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I was playing Harlequins against Chaos Space Marines the other day, and an unusual situation came up. My opponent had an Alpha Legion detachment, and when he got the first turn he used their stratagem to infiltrate several units behind my lines in my deployment zone. I used the Hundred Swords of Vaul Harlequin strategem to re-deploy a unit of skyweavers. This stratagem says that you can redeploy 1 Harlequin unit anywhere in your deployment zone, so I put them within 1" of two of the infiltrating units. As far as I can tell, this puts them into close combat from the start of the game.

Neither of us could find anything that says I couldn't do this, but its a strange enough situation that I thought I would check to see if we missed a rule. Did we?

Yup, generally speaking this is totally fine. Unless it specifically says you can't place them within 1" (as moving in the movement phase does), then it's fine!

I see no problem with this process.

Congratulations, you literally threw the rulebook out of the window when you found a hidden way to get into close combat

Normally the rules for redeployment/deepstrike state universally that you can be no closer than 9" from an enemy unit. If your strat does not have this condition then it would seem to be as intended

Sounds like a harlequin thing to do anyway.

mchammadad wrote:
I see no problem with this process.

Congratulations, you literally threw the rulebook out of the window when you found a hidden way to get into close combat

Eh. Serves the Alpha Legion player right for cheesing into the enemy deployment zone. This gives some counterplay. I like it!

I can imagine the Chaos Player smiling and changing his face when you used this stratagem.

If you have deployment type with no no-mans land in-between, you can also have units starting the game fighting each other, assuming one player deployed within 1" of the edge of his deployment zone.

This is no different.

Do you think the writers intended this, or it just slipped through the pages? I actually think there's justification for this being intentional; after all, it's your deployment zone. Being 9" bullied around your own deployment zone would be nurgling gak. Well done sir.

Isn't there a clause where it says you can't get within 1" of an enemy unit unless it's with a charge move? I don't have access to the BRB right now, but I'm pretty sure that's a thing

Well, our host for our regular gaming rounds put it like this:

"Do you think the writers would not have intended to have World Eaters and Orks smashing their face from the first second of the battle if they could?"

In this case it's the Alpha Legion trying to pull shenanigans on Harlequins. What could possibly go wrong?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Isn't there a clause where it says you can't get within 1" of an enemy unit unless it's with a charge move? I don't have access to the BRB right now, but I'm pretty sure that's a thing

You would be wrong. The only time you are not allowed to move within 1" of an enemy model is during the movement phase. At all other times, unless specifically stated otherwise, you can get in combat through other means. The most prominent ones: Heroic Intervention, Pile-In and Consolidate.

 Jidmah wrote:
Well, our host for our regular gaming rounds put it like this:

"Do you think the writers would not have intended to have World Eaters and Orks smashing their face from the first second of the battle if they could?"

In this case it's the Alpha Legion trying to pull shenanigans on Harlequins. What could possibly go wrong?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Isn't there a clause where it says you can't get within 1" of an enemy unit unless it's with a charge move? I don't have access to the BRB right now, but I'm pretty sure that's a thing

You would be wrong. The only time you are not allowed to move within 1" of an enemy model is during the movement phase. At all other times, unless specifically stated otherwise, you can get in combat through other means. The most prominent ones: Heroic Intervention, Pile-In and Consolidate.

Aren't those three part of the assault phase though? I mean, that does sound right now that I think of it, but this whole thing sounds like a goofy loophole. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets patched out.

Cannot move within 1" is part of the movement phase, the rule even explicitly says so. There is no limit to move within 1" outside of the movement phase.
There is no general rule disallowing getting within 1". No loophole, you just got your rules backwards.

Also worth considering is that although the models count as having moved when deployed, it does not say that the models actually move when deployed. So, deploying within 1" during the movement phase would not be that same as moving within 1" during the movement phase. There's no inherent restriction on deploying within 1" of the enemy, just specific restrictions on whatever stratagem, ability or psychic ability allowing you to deploy.