woods/building (i.e., at no time may it increase the hex range between itself and that woods/building, and must end that RtPh closer to it than it was at the start of the phase). [An92; An95w; An96; Mw]
If that last portion of A10.52 ("e.g. rout must still be towards...") was a second edition addition, then it was placed under the wrong section. It should have been one of the restrictions listed under A10.51. If the intention is that only Low Crawlers are so restricted, then it needs to be stated in the heart of paragraph A10.52, and not as an example of "other Rout provisions..."