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A little trick crossed my mind that fits perfectly with the Kauyon tactics, after reading my Codex using Darkstrider as bait but feels a bit cheesy.

Darkstrider, after he Overwatches gets to consolidate d6 inches.
Tau Supporting Fire allows for other Tau units to Overwatch friendly units within 6 inches.

The question is can Darkstrider Overwatch an assaulting unit, move his d6, and bring his squad just into 6 inches so the rest of the army can Overwatch as well?

EDIT:

Can Darkstrider use his Fighting Retreat after Overwatching for someone else to give his unit more mobility?

Question one, no. He and ALL other overwatching is done at the same time. He moves after overwatching is done.

Question two, yes. Yes he can.

This brings up another question however. Can Darkstrider overwatch in support fire then move D6 inches FORWARD, into the patch of the assaulting unit so that it blocks their charge.

Or the inverse, overwatch then fall back behind another unit so that the enemy can't get through them and fail their charge.

That would suck.

Celtic Strike indeed brings up the more important question; could he theoretically block an assault with his d6 move. I think this is a oversight on GW's part and means rules complications. But it could be RAI... This is the second thread on this idea, though, I think.

I would just like to point out that the D6" movement provided from Darkstrider's "Fighting Retreat" is not a "Fallback" it is a consolidation.

Sure, if you want to risk actually giving the enemy a double charge go ahead and try to block the enemy charge. I doubt you will completely succeed very often and may just hasten the death of Darkstrider.

 Celtic Strike wrote:
Question one, no. He and ALL other overwatching is done at the same time. He moves after overwatching is done.

Question two, yes. Yes he can.

This brings up another question however. Can Darkstrider overwatch in support fire then move D6 inches FORWARD, into the patch of the assaulting unit so that it blocks their charge.

Or the inverse, overwatch then fall back behind another unit so that the enemy can't get through them and fail their charge.

That would suck.

Where dose it say that all Overwatching is done at the same time? I can't find that rule anywhere, with Multiple Overwatch from the BRB saying to resolve each unit's Overwatch shots separately.

EDIT: Just rereading Darkstrider's Fighting Retreat, his rule says "...immediately after firing Overwatch" instead of after Overwatch.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Sure, if you want to risk actually giving the enemy a double charge go ahead and try to block the enemy charge. I doubt you will completely succeed very often and may just hasten the death of Darkstrider.

He won't risk giving that particular charging unit a double charge, because Overwatch is done after declaring charge targets, and multiple charges have to be declared. If he wasn't declared as a target, and he completely blocks the way, the charge will fail.

Any follow up chargers are a different story though.

 Celtic Strike wrote:
Question one, no. He and ALL other overwatching is done at the same time. He moves after overwatching is done.

The assumptions are incorrect.

Supporting Fire tells us the non-charged units get to fire "as if they were also targets of the charge". This means you have a charge that for the purposes of overwatch is being treated as having multiple targets, and the rules for multiple charges clearly resolve how to handle that:

Resolve each unit's Overwatch shots separately in an order determined by the target units' controlling player.

So all overwatch is not simultaneous, it is resolved sequentially at the Tau player's discretion.

Fighting Retreat tells us that "Darkstrider, and his unit, can consolidate D6 [inches] in any direction immediately after firing Overwatch", immediate is a powerful word and tells us his consolidation is done as soon as you finish resolving the shooting attack, it interrupts the normal flow of the game.

Really though I think the Supporting Fire rule is what ultimately prevents this:

When an enemy unit declares a charge, all friendly models with this special rule...

We are given a specific timing, when the charge is declared, and at this time the Tau either Choose to be treated as additional targets or choose not to. Coming within that distance at a later point in time, once Overwatch has already started to be resolved, is insignificant because there is no new charge declaration.

I concur with Drunkspleen on all points

There is nothing indicating that Supporting fire is all resolved simultaneously; there is implicitly (through reference to markerlights on overwatch) the assumption that some units will be firing before others; and there is already rules for multiple overwatching units which says you resolve overwatch in an order that you choose.

Cue markerdrone squads being awesome, hanging around behind your lines just waiting to give your firewarriors w/ Fireblade and Ethereal 52 BS5 S5 AP5 shots against charging units

 Drunkspleen wrote:


Really though I think the Supporting Fire rule is what ultimately prevents this:

When an enemy unit declares a charge, all friendly models with this special rule...

We are given a specific timing, when the charge is declared, and at this time the Tau either Choose to be treated as additional targets or choose not to. Coming within that distance at a later point in time, once Overwatch has already started to be resolved, is insignificant because there is no new charge declaration.

Nice, I didn't notice that. Ya, it look like Darkstalker can't open up more Overwatch then, thanks.

Cool, good point.

Still, my second point is more interesting. I think we could use Dark strider to block charges. At least from one squad.

 Celtic Strike wrote:
Cool, good point.

Still, my second point is more interesting. I think we could use Dark strider to block charges. At least from one squad.

That really is a good idea. Hang around another squad, then laugh... as long as you roll high enough on the D6 to move the squad.

Do note of course that the enemy can move within 1" of your unit while charging, so Darkstrider's unit would have to be tightly packed to force the charge to go around them, but yes, it does seem like if you rolled high it could be a good tactic to add a few inches to the distance your opponent needs to roll to make the charge.

They still can't move through gaps they can't fit through, and they can't end the charge move in Base to Base with a unit they didn't declare against, so you wouldn't have to pack them in that tightly.

The difficulty is that the Pathfinders also can't move through gaps they can't fit through, which makes getting their placement behind the Firewarriors right difficult given you're only going to be moving on average of 3"

BRB: "A unit can never declare a charge against a unit that it cannot reach."

When is this "reach" determined?
If I know that Darkstrider will move into my 12" range, then I could declare a charge against him, since I will be able to reach him, since my charge roll would take my unit into base contact with his unit.
However, I could not know which direction Darkstrider might move, and so he might stay out of my 12" bubble, in which case I could not reach him....

 Elric Greywolf wrote:
BRB: "A unit can never declare a charge against a unit that it cannot reach."

When is this "reach" determined?
If I know that Darkstrider will move into my 12" range, then I could declare a charge against him, since I will be able to reach him, since my charge roll would take my unit into base contact with his unit.
However, I could not know which direction Darkstrider might move, and so he might stay out of my 12" bubble, in which case I could not reach him....

By that reading you couldn't charge anything more than 2 inches away, because you don't know you'll be able to charge them yet (until you've rolled the dice.)
You have a theoretical chance to reach them, so you are allowed the charge. Similarly, you have a theoretical chance of reaching Darkstrider where he stands. Reading it as having to declare your charge from where he could be standing later is clearly not RAI, arguably not RAW and definitely TFG.

I would say the reach is your 12" bubble. Because that's everything you could possibly reach.
If darkstrider is outside that than you can't declare a charge against him.

Tricksy.