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A unit declares a charge against a unit which is behind (not in) difficult terrain. The closest model is in assault range by moving around the terrain without a test. The rest of the models can only get in BtB with the target through the difficult terrain. Do they make the difficult terrain test, and if they don't roll high enough does the charge fail or do they move within 2" of the initial charge model? If they don't go through the terrain does the entire unit strike at initiative 1 because they made a roll even though they didn't pass through difficult terrain?

Part 2: Same as above but a multi charge. The first model is in range to target A without a test, other models reach target B in the open. However a model does not have the movement to get to BtB with target B, but is in range with target A if it moves through the difficult terrain. Does it roll or get within 2", where does it go if it fails and does the entire unit strike at I1?

The way it is typically played is that if the first model does not take a difficult terrain test, no models may move through difficult terrain. If you want to move through the terrain, roll before you move the first model.

Note that the first model has to move via the shortest distance - you can't run around a barricade to assault a unit.

There have been multiple debates about this.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/260781.page

The assault rules state that if ANY of the models assaulting move through cover, then the whole unit has to test (and could consequently fail).




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Solkan summarizes the two positions very well on the third page of that thread, and links to two PREVIOUS threads arguing it.

Before this goes any further, it may be useful to note the previous two threads about assaulting into difficult terrain, and where those threads ended up.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/244474.page "How do you play it: assaulting a unit partially in cover", and
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/205011.page "Assaulting through difficult terrain, or not!".

There's one camp which says that after the assault has been declared, before the first model has moved the assaulting player may have a choice whether or not to make a difficult terrain test if the first model doesn't have to move through difficult terrain. If no difficult terrain test is made, then the unit cannot move through difficult terrain for that assault movement.

There's another camp which says that after the assault is declared, the player has to measure out all of the assault moves to determine whether a difficult terrain test is necessary, and then the assault moves are subject to that roll if needed. Measurement in this case would be done to avoid the messy situation of conducting some of the assault moves and discovering that the assault had been made in error and trying to figure out where the models originated.

There are some variations in the middle, but that's pretty much what the conclusions were. It comes down to whether or not you interpret the secondary assault movements as compelling the movement through difficult terrain or not.

Gestalt wrote:A unit declares a charge against a unit which is behind (not in) difficult terrain. The closest model is in assault range by moving around the terrain without a test. The rest of the models can only get in BtB with the target through the difficult terrain. Do they make the difficult terrain test, and if they don't roll high enough does the charge fail or do they move within 2" of the initial charge model? If they don't go through the terrain does the entire unit strike at initiative 1 because they made a roll even though they didn't pass through difficult terrain?

Part 1 is simple. The closest model can't move around the difficult terrain, it has to assault using the shortest possible route.

The second part has, as noted, been debated in many other threads.

Part 1, yes, the unit must test and if the closest model cannot reach btb, it is a failed charge.

Part 2, If any model has to go into, through cover to reach the unit being assaulted, then the whole unit has to test, even if the first model has a clear run. As GW said in 4th and tried to write the 5th rules to reflect, you cannot choose just to assault the models not in cover.

I think the answer for part 2 is fairly clear, based on the fact that multiple assaults are completely optional. The controversy I was quoted describing only really occurs when assaulting a single unit partially reachable through difficult terrain.

For multiple assaults, if the unit doesn't make a difficult terrain test, then enemy models in difficult terrain which belong to other units are completely off limits. If you end up moving the first model and then discover that you'd like to have made a difficult terrain test, in fairness it should be the opponent's discretion (without worrying about sportsmanship) whether to deal with the retroactive corrections or to deny the option of the retroactive difficult terrain test.

So, if it looks likely that an assault is going to turn into a multiple assault, and some of the enemy models in the secondary assault targets are only reachable through difficult terrain, assaulting those models requires a difficult terrain test. That means that the assaulting unit to make a difficult terrain test and that will mean that the test is required even though the first moving model doesn't have to move through difficult terrain. This means that trying to perform a multiple assault can become a liability and cause an otherwise simple assault to fail completely.

Edit: Then again, if only part of unit B is in cover, that does start sliding back into the "You can't go into the terrain" vs. "You have to go into the terrain" territory.

I wonder if it would help to write up an article on the complexities of assaulting when difficult terrain is involved...

Sorry, I read part 2 as a single unit.