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I've been in and out of 40K for a few years and as a Necron player I'm hearing a lot about detachments and several formations in the new Exterminatus book, however I don't have a clue what that means?

I was always a build a list from the Codex: HQ, 2 Troops Choice no more than 3 Heavy etc etc...

Can somebody shed some light on this please?

Thanks!

I don't play anymore so don't know much of the rules. When you use a data slate or a detachment you use the FOC on there or use it as exactly it says. When you do this you get the free benefits that it says.

So in a lot of cases you are using units you may not normally use because you don't think they are good enough. If you don't use them then you don't get the free benefits. Hope this make some sense until someone who knows better comes along.

A Detachment either follows what you'll be familiar with as the standard Force Organisation or a specific one as laid out in a Codex or other expansion.

A standard Combined Arms Detachment comes with Objective Secured and the re-roll Warlord Traits rule as standard, other detachments have other USRs if you conform to the structure - which isn't always the standard shape.

A Formation is outside of the standard Force Org so you'd still need whatever was required to make your lost battle forged, assuming that's what you're doing, and will typically have a specific number of specific units, whereas detachments normally have an element of choice. Again, they often have some USRs attached to them.

A detachment is basically the FOC.
First you have a primary detachment (1 FOC).
Once you reach 2000 points, you can have a secondary detachment (2 FOC)

You may also have an allied detachment, which uses a modified version of the standard FOC (now called the Combined Arms detachment)

Seventh ed introduced different types of FOC. Every army has access to the Combined Arms Detachment (typical 1 HQ, 2 Troops required, 3 elites optional, ect, ect), but every faction is getting their own special FOC that they may use instead.

A formation works outside of the FOC, and needs specific units for it to be used. It's basically the same thing from apocalypse.

 RedEyeJedi21 wrote:
I've been in and out of 40K for a few years and as a Necron player I'm hearing a lot about detachments and several formations in the new Exterminatus book, however I don't have a clue what that means?

I was always a build a list from the Codex: HQ, 2 Troops Choice no more than 3 Heavy etc etc...

Can somebody shed some light on this please?

Thanks!

What you described above (Compulsory: 1 HQ, 2 Troops; Optional: 4 Troops, 3 Elite, etc) is now called the Combined Arms Detachment. In 7th edition, there are now multiple ways to organise your army called detachments; including the Combined Arms Detachment and Allied Detachment. For instance, another FOC may be comprised of Compulsory: 1 HQ; Optional: 1 HQ, 3 Elites. Each detachment confers different advantages, while often carrying their own restrictions (typically being limited to a specific faction/codex). What's more, in 7th edition, a player is allowed to bring along as many detachments as s/he wants.

Much in the same vein are formations; which can be thought of as a more restricted version of detachments. Meaning, instead of having compulsory "Troops" and optional choices of "Elites" and "Heavy Support", a formation typically specifies the units it is comprised of as well as how many of each (this may be a range or a specific number). Again, taking a formation confers certain benefits to compensate. And much like detachments, a player is allowed to bring as few or as many formations as s/he wants; and the Warlord may even be selected from a formation.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
A detachment is basically the FOC.
First you have a primary detachment (1 FOC).
Once you reach 2000 points, you can have a secondary detachment (2 FOC)

Not so anymore. In 7th edition, you are free to take as many detachments as you want regardless of the number of points involved in the game. And your primary detachment is whichever detachment your Warlord is in; including formations.

Huh, well that's silly.
I think I prefer the previous system. It was not as ludicrous.

mr. peasant wrote:

 RedEyeJedi21 wrote:
I've been in and out of 40K for a few years and as a Necron player I'm hearing a lot about detachments and several formations in the new Exterminatus book, however I don't have a clue what that means?

I was always a build a list from the Codex: HQ, 2 Troops Choice no more than 3 Heavy etc etc...

Can somebody shed some light on this please?

Thanks!

What you described above (Compulsory: 1 HQ, 2 Troops; Optional: 4 Troops, 3 Elite, etc) is now called the Combined Arms Detachment. In 7th edition, there are now multiple ways to organise your army called detachments; including the Combined Arms Detachment and Allied Detachment. For instance, another FOC may be comprised of Compulsory: 1 HQ; Optional: 1 HQ, 3 Elites. Each detachment confers different advantages, while often carrying their own restrictions (typically being limited to a specific faction/codex). What's more, in 7th edition, a player is allowed to bring along as many detachments as s/he wants.

Much in the same vein are formations; which can be thought of as a more restricted version of detachments. Meaning, instead of having compulsory "Troops" and optional choices of "Elites" and "Heavy Support", a formation typically specifies the units it is comprised of as well as how many of each (this may be a range or a specific number). Again, taking a formation confers certain benefits to compensate. And much like detachments, a player is allowed to bring as few or as many formations as s/he wants; and the Warlord may even be selected from a formation.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
A detachment is basically the FOC.
First you have a primary detachment (1 FOC).
Once you reach 2000 points, you can have a secondary detachment (2 FOC)

Not so anymore. In 7th edition, you are free to take as many detachments as you want regardless of the number of points involved in the game. And your primary detachment is whichever detachment your Warlord is in; including formations.

Brilliant, this makes things easier for me to understand. So let me get this straight:

I can still use a Primary Detachment as normal if I want to, legally? HQ, 2TC, 3HS etc...

Formations are armies that tell me what I can/cannot use, but offer benefits to me etc if I do use them?

A formation has to be taken alongside a detachment, iirc.

So first you have a detachment, and then you may take a formation to go along with it.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
A formation has to be taken alongside a detachment, iirc.

So first you have a detachment, and then you may take a formation to go along with it.

Strict reading there's no restriction on what your Primary Detachment has to be. It could be a Formation, it could be a special detachment from one of the books, the only restriction is that it must contain your Warlord (so it has to contain a Character model).

And a Formation is just another kind of Detachment with tighter constraints and more benefits.

 RedEyeJedi21 wrote:
Brilliant, this makes things easier for me to understand. So let me get this straight:

I can still use a Primary Detachment as normal if I want to, legally? HQ, 2TC, 3HS etc...

Formations are armies that tell me what I can/cannot use, but offer benefits to me etc if I do use them?

Yes to all the above.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
A formation has to be taken alongside a detachment, iirc.

So first you have a detachment, and then you may take a formation to go along with it.

You don't need to take a detachment in order to take a formation. From the BRB:

SELECTING DETACHMENTS
You can include any number and type of Detachments in a Battle-forged army provided you have sufficient units. Simply select a type of Detachment and organise some or all of your units so that they fit within the restrictions and limitations detailed on that particular Detachment.

FORMATIONS
Formations are a special type of Detachment, each a specific grouping of units renowned for their effectiveness on the battlefields of the 41st Millennium.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
A formation has to be taken alongside a detachment, iirc.

So first you have a detachment, and then you may take a formation to go along with it.

Also not true. You can make an army out of one Formation. Tyranid Skyblight for example.

Alright, best way for me to describe detachments and formations is: each one is an army. Doesn't matter if they're a model or two hundred, a Formation or Detachment is an army seperate from EVERYTHING else on the table. How it interacts with something else is determined by the allies chart. Commonly, multiple detachments or formations are from the same faction, so, they interact together using the 'Battle Brother' rules. But there are still seperate bonuses given to the models in them. When building a full army with multiple Detachments or Dormations, you build one so the minimum requirements are met, set it aside and start on the next one and so on. They are only a single force on the table interacting with each other.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
"Primary detachment" now also means something specific. It is wherever your Warlord is. It can be ANY detachment or Formation unless the 'Command Benefits' or 'Formation Restrictions' says it's not allowed. but yes, the old Force Org Chart is still available.

I stand corrected then.
Not surprising, considering how I don't use formations. :/
Or allies for that matter.
Old Warhammer is best warhammer.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Huh, well that's silly.
I think I prefer the previous system. It was not as ludicrous.

You and many others.