Blocked Path

(Rule)
Description: To prevent abusive situations where a unit cannot Charge an enemy unit well within Charge Range and Line of Sight due to a convoluted positioning of enemy units, potentially in conjunction with Impassable Terrain or the Board Edge, the following rules are applied.

A unit can declare a Charge against an unengaged enemy unit and make a special Charge Move as described below, if it is unable to declare a normal Charge in the Charge Phase solely due to any of the following reasons:


• Unengaged enemy units

• The combination of at least two unengaged enemy units and one or more Impassable Terrain Features

• The Board Edge preventing alignment

Move the unit straight forward up to its Charge Range. If this brings the Charging unit into base contact with the enemy unit against which the Charge was declared, that unit is Charged. Instead of Aligning Units as normal, the enemy unit performs a Combat Reform to bring the units into alignment with each other (see ).

Combat Reform, ignoring the restriction for models moving only up to their March Rate during the Combat Reform, so that:


• The Charged Facing determined when declaring the Charge Reaction is aligned with the Charging unit.

• The Charging unit is Engaged in its Front Facing.

• The Charged unit does not change its number of ranks or files.

• The number of models (on both sides) in base contact with an enemy is maximised.

If it is not possible to align the units without changing the number of ranks or files, you may change the number of ranks and files and do not have to maximise models in base contact. If this does not enable the Charged unit to align, it must be aligned with a Facing other than the Charged Facing. If the enemy unit is unable to perform a Combat Reform to align the units, the Blocked Path Charge Move cannot be performed.

Figure figure/blocked_path illustrates Blocked Path situations.



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Example of a Charge Phase involving multiple units.a) 1. Unit A declares a Charge against unit E.
2. Unit E declares and resolves a Hold Charge Reaction.
3. Unit C declares a Charge against unit G.
4. Unit G declares and resolves a Stand and Shoot Charge Reaction, inflicting 1 casualty on unit C.
b) 1. Unit B declares a Charge against unit E.
2. Unit E declares and resolves a Flee Charge Reaction, rolling 5" for the Flee Distance. The Flee Move would make unit E end its move inside unit F's Unit Boundary, so the Flee Distance is extended for unit E to get clear of unit F.
3. Unit F takes a Panic Test for the friendly unit E Fleeing through its Unit Boundary and passes the test.
c) 1. Since unit E performed a Flee Charge Reaction, unit A may attempt to Redirect the Charge. The unit however fails the Discipline Test, so it must try to complete the Charge against unit E.
2. Unit B also attempts to Redirect the Charge and passes the Discipline Test. Unit B now declares a Charge against unit F.
3. Unit F declares and performs a Hold Charge Reaction.
d) 1. Unit D declares a Charge against the Fleeing unit E. Note that this Charge is legal although at this point unit D could not complete this Charge as unit C would block the Charge Move, because already declared Charges are taken into account when determining if there is enough room for a Charging unit to complete the Charge.
2. Since unit E is already Fleeing, it must declare and perform another Flee Charge Reaction, rolling 3" for the Flee Distance. As before, the Flee Distance is extended until unit E gets clear of unit F. Unit F does not take a Panic Test for a friendly unit Fleeing through its Unit Boundary as it already passed a Panic Test during this phase.
e) 1. Unit D attempts to Redirect the Charge and passes the Discipline Test. Unit D declares a Charge against unit F.
2. Unit F declares and performs a Stand and Shoot Charge Reaction, inflicting 2 casualties on unit D.
3. Unit D takes and passes a Panic Test for losing 25% or more Health Points.



Example of a Charge Phase involving multiple units -- part 2.After all Charges have been declared and all Charge Reactions have been declared and performed, the Active Player moves all the units that declared Charges this turn, by rolling a unit's Charge Range and then moving the unit, in an order chosen by the Active Player.
a) Unit C rolls a sufficiently high Charge Range to reach unit G. Unit C performs a Charge Move against unit G.
b) Unit A rolls a sufficiently high Charge Range to reach the Fleeing unit E. Unit A performs a Charge Move against unit E. Since unit E was Fleeing, it is removed as a casualty as soon as the Charging unit moves into contact (without aligning or maximising base contact).
c) Unit A performs and passes a Discipline Test in order to perform a Post-Combat Pivot after successfully Charging a Fleeing unit.
d) Since units B and D both Charge the same enemy unit, both units roll their Charge Range before any of the units that are part of the Combined Charge is moved. Unit B rolls a sufficiently high Charge Range, while unit D fails the Charge Range roll.
e) Unit B performs a Charge Move against unit F, following the rules for . Unit D performs a Failed Charge Move towards unit F.





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