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Saw this in a game today: 3 Drop Pods come down. Pod 1 and 2 both have 10 man squads. They deploy. Pod 3 has a unit and 2 IC's. The owning player deployed the pod squad, then deployed both IC's each within 2 inches of the already deployed squads, the idea being the one IC now joined that particular squad.

The other player said the rules don't allow you to do this. But I didn't get to see/hear the reason.

My rulebook is in the car...which answer is correct?

ICs are not required to maintain unit coherency while disembarking. However, if they do not maintain unit coherency, by the end of the Movement Phase, they will be considered as having left that unit. If they are in coherency with another unit by the end of the Movement Phase, they will have been considered joined to the new unit.

For rules review, look up the Independent Character rule (particularly the section Joining and Leaving a Unit) and Independent Characters and Transports in the Vehicles\Transports section.

I have heard this argument before. A player insisted that, because deploying from reserves happens at the start of the turn and not the movement phase (which is debatable), you cannot join or leave a unit when deploying, as the rules say you may only leave/join during the movement phase.

The idea that reserves happen in the movement phase is from older editions, though it is still implied in the deep strike rules.

The idea that reserves happen before the movement phase is suggested by the current rules that tell us that if our reserves have not already arrived, they do so at the START of the fourth turn.

Typical gw ambiguity. In my experience most players are still in the "arrives in the movement phase" camp. Ymmv

 jokerkd wrote:
I have heard this argument before. A player insisted that, because deploying from reserves happens at the start of the turn and not the movement phase (which is debatable), you cannot join or leave a unit when deploying, as the rules say you may only leave/join during the movement phase.

The idea that reserves happen in the movement phase is from older editions, though it is still implied in the deep strike rules.

The idea that reserves happen before the movement phase is suggested by the current rules that tell us that if our reserves have not already arrived, they do so at the START of the fourth turn.

Typical gw ambiguity. In my experience most players are still in the "arrives in the movement phase" camp. Ymmv

Largely irrelevant in this case as the situation has more to do with Disembarking from the Transports than it does with Arriving From Reserves (which is allowed when riding a Deep Striking Transport).

Arriving From Reserves can be a little more touchy, but in either case, the units would start in coherency of some kind at the edge of the table, and then move across the board, if not arriving from Deep Strike. In this case, the ICs can still move out of Coherency, but not be considered removed until the end of the Movement Phase (which means they are still part of the unit for Interceptor).

Arriving via Deep Strike is a different story, though. All the models of the unit have to be in base to base, so the ICs have zero chance of moving away from the unit until they Run. At which point, they cannot leave the unit that turn or the opponent's next turn without the unit being destroyed or himself.

Arriving From Reserves can be a little more touchy, but in either case, the units would start in coherency of some kind at the edge of the table, and then move across the board, if not arriving from Deep Strike. In this case, the ICs can still move out of Coherency, but not be considered removed until the end of the Movement Phase (which means they are still part of the unit for Interceptor).

So they could not join the other unit, correct?

Only if they themsevles were the DS unit. if they were disembarking from a DS vehicle, then the IC can move out of coherency (as ALL ICs can do when disembakring) and, if they end up IN coherency of another unit, will be joined to it.

Also in order to perform the trick they Must be away 2" or more from the squad they were part at the beginning of the movement phase, if not they will remain joined to that original squad.

General Hobbs wrote:

Arriving From Reserves can be a little more touchy, but in either case, the units would start in coherency of some kind at the edge of the table, and then move across the board, if not arriving from Deep Strike. In this case, the ICs can still move out of Coherency, but not be considered removed until the end of the Movement Phase (which means they are still part of the unit for Interceptor).

So they could not join the other unit, correct?

If an IC is in Coherency of more than one unit, then the owning player decides which unit they are joined to. But this still only applies to the end of the Movement Phase.

This still applies to a Deep Striking unit, but it is much much harder to get an IC Deep Striking with a unit in coherency range with another unit without risking a mishap, since the IC cannot move before the Movement Phase ends.

Lord Perversor wrote:
Also in order to perform the trick they Must be away 2" or more from the squad they were part at the beginning of the movement phase, if not they will remain joined to that original squad.

Incorrect. There is no such restriction that exists. "If the Independent Character is within 2" of more than one unit at the end of its Movement phase, the player must declare which unit it is joining." The second sentence of the second paragraph of Joining and Leaving Units in the Independent Character rule.

Now, the next sentence does require an IC to move out of coherency range of any unit it does not plan to or cannot join. However, this is not always possible, which is why the sentence above is enforceable.

 Charistoph wrote:

General Hobbs wrote:

[

Lord Perversor wrote:
Also in order to perform the trick they Must be away 2" or more from the squad they were part at the beginning of the movement phase, if not they will remain joined to that original squad.

Incorrect. There is no such restriction that exists. "If the Independent Character is within 2" of more than one unit at the end of its Movement phase, the player must declare which unit it is joining." The second sentence of the second paragraph of Joining and Leaving Units in the Independent Character rule.

Now, the next sentence does require an IC to move out of coherency range of any unit it does not plan to or cannot join. However, this is not always possible, which is why the sentence above is enforceable.

Next paragraph says

"An Independent Character can leave a unit during the Movement phase by moving out of unit coherency with it. He cannot join or leave during any other phase – once shots are fired or charges are declared, it is too late to join in or duck out!"

wich explains how an IC can leave a unit.

Your paragraph starts as " In order to join a unit," wich explains how an IC joins units and how to behave should there be many choices.

Lord Perversor wrote:

 Charistoph wrote:

Lord Perversor wrote:
Also in order to perform the trick they Must be away 2" or more from the squad they were part at the beginning of the movement phase, if not they will remain joined to that original squad.

Incorrect. There is no such restriction that exists. "If the Independent Character is within 2" of more than one unit at the end of its Movement phase, the player must declare which unit it is joining." The second sentence of the second paragraph of Joining and Leaving Units in the Independent Character rule.

Now, the next sentence does require an IC to move out of coherency range of any unit it does not plan to or cannot join. However, this is not always possible, which is why the sentence above is enforceable.

Next paragraph says

"An Independent Character can leave a unit during the Movement phase by moving out of unit coherency with it. He cannot join or leave during any other phase – once shots are fired or charges are declared, it is too late to join in or duck out!"

wich explains how an IC can leave a unit.

Your paragraph starts as " In order to join a unit," wich explains how an IC joins units and how to behave should there be many choices.

If the only thing that was desired was for the IC to leave the unit, you would be correct. However, if the IC is intended to leave one unit and join another in the same turn, then my quote is quite accurate.

Your original statement was that the IC had to leave its original unit in order to join another. This is not the case. An IC can still be in coherency of their previous unit AND their new unit at the same time, per the that line from the rules you quoted me quoting.

However, in order for this to happen, the IC would be moving first and the other unit moving in to coherency with it. An IC cannot move in to coherency with something it cannot or or is not intending of joining.