Optional Maneuver Clarification

Just want to make sure that when a combat card says: "Strike: Dodge, with an optional maneuver, that the maneuver is towards the next round of combat if it goes to the next round with a Press. Since you cannot change range during an additional strike it would have to go to the next round. Correct?

Not correct.

Every strike card with optional maneuver can be played during the maneuver segment. It mean your initial strike will have to be the card played.

If you are unable to play the chosen strike, then you will not strike this turn

You cannot play more than one strike on this matter (since you can only have one initial strike).

Thoses rules also apply to gun with optional maneuver.

For a card that gives a maneuver for the next round, look at Telepathic Tracking:

Telepathic Tracking
[Combat] Combat
[Auspex] Auspex
[1 Blood]
[aus] Press, only usable to continue combat. If another round of combat occurs, this vampire gets an optional maneuver during that round.

If something triggers next round, it is written on the card.

Ok, so during the determine range part, I could play a combat card that says strike: hand damage with an optional maneuver, and maneuver back to close range if my opponent made it long? Then I would be stuck with the hand strike even if my opponent played another Maneuver, and the range was set back to long? I’d be screwed then with the card I played? This was just an example.

If this is correct, then what is the use of the optional maneuver when the combat card has dodge per the example “Strike: Dodge, with an optional maneuver”?
If you use it to maneuver to long and your opponent has a close weapon, they could not attack and the dodge seems to defeat the purpose. Unless your opponent has a strike that cannot be prevented and you maneuver out of range, but don’t know if that works either. Just seeing how to use the card in question.

Trigger wrote:

Ok, so during the determine range part, I could play a combat card that says strike: hand damage with an optional maneuver, and maneuver back to close range if my opponent made it long? Then I would be stuck with the hand strike even if my opponent played another Maneuver, and the range was set back to long? I’d be screwed then with the card I played? This was just an example.

Yes.

Trigger wrote:

If this is correct, then what is the use of the optional maneuver when the combat card has dodge per the example “Strike: Dodge, with an optional maneuver”?

To be a long range, and avoid some card like Immortal Grapple or the damage from Groaning Corpse. Also, don't forget your dodge can be ignored by card like Sanguinary Wind.

Trigger wrote:

If you use it to maneuver to long and your opponent has a close weapon, they could not attack and the dodge seems to defeat the purpose. Unless your opponent has a strike that cannot be prevented and you maneuver out of range, but don’t know if that works either. Just seeing how to use the card in question.

In practice, 9 time out of 10 this will be useful to avoid your opponent being at close, playing Immortal Grapple, and preventing you from dodging.

Got it. Thanks a lot. Makes perfect sense now.