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Hello, I came to a situation where we were considering abilities of AM units during overwatch.

The last FAQ states that:

" With the exception of Stratagems, all rules (e.g. abilities, Warlord Traits, psychic powers etc.) that would apply in a specific phase apply to actions that are taking place ‘as if it were that phase’. However, if a Stratagem specifies that it must be used in a specific phase, then it can only be used in that phase (e.g. you cannot use a Stratagem that says ‘Use this Stratagem in the Shooting phase’ to affect a unit that is Shooting ‘as if it were the Shooting phase’). For the purposes of this FAQ, Overwatch attacks are not considered to be attacks made as if it were your Shooting phase."

I am talking of course about orders and grinding advance.

I tried to look at that in different forums but I found only 1 year+ old discussions with no proper conclusions.

How do you guys play it? I would say no orders, no grinding advance but reroll 1 for Cadians (but it is just my internal feeling).

Jurasito wrote:
Hello, I came to a situation where we were considering abilities of AM units during overwatch.

The last FAQ states that:

" With the exception of Stratagems, all rules (e.g. abilities, Warlord Traits, psychic powers etc.) that would apply in a specific phase apply to actions that are taking place ‘as if it were that phase’. However, if a Stratagem specifies that it must be used in a specific phase, then it can only be used in that phase (e.g. you cannot use a Stratagem that says ‘Use this Stratagem in the Shooting phase’ to affect a unit that is Shooting ‘as if it were the Shooting phase’). For the purposes of this FAQ, Overwatch attacks are not considered to be attacks made as if it were your Shooting phase."

I am talking of course about orders and grinding advance.

I tried to look at that in different forums but I found only 1 year+ old discussions with no proper conclusions.

How do you guys play it? I would say no orders, no grinding advance but reroll 1 for Cadians (but it is just my internal feeling).

Orders only last " until the end of the phase", so how you're issuing orders in not just the Charge Phase, but your opponents Charge Phase, is beyond me.

Grinding Advance explicitly says it only works "in the following Shooting phase", so even if Overwatch counted as a Shooting phase action (it doesn't), it still wouldn't work. Nor do Cadians get to benefit from Born Soldiers because the FAQ explicitly states "Overwatch attacks are not considered to be attacks made as if it were your Shooting phase" and Born Soldiers only works "in the Shooting phase". Where the confusion comes from is GW claiming they made a typographical error and the FAQ originally said Overwatch attacks "are considered to be attacks made as if it were your Shooting phase", but they changed it to the current wording within days. Not really a typo, more of a backpedal when they realised they screwed up hard.

To summarise, none of Orders, Born Soldiers, nor Grinding Advance have any interaction with Overwatch.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
Orders only last " until the end of the phase", so how you're issuing orders in not just the Charge Phase, but your opponents Charge Phase, is beyond me.

Grinding Advance explicitly says it only works "in the following Shooting phase", so even if Overwatch counted as a Shooting phase action (it doesn't), it still wouldn't work.

To summarise, neither Orders nor Grinding Advance have any interaction with Overwatch.

Well, the others argue with the core rules:

"Overwatch is resolved like a normal shooting attack (albeit one resolved in the enemy’s Charge phase) and uses all the normal rules except that a 6 is always required for a successful hit roll, irrespective of the firing model’s Ballistic Skill or any modifiers."

If the overwatch is done like your shooting phase, you could use orders at its beginning and/or use grinding advance (since/if you did not move). But I did not want to start another discussion, I just wanted to know how others play it.

Orders are used at the beginning of the shooting phase. Not in the charge phase. Overwatch uses shooting rules, and that's it, no more, no less. You can't use orders in the charge phase.

Jurasito wrote:

 BaconCatBug wrote:
Orders only last " until the end of the phase", so how you're issuing orders in not just the Charge Phase, but your opponents Charge Phase, is beyond me.

Grinding Advance explicitly says it only works "in the following Shooting phase", so even if Overwatch counted as a Shooting phase action (it doesn't), it still wouldn't work.

To summarise, neither Orders nor Grinding Advance have any interaction with Overwatch.

Well, the others argue with the core rules:

"Overwatch is resolved like a normal shooting attack (albeit one resolved in the enemy’s Charge phase) and uses all the normal rules except that a 6 is always required for a successful hit roll, irrespective of the firing model’s Ballistic Skill or any modifiers."

If the overwatch is done like your shooting phase, you could use orders at its beginning and/or use grinding advance (since/if you did not move). But I did not want to start another discussion, I just wanted to know how others play it.

Overwatch is not done "like your shooting phase", it's a "shooting attack". Those are not the same thing. I've laid out what the rules say and what the rules are. That's all there is to it.

You cannot use these abilities in someone else’s turn, as others have said.