40k: Dirty Tricks (No. 2) - The Assault Pull

Sometimes during a game of 40k you want to get a squad into combat that just can't quite reach it.  Sometimes it's bad luck, and sometimes your clever opponent has positioned his troops in such a fashion that you're just going to fall a little short when you try it.  If you've got an Independent Character nearby, you might just be able to pull off the assault anyway with a little clever positioning.  BUT there is a legal way to do this, and an illegal way.  Make sure you do it the legal way!  And make sure your opponent is doing it the legal way too.

Position One:




The Red squad is your target.  Your Blue unit has moved up, but they can't reach the Red unit for an assault.  The Yellow unit is an IC who hasn't moved yet.

The Illegal Move:



The IC charges the Red unit during the assault. 





The Red unit follows up. 





Then the Blue unit, because of the Red unit pile in, is now within assault range.

This is illegal becase all assaults must be declared and the assaulting player's units moved before the other guy has to pile into the assault.  This is generally referred to as the "Assault Pull" because you have 'pulled' the enemy into range of a squad that would not otherwise be able to assault. 

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The Legal Move:




Start.


This time, the IC first moves within 2" of the Blue unit.  

The IC automatically joins the unit at this point, per the movement rules, and is within assault range for the assault phase - meaning the squad he just joined is also in range.

Now when the IC charges the Red unit, the Blue unit members will still not be able to reach the bad guys... 


...but the Red unit must engage the members of Blue unit when they are able to do so in the follow-up pile in move. 
Some things to keep in mind here...  An IC with a jump pack or some other means of moving fast is great for pulling the legal move out of your bag of tricks mid-game.  If he follows behind several units, he can spring forward to close the assault gap at any given time during the game when your opponent thinks he's still safe.  But remember to keep him at least 2" away from the squad you intend to join in this fashion before you attempt this move or else he'll only be able to move as quickly as the slowest member of the same unit - completely wasting his speed.

Also, keep an eye out to make sure you don't fall prey to the illegal assault pull.  For convenience sake, it is pretty common to go tit-for-tat during your opponent's assault phase.  But don't let him pile any new units into that assault once you've piled in.  Ask point blank whether or not he intends to charge anyone else into that same combat before you move your models in the reaction move.