Assault Phase

[Reece Thompson]

Can someone simplify the Assault Phase please. I read it in the rule book, but I still don't understand it.

[Legatus]

Try the assault phase summary on page 33 again. Does that help? Is there anything in particular you are not sure about?

[Reece Thompson]

Sweeping advances, fall backs, consolidation and pile ins.

 

I don't quite get them?

[Ming]

Fairly simple.

 

Your turn.

 

Assault phase starts.

 

1. Declare all assaults. Make your moves. ICs move first if possible. Every thing that can get in base contact does so.

 

2. Defender reacts by moving his unbased models in the assaulted units up to 6 inches in, adding to the base-to-base impacts.

 

3. Starting with highest initiative, roll attacks, wounds, saves, remove casualties at each step. Typical steps are I5, I4, I2, I1.

 

4. Winner is the side that caused the most unsaved wouunds or rolls on damage charts.

 

5. Loser takes a morale check, modified for difference in unsaved wounds/damage rolls caused.

 

6. If roll equals or is less than the leadership / morale value, then typically move to step 9.

 

7. If roll is greater than leadership/morale, unit is "broken" and must attempt to disengage. If winner's units are allowed, they may declare a sweeping advance. Before the loser disengages, another roll is made, typically d6 plus highest I. If loser's number is greater, the loser unit then moves as best as possible 2d6 towards deployment edge.

 

8. If loser loses and is swept - they may be entirely destroyed, or, take additional wounds (save-able) depending on armie's abilities (such as ATSSKF).

 

9. If at end of this the attacker and loser as still base to base, the attacker consolidates unbased models up to 6 inches into the defender, followed by unbased defender models consolidating. Assault continues between units next assault phase.

 

10. If loser was destroyed or swept, the winner if allowed makes a d6 consolidation move in any direction, so long as does not come within an inch of an enemy model.

[Reece Thompson]

Can you expand on the acronyms please....

 

IC's and ATSSKF's. What are they?

 

I5 I4 I2 I1, what are they?

[thade]

Not sure a full assault phase chapter summary is kosher here, but I'll answer your direct questions and let the mods worry about it.

 

Sweeping advances, fall backs, consolidation and pile ins.

 

I don't quite get them?

 

Sweeping Advance and Fall Backs:

 

Once I1 is complete (all of it's relevant wounds have been saved or taken, casualties removed), you'll have tallied up combat results (the difference between the net wounds you inflicted and the net wounds your opponent inflicted). Whoever did the fewest wounds lost the combat, and has to take Morale checks for each unit of his that was involved (ICs rejoin their former units for this), subtracting that difference from their respective Leaderships.

 

So, if you have a marine squad that just got it's butt kicked and is down by four wounds, but the Squad Sergeant is still alive (Ld 9), that squad has to take a moral check at Ld 9 - 4 = 5, meaning they have to roll 5 or less on 2d6 or they fail and try to flee.

 

If you pass, you stand your ground.

 

If you fail, and there are no other units that your opponent's units are still engaged with, they may perform a Sweeping Advance. When this happens, both of you roll a single d6 and add your unit's (I'm pretty sure highest) initiative value to the roll. Ties go to the winner of the combat. Typically if a unit is caught by a Sweeping Advance, it is destroyed, but Space Marines have their special rule And They Shall Know No Fear which forces them to auto-rally, stand their ground, and take No Retreat wounds instead of being destroyed.

 

If your unit is not caught by the Sweeping Advance, it makes a Fall Back move, per the Morale chapter in the BRB.

 

Consolidation:

 

After I1 if there are still combatants, both sides (winner first, I believe) each get to move each model in the combat that is not already in BtB with an enemy model up to 6" to get it into BtB with an enemy model (or within 2" of another model in it's unit that is in BtB, or into coherency with it's unit, or barring all of that, as far as possible towards coherency).

 

Pile-in is the same thing, really, only it happens right after the charge as a "Defenders React" action. Basically, you declare an assault, you charge in, moving your models first. Then the opponent "Pile's In" and moves his/her models up to 6" each in the same way.

 

You're going to need to read that Assault Chapter a few times. I did. Like, once or twice a day for a week. Then I got it. Mostly. I still come here for questions. =)

[BladeEncarmine]

Can you expand on the acronyms please....

 

IC's and ATSSKF's. What are they?

 

I5 I4 I2 I1, what are they?

 

Since I'm not sure if I'm allowed to try to help with the actual Assault Rules themselves, I'll just field the abbreviations questions.

 

IC = Independant Character

 

ATSKNF = And They Shall Know No Fear Special Rule used by all loyalist Marines save the Fearless ones (e.g. some Special Characters, Blood Angels Death Company, Grey Knights, etc.)

 

I# = Initative # (e.g. Marines are generally I4, Guardsmen I3, etc.). Higher numbers are better ;) . See the Characteristics section in the BRB (Big Rule Book) for more details.

 

As for the Assault Phase itself, Ming and thade have given you good summaries, but feel free to ask for clarification if you need it.

[Grey Mage]

Sweeping advances, fall backs, consolidation and pile ins.

 

I don't quite get them?

Sweeping advance- the side that won tries to catch the side that lost. D6+I are rolled and compared- higher is better.

 

Fall back- your scared, so your running away. You run 2d6" directly towards the long table edge you deployed from. You might rally later.

 

Consolidation- you won, your not frozen in stone though. Roll a d6 and move any of your guys up to that far to show them taking up better positions with wich to fight future enemies.

 

Pile ins- your guys are not backing down fromt his fight, and you cant make them. Move all your guys up to 6" towards the enemy so they can hit someone. If theyre already getting to maybe hit someone by being in base to base contact *BtB* they dont get to move again.

 

Simple?