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Rule Question #1: Can Harlequin units choose to not use their kisses?

Like many close combat specialists, harlequins do not want to wipe out their enemy unit on the turn they charge. If they do, they are out in the open for the enemy to shoot at them. They would much rather be safely locked in CC during the enemy's turn.

Many tactics have been employed to minimize enemy casualties on the charge, such as limiting the number of harlequin's kisses in the squad, charging on the side of a unit, or the conga line that only allows 1-2 harlequins to get into combat.

Here's another idea. Don't use the kisses on the turn you charge.

On page 46 of the BGB, "Special Close Combat Attacks", second paragraph, it says that "Models with special close combat attacks can choose not to use them and attack normally instead". It goes on to describe the special close combat attacks, including rending weapons.

At first glance, page 38 under  "who can fight", last paragraph seems to contradict this: "All engaged models fight with their full number of attacks and count the benefits of any special close combat attack forms they have." However, I think this is a case of a more general rule that is not referring to this topic in particular (p 38 "Who can fight?" ) being superseded by a more specific rule that deals with exactly this topic (p 46 "Special Close Combat Attacks" ).

So when necessary, attack using your harlequin's normal attacks, and use the kiss as nothing more than +1 A. That way you will kill much fewer enemies, and be safely locked in close combat on the enemy's turn.

With the kiss, a charging harlequin will kill 1 marine on average. Without, that same harlequin will only kill 0.44 of a marine. That's a big difference that you can use to make sure you don't wipe out the squad. You can figure out more numbers here in an online calculator I built:

http://www.dimentians.com/w40k_killing_power.cfm

I have also avoided using the kisses in the enemy's CC phase when I wanted to be sure to be able to hit and run towards something nastier.

Rule Question #2: Can individual Harlequin models choose to not use their kisses?

Here's an even nastier idea that should definitely start some debate... In that quote from page 46 of the BGB above, it says that models can choose to attack normally. Not units, models. That important distinction should allow you to choose exactly how many kisses you want to use in a given turn. If you know the math, you can basically pick how many casualties you want to inflict! (on average, of course).

I've never used it this way, I've always had the whole unit use them or not. But the BGB appears to allow this. What does everyone else here think about this?

You choose on a model by model basis which weapon (If any) they are using.

Nothing in the page 38 blurb supercedes the more specific rule on page 44 which allows models not to use their special close combat attacks if they choose to.

And yes, any model within a unit may choose to use (or not use) their special close combat attacks.

If you were to have multiple initiatives on the models in a given unit, could you, say, make attacks with the highest initiative model first, then the next highest second, and by then decide you've killed enough and chose not to attack with the rest of the models in your squad (assuming they're still in range)?

Posted By yakface on 09/10/2007 9:55 PM

And yes, any model within a unit may choose to use (or not use) their special close combat attacks.

Is there anything in the character description entry in the codex?  Because I know there are some times I would love to not use my lances with Rough Riders and it specifically says there I must use them on the first CC battle they are a part of.

Posted By bebepaquito on 09/11/2007 5:07 AM

Posted By yakface on 09/10/2007 9:55 PM

And yes, any model within a unit may choose to use (or not use) their special close combat attacks.

Is there anything in the character description entry in the codex?  Because I know there are some times I would love to not use my lances with Rough Riders and it specifically says there I must use them on the first CC battle they are a part of.

Unfortunately, the Lances rule would be a special codex rule that does supercede the main rules, so you're stuck using them in the first round.

I don't think so.  Isn't there something in the rules that say that models must use their full number of attacks in Close Combat?  They get to choose *which* types of attacks to use (eg powerfist or bolt pistol, kiss or ccw) but can't choose to not attack.  Nor to use less than all of their attacks.

Basically, zero attacks is less than their full number of attacks - so just like assault marines can't choose to do a single attack each instead of 2, models also may not choose to do zero attacks.

Thanks for the input, everyone.

That was how I was reading it, that individual models could choose to use their special attacks or not. I had just never heard of anyone playing it that way. This gives me a lot more flexibility.