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Hello all,

I have two questions that came up in a game yesterday that I can't seem to find clear answers for with the rulebook/codex.

It was discussed back and forth whether or not an allied Techmarine could attempt to repair allied vehicles (ie Blood Angel techmarine repairing allied Dark Angels vehicles). We were unsure as it isn't something "granted" by the rules like searchlights or fearless/feel no pain. We played it as NO he may not but I couldn't find anything to outright say he may not.


Second is more complicated.

Short version: when do you have to allocate who is attacking who in multiple close combats? Prior to combat or at the model's initiative?

Long version: Vulkan and a 5-man squad of Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield Terminators debark from a Land Raider and combi-assault a small group of Blood Angel assault marines with Dante and an adjacent Land Speeder. Vulkan's Allied Blood Angel (2 BA in one game on opposite sides here) Mephiston also assaults the Land Speeder (only thing he could reach). Only one Terminator is in base-to-base with the Land Speeder. Two are in base-to-base with Dante. The rest of the Terminators are all within 2" of the others.

Mephiston crushes the Land Speeder (duh) at initiative 6. Vulkan wipes out the assault marines at I5, leaving only Dante (Dante whiffs). Now, my Salamander/Blood Angel opponents were talking to each other prior to the combat and had planned to put one terminator attacking the Land Speeder and two against Dante. This was not declared, just them discussing how to best annihilate us. However, since Dante is the only one left, the Salamander player then decides to allocate all 5 remaining terminator Thunder Hammers onto Dante at Initiative 1.

I countered that (though I mistakenly did not enforce it earlier) one must declare attack allocations prior to combat beginning, not at initiative. However, in the BRB it says that they must be allocated prior to attacks being made, which is ambiguous enough to mean either before their attacks at initiative or any attacks.

So, back to short version. Who is correct?

The attacker declares how models' attacks are split when it is time for them to attack (BRB41).

HOWEVER, note that the one terminator who started the round of combat in B2B with the Land Speeder can only attack the Land Speeder. He would not be able to allocate any attacks on Dante. The other four terminators are free to attack him, though.

As for the techmarine I can't see why he couldn't. It just says if he is in base contact with a damaged vehicle he can attempt to repair it. I'd just discuss it with your opponent and ally before the game starts and come to an agreement and them play it that way. If anyone asked me I'd allow it though, just makes sense. Unless you've got a batty alliance, like Dark Eldar and Grey Knights. Then I'd say either no or he has to pass an Ld with a modifier of some sort. But Imperial/Space Marine or SM/SM sure why not.

So I got the one terminator has to attack the land speeder. Makes sense.

I failed to relay that the two unmentioned terminators (not in base-to-base with the land speeder or the two with Dante) were in base-to-base with the assault squad, before the assault squad got wiped out by Vulkan. Wouldn't that imply that they must attack the assault squad by the same rule?

If those terminators were in b2b with the assault squad, then they cannot swing at Dante. They are obligated to swing at the now non-existent assault squad.

The only way all five Terminators would be able to attack Dante is, at the beginning of the combat, all five models were base-to-base with Dante, or 2" from a model that was and not base-to-base with another unit. If one of the models were base-to-base with Dante and another unit, it would be able to choose which to attack, or split it's attacks between the two.

In essence what I'm asking is: if models were in base-to-base at the beginning of combat and what they were in base-to-base with dies may they allocate their attacks AT INITIATIVE (1 in this case) to something else, provided they are within 2" of their buddy in base-to-base.

Edit: ninja'd! Thank you gents that's what I thought.

Millicant wrote:In essence what I'm asking is: if models were in base-to-base at the beginning of combat and what they were in base-to-base with dies may they allocate their attacks AT INITIATIVE (1 in this case) to something else, provided they are within 2" of their buddy in base-to-base.

No. See page 41 of the BRB. There is errata for this section in the FAQ as well. Which you can see here

Edit: Never mind, then.

elrabin wrote:The attacker declares how models' attacks are split when it is time for them to attack (BRB41).

HOWEVER, note that the one terminator who started the round of combat in B2B with the Land Speeder can only attack the Land Speeder. He would not be able to allocate any attacks on Dante. The other four terminators are free to attack him, though.

It seems that despite what it says on p41, since it is extremely relevant with which unit a model was in base-to-base with at the beginning of the combat, the allocations should be sorted out prior to ANY attacks being made, and models potentially dying.

The only time I can see it being relevant to allocate at initiative is when a model is in base-to-base with two models from different units who are alive when he makes his attacks (after others have already attacked) and he decides to split his attacks between the two units. So, in that rare occurance yes. Otherwise allocate before combat.

A techmarine could repair enemy vehicles if he wanted, so of course he could repair allied ones.

You declare who is attaching what at each initiative step before swings are made at that step, provided they could swing at the target before swings were made in assault. No swinging a few attacks and then tossing the rest when something dies. And yes single models may split attacks.

[quote=ToBeWilly No. See page 41 of the BRB. There is errata for this section in the FAQ as well. Which you can see here

Edit: Never mind, then.