Super Heavy Walkers and Locked in Combat

[Deacon Ix]

Just to make sure I haven't missed anything but the way I read the rules Super Heavy Walkers can be locked in combat, meaning that they can't move, shoot ect...

Which could mean that a squad of guardsmen could halt a Titan in its tracks... (yes unlikely but with only a couple of attacks and a bad stomp they could survive...)

Lets see if I have the logic right
Enemy Models in base contact with a vehicle (not including walkers and chariots) are not locked in combat.

SH Walkers are walkers with some exceptions

In CC Walkers fight like infantry models

so SH walkers can be locked in combat (gargantuan creatures as well)

I bring this up as I have just finished off my Brass Scorpion (my first SH Walker :)) so was brushing up on the rules before I use it, and found that if in combat it can't fire it's 4 ranged weapons...

The locked in combat rule makes sense for infantry and smaller models (dreads ect) but I find it hard to get my mind around something like a titan or brass scorpion being held up by the likes of a puny human... SH Walker vs another SH Walker or G Creature locked in combat does make sense tho.

Have I missed something?

[JMichael]

I think you are correct. I have had my Imperial Knight locked in with termigaunts for several turns effectively neutralizing it.
Doesn't make much sense, and seems like a Super-Heavy Walker and Gargantuans should just be able to walk away.

[Wolfshade]

Don't forget superheavies usually get the Stomp rule which is quite effective at unlocking them

[Deacon Ix]

I think you are correct. I have had my Imperial Knight locked in with termigaunts for several turns effectively neutralizing it.
Doesn't make much sense, and seems like a Super-Heavy Walker and Gargantuans should just be able to walk away.

Yeah I can see how this would be annoying,

We are thinking about having a house rule where if a model is equal or larger than you, you are locked in combat and if you opponent is smaller than you you are not locked in combat

ie: Super Heavy Walker vs a Gargantuan Creature or another SH walker is locked,

A SH Walker or G Creature vs infantry, monstrous creature or walker is not locked in combat but the infantry, MC and walker are.

Mostly just for fluff

[Wolfshade]

The rule is a great way to swamp SH and take them out without without having to escalate to the biggest model wins.

The other down side is that you disengage and then re-engage the same turn getting a charge bonus when previously you had been charged.

[daboarder]

Yeah I can see how this would be annoying,

We are thinking about having a house rule where if a model is equal or larger than you, you are locked in combat and if you opponent is smaller than you you are not locked in combat

ie: Super Heavy Walker vs a Gargantuan Creature or another SH walker is locked,

A SH Walker or G Creature vs infantry, monstrous creature or walker is not locked in combat but the infantry, MC and walker are.

Mostly just for fluff

you do realise that if you make that rule any nid players get screwed. Tarpit and FHT are kinda the only things nids can do against SHWs

Think of it as the termingants swarming the walker, not just standing around waiting to get stomped on

[Deacon Ix]

you do realise that if you make that rule any nid players get screwed. Tarpit and FHT are kinda the only things nids can do against SHWs

Think of it as the termingants swarming the walker, not just standing around waiting to get stomped on

Yeah you are quite right and in reality what the SHW should be doing is not letting it happen in the first place / picking their fights, they do have a 12" move after all.

[Archon Charybdis]

The problem with Nids runs a lot deeper than just how they can deal with GCs/SHWs. The fact that they need to depend on a rather broken and ill thought out rule should highlight that point even. Besides, Nids actually have access to a number of their own GCs so it's not like they'd be left without any recourse.

[Mr Mystery]

Yeah I can see how this would be annoying,

We are thinking about having a house rule where if a model is equal or larger than you, you are locked in combat and if you opponent is smaller than you you are not locked in combat

ie: Super Heavy Walker vs a Gargantuan Creature or another SH walker is locked,

A SH Walker or G Creature vs infantry, monstrous creature or walker is not locked in combat but the infantry, MC and walker are.

Mostly just for fluff

From a 'punch up' point of view, it's kind of risky to attempt to disengage, even if you're considerably bigger than your would-be opponents. It's distracting for one thing, and you can leave your vulnerable bits, erm, vulnerable.

Now in terms of 40k there are of course exceptions - if you're a Hormogaunt, you're still never going to take down a Warlord Titan, or even pose much trouble for a super-heavy skimmer.

Though thinking from a Nid perspective, in the background you read various and sundry instances of Gargoyles bundling themselves straight into air intakes, rotorblades, etc. Why can't that be done in the current rules? You can make the mechanic itself quite harsh for the enemy for the simple reason the Gargoyles themselves aren't particularly tricky to kill off - so should they wish to avoid engine gunging trouble, they can deal with the threat - at the expense of not applying that firepower elsewhere.

In fact, I'd like to see some more suicidal tactics available to Nids. Surely even a Landraider can only realistically cope with so many corpses trapped in it's treads before it comes grinding to a halt?

Not about to propose any given rules for that like - it's just something I don't get why Nids don't do it already.

[Deacon Ix]

From a 'punch up' point of view, it's kind of risky to attempt to disengage, even if you're considerably bigger than your would-be opponents. It's distracting for one thing, and you can leave your vulnerable bits, erm, vulnerable.

Now in terms of 40k there are of course exceptions - if you're a Hormogaunt, you're still never going to take down a Warlord Titan, or even pose much trouble for a super-heavy skimmer.

Though thinking from a Nid perspective, in the background you read various and sundry instances of Gargoyles bundling themselves straight into air intakes, rotorblades, etc. Why can't that be done in the current rules? You can make the mechanic itself quite harsh for the enemy for the simple reason the Gargoyles themselves aren't particularly tricky to kill off - so should they wish to avoid engine gunging trouble, they can deal with the threat - at the expense of not applying that firepower elsewhere.

In fact, I'd like to see some more suicidal tactics available to Nids. Surely even a Landraider can only realistically cope with so many corpses trapped in it's treads before it comes grinding to a halt?

Not about to propose any given rules for that like - it's just something I don't get why Nids don't do it already.

A new thunk:

If a GC/SHW disengages the other unit(s) get a free immediate hit, on SHW against lowest armour value and GC against base toughness.

To simulate them not concentraiting on defence

The other unit could then charge again the following turn, but that is part of the risk.