You get a burst bonus to CC for ganging up on an opponent. Does this count if you are using Guard to make a CC attack from outside silhouette contact? Example 1: A Myrmidon and Antipode are in base contact. Andromeda activates and uses Guard to sic her robotic dog on the Antipode. What is her CC burst? Example 2: Same situation; Antipode and Myrmidon are in base contact, and Andromeda is nearby. The Antipode declares CC attack on the Myrmidon. Who can ARO and what are their B values?
My reading is no, based on the following: Close Combat With Multiple Troopers This rule is applied when more than 2 Troopers are engaged in Close Combat and any of them is activated. Guard is a rule that allows you to make CC Attacks without being in silhouette contact and therefore without being engaged in Close Combat. So the Close Combat with Multiple Troopers rule isn't applied. However, to briefly play devil's advocate, it's possible that this statement is just something of a motherhood statement, because the rest of the rule reads much more like its meant to apply broadly whenever there's a CC attack being made and multiple elements in silhouette contact. This would line up more with N3's expectations, but we aren't in N3 any more. NB the above rule also means no gang up vs scenery any more.
There's a problem with terminology inconsistency again. "Being engaged in Close Combat" means "to engage in (participate in) Close Combat", not necessarily being "Engaged" (that is, in silhouette contact, as per rules). Seems like a broader definition? Also, can we coordinate Guard?
To break down some terminology: Silhouette contact: the baseline requirement for declaring a CC attack. Does not by itself impose any restrictions. Guard circumvents this requirement. A model in silhouette contact is not automatically in Close Combat. Engaged/Close Combat: a model that's Engaged is in Close Combat. This imposes certain restrictions on how they can act and be acted upon. 'Engaged' and 'in Close Combat' are functional synonyms, which is not ideal rule writing, but is what it is. As currently written, a model must be in Close Combat, not merely silhouette contact, for the Close Combat with Multiple Combatants to apply.
Yes - noting that the Coordinate rules say that only one troop will declare the CC attack and gain +1B for each allied trooper in silhouette contact with the target. Among other things this represents a way to get a burst bonus on a Guard attack without invoking the Close Combat with Multiple Combatants rule; simply coordinate the Guard trooper (...with nobody else, if you like). If nothing else this interaction is strong evidence that the motherhood statement in the CC with Multiple Combatants rule is a drafting error that hasn't been properly modernised for N4.
The problem is that Guard says: Requirements The target of the CC Attack must be in LoF and ZoC. Effects Allows the user to perform a CC Attack but with no need to reach or be in Silhouette contact with the target. Both the user and the target can perform Skills and apply MODs and CC Special Skills that require Silhouette Contact. That second Effect means that you possibly can get the gang up bonus, since it's a mod that requires silhouette contact.
Would you believe I somehow totally missed that line of the Guard rule? I'd say that means Guard applies the gang up rules.
The reactive turn scenario is the weird one. Guard is optional, but the multiple combatants rule is not; however, in order to be treated as if in silhouette contact, Andromeda has to be actively using Guard, i.e. she has to be the primary attacker. So I see two general options, primarily depending on what ARO Andromeda declares. VERSION A 1. Antipode idles 2. Myrmidon declares CC, Andromeda does not ARO 3. Single combat between Antipode and Myrmidon VERSION B 1. Antipode idles 2. Andromeda declares CC, Myrmidon may not also declare CC because the multiple combatants rule says only one model may act 3. Antipode may either fight Andromeda in FtF (B2 vs. B1), or can take hits (B 2) while it munches on the Myrmidon (B 1) VERSION C??? There is no way for the Myrmidon to get +1 B in CC.
Reading the full rules and not just the entry rules, I'd say that Toadchild has the correct read on it. Since Andromeda isn't a Trooper or Peripheral in base contact with the Myrmidon's target, she can't provide the Myrmidon with a burst bonus if the Myrmidon wishes to attack - and they can't both attack in CC. (She can shoot, though, and Myrmidon can Dodge, though won't be providing a burst bonus to Andromeda if doing so.)
For what it's worth, I'd like to point out that the "Close Combat With Multiple Troopers" MODs have two different criteria for active and reactive turns: - In the active turn, you get the bonus for being in Silhouette contact and not being immobilized. To quote: "... not in a Null or Immobilized State, and is in Silhouette contact with their target" - In the reactive turn, you get the bonus for being in the Engaged state. To quote: "... Engaged State with the Active Trooper. The MOD is only applied for those allies that are not in a Null or Immobilized State, and have not declared Dodge, Idle or Reset." Guard's "Both the user and the target can perform Skills and apply MODs and CC Special Skills that require Silhouette Contact" clause satisfies the Active Turn requirements. Guard won't satisfy the reactive turn requirements (because it requires the Engaged state, not Silhouette contact), but a Guard-enabled CC Attack would still benefit from the MOD caused by allied troopers in the Engaged state. So, yeah, in the reactive turn, it goes: - Andromeda declares ARO CC Attack. In order for the Myrmidon to give her the burst bonus, it has to forfeit its ARO. If both Andromeda and the Myrmidon declare ARO CC Attack, then you've got: When declaring AROs, if the Reactive player decides to declare CC Attack they must select only one Trooper or Peripheral in Engaged State with the Active Trooper. contrasted with When declaring a CC Attack, the Player must select one Trooper or Peripheral activated by the Order. which implies that if CB didn't mess up, the Myrmidon resolves its CC Attack and Andromeda doesn't. That probably needs to get added to the FAQ list.
