Complex Assault Question

[Lovecraft]

I had a situation come up in a recent game I played and neither me or my opponent knew the answer. We had an assault with multiple initiatives involving a unit with an attached independent character. The attacker's troops had a higher initiative than the IC (who had a powerfist). The attackers troops struck first and killed four of the ten man squad they were attacking. I then removed casualties, which took the IC out of base-to-base with any of the defending models. The question was, does the IC get to attack as he is no longer in base-to-base with any enemy models by the time his initiative starts, or does he get to attack because he was in contact at the beginning of the round? We wound up saying that if he was out of contact at the time of his initiative he did not get to attack, but we couldn't find anything in the rule book. Might have missed it.

[jonsgot]

This situation came up in 4th Eddition all the time and not just with Independent Charaters, which is why they changed the rules to all models in base to base contact At the start of the assault phase can attack with their full number of attacks. I remember playing a game recently and coming up against this issue. I couldn't find where the rule was but we managed to muddle through with a 4+

If you blink you miss it;)

[Grenadier]

It is because of stuff like that that makes me hate the assault phase.

[SeattleDV8]

Jonsgot is correct
BRB page 35
Working out which models are engaged in combat is done at the start of the fight, and will not change until its end....

[thecactusman17]

Now, if that IC had been attached to a unit that killed the whole enemy squad outright, and there was another unit that the IC was not in B2B with, then he would not get to attack.

[Lord Fett]

jonsgot is correct, you see who 'can' attack before any attacks are made and at thier intiative step they get to attack.

[Grenadier]

I'm glad people can come here for this kind of stuff. Thanks to you guys I now know I was being screwed over in assault when my opponent would assault with one unit. Fight it out. Then bring in another unit to fight it out.

[khsrio621]

Yeah, there's a lot of odd stuff that happens in the assault phase that they really ought to look at or clarify in the next edition.

[Wolfshade]

This question was answered here:
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?t=20011

[AlMalik]

Independent Character should have strike

[Minex]

Yep if the IC could strike at the beginning - he gets to strike no matter which models your enemy removes.

[Criger]

As a new player, I have to say the assault rules in this game are the most complicated part. Things are simplified when I play my Eldar against my friend's orks. We can usually just assume my entire unit is dead if they get into assault with him. :(