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Hi

I don't play at any hobby shops so the rules that me and my buddies play by may not be exactly what the rules are. How we normally deploy is at the end of the long-ways table with a 12" deployment zone across the board. I've recently read the rulebook and I can't find any rules for that kind of deployment. The closest I have found is the corners method.

We also don't play objective games, we just play what amounts to deathmatch. Now my question comes in because I recently started playing Tyranids and I've run into a problem with this method of deployment. If I play my friends (they play Tau, Space Marines, and Imperial Guard) they will just stay in their deployment zone and wait for me. This causes me to not even get into combat until turn 4 if I roll really well for running. The whole time I'm being blasted by tanks and railguns with no way to shoot back.

We have played where we deploy across each other the short way with a 6" deployment zone across. They say this  3' neutral zone as an unfair advantage to me whereas I see the 4' deployment zone as unfair.
 
Is either of us right or are we deploying completely wrong? I've tried reading the rules for deployment in the rulebook but they are kind of confusing.
 
Thanks in advance!

The 12" deployment zone is Pitched Battle - you have 12" from your long board edge to deploy, and can deploy anywhere in that.

I'm not sure what you're reading that is confusing. There's even pictures describing how to deploy. You never deploy on a short edge.

If you're not getting into CC until turn 4 with Tyranids, you're doing something wrong - whether it's deploying, not moving far enough, or not having enough terrain... something isn't going by the rules.

What you described isn't one of the types of deployment.

There are only 3 in the rulebook and they are pretty clear on how they work, but if you and your friend have fun playing that way and it doesnt come off one sided for long range guys then who cares, play it that way.

The standard pitched battle is designed to be played on a table that is 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. The deployment for the Pitched battle has each person deploy on the Long table edge, up to 12 inches away from the edge of the table.

if both players put units 12 inches from their own table edge there should only be a 2 foot (24 inch) neutral zone.

If your friends insist on deploying on the short table edges, just take a bunch of spore pods and infiltrators or scouts, so you can land near them or outflank, since they are cheating by insisting on having a ton of extra room in the neutral zone.

question is spelled : "question"

To answer the OP: You are deploying completely wrong. You should each have a long side of the table, and deploy 12" for pitched battle. Which is what almost all new players start by using. That will give your tyranids a better chance at reaching combat.

DeathReaper wrote:The standard pitched battle is designed to be played on a table that is 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. The deployment for the Pitched battle has each person deploy on the Long table edge, up to 12 inches away from the edge of the table.

if both players put units 12 inches from their own table edge there should only be a 2 foot (24 inch) neutral zone.

Actually, it's over 12" from a line down the middle, leaving a neutral zone of 24" and a fraction.

OP, Outflank!

don_mondo wrote:

DeathReaper wrote:The standard pitched battle is designed to be played on a table that is 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. The deployment for the Pitched battle has each person deploy on the Long table edge, up to 12 inches away from the edge of the table.

if both players put units 12 inches from their own table edge there should only be a 2 foot (24 inch) neutral zone.

Actually, it's over 12" from a line down the middle, leaving a neutral zone of 24" and a fraction.

OP, Outflank!

I was about to say this, too.

Most people describe Pitched Battle as a 12" deployment zone, but this isn't always correct. On a 6x4' or 4x4' table it turns out that way, but if you happen to be playing on a table with different dimensions, then you'll find that the distances change.

What don_mondo says is correct: you pick a long table edge and deploy your army more than 12" from the (lengthways) centre of the table. This means that things like Bolters will never be in range from the start of the game (barring certain special rules, etc), for example, because the armies will always be more than 24" apart.