assaulting multiple units

[Demoulius]

hello brothers,

 

i always see peopel talking about assaulting several units at once with 1 unit. how does it work? ive read the entry in the BBB but i cant seem to find it...

[thade]

Page 34 in the base rulebook explains how, but I'll nutshell it for you. Recall that you need to follow the basic assault rules as you do this...which are

- Closest model to closest model first. Note that if you have an IC in the unit and he can close the distance, he MUST move first so that he can make it into base contact (meaning often he's the one moving against the target unit first).

- Each model can move up to 6", and must try to get into base contact with someone in an enemy unit..it does NOT have to be someone in the unit that you declared the assault against. (See page 34, top right.) Only the first model you move MUST make base contact with the unit you declared the assault against.

- If you can't move a model into base contact by moving them 6", you have to move them to within 2" of a model in your unit that IS in base contact. You can put them within 2" of models in contact with any unit you're assaulting and choose where their attacks go (or split them).

- If you can't get a model within 2" of a model that's in base contact, keep it in unit coherency. (Odds are, the Defenders react move will put them in a position that they can still contribute to the fight.

 

If you fan your assaulting unit out during the movement phase, you'll be able to assault two (or in rare cases more) neighboring units that are close enough to each other. =)

 

Hope this helps!

 

EDIT: Let me add that you should be a bit cautious in doing this. If you think half your squad or less can take a unit on it's own...that's when I do this. For instance, my MotF took down an entire unit of Fire Warriors while the two other surviving members of my vanguard took out another adjacent squad. I was right in front of one, so I shot at and charged the further one...and in doing so, the MotF charged it, and the other two models stayed in coherency but made base contact with the closer target unit. MotF killed four guys, took no wounds; they failed their check and ran off the table. Second unit broke and ran, and a Sweeping Advance destroyed them.

[thade]

A few other reasons to assault more than one unit at a time if you can:

- Ties up two units in CC, keeping them from moving in their turn (provided they don't break you...and you are a marine, so odds are in your favor they won't).

- Prevents units from getting the charge on your engaged unit and getting the +1 attack; also protects you from Furious Charge if you're assaulting orks or the like.

- When your melee unit is in an assault, it can't get shot at. The bigger an assault it's in, the more likely it'll stay in an assault for a turn or two.

 

Remember that you can choose to fail morale checks, so if on your opponent's assault phase you lose the assault, you can choose to fail and run. This is risky...as if your Fallback move is not enough, their consolidate move can put them in a position such that they are within 1" and you won't be able to Auto-regroup. (Jump pack troups are very good at this with their 3d6...and in general, average consolidate is 3-4" and average Fallback is 7", so you should be fine most of the time.) Then on your turn you can reassault in and get the bonuses all over again...or just hose them with fire power. (You have been moving your support fire units around while this assault was taking place, yes? :)

[Grey Mage]

It should also be noted that many players, especially of Horde Armies tend to have their units very very close together- if you declare an assault against a unit whose closest member is near the edge of another unit its quite possible for a large model like a Dreadnaught to charge two units all by itself. This can be the ultimate tarpit maneuver.... 64 gaunts out of the game and preserving your KPs.

[Interrogator Stobz]

Grey Mage, my gaming group allows the first model to engage only one unit not two as you suggest, are we playing wrong? My BBoR is at home atm.

 

S

[Grey Mage]

If his base is touching two units, and the model hes touching from the unit he declared assault on is the closest model from his starting position it is perfectly legal to assault two units at once.

 

Its just most models bases arent large enough to pull this off except in very odd circumstances, like criss-crossing ork formations. Thus, Dreadnaughts tend to be the ones to do it in a SM army, but most monstrous creatures could, as well as bloodcrushers and beasts of nurgle.

[Toshiro]

I would like to point out, that independent characters attached to unit have to move first only when reacting to enemy assault and during “pile in” move (you don't have to move him first when you assault, independent character can stay out of combat in this case completely, if you want and move attached unit accordingly). (BRB page 49)

 

I believe that you cannot regroup when enemy unit is within 6” (BRB page 46), so deciding to fail morale check after lost combat for footsloggers is not very good option, because consolidation move of the enemy will catch you within 6" most of the time.

 

Assaulting two units at the same time with one single model is possible, but not very likely to happen, because you have to move the shortest way, when assaulting. (BRB page 34)

[thade]

I would like to point out, that independent characters attached to unit have to move first only when reacting to enemy assault and during “pile in” move (you don't have to move him first when you assault, independent character can stay out of combat in this case completely, if you want and move attached unit accordingly). (BRB page 49)

 

I believe that you cannot regroup when enemy unit is within 6” (BRB page 46), so deciding to fail morale check after lost combat for footsloggers is not very good option, because consolidation move of the enemy will catch you within 6" most of the time.

 

Assaulting two units at the same time with one single model is possible, but not very likely to happen, because you have to move the shortest way, when assaulting. (BRB page 34)

 

Thank you for pointing out the specific IC rule; that makes my assaults a lot easier. =)

 

It's true that it's a big risk retreating, 2d6 vs 1d6 is not the best odds. Still, if my turn is next, and they're not going to run off of the table, and it gives me golden window to hit that unit with ranged fire power, I would probably still do it.

[avatar8481]

I love multi-assault. We had a long discussion at my LGS yesterday about this, and the issue turned on whether or not the assaulting squad had to get as many models into base to base with the target squad before allowing multi-assault, only one model in base to base, or only models in unique base-to-base.

 

We settled on, as is described above, first model must hit the target squad, any other model can hit any other model as long as they stay in coherency.

[Frosty the Pyro]

Page 34 in the base rulebook explains how, but I'll nutshell it for you. Recall that you need to follow the basic assault rules as you do this...which are

- Closest model to closest model first.

- Each model can move up to 6", and must try to get into base contact with someone in an enemy unit..it does NOT have to be someone in the unit that you declared the assault against. (See page 34, top right.) Only the first model you move MUST make base contact with the unit you declared the assault against.

- If you can't move a model into base contact by moving them 6", you have to move them to within 2" of a model in your unit that IS in base contact. You can put them within 2" of models in contact with any unit you're assaulting and choose where their attacks go (or split them).

- If you can't get a model within 2" of a model that's in base contact, keep it in unit coherency. (Odds are, the Defenders react move will put them in a position that they can still contribute to the fight.

 

It should also be noted that just like a regulare move, every model after the first must maintain coherency with at least one model that has already moved.

[thade]

Page 34 in the base rulebook explains how, but I'll nutshell it for you. Recall that you need to follow the basic assault rules as you do this...which are

- Closest model to closest model first.

- Each model can move up to 6", and must try to get into base contact with someone in an enemy unit..it does NOT have to be someone in the unit that you declared the assault against. (See page 34, top right.) Only the first model you move MUST make base contact with the unit you declared the assault against.

- If you can't move a model into base contact by moving them 6", you have to move them to within 2" of a model in your unit that IS in base contact. You can put them within 2" of models in contact with any unit you're assaulting and choose where their attacks go (or split them).

- If you can't get a model within 2" of a model that's in base contact, keep it in unit coherency. (Odds are, the Defenders react move will put them in a position that they can still contribute to the fight.

 

It should also be noted that just like a regulare move, every model after the first must maintain coherency with at least one model that has already moved.

 

Yeah, that is something I should've mentioned; ty for pointing it out. This isn't all that restrictive; it mostly forces an order on how you move your models for the assault.