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OK so here is the layout

A unit of 20 Spear Skeletons deployed 5 wide is Danced into an opponenets unit front. Then the Staff of Damnation is used Successfully.

The staff lets any undead unit within X" make a normal attack. And I believe they do not get any charge bonuses

So how many Skeletons get to attack?

5 Front rank because they are counted as charging or

10 because that is the normal attack for a unit of 20 Skeletons with spears?

Wish I had my book here so I could give the exact working. But work frowns on that type of stuff.

Hmmm. Well, Danse does specify that models raised after it has charged do not count charge benefits.

As such, I would say you only attack with the front rank.

It says they dont get charge BENEFITS. charging Detriments, including spears only fighting in one rank are still in effect.

I don't have my book on me, but you would get the second rank because you don't count as charging... unless the item says only the guys in the front rank get to attack.

The dont get benefit line only is inclusive for models just raised. You still count as charging if you make contact it says so in the text in the spell. You still get all benefits for charging and all detriments. The only models who do not get the benefits are the newly summoned models. In conclusion.. danse will only ever allow you to fight with your front rank when used becasue it makes you count as charging.

Neither the Danse or the staff raises any models.

So I am not sure why you are referencing this point.

Also the Staff of Damnation says you get to make their NORMAL attack.No bonuses for charging. This is still in the MAGIC PHASE. Not the Close Combat Phase.

But it does not say no detriments either way.

I'm at work as well so I will have to check my book when I get home in awhile but I thought the spell moved you 8 inches and said that if you made contact with another unit you counted as a charge and they could make all applicable charge reactions and that the combat would still be resolved in the hand to hand phase. I will check again once I get home though.

ok so now I am home. Sorry i was thinking that staff of damnation still had the same old rules since I hadn't used the new one. So now I have my rulebooks and can give a better answer. So Vanhel's says specifically, "If the target is not in close combat, it can immediately make a move of up to 8" in the same way as a normal move made in the movement phase - it can charge(up to 8")....pg 39". Then the staff of damnation says "models within 12" of the bearer and in close combat may make a close combat attack pg 86". Finally the rule book states under fight in ranks, "In order to employ all of its additional ranks as described, a unit must not have moved in that turn. If a unit has moved, if it has charged for example, then it fights with one less rank than it otherwise would. pg 55"

So if we combine all those readings I would state that since the vanhel's states you are moving just like in the movement phase and the rulebook states if you have moved you get one less rank....that you only get one rank of spears. I believe that was what you were looking for.

Simply, you should get 5 attacking in the magic phase and luckily 5 attacking in the combat phase

OK. Based on IG Vamp information I can see 5 attacks and 5 attacks.

Now lets switch it.

Unit of 16 Skeletons with spears in combat (got charged last turn)

Now have Danse and Staff.

Staff during Magic Phase gets 10 Attacks

and Danse causes Always strike first versus in HTH phase for 10 Attacks.

Agreed?

I'd agree as long as we are making sure to note that the re-rolling of misses is only in the hand to hand phase and not the magic phase which i believe you did.