Piling in and does the conga line still exist?

[b1ackni9htgaming]

Sorry if this has already been addressed. My question with piling in is piling into the closest model.

Is this the closest model that I can get base to base with? Or just the closest enemy model regardless of whether or not I can get in combat with it?

Instinctively I want to play it that you pile into the closest enemy that I'm able to get into base to base with. For example, if I want to get more of my models in base to base, I might pile in 3" to a model that is further away (still ending up closer to an enemy model than I began) allowing more of my miniatures to get into base to base.

However I also see that people could play it as you have to go to the closest enemy model, regardless of any tactics you might otherwise use. So if I deployed in a conga line against a horde of 50 models, all 50 would have to try to attack my 1 model, severely bottlenecking my opponents unit. While intuitively I believe that my opponent should be able to wrap his unit around me with pile in moves, as long as he's closer to models than when he started.

What's the concensus? How should this be played? Is the conga line still alive and well? (I hope not).

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[BaldoBeardo]

No consensus needed. GW even did a video on it recently. You pile-in toward the closest model, period. No qualifiers.


But there's nothing wrong with doing that in order to get closer to a *different* model for next round.

[b1ackni9htgaming]

No consensus needed. GW even did a video on it recently. You pile-in toward the closest model, period. No qualifiers.


But there's nothing wrong with doing that in order to get closer to a *different* model for next round.

If you must go to the closest model regardless, how can you move to a different model in the next round? The different model would not be closer than the model I'm already closer to. (Unless of course you moved it wrong the first time)

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[BaldoBeardo]

You only have to finish your move closer to the closest enemy model than when you started.
Let's say two conga-lines meet end on.
The 2nd attacker has to move toward the closest defender, which is the first. Who is (assuming 25mm bases) about an inch away.
With his 3" pile-in move, he can move around his compatriot, orbit the first attacker and finish his move closer to the 2nd defender than the 1st.
As long as he has reduced the distance between him and the first defender, all good.
If that didn't make sense, try setting some models up to give it a go.

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[b1ackni9htgaming]

Here's a quick video of me trying to do just that.

Which is the correct way? The first or the second?

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[BaldoBeardo]

You don't have to move *directly* towards the closest model, just finish closer than when you started.


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[polarbear]

Edit: delete. See orbiting was already discussed. Wish they'd rewrite piling in.

[b1ackni9htgaming]

You don't have to move *directly* towards the closest model, just finish closer than when you started.


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Thanks for clearing that up for me.

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[mmimzie]

Note Piling in is a part of AOS's strategy by simplicity. As such simplifying the rule does sort of take that aaspect away. However, if you and your opponent agree there is no problem with playing a game with your own house rules. 

[Attackmack]

On 12/23/2016 at 4:50 PM, BaldoBeardo said:

You only have to finish your move closer to the closest enemy model than when you started.
Let's say two conga-lines meet end on.
The 2nd attacker has to move toward the closest defender, which is the first. Who is (assuming 25mm bases) about an inch away.
With his 3" pile-in move, he can move around his compatriot, orbit the first attacker and finish his move closer to the 2nd defender than the 1st.
As long as he has reduced the distance between him and the first defender, all good.
If that didn't make sense, try setting some models up to give it a go.

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What!? Really? I thought I had good grips on the Pile-In by now but basically your telling me that as long as my move takes me closer to the closest enemy model at the start of the activation, I can end my movement closer to another enemy model? And then next time I pile in with the same model, I can do it again ending my movement closer to a third model?

Kind of makes pile-in super micro management, would reduce it to a mm here and a mm there if someone is really nitpicky.

[rokapoke]

24 minutes ago, Attackmack said:

 

What!? Really? I thought I had good grips on the Pile-In by now but basically your telling me that as long as my move takes me closer to the closest enemy model at the start of the activation, I can end my movement closer to another enemy model? And then next time I pile in with the same model, I can do it again ending my movement closer to a third model?

Kind of makes pile-in super micro management, would reduce it to a mm here and a mm there if someone is really nitpicky.

As long as each model ends the pile-in closer to the nearest enemy model each time, your example works just fine. 

[Attackmack]

14 hours ago, rokapoke said:

As long as each model ends the pile-in closer to the nearest enemy model each time, your example works just fine. 

Huh.....Aha...

Well this was an eyeopener for me at least but it only goes to show that im not really experienced with AoS. Really thought I had the rules clear and well though

 

Dunno if I like this or not. It sure makes positioning important if you want to lock down enemy models in positions of disadvantage but doesnt it bog down the combat phase and make it all too fiddly when trying to measure miniscule ranges between models?

Again, ive little to no experience so I dont know how people experience this when playing but watching a bunch of batreps on youtube I find most seem to either misplay the rules or perhaps follow house rules because most of them seem to play it wrong one way or another.

 

edit: And by "wrong" I mean not as the rules seem to advice but far as I understand there is really no "wrong" way to play it if everyone agrees

[mmimzie]

2 hours ago, Attackmack said:

Huh.....Aha...

Well this was an eyeopener for me at least but it only goes to show that im not really experienced with AoS. Really thought I had the rules clear and well though

 

Dunno if I like this or not. It sure makes positioning important if you want to lock down enemy models in positions of disadvantage but doesnt it bog down the combat phase and make it all too fiddly when trying to measure miniscule ranges between models?

Again, ive little to no experience so I dont know how people experience this when playing but watching a bunch of batreps on youtube I find most seem to either misplay the rules or perhaps follow house rules because most of them seem to play it wrong one way or another.

 

edit: And by "wrong" I mean not as the rules seem to advice but far as I understand there is really no "wrong" way to play it if everyone agrees

Well i don't know if you play 40k or not, but literally if you have to use the restroom you could let your opponent do your whole combatp hase if you want. because there is litterally no player interactions actualy happening just dice rolls>

I think if it's super close and hard to tell which is closer it doesn't matter, but pretty much every time it's pretty obvious what model is closest, and it allows you another angle of strategy.

Piling in and using it strategicly is not only fun it can be really freaking cool. Hear's a photo reinactment of something i did in a game. (please note some of these models are actors  )

Spoiler

 

In the above picture the mortis engine wants to charge the necromancer that only has 2 wounds left, but it's a long shot ~11" charge. CRUD!!! i got a 9... if that necromancer stays on that objective for a 3rd turn i'm gonna lose the game.... Time for some hardcore pile in power!!!
 

First i charge the spooky zombie with a broadside from my ghost ship.  The zombie thinks he's toast, but he's only a means to an end for me, and not the real target. Notice that with less than a 3" pile in move i could get to that necromancer, but crud the zombie is the closest unit... what am i gonna do??

 

There we go closing the gap on that zombie with the butt of my ship means i actual do get close to the zombie, but looking at the 1" on my combat gage i can make all of my attacks on the foolish necromancer who though he was just out of arms reach. Let's win us a game boys!!! (picture is alittle bad but the combat gage is resting on the mortis engine base ^.~)

 

See i know it can seem knit peaky, buy any rule can be knit picked depending on who you play against. Piling in is one of the meany ways that through simply rules wording, and freedom to the player. Age of sigmar allows players to add some deep strategy to every single phase of the game, and make for some exciting turn of events.

[Attackmack]

5 minutes ago, mmimzie said:

Well i don't know if you play 40k or not, but literally if you have to use the restroom you could let your opponent do your whole combatp hase if you want. because there is litterally no player interactions actualy happening just dice rolls>

I think if it's super close and hard to tell which is closer it doesn't matter, but pretty much every time it's pretty obvious what model is closest, and it allows you another angle of strategy.

Piling in and using it strategicly is not only fun it can be really freaking cool. Hear's a photo reinactment of something i did in a game. (please note some of these models are actors  )

  Reveal hidden contents

 

In the above picture the mortis engine wants to charge the necromancer that only has 2 wounds left, but it's a long shot ~11" charge. CRUD!!! i got a 9... if that necromancer stays on that objective for a 3rd turn i'm gonna lose the game.... Time for some hardcore pile in power!!!
 

First i charge the spooky zombie with a broadside from my ghost ship.  The zombie thinks he's toast, but he's only a means to an end for me, and not the real target. Notice that with less than a 3" pile in move i could get to that necromancer, but crud the zombie is the closest unit... what am i gonna do??

 

There we go closing the gap on that zombie with the butt of my ship means i actual do get close to the zombie, but looking at the 1" on my combat gage i can make all of my attacks on the foolish necromancer who though he was just out of arms reach. Let's win us a game boys!!! (picture is alittle bad but the combat gage is resting on the mortis engine base ^.~)

 

See i know it can seem knit peaky, buy any rule can be knit picked depending on who you play against. Piling in is one of the meany ways that through simply rules wording, and freedom to the player. Age of sigmar allows players to add some deep strategy to every single phase of the game, and make for some exciting turn of events.

 

Thats a very good example you showed me and I appreciate it a lot!

I guess your right, and the times it would become what I consider an issue is probably few and uncommon.