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So I'm a little confused in regards to my formation options. I know how detachments and such work but this is confusing.
So I have a few questions as to the interpretation and use of them.


1: Can a formation be your primary / only detachment.

&

2: Do all units listed within a formation HAVE to be taken for you to 'have' said detachment.
An example here being in the harlequins book under a formation it will say along the lines of

3 troupe
2 skyweavers
2 starweavers
2 voidweavers

Does this mean I 'must' have that number of units each displayed there or is that my allowed maximum
for that formation. Meaning from the list above I could get away with taking only a single troupe and 2 starweavers
and those models would gain the benefits of the formation.

3: Can you run multiple formations at a time. What I mean by this, isn't mixing formations i.e having one unit that is in two formations
but instead like detachments, I could run say an 'Formation apple" and "Formation banana" each with entirely separate series of units
thus bringing some models to the table with one formations bonuses, and some with another.

4: Does it matter in which formation my warlord is chosen.

 Sasa0mg wrote:
So I'm a little confused in regards to my formation options. I know how detachments and such work but this is confusing.
So I have a few questions as to the interpretation and use of them.


1: Can a formation be your primary / only detachment.

Yes. Formations are a special type of detachment.

2: Do all units listed within a formation HAVE to be taken for you to 'have' said detachment.

Yes.

3: Can you run multiple formations at a time. What I mean by this, isn't mixing formations i.e having one unit that is in two formations
but instead like detachments, I could run say an 'Formation apple" and "Formation banana" each with entirely separate series of units
thus bringing some models to the table with one formations bonuses, and some with another.

Yes, having multiple formations is fine. Just like having multiple detachments.

4: Does it matter in which formation my warlord is chosen.

No, it doesn't matter in which detachment your warlord is chosen - although that one becomes your primary detachment.

1. Yes. A Formation is a type of Detachement. And is just as valid as any other Detachement type.

2. It's a "Must have" list. No more, no less. If you don't have everything on the list, the Foration is illegal.

3. Yes you may have multiple Formations. No, a unit may not belong to more than one Formation/unit. The units in one Formation (or Detachment) are completely seperate to units in another Formation.

4. Not really, there are very few Detachments that have restrictions on Warlords.

 Sasa0mg wrote:
So I'm a little confused in regards to my formation options. I know how detachments and such work but this is confusing.
So I have a few questions as to the interpretation and use of them.


1: Can a formation be your primary / only detachment.

Yes.

&

2: Do all units listed within a formation HAVE to be taken for you to 'have' said detachment.
An example here being in the harlequins book under a formation it will say along the lines of

3 troupe
2 skyweavers
2 starweavers
2 voidweavers

Does this mean I 'must' have that number of units each displayed there or is that my allowed maximum
for that formation. Meaning from the list above I could get away with taking only a single troupe and 2 starweavers
and those models would gain the benefits of the formation.

Yes. Formations have a REQUIRED list of models/units you must take. It's NOT an allowed maximun, but instead an exact requirement. In your example, you would need to take 3 Troupes, 2 Skyweavers, 2 Starweavers and 2 Voidweavers to fulfill the requirements of the Formation.

3: Can you run multiple formations at a time. What I mean by this, isn't mixing formations i.e having one unit that is in two formations
but instead like detachments, I could run say an 'Formation apple" and "Formation banana" each with entirely separate series of units
thus bringing some models to the table with one formations bonuses, and some with another.

You can take as many detachments and formations as you want, but unless explicitly allowed (the only current example is the Necron Decurian Detachment) no model or unit may belong to more than one detachment or formation.

If you have a Tau Empire Riptide, that Riptide can EITHER be in a Combined Arms Detachment OR a Firebase Support Cadre Formation, but never both. I could, however, take TWO Riptides, with one being in the CAD and the other being in the FSC formation.

4: Does it matter in which formation my warlord is chosen.

It might make a tactical difference, but the rules don't care. I believe the only detachment/formation that can NEVER have your Warlord (and thus never be your Primary Detachment) is the Allied Detachment presented in the core rulebook. You have to pick a Character model to be your Warlord unless there are no Characters in your army, and then you can pick ANY model... but only Character models get Warlord Traits. So, if you have no Characters and you pick a non-Character, that model is your Warlord, but doesn't get to roll on the Traits tables.

If my entire army is composed of 3x Tau Empire Firebase Support Cadres, I could make one of the Broadside Shas'vres my Warlord. He is a Character and so would get a Warlord Trait. That particular Firebase Support Cadre would be considered my Primary Detachment (remember that formations are special kinds of detachments).

Thanks for the quick feedback.
I have one last question.

If a formation allows requires the use of a model that is otherwise unique. If it is already included within the primary detachment/formation does it allow a second of that unique entry to be taken?

If not, does that exclude it from the formation, meaning I can have the formation without taking a second of that model or, how is that resolved as I can't have it be a part of both formations.

 Sasa0mg wrote:
Thanks for the quick feedback.
I have one last question.

If a formation allows requires the use of a model that is otherwise unique. If it is already included within the primary detachment/formation does it allow a second of that unique entry to be taken?

No. Unique means one per army, not one per detachment.

If not, does that exclude it from the formation, meaning I can have the formation without taking a second of that model or, how is that resolved as I can't have it be a part of both formations.

If you can't fulfill the requirements for the formation, you cannot take that formation.

 Sasa0mg wrote:
Thanks for the quick feedback.
I have one last question.

If a formation allows requires the use of a model that is otherwise unique. If it is already included within the primary detachment/formation does it allow a second of that unique entry to be taken?

If not, does that exclude it from the formation, meaning I can have the formation without taking a second of that model or, how is that resolved as I can't have it be a part of both formations.

If it's unique it can only be taken once.
Formation rules don't change this, nor does it allow the model to be missed out.

So if there are two Formations containing the same unique model, you will only be able to take one of them.

Which Formations are you trying to use?

Okay thanks!
This is my first time using them, a little confusing from the outset.

It's essentially the Heroes path. It has all the essential character units for the harlequins giving them shrouded and stealth which would be nice. But because the solitaire is a unique selection I wanted to know what to happen.

Treat formations like you treat any detachment. Instead of a FOC you have to follow (most detachments) you have required units.

 Sasa0mg wrote:
It's essentially the Heroes path. It has all the essential character units for the harlequins giving them shrouded and stealth which would be nice. But because the solitaire is a unique selection I wanted to know what to happen.

If the Solitaire is unique, you'll only be able to include one formation that must include them.