There are many discussions and lots of confusion about Piling In out there. I couldn't fin a clarification on the following. 1. What is to stop a unit from Piling In over the top of an enemy? The Pile in move of course would be 3" or less. This would allow the front rank to leap over and attack and the 2nd rank to step forward and become the new front rank and then the 3rd rank could also be in reach. I know you can't go over models in the move phase but this is the combat phase. 2. Congo Vertical Line. Place your tar pit in a straight vertical line. If it reaches combat at its tip then the enemy is forced to always pile in around the front most model. Limiting its models that can attack back. You are also limited but you don't care because its a tar pit. This seems to highlight how Pile In needs a rules tweak to also allow you to move to a non closest model if it would allow you to get to fight where as pile in towards the closest would not.
1. Yo must move closer to the nearest enemy model. You can not go over top. As that would clearly be nearer than your target. Conga line is a perfectly valid tactic. The opponent is more than welcome to set up that way, but won't get many more models into combat, and you get to move first then charge and may choose a different unit.
Because once you have moved closer to the nearest model, you stop.you can go around friendly models and obstacles. Here's the FAQ
It must FINISH its move closer. That does not mean it can't get further during its pile in. As long as it ends closer. Picture a model half inch away. It can leap over and pile im to be quarter inch on the other side. It's gamey but im just trying to understand the rules.
You would technically have to go into contact with that model in order to go over it, second question answers that. You might be able to get away with it with flying units, but I think as it says you must move around friendly models, it should be assumed that you would have to move around the enemy model as well. I doubt any tournamemt would allow it, but all you can do is ask your opponwnt if they're cool with it.
I think question 2 is referring to the ability to pile in or the start of a pile in. Its a check you take part way through a pile in. It's funny debating rules that are intentionally kept light.
I 've taken part to 4 tournaments so far with some pretty hardcore players around * one of them even won the Eu Tournament back in 7th edition or 8th and in fact with Lizardmen ! * and they all got it pretty clear : You can pile in to the other side of your closest model. If my Saurus is exactly in front of an enemy while NOT touching, and my opponent * from my saurus' POV * has no model to its left, you are able to pile in and end up to THIS closest enemy's model but from the other side of its base - to reach another target for example - as long as you KEEP units' coherency !
Why would a model to the left stop you? What about right? I think we need to bring out our trusty MS Paint skills!
https://www.screencast.com/t/1bhTfDsZuGro Red row 1 piles in over blue and red row 2 moves piles in forward closer to blue. If there was a row 3 it could also move closer and attack.
https://www.screencast.com/t/HvCOQdhBLf Congo Line. Looks like in this example all red models can pile in and attack.
The 1st red unit did a movement that cannot be done. Some models definitely moved more than 3" in this example and also besides the 2 models to the edges, one to the far right and one to the far left, the rest did not MOVE towards their CLOSEST model, they just ENDED closer which is not legit !
Maybe the example was not clear. There is only 1 red unit - not 2. The single red unit has 2 rows of 5 red models each. There are no "rows" in Age of Sigmar units so this is a visual row only. No models moved more than 3" at all. In fact all of them only moved ~2" in a straight forward line from where they were. How do you have them moving more than 3"? Now I can certainly agree that the models did not move TOWARDS their closest enemy model but the word TOWARD was removed in the FAQ 1.1 and now it is simply stated as "MUST FINISH THE MOVE CLOSER", nothing about the journey, just the outcome.
The way they moved it implied they "jumped over " the other unit + they don't retain coherency at the end of the move
Thematically they jumped over, move distance wise they went straight along the table surface 2". Coherency they are still within 1".
It doesn't work this way judging by the tournaments I've participated so far ! ( and also doesn't really make sense as they try to keep it as realistic as they can )
I actually think Age of Sigmar they have tried to keep things as "simplistic" as they can. I think "realism" went out the door in 8th edition. =)
Simplistic yes, moves that doesn't seem to make "sense" not sure. Hopefully more people will reply to the thread to tell their opinions ! * although I 've also seen the official tournaments via twitch and they are doing it this way ! * Well you can always houserule it and enjoy the game
Just to be clear I really don't like the thought of models jumping over models. I think its quite cheesy and unrealistic. I am just trying to understand the rules as they are written. If you can't go over, then you either can't go around or have to measure in a curved line to get there. Is that what they do in tournaments, bendy curved 3" pile in around the side so at no point does a base overlap?