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Overwatch
When you take an Overwatch action you may not move your formation*. Instead, you can take an opportunity later to use it to shoot in response to an enemy move. This means that you get to act outside of the normal turn sequence and interrupt an enemy action.
Overwatch and formation coherency
If your formation is incoherent then you may not choose the Overwatch action with it. You must attempt to move units so that the formation is coherent again, so you must choose an action that includes at least one move.
*Overwatch and turning on the spot
The "may not move" part of Overwatch can be odd for units that have weapons with limited fire arcs. I suggest this:
You may turn such units on the spot, but only when you first put the formation on overwatch. If you want to keep the formation on Overwatch next turn and also turn such units again then you must take a new Overwatch action next turn.
Duration of overwatch
Once you pass the Action test to put your formation on overwatch then it will remain on overwatch until either you use them to shoot as a reaction to a valid trigger, or you undertake a new action with them in a following turn.
Note that this means that you can put a formation on overwatch in one turn and use it to react and shoot in a following turn. Shooting in a following turn counts as your action with the formation for that turn. Or, you can decide not to shoot and abandon overwatch instead, so that you can attempt a new action with this formation.
Triggers for overwatch shooting
Broadly, any enemy action that includes one or more moves can be a trigger for overwatch, even if your opponent doesn't actually move any models. Some other types of move also count.
Triggers for overwatch shooting include:
- Advance, Engage, Double and March actions, since they all include one or more moves.
- Marshal, Hold and special actions, where they include a move.
- Withdrawal moves and consolidation moves — but note that these moves are optional, so your opponent may choose not to use them so as not to give you a trigger for overwatch shooting.
- Disembarking units from transports.
You may not to choose to use overwatch to shoot at a formation that does anything else in your overwatch formation's line of fire. Some things that don't count as triggers for overwatch shooting include:
- Bringing formations into play by a special rule.1 Such as Landing (transport aircraft), abilities like Planetfall, Self-Planetfall, Teleport or Tunneller, being summoned (demons), or swarming (Tyranids).
- Actions that don't include moves.2Such as a Sustained Fire action, or a Marshal action in which your opponent opts to shoot and regroup rather than move and regroup.
- Counter charge moves.
Using overwatch shooting
When you choose to react to a valid trigger for overwatch shooting, you get to interrupt your opponent's action. Resolve your overwatch shooting immediately after the enemy move you are reacting to and before your opponent proceeds with any further part of their action (such as to move again, shoot or resolve an assault).
- A formation on overwatch may shoot at an enemy formation after any move. So, where an enemy formation is making several moves, you may activate your overwatch formation to shoot at it after it has completed one of these moves and before it carries out the next one. This stops your opponent from using Double or March actions to whiz fast formations past your overwatch formation without risk.
- You must direct your overwatch shooting at the formation that triggered the shooting — you can’t pick a different target.
Use the normal shooting rules to resolve the outcome of overwatch shooting attacks, and remove the Overwatch marker — your formation is no longer on overwatch.
Example sequence for overwatch
Overwatch, part 1: Setting overwatch
As his first action for the turn, the Imperial Guard player chooses a Steel Legion Mechanized Infantry Company and declares that he will attempt the Overwatch action. He passes the Action test and places a marker on the formation to show that this formation is on overwatch.
Overwatch, part 2: Waiting for a good opportunity
The Ork player chooses an Ork Warband formation that is near to the Imperial Guard formation that is on overwatch, and succeeds in taking a Sustained Fire action.
The Ork formation shoots at a Titan. Sustained Fire doesn’t include a move, so there is no trigger for the Mechanized Infantry Company on overwatch. The overwatch continu…
Later in the same turn, the Ork player conducts a Double action with another Ork formation and moves it past the Mechanized Infantry Company.
At the end of their first move, the Orks are within range and line of fire of the Mechanized Infantry Company. But the Imperial Guard player can see that the Orks' second move will take them closer to another formation he can use to tackle them later — so he decides not to take this opportunity to trigger overwatch. The overwatch continu…
Overwatch, part 3: Taking an opportunity
A new game turn begins. The Ork player wins the Strategy roll and chooses to go first in the Action phase. He starts by taking an Engage action with a Kult of Speed, tearing towards the Imperial Guard. At the end of their move, these Orks are very close to the Mechanised Infantry Company.
Before the Ork player can proceed to resolve the assault, the Imperial Guard player announces that the Mechanised Infantry Company will use their overwatch to react to the Kult of Speed. The players resolve the shooting as normal as the Mechanized Infantry Company pours fire into the oncoming Kult of Speed.
It is likely that the results of the shooting will weaken the Kult of Speed and be a big help to the Imperial Guard in the coming assault. It could even be enough to break the Ork formation, forcing the Orks to withdraw before they really get stuck into a good punch up (Orks love a fight, so they'll be very disappointed!).
As it turns out, the shooting causes some casualties (and extra Blast markers) but the Orks are not Broken. The players proceed to resolve the assault, and the Mechanised Infantry Company have used their action for the turn.
FAQ
Q. If my formation on overwatch becomes incoherent, can I still use it to react to a trigger for overwatch shooting?
A. Yes. Your formation must be coherent when you take the Overwatch action, but can become incoherent later without losing the overwatch status. However, you must move them back into coherency when you next have an opportunity to take an action with them — so you may not choose to keep them on overwatch indefinitely.
Q. If my formation on overwatch finds itself within the zone of control of an enemy formation, can I still use it to react to a trigger for overwatch shooting?
A. Yes — you are reacting, not taking a new action. However, at your next opportunity to take an action with this formation, you may not choose to keep them on overwatch — you must take an action that allows you to charge the enemy (Engage) or leave its zone of control.
Q. If I am part-way through an action when my formation becomes Broken because of overwatch shooting, what happens next?
A. You lose the rest of your action with this formation, but you may make an immediate withdrawal move; see Withdrawals.