Deployment and Reserves

[Crevab]

Reserves count when alternating your deployments, right?

My opponent had many more units than I did and whenever it was his turn he just went "I deploy in reserves". After I had everything out he finally plopped down his ground troops.
Lesson learned if this is the way things are now, but it just felt weird. Rule book wasn't very helpful, there's not even a line in the index for Deployment :/

[Lemt]

Yes, they do. On page 187 of the rulebook, under "Deployment" it states "The players then alternate deploying their units, one at a time (...)". All special deployment rules follow a similar formula, stating they can deploy in a special place. As an example, the Necron Monolith's "Death Descending" rule states ""During deployment, you can set up the Monolith in the upper atmosphere instead of placing it on the battlefield" (emphasis all mine). The part in italics is where the unit is represented to be (different units have different "places", so for example Necron Flayed ones can be placed "in a charnel pocket-dimension and Eldar Rangers can be "walking the winding paths of the webway". However, they all count as "instead of being placed on the battlefield". AFAIK every single special deployment rule literally says that.
Therefore, you have to deploy units alternating with your opponent, but anyone can choose to place those units in reserves IF AN ONLY IF that unit has a special rule allowing it to do so (assuming matched play, open and narrative play sometimes don't do the "alternate deployment"). This means that each unit placed in "reserves" counts as a unit deployed, but can ONLY ONLY ONLY be placed in "reserves" IF that unit SPECIFICALLY says it can be placed in reserves. There is no longer any rule for matched play that allows you to simply place any unit in reserves and walk them from your table edge later on.

At least, not that I know of. If anyone can show me otherwise I'd be happy to know.

Also, remember that as per the FAQ if at the end of any turn a player has no units on the table (or only has "fortification" options or units performing the "flyer" battlefield role) that player automatically loses the game. But units in other roles having the "FLY" keyword DO count as having a model on the table. So a Tyranid player who only has a Hive Tyrant with wings on the table is safe, since that's an HQ choice.

[Captain Bubonicus]

Just to quibble, it's not "at the end of any turn," it's "after the end of any turn after the first battle round," with a "battle round" meaning both players having a complete turn.

From the 1.1 Rulebook FAQ:

Page 215 – Sudden Death
Change point 2 to read:
‘If at the end of any turn after the first battle round, one
player has no models on the battlefield, the game ends
immediately and their opponent automatically wins a
crushing victory. When determining if a player has any
units on the battlefield, do not include any units with
the Flyer Battlefield Role – these units cannot operate
within a combat airspace indefinitely and they cannot
hold territory without ground support. Furthermore, do
not include any units with the Fortification Battlefield
Role unless they have a unit embarked inside – even the
most formidable bastion requires a garrison if it is to
pose a threat.’

[Lemt]

Oh. OOOOH. Oh. So you mean I can deploy my full-reserve army in... full reserves, and have it all pop in turn 1????

[Captain Bubonicus]

Yep, even if you go second. If you go first, you wouldn't actually have to put a model on the table until the beginning of the second Battle Round!

*Edit*

Whoops - forgot about this rule for "matched play" (p.215):



TACTICAL RESERVES
Instead of being set up on the battlefield during Deployment, many
units have the ability to be set up on teleportariums, in high orbit,
in Reserve, etc., in order to arrive on the battlefield mid-game as
reinforcements. When setting up your army during Deployment for
a matched play game, at least half the total number of units in your
army must be set up on the battlefield, even if every unit in your
army has an ability that would allow them to be set up elsewhere.
Furthermore, in matched play games, any unit that has not arrived on
the battlefield by the end of the third battle round counts as having
been destroyed.

[Lemt]

Ah, well. I should probably be glad you can't perform shenanigans

[Wolfshade]

Also, at any point you have no models on the table (or they are from the flying detachment) then you lose...

[Captain Bubonicus]

Also, at any point you have no models on the table (or they are from the flying detachment) then you lose...

Has to be after the first Battle Round - see the rule above.