Rage and being forced to attack

[Brother Tober]

Fellow Brethren,

 

the German translation of the Rage rules clearly state that a raging unit has to move towards the nearest visible enemy AND has to attack the nearest visible enemy in the close combat phase.

From other topics in this forum I got the impression that the original English rules are somewhat vague about the second point. Can someone clarify this?

 

Brother Tober

[OwlandMoonGuy]

There’s actually nothing vague about it. The mandatory attack isn’t there. It goes something like this:

 

In the Movement phase, units subject to rage must always move as fast as possible towards the closest visible enemy. In the Shooting phase, they are free to decide whether to run, but if they do they must run towards the closest visible enemy. In the Assault phase they must always consolidate towards the closest visible enemy. Whilst falling back, embarked on a transport, or if no enemy is visible, they ignore this rule.

And that’s it.

 

-OMG

[Brother Tober]

:D

 

They translated "...must always consolidate towards..." with the German equivalent of "...must always attack...".

 

 

++ Edited. Watch the language Brother Tober, use the [:)] emoticon. I. ++

[Khorneeq]

Brother Tober, don't be so angry.

This problem is also known in Polish translation of rules.

Use this anger to smite your foes :o

[drakkhenkc]

I have a related question...

..."units subject to rage must always move as fast as possible towards the closest visible enemy."

Does this mean the raging units can move past the nearest enemy?

Example, 5 Death Company with jump packs are 3" away from an enemy scout squad at the start of the movement phase. When they move, can they jump 12" over the scout squad to land 8" behind them and therefore not be forced to assault them?

[Race Bannon]

No?

 

Nearest enemy unit is exactly that - the nearest. If the enemy is 3" away then it doesn't matter what the DC are wearing they have to move closeR to the clesEST enemy unit. Rage is not designed to let you choose who that will be. That's the drawback.

 

And I agree with OMG, nothing says you have to assault the unit. I mean, if you are forced to move toward them then you might as well. :P

[drakkhenkc]

I totally agree with you, Race - the issue came up in a game where I used the scouts as a tar pit to keep the Death Co from engaging my back line. My expectation was that the Death Co would move up to 1" on all sides of the scouts, sparing me a turn. However my opponent argued that could move 12" over the scouts as long as he moved in a line that would bring him closer to the scouts; I suppose I could have argued that he ended up farther away than when he started. Regardless, I feel like he loop-holed the Rage mechanic unfairly.

[Descendant of Dante]

I like the idea of arming my DC with bolters so I can shoot units I would prefer not to have to assualt. Hopefully shredding them apart thus negating any affect rage may have.

[Zacharijah]

However my opponent argued that could move 12" over the scouts as long as he moved in a line that would bring him closer to the scouts;

Ending up further away from the closest unit surely is not "moving towards" it. ;) It goes against both the wording and the spirit of the rule, IMO. Blinded by rage, the death company jumps over the scouts and leaves them behind? :)

[chapter master 454]

if they have to charge the scouts, here's something that makes them EQUALLY closer and if you want to charge another unit. Most hide behind units so heres the idea: you just jump over them but you are still that infinite number away from the scouts but you are also in charge range of another unit you want, I have moved closer to them best I can but who says I can't work around it however if it's death company they wil easily shred the scouts then eat some lead for breakfast to keep their strength up then nail the tactical squads after tactical squads (because you only need lemartes and one or two other of the death company with power weapons to kill a tactical squad in one charge).

 

The rule does blow chunks but to be honest it's the most fluffy unit I've seen and fairly pointed too (they are the same points as vanguard but yet they are far better at the assault phase than them). I plan to use them regularly just because they will hammer whatever they touch! Rage is a bit of a problem but to be honest: you aim them at what you want dead and as long as they get their first movement in the general direction you want then you will normally get them to the fight you want (you first movement should see you up the table quite quickly and shooting enough at any skimmers to keep them discouraged from TBing to the range where you want them (because the whole idea is you lead me, where I am standing you will need to be closer than 18" to get my jump pack guys attention!).

 

On a note you can always use a formation like this to help aim them:

 

_T_

TDT

_T_

 

T meaning tank or some obstruction and D meaning the death company, roll the front tank away and viola, targets to run at (and if your opponent destroys the tank they just hop over it and you still get aimmed where you want!). You just intially aim them with it so the only thing they can see is the units opposite and this stops TBing units leading you around. Ether that or deep strike them, you opponent will have to move out of the 18" trouble bubble or he will get charged. They are fire and forget.

[G.M. Valens]

I like the idea of arming my DC with bolters so I can shoot units I would prefer not to have to assualt. Hopefully shredding them apart thus negating any affect rage may have.

 

I thought DC had relentless and thus this trick would not work because you can still assault.

 

On the other hand one trick that does work is to have one rapid fire weapons in the unit, say a bolter or a plasmagun (if they can take one) and shoot at a separate enemy squad that is outside assault range. By the rules of assaulting, you can only charge the unit your have shot at and not a different one, thus you would not have to charge the nearest unit. Rage only says you have to move and assault the closest. It does not say you cannot shoot something else.

 

Of course I guess and even easier way to get around the "must charge closest" would be to run the unit. It does not have fleet and thus can not charge if it runs. It still must run towards the nearest unit though so if that is behind the squad you'd end up losing ground.

[Frosty the Pyro]

Valens there is no "must charge the closest" part to rage in the english rulebook. Thats the crux of the whole thread. You just have to get as close as you can, so if you dont charge them they will be able to charge you.

[Spacefrisian]

On a note you can always use a formation like this to help aim them:

 

_T_

TDT

_T_

 

T meaning tank or some obstruction and D meaning the death company, roll the front tank away and viola, targets to run at (and if your opponent destroys the tank they just hop over it and you still get aimmed where you want!). You just intially aim them with it so the only thing they can see is the units opposite and this stops TBing units leading you around. Ether that or deep strike them, you opponent will have to move out of the 18" trouble bubble or he will get charged. They are fire and forget.

 

 

It could work if you had 4 tanks to sacrifice, as the enemy can move as well. Also its quite hard to miss Valkeries and Vendettas eg if they can see you from that model than youre own death co can do it as well meaning that they rage towards that one.

 

Old Berzerkers come to mind.

[G.M. Valens]

Valens there is no "must charge the closest" part to rage in the english rulebook. Thats the crux of the whole thread. You just have to get as close as you can, so if you dont charge them they will be able to charge you.

 

Oh I see now. Sorry I didn't read the rule closely enough. I was thinking it was a problem with the German translation not the English one. Thanks for pointing that out. Yeah that does seem to change how the game would play.