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Say you have a Farseer and 5 Warlocks in a unit together. You lose 2 Warlocks. 3/5 lost means you take a leadership test (ICs don't count towards the total number of models). The unit fails and falls back. I assume the IC falls back with the squad and isn't left alone on the field. The Warlocks cannot regroup because they are below 50%. The question is, can the Farseer choose to leave the group or can he try to rally them?

If I read the book right (there are enough rules and ambiguity in its writing for me to doubt myself on matters that don't occur too often), I think the Farseer (or any IC in similar circumstance) can just leave the unit. If I'm wrong, the Farseer in my example (Farseers in the game example it occured in) would have to fall back off the table with the Warlocks. Or, alternatively, the HQ can try to regroup them.

AFAIK, an IC by itself does not make an exception to the regrouping rules, although I think it should in the next edition as it makes HQs more useful without breaking anything. So am I right? The IC can leave the group but the Warlocks fall off?

If not, then damn. I should have taken out both his Farseers because of some lucky dice rolls.

I assume you meant that three warlocks died because 2 dying doesn't bring the unit below 50%. If so, the character isn't allowed to leave until the unit regroups. Its in the section with joining and leaving units.

As Hellstorm pointed out, in the example you give, the squad is not below 50% (3/5 is 60%).

And, yes, if an IC is attached to a squad that is falling back, he is stuck with that squad.

Sorry I said that backwards. They lost 3 of the 5. Only 2 were left standing.

Well that seems to have been a FAQ ruling that actually hurt some non-Space Marine armies (gasp). I'll break the bad news to my buddy. He'll want to know about that. I've managed to do it twice to him in the last 3 games and both times let him move his IC away. He'll have to start playing differently so I don't nuke 1-2 Farseers by accident.

ICs cannot leave or join a unit that is falling back, page 48, main rulebook.

And yes, if THREE of the 5 warlocks die and the unit falls back, the Warlocks an IC are going to run off the table (barring an Avatar) as ICs do not count towards the unit strength when determining eligibility to regroup. Main rules FAQ:

Q: How do Independent Characters that have joined a
squad effect working out if a squad is below half
strength or not? (p48)
A: Independent Characters are not counted when
working out if a squad is below half strength or not.
The exception to this is if an Independent Character is
with a Retinue (in which case he is counted when
working out if the squad is below half strength).

Finally, if all the Warlocks die, the IC has to test. But if he fails, he is now, as a lone IC, eligible to attempt to regroup after falling back.

I may be mistaken but i thought IC counted towards the total unit while they are in it. So if you had 5 warlocks and 1 farseer you would have to lose 4 models to be under 50%. Or have i just been doing wrong for 2 years?

Lennysfury wrote:I may be mistaken but i thought IC counted towards the total unit while they are in it. So if you had 5 warlocks and 1 farseer you would have to lose 4 models to be under 50%. Or have i just been doing wrong for 2 years?

You've been doing it wrong, as the posted FAQ demonstrates.

wow, that is sweet! Thanks for the info rgeld2

cowmonaut wrote:Sorry I said that backwards. They lost 3 of the 5. Only 2 were left standing.

Well that seems to have been a FAQ ruling that actually hurt some non-Space Marine armies (gasp). I'll break the bad news to my buddy. He'll want to know about that. I've managed to do it twice to him in the last 3 games and both times let him move his IC away. He'll have to start playing differently so I don't nuke 1-2 Farseers by accident.

Tell him that if he has 5 warlocks in a unit, he should treat himself to Embolden. At least on one of them.

Oh he did. I believe he originally had 2 Warlocks with Embolden, 2 with Guide? I may be mixing up Farseer powers. He pretty much had pairs of everything and a few extra with Destruction. The first time I pulled this off he lost both Warlocks with Embolden to bad re-rolls of his 4+ Invulnerable save (and should have lost a Farseer). The second time he failed the re-roll (and should have lost 2 Farseers).

Honestly, I think he's just using his Warlocks wrong. If anything just against me. They either run away, absorb 1 turn of hits, or get ignored.

cowmonaut wrote: You lose 2 Warlocks. 3/5 lost means you take a leadership test (ICs don't count towards the total number of models).

Thought I should jump in and point out that this bit isn't quite right.

ICs don't count towards the total for determining if the unit is below 50% for regrouping as per the FAQ... but they are a part of the unit while they are joined to it, and so do count for determining whether or not the unit takes a morale test for 25% casualties.

That wouldn't have made a difference in this particular example, of course.