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A3: Make counter charge moves

Check use of engaging/attacking and target/defending throughout this and other topics. Could stand to be rationalised more and may be some need to disambiguate 'attacker' from units making 'attacks'.

An assault represents a brutal short-range battle involving movement, shooting and close combat. Although the engaging (attacking) formation initiated the assault, the target (defending) formation has time to react and make limited moves of their own.

To represent this, units from the target formation that are not already in base contact with an attacking unit may make a special move called a counter charge.

• With units that have a Speed value of 30cm or more you may make a counter charge move of 10cm.
• With units that have a Speed value of 25cm or less you may make a counter charge move of 5cm.
• You may disembark units from their transports.Presumably, just the usual 5cm placement?

Make counter charges after the engaging formation has finished moving and any overwatch shots have been taken, but before you resolve attacks. All the normal charge move rules apply, and the defending formation must maintain formation coherency.

You can choose not to counter charge with eligible units. But if you do counter charge then you must use the counter charge move to move units directly towards the closest enemy unit in each case. You may move counter charging units into base contact if they can reach and as long as the enemy is not already in contact with two defending units.

You may counter charge against units in any enemy formation — not just the attacking formation that initiated this assault. Any enemy formations that are contacted by counter charging units are drawn into the assault, and will fight just as if they had made the assault themselves. Treat them and the original attacking formation as a single formation for all rules purposes for the duration of the assault (see the rules for intermingled formations).

FAQ

Q. Must I counter charge my defending units towards the closest enemy unit in the attacking formation, or just the closest enemy unit?

A. The closest enemy unit — which could be from another formation.

Q. If the closest enemy unit is already in contact with two defending units can I counter charge the next closest instead?

A. Yes.

Q. What happens when impassable terrain or friendly units prevent my defending unit from reaching the closest enemy unit?

A. Follow the shortest valid path to get to the closest enemy unit.

Q. Can units counter charge over friendly units?

A. Follow the normal movement rules; see Moving through other units

Q. Can units disembark from a transport unit that has already counter charged?

A. Yes, so long as the transport unit isn’t in base contact with two enemy units.

Q. Can a transport unit that disembarked other units still counter charge?

A. No, disembarking happens at the end of a move.

Q. Can a formation that used its overwatch shooting on the attacking formation still counter charge?

A. Yes.

Q. After counter charges are made does the attacking formation need to have at least one unit with a line of fire to a unit in the target formation in order for the assault to take place?

A. In the first round yes, as all the normal charge move rules apply. In subsequent rounds the assault is in progress and you must continue the procedure to resolve the assault.

Q. What happens when an assault goes into a second round and no units are within 15cm of each other and with line of fire after both sides counter charge?

A. Continue to work out the result of the assault again.