If an enemy unit is adjacent to a formation being given a move order, the controller of the enemy unit may give their unit a close combat order targeting the moving unit that costs no order points. Breakaway attacks are optional; a player can always decline to make a breakaway attack. When a player decides to make a breakaway attack, they give a close combat order to their unit that will target the unit given the move order. Breakaway attacks may not be made against sorties. After the breakaway attack is made, movement continues on as normal.
Breakaway attacks are made after the move order is given, but before the unit moves. Thus, the order points for the move order are already spent before the breakaway attack happens, and any movement icons on figures lost during the breakaway attack do not contribute to the unit’s movement points.
If multiple enemy units are adjacent to a unit being given a move order, each of the enemy units gets a breakaway attack. The owner of those units decides which order those attacks are made, but does not have to make every attack. They may attack with all, none, or some of their adjacent units. If multiple players control the adjacent enemy units, then the active player is the first to act, followed by the next player in the turn order, then the next player in the turn order, and so on through the turn order of players until each adjacent enemy unit has handled their breakaway attack. (Note that usually the active player will be the one attempting to move a unit, and thus will have no breakaway attack decision.)