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I've been playing against space wolves lately, and I don't have their codex, but apparently everyone has the special rule "counterattack"

Is that only supposed to apply on the turn that they get charged, or in every round of combat?


Secondly, and more importantly...if a unit of Space Wolves with the special rule counterattack are in combat and are charged from the rear (and susceptible to the rules for multiple assaults which read that they can't turn around and attack the units that just attacked them because they were already in combat) do they get counterattack again?

The round the unit is assaulted.

Direction is irrelvant.

Dashofpepper wrote:the rules for multiple assaults which read that they can't turn around and attack the units that just attacked them because they were already in combat

Where exactly are these rules?

I have seen this quite often. It comes from the BRB on page 41 where it says 'In multiple contacts...models that were engaged with just one of the enemy units at the beginning of the combat (before any model attacked) must attack that unit'

This applies to models that are not in b2b with the charging unit and are in b2b with the locking unit, but the units directly charged can choose to attack either unit.

In the entry for counter attack on pp 74 it specifically states that counter attack only applies to units that are not locked in combat.

Edit: Clarified base to base

Dashofpepper wrote:and susceptible to the rules for multiple assaults which read that they can't turn around and attack the units that just attacked them because they were already in combat)

This is a common misconception, stemming from people misinterpreting what the rulebook is referring to by the 'beginng of the combat'

The Assault Phase consists of 3 distinct steps:
1: Move all charging units
2: React all defending units
3: Resolve combats.

So when resolving a particular combat, the 'beginning of the combat' is the point immediately before resolving attacks, not the start of the phase.

An already engaged model is free to attack the newly charging unit, so long as they satisfy the other rules...

calypso2ts wrote:I have seen this quite often. It comes from the BRB on page 41 where it says 'In multiple contacts...models that were engaged with just one of the enemy units at the beginning of the combat (before any model attacked) must attack that unit'

This applies to models that are not in b2b with the charging unit and are in b2b with the locking unit, but the units directly charged can choose to attack either unit.

In the entry for counter attack on pp 74 it specifically states that counter attack only applies to units that are not locked in combat.

Edit: Clarified base to base

That's in the errata. It's supposed to say

"Models that at the beginning of the combat
(before any model attacked) were engaged with
more than one enemy unit, but were in base
contact with just one of the enemy units, must
attack that unit."

Meaning if there's a situation where you're assaulting two squads, and some of the models are only in b2b contact with one enemy unit (even though they're engaged with more enemy units by being close enough to other friendly models in b2b with those enemy units) they still must attack the unit they're b2b with at the beginning of the fight. I hope that makes sense.

Models not in b2b, but engaged with multiple enemy units, can choose who they will attack with complete freedom (as per the example).

Counterattacks works when assaulted. The unit must make a Ld test. It doesn't work if the assaulted unit was already locked in combat.
It's all on page 74 in the BRB.

calypso2ts wrote:That's in the errata. It's supposed to say.

I am assuming you are talking about the BRB
Not the yet be released SW Errata that shall never be seen?

They only get the extra attack the turn they are charged.
Secondly, they cannot assualt the unit that charged them if the are already in combat. They may attack any targets they have been in base contact with for 1 or more previous turns.

lordrevege wrote:They only get the extra attack the turn they are charged.
Secondly, they cannot assualt the unit that charged them if the are already in combat. They may attack any targets they have been in base contact with for 1 or more previous turns.

If you had read the entire thread, you would have known this is not true.

While they cannot make a counter-attack check if they are charged by a new unit while engaged in an ongoing combat, they are free to attack the new unit, as long as the models attacking are either in base to base with the new unit, or within 2" of a friendly model in base to base with the new unit, and not already in base to base with the old unit.

As has been mentioned earlier, the "beginning of combat" is actually after all assault and reaction moves have been made.

InquisitorBob wrote:Counterattacks works when assaulted. The unit must make a Ld test. It doesn't work if the assaulted unit was already locked in combat.
It's all on page 74 in the BRB.

This isn't the whole of the rule. Your missing a very important sentence.

"This rule cannot be used if, when assaulted, the unit was already locked in combat from a previous turn."

So if in a single assault phase, a single SW unit (that currently is not engaged) gets assaulted by two separate units, you may test for each unit that assaulted them (until you pass one). As they were not engaged in a combat the previous turn.

I only bring this up because once you are charged by a unit you are locked into that combat, but that doesn't mean you can't retest if assaulted by a second unit that same phase.

Jayden63 wrote:

InquisitorBob wrote:Counterattacks works when assaulted. The unit must make a Ld test. It doesn't work if the assaulted unit was already locked in combat.
It's all on page 74 in the BRB.

This isn't the whole of the rule. Your missing a very important sentence.

"This rule cannot be used if, when assaulted, the unit was already locked in combat from a previous turn."

So if in a single assault phase, a single SW unit (that currently is not engaged) gets assaulted by two separate units, you may test for each unit that assaulted them (until you pass one). As they were not engaged in a combat the previous turn.

I only bring this up because once you are charged by a unit you are locked into that combat, but that doesn't mean you can't retest if assaulted by a second unit that same phase.

Since all assault moves happen first, you'd make a single test if any number of units assaulted you.

I didn't realize that counter-attack doesn't work if you're already in combat and get charged again....I'll keep that in mind next time I see someone playing an army with counter-attack.

Anpu42 wrote:

calypso2ts wrote:That's in the errata. It's supposed to say.

I am assuming you are talking about the BRB
Not the yet be released SW Errata that shall never be seen?

In the BRB errata, yes. Multiple combats isn't a SW thing.