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Assaulting Multiple Units:

I drew a 2nd grade picture to try and illustrate the set-up of things (see below).

I had an Avatar and Guardian Squad in front of a squad of Harlequins. Due to somewhat poor placement on my part the Harlie squad was partially exposed on the left side, but still a few inches behind the Avatar. My opponent zoomed up with a Ork unit in a Trukk, jumped out, and declared he was assaulting both the Avatar and Harlie squad at once. Can this, based on the monkey-quality picture I drew be done? I see how both the Avatar and the Guardian squad could be assaulted at once because they are in a line but can the Orks sort of wrap around the Avatar to try to make it into base-to-base contact with some of the Harlie squad? It should be noted that at least 1 or 2 of the Orks on the left hand side were within 6' of a member of the Harlie squad (charge range). I just didn't know one could do that, can run 1/2 the squad past the initial target and behind to the second one-- I was under the impression that a squad charged a unit, gets into base-to-base contact with it, and then stops.
Can the Harlies be charged by the Orks on the left side around the Avatar? Could the Orks assault the Harlies between the gap (as long as they could fit) of the Avatar and the Guardians?

Can anyone flesh this rule out a bit? We read over the rulebook section on it a few times and it wasn't super clear to us.

As long as he and moves the closest model in a direct line as possible to the unit he declares he is first charging, anything else is fair game.

Yes, they can assault both (assuming range is not an issue).

Assaulting models need to get into base with unengaged models. After the Avatar is engaged (closest to closest!), the other models are only restricted by coherency and assault distance - and in fact are required to try to get into base with other models that were declared targets of the charge.

Page 34.

It would really depend on the specific placement of the models, and on how close the Avatar is to the Harlies.

You declare the initial charge against a single unit (so that part at least was wrong)

If the charge is successful, you can charge other nearby enemy units, but only if you can do so while still following the rules for moving assaulting models.

So if the initial charge is declared against the Avatar, he would only be able to also charge the Harlies if they're close enough to get models into base contact while maintaining coherency with those in base contact with the Avatar.

If the Harlies are too far from the Avatar for that to work he would need to move enough into base contact with the Avatar that no more can fit, in which case he can then move a model in between the units to bridge the gap. If that allows further models to move into base contact with the harlies, he can do so.

Insaniak has it correct.

If you keep your units spaced far enough apart, it can often foil the multiple assault, because assaulters are still required to get into base contact where possible. Sometimes players will attempt to form a “coherency bridge” with models which could have gotten info base contact, by leaving them OUT of base contact.

It’s important to remember that the assaulting models still have to meet all the regular requirements- the first model must move into contact with the closest model in the declared target unit by the shortest route, then subsequent models must attempt to get into base contact (with unengaged models if possible, engaged models next), or within 2” of a friendly in contact if not.

The trick to doing it I have found is after moving closest assaulter into base 2 base, don't just grab the next closest -- look to move some of the guys in the back that may be able to create your coherency bridge because they can't reach base to base. People have a tendency to continue moving the closer guys when there is no requirement to do so (well me if I am not thinking about it and a few folks I have played) and this can blow your chances of legally pulling off the multi-assault.

winterman wrote:The trick to doing it I have found is after moving closest assaulter into base 2 base, don't just grab the next closest -- look to move some of the guys in the back that may be able to create your coherency bridge because they can't reach base to base. People have a tendency to continue moving the closer guys when there is no requirement to do so (well me if I am not thinking about it and a few folks I have played) and this can blow your chances of legally pulling off the multi-assault.

While doing this be sure to remember that a model still may not pass through an area smaller than it's base. When setting up the charge, you'll need to leave room for the 'rearguard' to pass by the models up front.

winterman wrote:The trick to doing it I have found is after moving closest assaulter into base 2 base, don't just grab the next closest -- look to move some of the guys in the back that may be able to create your coherency bridge because they can't reach base to base. People have a tendency to continue moving the closer guys when there is no requirement to do so (well me if I am not thinking about it and a few folks I have played) and this can blow your chances of legally pulling off the multi-assault.

This tactic isnt always possible. as mentinoed you'd have to go around models and you have to be in coherancy with the last model moved. so pulling from the back might leave you out of coherancy with the last model moved before it in most cases. usually you have to build a bridge pulling from the back so they move fully 6 inches but still stay in coherancy.

Insaniak has the best (and most correct) answer.

To pull this off, I would have declared an assault on the harlies, then assaulted the Avatar after making contact with the harlies.

I concur with Coredump.

The only reason I can see why the Avatar was declared first was if the Ork player suspected he might be a little out of range from the Harlies, but wanted to make sure he still got into AN assault no matter what.

Still... to misjudge by what... 1-2"... ehh. I don't know. Maybe I'm reading it wrong.