Pileing

[Tizianolol]

hi all, I got a question about pile rule.

Can a units pile in more directions?

For example:

 

B.       A.      B. 

 

Can my unit A pile with some models on left B and some on right B at the same time? Or i can pile only on one way? Thx

[Nico]

Yes - in fact it has to pile in both ways. Piling in is on a per model basis, so you look at each model and work out the closest model. After that you have to end up closer to it than you started. So you can start off 3 mm away from that closest model and can pile in around it and end up behind it and adjacent to it (i.e. 0 mm away - so closer).

This can mean that a unit can get strung out. For example if a unit in a line gets attacked by a monster at each end, the dudes in the middle will not be able to attack due to the 1 inch coherency rule. However, I believe in GH (i.e. the FAQs) you can at least kill these models first as you take casualties even though this breaks coherency (unlike in SCGT) - you might want to check this point.

[RuneBrush]

Yes.

The rules state that you must move towards the closest enemy model so, it is entirely possible to "split" one unit to be in combat range of more than one enemy unit.  However you must always maintain a coherency of 1" between models.

[BaldoBeardo]

It's not really under your control.

A *unit* may pile in if it charged, or a model in the unit is within 3" of an enemy model.

When a unit piles in, every *model* in the unit either stays still, or moves up to 3" toward the closest enemy *model*. If the closest model is in a different unit, it makes no difference.

I've seen it used to stretch out units to prevent them bringing full attacks to bear because (in your example) unit A still has to maintain coherency.

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[Nico]

The reason for this rule is that if your opponent charges two units into your unit, you aren't able to move away towards one of them in order to pull your models out of the range of your opponent's other unit. 

[Tizianolol]

Ok thx all

[ernestern]

A follow up question,:  How do you handle situations where casualties have split a unit fighting on two fronts?  If you read the faq, it states that a unit must finish its pile in move as a single group or else it cannot pile in.  But if I have to pile in towards the closest enemy, I can't move to reestablish unit cohesion, either.

[BaldoBeardo]

You can never voluntarily make a move that breaks unit cohesion, so you either don't pile-in (i.e. stand still) or you retreat in your next movement phase.

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[WoollyMammoth]

you can remove models to break coherency if you like. According to the FAQ the unit has to re-establish coherency as soon as it is able to make its next move. 

[ernestern]

14 hours ago, WoollyMammoth said:

you can remove models to break coherency if you like. According to the FAQ the unit has to re-establish coherency as soon as it is able to make its next move. 

The Rules also say you can only pile in towards the closest enemy.  Moving a model away from the closest enemy to re-establish coherency would be illegal.  The only two options I see is to retreat or not pile in at all.

[RuneBrush]

29 minutes ago, ernestern said:

The Rules also say you can only pile in towards the closest enemy.  Moving a model away from the closest enemy to re-establish coherency would be illegal.  The only two options I see is to retreat or not pile in at all.

Agreed - the FAQ also clarifies that if the unit cannot restore coherency using a pile-in move then no models in the unit can pile in.