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Do you measure to the warmachine to see if you make the charge, or does your opponent move his guys in front of the warmachine, and then you measure to the guys?

I have always played it that you measure to the machine for the charge. After charge reactions, if the attacker reaches, then you move the crew forward to defend their machine. I don't know if that is the right way, but it seems pretty logical.

I had people crying both ways.

I also tend to play measure to the machine then move crew as needed.

I think that logically I would measure to the war machine. However, the rules seem to suggest otherwise. The crew moves out to defend the machine as their charge response which is done before the chargers move in. So it would seem that if the chargers can reach the crew the charge is successful.

You mesure to the machine. however im not sure what would happen if say you attack into the back of say a cannon, and your movement takes you into contact with the crew. the way we play we treat the war machine and the crew as posible points for a sucsessful charge, so long as you manage to get into base contact with either one of the crew or the war machine its a charge.

But you measure for the charge after the crew has declared its charge response. The crew will move in front of the machine before you measure to see if the charge is in range. So you are saying that you ignore the crew when measuring to see if the charge is completed? It seems that, if you take the steps in order, you get that extra bit of "free" distance when charging a war machine.

If the machine is utilizing itself to determine LOS and distance/where shooting is from, then why would you not measure your own charge to the machine?

If you measure to the crew then the machine can be used to block LOS to the crew and prevent the charge. Logically it seems fair to offer both players the same advantage IE determine LOS and charge to/from the machine.

Almost everyone i know or play and agree, measure to the machine.

If the machine is utilizing itself to determine LOS and distance/where shooting is from, then why would you not measure your own charge to the machine?

Because the measuring is done at different times in each case.

Logically it seems fair to offer both players the same advantage IE determine LOS and charge to/from the machine.

I agree and I play it that way but I think that the rules say otherwise.

Step 1) Declare charges. No measuring is done at this time.
Step 2) Declare charge reactions. This is when the crew is moved in front of the machine if "Hold" is chosen(Pg. 86 BRB).
Step 3) Other movement is done here such as rallying and compulsory.
Step 4) Move chargers. This is when the measurement is taken to see if the charge is in range. At this point the crew is already in front of the machine, the machine and crew are all part of the same unit, you measure distance to closest part of the unit.

It may not make logical sense, may seem unfair to give the charger that extra bit of charge range, but it does seem to be the way the rules are written. As stated earlier, I do not play it this way, but if an opponent wanted to argue for this I think he has the rules on his side.

By that method the charger gains an addl 20mm plus as the warmachine crew will have to be placed directly in front of the warmachine?

I am noting we both agree that los/distance to the machine, and in my games as both the charger and the guy with the warmachines, i've never run into a problem.

My thoughts are consistency is the key along with the fact both players should recognize "we are playing a game." But I do know, not all of my opponents have always presented themselves with that philosophy

I believe dmatja has it exactly correct.

That said, IME most players do not read the text that closely, and prefer to play with charges measured to the machine. Given that I don't play with any war machines myself, I tend to not argue it in the interests of harmony.