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Hi guys,

Just starting to make a DoA army and I am slightly confused by the rules for deepstriking and combat squads. I have searched a lot of forums and there doesn't seem to be any clarification. I couldn't find anything on dakka either, but perhaps that is because my searchfu is weak!

Essentially, my question is:

How do I combat squad a 10 man assault squad that is deepstriking in from reserve? Can I do it? Do I roll once for the whole squad then split or once for each combat squad etc?

Would appreciate any help to clear this up

Once you combat squad them before deployment, they are 2 units for all intents and purposes. Roll twice.

If you take a drop pod for vanilla marines, you can send 2 combat squads in the same pod but they break immediately upon landing.

-cgmckenzie

Not correct.

You don't CS before deployment. You CS when deployed.

Placing units in Reserve is done instead of deployment.

When they arrive from Reserve, you are now deploying them, so you CS them after they have arrived (that is, after you've rolled for them, so they roll as one).

Note that the FAQ makes it impossible to have them count as two separate units while they are in Reserve.

page 51 Combat squad rule - the decision to deploy is made when the squad is deployed. [paraphrased]

However, this is from the spacemarine codex, not the BA. therefore, it is possible that the source is not correct, however it is more likely that the blood angels codex corroborates with this.

The rulebook says on page 94 "Players may choose not to deploy one or more units in their army..."
this insinuates that placing in reserve is definitely not deployment, which would point to their being placed in reserve.

Of course, BA codex trumps Rulebook. if the rules are different, ignore the above.

on the other hand, it says 'the one exception to this is units arriving via drop pod, who make the decision when they are deployed.' this leads me to believe that all other squads are assumed to have already been split up and are therefore have to be chosen when placed in reserve.

Me personally? I'd combat squad them beforehand just to be safe, and so there aren't any arguments.

though, a good TFG/rules lawyer can argue anything to put you in the wrong. maybe ask your opponent how he/she wants it done.

I think I will discuss with my opponent before hand... Thanks for info

cgmckenzie wrote:Once you combat squad them before deployment, they are 2 units for all intents and purposes. Roll twice.

Please reread the combat squad and reserve ruless, as this s entirely incorrect.

You combat squad WHEN you deploy
You reserve INSTEAD of deploying

Therefore you cannot be IN reserve and combat squadded at the same time.

What happens is - whil in reserve you are one unit, so you roll once. When you deploy you can choose to CS, at which point you place markers in two locations and roll two lots of scatter.

WingWong wrote:I think I will discuss with my opponent before hand... Thanks for info

That is mostly for the best; if you and your opponent decide FAQ is Law then once you reserve, you cannot CS. This is due to poor FAQ Answer wording:

Q: Can you take a Drop Pod with a 10-man squad and
then put a combat squad in it, deploying the other combat
squad on the table, or leave it in reserve but not in the
Drop Pod? (p69)
A: No, because squads that are placed in reserve may not
break down into combat squads.

If you take the context of the question into account the answer changes meaning when read for implied intent:L that you cannot combat squad while reserving/reserve half of a combat squad.

No matter which reading you take the Combat squad rules in relation to a Drop pod override the FAQ answer and allow a 10-man unit in a pod to CS upon disembarkation from the pod.

The discussion with your opponent should propose the following(this would also work for outflanking scouts, or normal reserve entry):
1) Roll for 10 man squad(they have not yet deployed, therefore are a single unit).
2) Roll for table edge if unit is outflanking(this is done prior to unit deployment per outflanking rules)
3) Decision to split is made as you choose that unit to deploy(making it now 2 units)
4) Entrance from a table edge(and deep-strike scatter) is done on a per-unit basis(may enter from 2 points of the same table edge, or roll 2 deep strike scatters from 2 different initial model placements).

The only flaw in the above is deep strike mishaps(which may be the reasoning for the FAQ flat-denial wording); wherein there is a 33% chance that you will wind up with the situation of half a combat squad still in reserve and half on table(although the re-reserved half could be just a unit in reserves awaiting deep strike without much rules conflict).