8th Ed. Deployment of characters

In short, when do you deploy characters?

The deployment rules says "All characters must be deployed last ... ", and I have always played this as it should be the last of your deployment, but then I played against a guy (who had fewer drops than me) who wanted me to deploy all my units (except characters) before he put down his characters?

How do others play it?

 

Last in his own deployment order, not after you if he has fewer units than you.

 

Page 142 of the BRB covers how to deploy characters last if you need a reference.