Core Mechanics FAQ: Movement

Generic Movement/Charging questions with no single addressable rule target.

Q: Friendly unit A is engaged in combat with enemy unit B from a previous turn. Friendly unit C, in unit B's front zone, wants to charge into the combat but the entire frontage of B has already been taken up by A. Is C allowed to charge the flank of B? Ruling: No. The rules clearly state that to charge in the flank/rear, the majority of the charging unit must be in that zone, and there are no exceptions - you should have to positively move the unit into position rather than simply fill up the front with other stuff. Source: [Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team / Rulebook page 46]

Q: Can a unit redirect a charge against an enemy unit that it could have originally charged? Ruling: No. You can only redirect a charge against a unit if you could not have declared a charge against them normally, but can now do so due to the enemy fleeing. Source: [Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 112]

Q: If an enemy unit flees and I redirect my charge against a newly revealed enemy unit, can I both run down the fleeing unit and charge the newly revealed unit, provided I have enough movement for both? Ruling: No. You do not declare whether you are redirecting until after the fleeing unit has completed its movement, at which point you must choose one or the other. Source: [Rulebook page 53 / Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 112 / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: How do you determine if a defending unit is ineligible to perform a stand and shoot reaction? Ruling: Calculate the actual charge movement expended (wheels, difficult terrain, etc.) by the charging unit(s). If one or more charging units can expend half or less of its charge movement to complete the charge, the defending unit may not stand and shoot. Source: [Rulebook pages 45, 46, 61 / Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the Games Workshop Warhammer Forum) / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: If a unit fails a charge against a defending unit that chose stand and shoot, does the defender still get to stand and shoot? Ruling: Yes, as long as the failed charge brings the charging unit into range of the defender's missile weapons. Source: [Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: If a character joins a war machine and has a missile weapon, could he stand & fire with that weapon? Ruling: Unless specifically acting as crew, a character who joins a war machine unit is not considered crew and so may stand & shoot. Source: [Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 114]

Q: What happens when the monstrous mount of a rider is killed by a stand and shoot reaction prior to / during the mount's charge move? Does the rider continue to attempt the charge? Ruling: If the stand and shoot is resolved before the charger moves, the rider is on foot before the model starts moving and attempts to complete the charge using his own charge move. If resolved after the charger has started moving (which only happens if it started out of range), the charge fails automatically at that point. Source: [Rulebook pages 52, 53 / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: What happens when the chariot a character is riding is destroyed by a stand and shoot reaction prior to / during its charge move? Does the character continue to attempt the charge? Ruling: If resolved before the chariot moves, the character is placed anywhere within 2" of the destroyed chariot and attempts to complete the charge using his own charge move. If resolved after the chariot has started moving, the charge fails automatically and the character is placed anywhere within 2" of the destroyed chariot. Source: [Rulebook pages 52, 53, 127 / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: If a character is the only model left in a unit that flees, and the unit was below 25% of its original size, can the character still rally? Ruling: If the character is the only one left, the unit has been destroyed and the character is no longer part of it. Since the character is above 25% of their own starting size, they will always be able to rally. Source: [July 2002 Q&A Update on the Warhammer Chronicles website]

Q: When a unit with random compulsory movement (e.g. Chaos Spawn, Snotling Pumpwagon) pursues another unit off the board and returns in its next compulsory move phase, can that move bring it into contact with the enemy? Ruling: Yes. Units that use random compulsory movement do not declare charges, so they are not restricted from coming into contact with an enemy unit on the turn they return to the table. Source: [Rulebook page 76]

Q: In the Appendix Six guidance on charges involving multiple charging units (dividing the target's frontage evenly), does this still apply when one or more of the charging units is a single model (chariot, giant, lone character, etc.)? Ruling: Yes, the rule about splitting the target unit's frontage still applies, with the maximize-chargers rule applied to the portion of the target unit each charging unit has been allocated. Source: [Rulebook page 268 / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: During the move chargers step, if a charging unit catches a fleeing enemy unit and its full charge move would carry it into contact with an additional enemy unit, does this count as pursuit into fresh enemy, or must it stop 1" away? Ruling: The rules do not allow contact with an enemy unit during Move Chargers unless a valid charge/redirected charge was declared against it, or it was 'drawn-in' per Appendix Six's multiple-targets rules. So the charging unit is forced to stop 1" away from the additional enemy unit. Source: [Rulebook pages 55, 267 / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: If an unengaged unit classified as 'Moves as a Monster' is charged in the Flank or Rear, does it have the ability to turn and face the chargers? Ruling: No. Anything larger than a man-sized character on foot now has a clear front/flank/rear for combat purposes, and the opponent gets the flank/rear bonuses if charged there. Source: [Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team / Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 114]

Q: If unit A wants to charge unit B but a patch of difficult ground is in the way (going straight through it fails the charge, but wheeling around it brings fewer models into contact), can unit A wheel around the difficult terrain to make the charge? Ruling: Yes. The first rule of charging is to bring as many models from the charging unit into combat as possible - as 'fewer' is greater than 'zero', unit A must perform the wheel and complete the charge. Source: [Rulebook page 52 / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: Single Models that move 'As Monsters' or 'As Skirmishers' can pivot on the spot with no penalty instead of wheeling - does this mean they can zig-zag or change direction several times while charging? Ruling: No. When charging, single models move exactly like other units except that instead of the single wheel allowed, the model may be rotated once in place for no movement penalty - they can only change direction once when charging. Source: [Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 114 / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation]

Q: What happens when the charging rules would force a charging unit to move off the board (e.g. running down a fleeing unit at the table edge)? Ruling: Simply move the chargers off the table and then allow them to return next turn, in the Remaining Moves phase, as normal. Source: [Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team]

Q: Can you change the position of a character within a ranked up unit in the movement phase? Ruling: As long as you're not charging, yes - though he must still remain in the front rank if possible (except for Skaven). Source: [Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the Games Workshop Warhammer Forum)]

Q: When a unit that pursued another unit off the board returns, do you place the entire unit back on the table and then move it, or expend movement to move it back on? Ruling: The unit has to physically move onto the table, as if its front rank started the phase touching the outside edge of the board. Source: [Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team]

Q: If a unit has pursued another unit off the board, when in its following movement phase does it arrive back on the battlefield? Ruling: It arrives back when it would normally move - most units in the Remaining Moves phase (as they cannot charge); units like Spawn of Chaos arrive in the Compulsory Moves phase. Source: [Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the Games Workshop Warhammer Forum)]

Q: A unit that pursued another unit off the board is said to arrive back in the same place it left. What happens if your opponent has placed a unit there? Ruling: Move the unit back on as close to the position it left as possible. Source: [Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the Games Workshop Warhammer Forum)]

Q: If a ranked unit doesn't have enough movement to get its entire formation back onto the table (e.g. Dwarfs in difficult terrain), should you just 'fudge' it and let them come back on? Ruling: Correct - this also happens to deep infantry units with enemy units close by that stop marching. Source: [Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team]

Q: If at the start of a turn, enemy units are within 8" of the position where a unit must re-enter the table, does it prevent the re-entering unit from marching? Ruling: Yes. Source: [Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team]