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Here's the situation. A unit of pathfinders is behind a lava river. Ten space marines want to assault. Two marines are on a bridge and are 1" and 3" away from the pathfinders. The other marines are lined up along the lava river which is 3" across. The marines declare an assault--after moving closest to closest the remaining marines required to move through the lava into assault, correct? Thus the initial assault move would require a difficult test and the marines going through the lava will take dangerous tests?

olympia wrote:Here's the situation. A unit of pathfinders is behind a lava river. Ten space marines want to assault. Two marines are on a bridge and are 1" and 3" away from the pathfinders. The other marines are lined up along the lava river which is 3" across. The marines declare an assault--after moving closest to closest the remaining marines required to move through the lava into assault, correct? Thus the initial assault move would require a difficult test and the marines going through the lava will take dangerous tests?

Yes, so long as you had defined the Lava as Difficult and Dangerous pre game.

Gwar! wrote:

olympia wrote:Here's the situation. A unit of pathfinders is behind a lava river. Ten space marines want to assault. Two marines are on a bridge and are 1" and 3" away from the pathfinders. The other marines are lined up along the lava river which is 3" across. The marines declare an assault--after moving closest to closest the remaining marines required to move through the lava into assault, correct? Thus the initial assault move would require a difficult test and the marines going through the lava will take dangerous tests?

Yes, so long as you had defined the Lava as Difficult and Dangerous pre game.

A quick follow up. Can models ever choose not to move into assault once initial btb is satisfied?

olympia wrote:

Gwar! wrote:

olympia wrote:Here's the situation. A unit of pathfinders is behind a lava river. Ten space marines want to assault. Two marines are on a bridge and are 1" and 3" away from the pathfinders. The other marines are lined up along the lava river which is 3" across. The marines declare an assault--after moving closest to closest the remaining marines required to move through the lava into assault, correct? Thus the initial assault move would require a difficult test and the marines going through the lava will take dangerous tests?

Yes, so long as you had defined the Lava as Difficult and Dangerous pre game.

A quick follow up. Can models ever choose not to move into assault once initial btb is satisfied?

What do you mean? Do you mean can you declare an assault, see if you get in, and if you can get in, then change your mind?

What do you mean? Do you mean can you declare an assault, see if you get in, and if you can get in, then change your mind?

No he means once the first model is in base to base contact are you forced to move the others into assault oir can you just move them so they are in unit coherency but that only the first model is in BtB contact. Hence in the described situation the first 2 models on the bridge would make combat and the other models would walk along the Lava towards the bridge rather than charge of it into BtB contact and then presumably it ouwld be the pathfinders that have to pile in over the Lava and the marines get to avoid the difficult and dangerous terrain tests.

I was pretty certain the assault rules meant if you can make BtB you have to, but don't have my rulebook on me...

You have to move in if you can. The enemy has to pile in if it can. If they can't make it into base to base, though, they don't have to take the shortest route (directly through the lava) if they can take the bridge and still end up within 2" of a striking model either way. They have to try to end up in combat.

1) Only the initial model has to take the shortest route.
2) Following models are only *required* to:
i) get into btb with an unengaged enemy model if possible
ii) maintain coherency with otherwise moved models.

However all models MUST move to attempt this.

So if there was a way for the 2nd+ model to reach base to base with an unengaged model *without* going through Dang. Terrain then they may do so.

nosferatu1001 wrote:1) Only the initial model has to take the shortest route.
2) Following models are only *required* to:
i) get into btb with an unengaged enemy model if possible
ii) maintain coherency with otherwise moved models.

However all models MUST move to attempt this.

So if there was a way for the 2nd+ model to reach base to base with an unengaged model *without* going through Dang. Terrain then they may do so.

Agree so far as it goes. However, if I'm reading your scenario correctly, most of the squad was across lava from the enemy, and within 3" or so of unoccupied enemy models, correct? If so, then the entire unit would have had to take a difficult terrain test and the individual models crossing the lave would have to take dangerous tests.

However IF the unit only rolled say, 2" for Difficult Terrain and therefore could not make it into base by going through the lava, then they are NOT compelled to move through the lava - they can instead file across the bridge, assuming this keeps them in coherency.

Yep, if they cannot reach btb or get within 2" of a model in btb.....................

Which from this situation sounds unlikely - especially if you move models first to block the closer ones.

I know, just tweaking you a little bit..........

So a map of the situation would look like this:

So let's say the marines roll a 5 for their dt--they have to cross the lava because they can reach btb. But if the marines roll a 2 they just scoot towards the bridge, right?

nosferatu1001 wrote:1) Only the initial model has to take the shortest route.
2) Following models are only *required* to:
i) get into btb with an unengaged enemy model if possible
ii) maintain coherency with otherwise moved models.

However all models MUST move to attempt this.

So if there was a way for the 2nd+ model to reach base to base with an unengaged model *without* going through Dang. Terrain then they may do so.

A lot of times I find the need to get into btb overrides the fact that only the initial model has to take the shortest route. So, either way sounds like the unit would have to move through the lava if it can get into btb.

olympia wrote:So a map of the situation would look like this:

So let's say the marines roll a 5 for their dt--they have to cross the lava because they can reach btb. But if the marines roll a 2 they just scoot towards the bridge, right?

Numbering the Marines 1-6 from right to left, #1 being the closest model and assuming the lava is 3" across.

#1 assaults closest
#2, moves to within 2" of #!
#3, probably has to move into lava to get to within 2" of #1. Only way to block his movement would be to move someone else into the lava in front of him and that's just defeating the purpose.
#4-6, probably all just scoot towards the bridge, altho #4 would need to be checked to see if it can finish within 2" of #1 by moving into the lava.

Apologies for not having a rule book to hand:

Do the enemy have to take a test if the are then forced to pile in across the lava?

Charge reactions and pile-in moves do not trigger dangerous terrain trests.