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Still to play my maiden game but have been putting my marines and tyranids through some training drills to try and get the basics right... first real confusion is around multiple combats and the allocation of wounds, so here's the scenario...

A termagant brood successfully charges a squad of 5 marines, dragging 3 of them into base to base contact. A hormagaunt brood then charges the same squad putting the other 2 marines into bases to base contact.

So given the Initiative rule the Hormagaunts fight first, now if they were to cause 4 wounds, goes without saying that the 2 marines in base contact (assuming failed saves) would be removed as casualties, the question is regarding the other 2 wounds would they be lost or would they be allocated to the marines in base to base contact with the termagants?

Many thanks for your learned advice in advance!

No, the last wounds would go on the nearest models.
You don't just stop when you've killed those in base contact, you just have to allocate to those first, then the nearest, like shooting.

When it comes to blows models have to choose between eligible units to attack. Although the Hormagaunts are only in base contact with 2 marines, the wounds would continue to be allocated to that unit.

 Happyjew wrote:
When it comes to blows models have to choose between eligible units to attack. Although the Hormagaunts are only in base contact with 2 marines, the wounds would continue to be allocated to that unit.

This is correct. You want page 28, "Directing Attacks". Note two things - your attacks are directed against only one unit but *per model*, so you could choose to have say two Gaunts attack unit 1 and two Gaunts attack unit 2, but you declare this before you roll *any* dice. Also, because you declare which unit you're directing attacks against first, if you manage to completely wipe out that unit and still have wounds left over, they are lost.

Thanks for the responses, think I'm clear now! So in my scenario, the hormagaunts could wipe out all 5 marines whether the marines are engaged with them or not (wounds here simply cannot be wasted until the squad is removed).

The marines however would split their attacks so could only cause wounds to the unit they allocate attacks too.

Cheers