In our current game I gave Jenkins a complex order (he accepted, after a one turn delay) that I'm wondering is legal. The order detached the cavalry including the two independent regiments. With this detachment their orders were to set up a HQ to the southeast of Lower Culp’s Hill (can’t remember exact hex, it’s on the order log) and serve as a screen for the CSA left. Additionally, from this position they were to raid any unescorted limbered artillery or supply wagons moving into support Union forces on Culp’s Hill (Upper & Lower). This assumed Jenkins would be within 8 MP’s of the HQ, and that the regiments would be within 6 MP’s of Jenkins.
Screening flanks would require a complex order to carry out (which you did), though listing which units to attack, and which NOT to by inference, might be a tad outside the bounds of the intent of the rules. It might well have been best to not include that portion of the order. The cavalry certainly could attack those such units and monitor heavier forces (thus providing intel on the opposition in the process) and remain within the constraints of the order. Granted, I agree with both you and Keith that cavalry should be given a bit more latitude to perform their historical tasks.
With the repositioning of the US 12th Corps the “raiding” option is no longer possible so the total extent of the order never came into play, only the screening is in effect.
Here, you may have answered your own question!
By specifying mutlple conditions; screen/attack and escorted/unescorted I built some float into the order. My thought process was screening and raiding were within the cavalry role.
Typically multple conditions are to be frowned on mainly for the reason that adding multiple options frees you from writing orders to do multiple tasks. Seeing as how the game system revolves around the order system, you always ask yourself if any particular order is allowing you to get around the acceptance process for something that might require a discrete order to perform. I think you could accomplish your wish for Jenkins by saying " screen the Army's left flank from >hex X<". By writing it as complex you allow them to attack if necessary to meet the conditions of the order, or, if written as a defensive order, you could order him to "defend the Army's left flank along the area of the Baltimore Pike from >X toY<". By setting up geographical limits, you'd allow yourself room for fighting withdrawals and counterattacks. Attacking, and the veracity of it, is completely up to you. If you feel your force is overmatched, you can certainly perform an Emergency retreat, though in this case, you'd leave the flank open...
Addiitonally, in comparing some of the orders listed in scenarios it isn't uncommon to specify two or more actions from a specified location.
At start scenario orders aren't the best model to use; they're more for nudging the scenario into historical directions than as hard examples of order writing. You can occasionally notice some of those orders would not be allowed under the body of the rules in some cases.
Sometimes, less is more. Depending on the type of order written, you can perform tasks without explicitly stating them and not get into trouble for it. For example, "screening" doesn't have to mean launching those valuable cavalry units into a pitched fight with regulars...unless you want or need to. Screening can just as easily mean "escorting" those wayward yankee wagons under your protective mercies away from the larger fight as it can observing a new infantry force filing into the line.
Bottom line, I think the order okay except for the wording. The intent just needed to be distilled a bit.
