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Perhaps this is obvious, but I have searched around and I can't find a definite answer on it.
I was wondering if my mandrakes would get the cover bonus in assault or not. ie. if I attack someone in cover do I have a higher cover save then in open field, or does it not count since cover usually doesn't count in assault.

also while I am at it, I can't see anywhere that it's illegal to start next to your opponent at the beginning of the game, so I was curious, is it legal for me to put (for example) one of my mandrake marker/guys one inch from a tau fire warrior squad at the beginning of the game, and then have them reveal themselves at the beginning of my first assault phase?

I feel like they should, but obviously my opponent usually thinks they shouldn't.

I was curious which is generally considered correct. (I am entering my first tournament this weekend, and am quite unsure about this one).

Mandrakes have a normal armour save of 5+ to use in CC - 'Counts in assault' is for the purposes of grenades etc, it's not saying they can take the cover saves against CC attacks.

Yes, yes it is - if that place is allowed for by deployment rules for the mission you are using, they are the sneakiest of the sneaks.

None of the standard missions allow for deployment right next to the enemy.

If you are reading the DE codex there is no reference to "This counts to assault as well"... this could mean just when they are assaulted since the previous sentence was talking about being in cover from shooting - so these references seem to be discussing the Mandrakes rules when they are being attacked, not while they are attacking.

If one wanted to apply more rule lawyering - one could argue that the Mandrakes are always in cover and would have to follow the rules for charging through cover even when they are in the open and be striking at initiative "1" every time!

So no, most DE players that I know do not apply the "always in cover" rule when they assault and since they have no plasma grenades they would be striking at initiative "1" if they are charging someone in cover.

As for deployment rules - the codex says they follow the same deployment rules as the mission allows for placing the marker. So they would only be setting up in the "gray" shaded areas as marked in the main rule book. So no, they can not be placed next to an enemy model however, the Decapitator can but he does follow different rules for that.

What is debatable is that the markers do ignore scenario rules where they restrict what is on the table - it says they are "always deployed" and since the markers are not units then I see no reason why 3 mandrake "markers" can not be set up on the board in a "Dawn of War" scenario. They would still be setup in their half of the board but they can be placed on that 24" mid-line if you like.

Hope that clears that up for you.

Cover saves do not Apply in Close Combat(BRB Page 39, 2nd paragraph in Taking Saves)

Kwi: assaulting through Cover does not cause one to suffer I1 without having to take a Difficult or dangerous terrain test, which Mandrakes need not take to move.

Kwi is correct on their setup.