I had an unusual situation on the weekend during a tournament involving a multiple combat where one of my units was destroyed and this left an enemy unit out of combat. Here is the basic set up: Enemy #1 Enemy #2 Friendly #1 (flank charge) Friendly #2 Friendly #3 F2 was in contact with both enemy units at the start but F3 only against E2. F2 was destroyed during the fight. My side won combat and E2, which consisted only of the BSB, broke and died, resulting in F1 doing an overrun that would have hit E1. The question was whether or not E1 had to do a break check at all since it was no longer in physical contact with any enemy once the actual attacks had all been resolved. The rules on page 60 indicates ALL units on the defeated side must take a break test but the "no more foes" rule on page 61 indicates that at "the end of a round of combat" units no longer in contact are out of combat "for all purposes". One question is which rule takes precedence. More specifically, when does "the end" of a round of combat occur - once all aspects of the combat including breaktests and pursuits/overruns have been resolved or the instant the unit is no longer in combat. A second question is whether or not and when E1 would have been permitted a combat reform (i.e. no reform at all, an immediate reform or a reform once the entire combat phase including pursuits had been resolved). While we ended up going with a break test (which failed on a 10) after some discussion (we couldn't find the written rules fast enough and simply got on with the game) , I now think the out of contact unit should not have had to do one. In the end it didn't matter as the unit would have required a panic check which would have failed given the 10 on the break check and even if it had passed it would have been hit in the flank by F1 and then charged and finished off (if it held) by F3 the round thereafter. I was wondering if anyone had had similar situations arise and what people's views are on how this should be resolved.
we treat overruns that hit a subsequent unit just a redirected charge, and combat begins anew the next turn, just as if that unit had charged on that turn
Combat phase ends with all dice rolling, etc. Combat Resolution phase starts next (it's a sub-phase). If you destroyed a unit to the last man (not easy to do) and are no longer in combat, you do not need to make a break test. However, you will need to make a Panic! test if within 6" of a friendly unit who is fleeing.
Thanks Switchblade, I just found the table on page 46 that very clearly lays out what you have indicated and also answers the question on reforming, pursuit, etc. Can't believe I missed that