Proposed Model Spacing: In Pictures

Two People Walking In The Desert, Holly Roberts

SandWyrm here. I thought it would be instructive to get out some models and demonstrate the Ld-based spacing we talked about in my last post so that we all have a sense of the scale involved. It's also allowed me to refine our ideas even more.

Here's Taelor (in grey), from my Malifaux collection, leading a large unit of 20 GW/FW Imperial Guard. Their Ld is 3, so they're all allowed to be anywhere within 6" of her after they move. As you can see, they all fit in a lose box formation that wouldn't look at all out of place on a 40K battlefield. I measured from the inside rim of her base, so the larger size doesn't change the spread at all. :)

They could go more circular and be able to fit at least 10 more models in with the current spacing. So I think this works.

And here's a GW Mephiston, leading 2 GW Sanguinary Guard models. Their Ld is 5, so they're allowed to space out 10" if they want. Meaning that templates are going to be pretty ineffective against them. If one of these guys was holding a Heavy Gyro-Jet Cannon, he could cover his friends while the other 2 moved forward. All while still being in command!

And here they are if you reduce their Ld to 3 so that they can only be 6" apart. Blasts are still pretty ineffective, but they can't cover as much ground and will run or be pinned 50% of the time instead of 17% of the time.

I'm thinking though that models should also be limited to only being as far from another model as their unit's base Ld value. This would keep them from getting TOO spread out.

As an example, here's 20 GW Genestealer models from my Space Hulk set. Their Ld is 3, so they are no more than 3" from a friend, and 6" from the unit leader, which was that bug in the 2nd row, middle-left.

BUT... he's not always the leader. Thanks to the 'Swarm' rule,  this unit can pick any model it wants to be it's leader at the start of the Movement Phase. So it can turn on a dime, like a flock of birds, and cover ground quickly to either get to, or away from, an opponent.

In practice, this means that they can bunch up in front of the leader to slingshot themselves 50% further than a normal unit without the swarm rule could. But that comes at the cost of either bunching up the unit and making it more vulnerable to blast weapons, or spreading out the unit too much and hitting an opponent with much less close-combat strength.

Here's the revised movement sequence I have in mind. Step-by-step.

1. Select the unit's Leader. For swarms this is any model the player chooses.
• If the unit's leader has been killed, the unit may not move. Neither may they counter-attack in assault, or consolidate after winning an assault.
• If the leader of a unit of Knights has been killed, simply swap the Leader model with a trooper model that is still alive. Then carry on as normal.
• If the leader of a unit of Grün has been killed, the unit may not move, but may still counter-attack, and consolidate as normal in assault.
• Swarms are also unaffected by this rule, as they do not have a single defined leader.
2. Make note of how many models are within his Command Distance (CD). This is equal to double the unit's base leadership value.
3. For the Leader to move, at least half of the unit's models must be within his CD.
4. Move the Leader (If you can). 
• The Leader may move no further than the unit's Mv value if Advancing.
• The Leader may move no further than double the unit's Mv value if moving 'At The Double'. If the leader moves 'At The Double', then the whole unit is considered to have moved ATD and will suffer a -1 penalty to it's Evasion (Ev). 
• The Leader may not move closer than 2" to any enemy model unless he is moving into assault.
• The Leader may not move ATD if he is within 12" of any model belonging to an enemy unit unless he is moving into assault.
• To move into assault, the unit's leader must move into base-to-base contact with any model belonging to an enemy unit.
5. Move all models that were in CD before the unit moved. All moving models must either end their move somewhere within CD of the unit leader, or they may not move at all. 
6. All models must also be no more than their base Ld value, in inches, from at least one other model in the unit. This is called 'Staying in Coherency'.
7. Move all models that were NOT in command before the unit moved. 
• The first model moved must move as straight as possible towards the unit's leader or it may not move at all.
• If it moves, the first model must also move at least as far, in inches, as the unit's Mv value if the unit is advancing.
• If it moves, The first model must move at least as far, in inches, as double the units' Mv value if the unit is moving 'At The Double'.
• All further models must end their move in Coherency with another model that has already moved. If this requires them to move further than their standard or ATD movement value, then move them the minimum distance required to regain coherency with the nearest enemy model.

I'm moving Defensive fire into the beginning of the Shooting Phase for now. So we'll work out the details for all that later.

Thoughts?