Abusing the Rules: Rubberbanding, this can't be right
Friends, I was introduced to a new tactic recently called "rubberbanding." It seems completely abusive and seems to run counter to rules as intended. I'd REALLY love to hear from someone at Privateer on this one because it seems so wrong. Here goes:
You are fighting against Denegra. She has a Skarlock and a unit of Mechanithrals. The Mechanithrals advance across the board but (and here is the part that raises my ire) ONE of the Mechanithrals stays put back by the Skarlock. It purposefully goes out of formation. Now the main body of Mechanithrals advance across the board and into danger. However, one lone Mechanithral stays back out of harms way AND within easy spell range of the Skarlock. As needed the Skarlock can cast Ghost Walk on the Mechanithral unit by casting it on the one Mechanithral near it... completely out of harms way!
The "out of formation" Mechanithral DOES have to take a leadership test or flee every turn BUT that doesn't matter at all. The rules allow for it to flee zero inches! Likewise, the same out of formation Mechanithral is supposed to move toward the unit leader every turn but is likewise allowed to make a "full advance" of zero inches. The out-of-formation trooper simply stays back and acts as a conduit for the main body of the unit. Safely in the rear with the gear, it is there for the caster to buff (and thus buff the main body of the unit).
It seems like those engaged in "rubberbanding" are abusing a small weakness in what "full advance" means and a weakness in what "flee" means. In the final analysis, fleeing makes no difference nor do rules about models trying to get back into formation. Because of these flaws, players can keep back single warrior models and use them as conduits to buff units who are half the table away. That seems antithetical to the spirit of the game. The example I give above has got to be the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure there are far more abusive uses for "rubberbanding" than just getting your Mechanithrals to have Ghost Walk without exposing your caster (or Skarlock) to danger.
What do y'all think? Cheers. Copeland