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This is probably an easy one, but I can't figure out the answer from the rulebook. The rulebook just says a unit consolidates in the fight phase with no qualifications in that section. An eligible unit in the Fight phase is "one that is within Engagement Range of an enemy unit and/or made a charge move in the same turn." For instance, I had a tank charge and engage one Intercessor from a squad. The squad took casualties from my other melee unit and removed that model. Do I get to consolidate 3" with the tank, and is the tank then eligible to fight since it hadn't been activated that round?

If you charged, you can pile in and consolidate as you are still eligible to fight even if there are not enemies in range. If your pile in takes you into range of a unit you declared your charge against you can then fight it. You can then consolidate, but you cannot fight AFTER consolidating even if you didn't before. Consolidating is done after the opportunity to fight.

If the unit didn't charge, it can't be chosen to fight if not in range of enemies and so does not pile in nor consolidate.

Excellent answer, you covered my follow-up question too. Thank you!

 Stux wrote:
If your pile in takes you into range of a unit you declared your charge against you can then fight it..

With the caveat that you would have already been engaged with that unit because your initial charge move would have gotten you within 1 inch of all units you have declared a charge against.

To clarify: Remember that the unit that charged needs to be able to end the charge move in unit coherency and within Engagement Range of every unit that was a target of its charge, otherwise the charge fails and no one moves.

To clarify: a "fight" is the full sequence of pile in, attack and consolidate. If a unit charged, then it is eligible to fight even if there are no enemies nearby, meaning it can do the full pile in, attack (but only the unit(s) it charged) and consolidate.

This means that units that charged and can fight twice (e.g. Berzerkers) can do the full pile in and consolidate twice, even if there are no enemies nearby.

 Cheex wrote:
To clarify: a "fight" is the full sequence of pile in, attack and consolidate. If a unit charged, then it is eligible to fight even if there are no enemies nearby, meaning it can do the full pile in, attack (but only the unit(s) it charged) and consolidate.

This means that units that charged and can fight twice (e.g. Berzerkers) can do the full pile in and consolidate twice, even if there are no enemies nearby.

That's correct. This was heavily discussed about a month ago in another thread which I can't remember the name of nor be bothered to troll through the forum looking for. Also, the first Pile-In is both still eligible and relevant even if the unit(s) charged were not destroyed as only one model in a unit needs to meet the 1" engagement range requirement, even then, Pile-In can be done for all models in the fighting unit that are not already in base contact with an enemy model to get as many models as possible within actual melee range as the second row can only make attacks if they are in base contact with the first row iirc.

 DarkHound wrote:
Excellent answer, you covered my follow-up question too. Thank you!

yes. and if you consolidate in to a unit you didnt charge, and have a stratagem that allows you to fight twice, you cant use the stratagem to fight against a unit you didnt charge in that way.

Technically, you can fight. That would allow you to Pile In and Consolidate, but you are forbidden from allocating attacks against any unit you didn’t charge when you fight.

So every round all units pile in and consolidate, even if it's not your turn?
It's the consolidate part that for some reason confused me.
And you consolidate right after your attacks, even if the enemy unit still has to fight?

That is correct.
each unit it done one at a time now, it is not like 7th and earlier editions where combat results were worked out after both (or more units in a combat had fought.

Some armies have strategems that rely on this, for example, i think ravenwwing have a strat allowing them to move away from combat afteer they have fought, so the enemy unit would be too far away to attack them back.

Every unit eligible to fight, every turn they are eligible, fights

They follow the steps under fighting, in sequence, from start to end. That includes pile in, making attacks, and consolidating. This is done unit by unit, and you do not go to another unit until you've finished every single step.

nosferatu1001 wrote:
Every unit eligible to fight, every turn they are eligible, fights

They follow the steps under fighting, in sequence, from start to end. That includes pile in, making attacks, and consolidating. This is done unit by unit, and you do not go to another unit until you've finished every single step.

Don't forget the caveat on that. They only get to fight if they are eligible when their controller attempts to chose them to fight. A unit that charged this turn is always eligible to fight, even if they no longer have valid targets (ie, somehow the unit they charged is wiped before they are chosen to fight). However, a unit that has not charged and does not have some other rule making them eligible to fight, can only be chosen to fight following the standard eligibility rules. A unit may start the fight phase eligible, or be made eligible by other units Pile-In and Consolidate moves, but if their valid targets are removed in any way before their controller choses them to fight, they loose their eligible status and cannot fight.

Or in simpler language, eligibility to fight is determined when you are selecting a unit to fight, not at the start of the Fight phase.