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Transport war engines
War engines with a transport capacity on their datasheet are known as transport war engines — they can embark, transport and disembark other units. The number and types of unit a transport war engine unit can carry is stated on its datasheet.
Transport war engines in mixed formations
Where a war engine acts as a transport within a formation that includes regular units, apply the usual rules for transport vehicles.
Transport war engines in separate formations
Embarking a formation in a war engine
Where transport war engines are in separate formations to regular units, they form an exception to the usual rule that transport vehicles may only carry units from their own formation. Instead, a transport war engine may carry the units of another formation, as long as:
- the entire formation (or what remains of it, if embarking during a game) can fit inside the war engine
- the entire formation embarks as part of the same move
To embark in this way:
- All units in the formation must be able to move into base contact with the war engine during their action.
- The war engine may have taken an action before the formation embarks — but may not take an action later in that same turn.Consider some sort of note, as this is an exception to the usual rule that you must take an action with every formation that is not Broken or in reserve. The war engine can move off with the embarked units inside as part of one of its own actions in a later turn.
While embarked, a formation may not shoot or perform any action. They can attempt to rally in the End phase and they can disembark in future as part of the war engine's action.Ambiguous, seems to imply that a Broken formation must remain embarked until they rally. Can they disembark while Broken and then make a withdrawal move at the first valid opportunity?
Disembarking a formation from a war engine
The embarked formation can disembark at the end of a move by the war engine in the same way as with a normal transport vehicle (that is, the units are placed within 5cm of the transport at the end of a move).
Formations that disembark in this way may not take an action in the turn they disembark, but may either shoot or fight in an assault if the war engine that was transporting it is able to shoot or assault.Do they have to target the same formation as the war engine (as with regular transport vehicles, and similar to Air Assault with transport aircraft)? This is implied by the next sentence, but breaks down in the example per my notes there. In both cases, the war engine and the transported units are treated as a single formation until the shooting attack or assault has been resolved. The war engine and the formation that disembarked are treated as being separate formations once the war engine has completely resolved its action.
Disembarking from a war engine
A war engine could take a Double action and disembark any troops it was carrying at the end of its move. The war engine and the disembarked units could then shoot together at a target formation, but all shooting would suffer the -1 to hit modifier for shooting while taking a Double action.
A double move like this throws up some awkward questions. Rules seem to indicate that troops could disembark after the first move like they can with normal transport vehicles. Presumably then they would still have to shoot with the war engine when it finishes moving, but they are less likely to be in a good position to join in shooting or assaulting. Also, if the disembarked troops don't get a separate action but are treated as a single formation with the war engine until its action is complete, do they get a second move and do they have to use it to maintain formation coherency with the war engine like they would with normal transport vehicles?! Might be simplest to say that they can only disembark after the war engine has done all of its moves, but this seems a bit unsatisfying.
Or, a war engine could take an Engage action and disembark any transported units at the end of its charge move. Both it and the disembarking units would be treated as a single formation for the purposes of resolving the assault, as if they were making a combined assault (see the rules for intermingled formations and the Commander ability).
FAQ
Q. Can a transport war engine transport more than one formation?
A. Yes, so long as there is enough transport capacity for all the units.
Q. Can a formation of transport war engines split another formation of troops among them to transport?
A. No, a single war engine from a separate formation cannot transport part of another formation.
Q. Are units trapped inside a war engine if it is in base contact with two enemy units?
A. No, units are trapped inside only if the war engine is in base contact with a number of enemy units equal to twice its initial damage capacity.