Stormcast Lightning Echelon Question

[Siegfried VII]

Greetings guys.

I was looking into the rules for this battalion and I would like your help to better understand how it works.

This battalion has 2 abilities of wich the second one is called "Linebreaker Assault".

The text goes: "Once per battle, in the charge phase, a lightning echelon can make a linebreaker assault. 

Each model in the battalion that has alreadycharged this phase inflicts a mortal wound on a unit within 1/2" of it.

Then each unit in the battalion can charge again even if it has already charged, and can pass through enemy models when it does so."

 

So the way I read it a unit is eligible to use the underlined part of the ability even if it has not charged already in this turn.

If that is correct it opens some vary neat tactical uses for this battalion as you will be able to make a charge move even with units that were already engaged (getting once again the bonuses of the Fulminators weapons) and even charge the same unit with which you were engaged with.

 

So my question is whether my train of thought is correct. What do you guys think? And if you agree with my interpretation of teh rule do you feel whether it will make for a nice battalion and a nice way to use perhaps an Extremis Chamber majority based list?

 

Cheers, Sieg.

[Siegfried VII]

No volunteers?

[Turragor]

It reads to me like the linebreaker assault is activated at the end of the charge phase (declared at any point in the phase) and the units charge again.

If the units reached the enemy with their normal charge in that phase the models do mortal wounds. If they were in combat (already charged in a previous phase) they charge again first inflicting mortal wounds.

Strictly speaking, that is the wording and I think you are interpreting that part correctly.

I am not so sure about charging units you are already within 3 inches of (ie the same unit you are already in combat with).

That is only because it is a charge and I assume (it doesn't otherwise say) it respects charge rules. So 3 inches distant, no run, no retreat.

That is something I am not 100% sure of though. It feels restrictive.

 

[Nico]

You don't do the mortal wounds if the unit charged last turn (or was already stuck in combat last turn). It can be used at any point in the charge phase.

You can use it as a super quasi retreat-charge for the units already in combat, as they can charge a different unit (leaving the enemy unit stranded) or reposition to somewhere more favourable e.g. End of a line of troops.

The normal rule doesn't say you cannot charge a unit you are within 3 inches of, it says you cannot charge at all if you are within 3 inches of a unit. This formation expressly overrides this rule (because it says you can charge even if you have already charged which entails that a model from said unit is already within half an inch of an enemy unit)! This means you can recharge the same unit you are already in combat with (to get the Fulminator buff again).

It's nice, but boy is it expensive with minimum unit size of 2.

[Turragor]

Ta for corrections.

[Nico]

It's a bit of a complex one, but you can see the big picture easily enough.

[Siegfried VII]

Thanks for the replies guys.