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This came up in a game a while back.

MMMMMM SSSSSSSS
CCCCCCC A BBBBBB

M=marines
C=Chaos marines
A=Abaddon
S=Sternguard
B= Bezerkers

Okay, pretty much Abaddon is in the Chaos marine squad. They do a joint charge against the marines and the sternguard. Abaddon is the only one to charge the sternguard and he did not contact marines. Bezerkers also charge the sternguard.

I won combat and destroyed the sternguard. The marines had a few remaining. My friend said that the sternguard losses did not count for them, as the combat was only connected by a special character who did not contact any marines. He did not see why the sternguard losses went through.

Who was right? He wanted to ignore that combat in terms of resolution for the marine squad, while I thought the casualties for the sternguard should count and affect their leadership.

Abbadon is part of the C squad, so the C squad was engaging both the Ms and Ss. The berserkers only attaked the Sternguard, but that does't matter. It was all the same combat, so your friend is wrong.

agreed- It was all one combat. Have him show you the rule in the rulebook next time.

That was my argument. His one was that independent characters counted as a separate unit in assault. I remembered something like that being in the book, so I took it for granted. Is that not in the book? If it is, could someone say where?

But... it is an interesting situation. Since the IC acts as a 'separate unit' during CC.

Your friend was still wrong, but I can see where the confusion comes from.

Page 49. They always count as seperate units for attack resolution, but only for that. They are still part of the squad for the combat resolution.

That would explain it. We did not have a rulebook on hand (messy rooms...).

This rule for leadership test and the Space Marines taking armour hits is crazy. I took 9 armour saves on two squads last night. Totally sucks but that is the way you play it.