Repulse Assault!

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**nostromo**

If you let your troops get assaulted and haven't had any chances to fire at the attacking unit before they get in range to assault, well it just means you've been outmanouvered, and need to learn2play.

**PistolWraithCaine**

This is called standing and shooting in fantasy. This would totally gimp some armies and I don't think this can be fairly implemented without a big rules overhaul.

**Joram**

I have to say I think overwatch sounds like a great idea. But the rule for overwatch went away with the rules for foot troop models having individual firing arcs and being able to split fire based on what each model could see.

Overwatch could possibly be integrated if the following rules were applied:

1-Unit may not move or shoot during turn they are declared to be put on overwatch. Ld test required after declaration to ensure overwatch order occurs.

2-Unit may only shoot during enemy's movement phase. Not during the assault phase.

3-Unit counts as standing still while on overwatch for purposes of firing Heavy Weapons.

4-Unit must shoot at first enemy unit it sees moving if enemy unit is within range of at least one weapon in the firing unit.

5-Enemy takes casualties and tests as normal for shooting phase.

Maybe these are more balanced, since you have a Ld test involved after sacrificing unit's movement and shooting phase that does not guarantee overwatch occurring. It also doesn't spill over into the enemy assault phase.

**Greebynog**

Phoenix wrote:Skinnattittar: Two words, Game Balance.

While you can come up with all kinds of justifications as to why your rules are realistic, the fact of the matter is that this is a game and it's not real. With that being said, if you want to introduce a new rule, it's going to have to make the game a better game for it to get used. Now the net effect of the rule as you propose it is to make it so that shooty troops are next to impossible to assault. Assaulting them will almost always lead to the assaulter getting shot to pieces, both while running over to get into assault range and then again when they charge. The fact of the matter is that if a shooty unit gets charged by an assaulty unit, they should die and die horribly. It's what makes the game balanced and fun. By removing that, you make assault troops worthless and force the game towards the very bland setup of 2 static shooting armies sitting across the board from each other shooting. That doesn't make the game better, it makes it worse.

If what you want to do is remove assault troops from the game, feel free to do so amoungst your game group, however I can't imagine such an unbalanced rule being picked up and used by the general populace.

QFT.
If this ridiculous rule was to come in to effect I propose the following changes to suplement it. Ork boys, khorne bezerkers and blood angels death watch now all cost 1 point each. Lascannons, heavy bolters, and any tau gun cost 3000. Balanced. 'Overpowered' assault troops is not a problem in 40k, there are problems, this ain't one of 'em. If this were to happen it would cripple the game and make 99% of games two lines of tau shooting the crap out of each other. Yay. This is a game, forget modern warfare tactics and simulations, this is a game involving 20 foot tall space aliens, genetically engineered super-humans, daemons, psychic powers and floating vehicles. If you want realism go play some ww2 game. The fact is, if you look at tournament standings, it's not armies of all out assault troops that win every time, far from it. The balance of the game comes from points. It (very roughly) works (just), this would only worsen the problem and make the game no bloody fun. Which is the whole point of it.

**Grignard**

For the record I never had a problem with overwatch type rules in 2nd ed. It isnt about "realism", but rather about adding a little tactical variety.

As the OP's suggestion, no, it would be broken. It was said earlier that it would encourage assault units to use cover, but the OP said that they wouldnt get any cover from this charge reaction fire. Overwatch with a significant to hit penalty and normal cover would be more fair.

Essentially the OP's rule would make every charging unit be effectively charging straight across the board with no cover hoping to get stuck in. Lets see me do that with Banshees under those rules.