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Since an inch = 25.4mm, then, in a unit using 25mm round bases and 1" weapon range, you should always be able to reach the enemy with two ranks of models, right? How have you guys been playing this? Have you been measuring precisely or just doing what we do, which is saying "the guys in the front and the ones directly behind them get to fight"?

As a 40k player of many years... I don't abide completely by the rules.

As for your question, it all depends. The rules state that you measure to the model and not the model's base (so people can use square or round bases, etc. Technically if you have three 25mm bases in a row, the middle one could range either outer base, but the end ones would not be able to range unless the model is sticking over it's base. The base tops are 25 mm, but the bases flare out and are an inch on the head. This means that when stacked, the outer model could not range the other outer model with a 1" range.

Personally I consider the base as part of a model, and measure to the base as I have always done in 40k. This keeps folks from 'cheating' by putting a normal sized hero on a 60+ mm base so no one can attack him in cc. However, this does not change the answer I gave above as a 25 mm base from gw is an inch at the bottom.

hope that helps!

We've been playing 1" weapons = only those in base contact can fight and 2" weapons we measure... Hmm interesting

 Bottle wrote:
We've been playing 1" weapons = only those in base contact can fight and 2" weapons we measure... Hmm interesting

If you're using round bases it's much easier (proviso -RAW takes no account of bases, so this is from the POV of probably the most common house rule).
Basic geometry means that by definition if models A and B are on round 25mm bases, then if model A is in base contact with enemy X and model B is in base contact with model A, then model B is definitely within 1", so can attack. If C has a 2" reach and is in base contact with B, then C can also attack.
It helps if you visualise a melee attack as a short ranged shooting attack, I guess.

 455_PWR wrote:
As a 40k player of many years... I don't abide completely by the rules.

As for your question, it all depends. The rules state that you measure to the model and not the model's base (so people can use square or round bases, etc. Technically if you have three 25mm bases in a row, the middle one could range either outer base, but the end ones would not be able to range unless the model is sticking over it's base. The base tops are 25 mm, but the bases flare out and are an inch on the head. This means that when stacked, the outer model could not range the other outer model with a 1" range.

Personally I consider the base as part of a model, and measure to the base as I have always done in 40k. This keeps folks from 'cheating' by putting a normal sized hero on a 60+ mm base so no one can attack him in cc. However, this does not change the answer I gave above as a 25 mm base from gw is an inch at the bottom.

hope that helps!

Thanks! Actually, from measuring, the bottom of the base is exactly 25mm, which is less than an inch. So like RoperPG says, assuming 25mm bases, models in base to base contact with their friends fighting in the front row should also be able to reach with their 1" weapons. So normally you'd get two ranks of models fighting.

Great, I'm going to play much more strictly this weekend.

 Bottle wrote:
Great, I'm going to play much more strictly this weekend.

"Terribly sorry old boy, frightfully embarrassing for me - but I'll be blowed if those dashed Pythagoreans aren't just insisting that my chappies resort to fisticuffs in greater numbers than I'd previously thought. Chin up."

^ haha

Thinking about this more, 32mm infantry are at a distinct disadvantage no?

I think it's a bit anal to try and measure 0.4mm on a wargame table but it's easy enough to offset your 1 inch round bases by half a base width, allowing the second rank easily to get into the 1 inch range and measurable with a whippy stick.

It won't work with 32mm bases, though. You would need two inch range weapons on the second rank.

They're only at a disadvantage if you're house-ruling that bases can't overlap.

Well in this thread were obviously talking about house ruling to measure from the bases, otherwise my OP would be irrelevant.

I measure from my skavens bases and not there weapons reach over the heads of the ones in front, means i probably get less attacks than i might of been getting but it certainly speeds up counting attacks with 20mm bases as its basically the first and second rank can fight if they have a 1" range and if they have a 2" range then the first, second and third rank can fight