Misfit Tactics: Tank Shock

Tank shock is an often under utilised, and often incorrectly used, mechanic that is far more devastating than people may think.

There are several steps that need to happen before the real shock takes effect, but we will get there, I promise.  I'm going to lay it all out is as simple as I can using diagrams that I drew in MS PAINT!  That's right mother fuckers, Picasso is in the Hizzouse!!

Pivot your tank to face the direction you want it to go.  You can't turn it afterwards, so be mindful of this.

Declare the number of inches you wish to move.

Tank facing off against some infantry.  The fact they are blue means nothing...

Move your tank until you make contact with the enemy unit, the enemy unit makes a morale check and falls back if it fails.  Death or Glory attacks may also be made.

If any enemy models would end up under the tank once it has finished it's movement, move these models out from under the tank BY THE SHORTEST DISTANCE.  That line is important.

A good idea is to lay out markers to determine where the tank will end up, with dice, or a template or string.  This gives you a good idea of where the models have to move to and where the shortest distance actually is.

I know it doesn't line up perfectly, it's the idea that really counts.

After the models have been moved, they must be more than 1" away from the tank.

Solid - Where the models were.
Hollow - Where the models will move to.

Here comes the rub.  If any of the models that were forced to move are no longer in unit coherency, they are removed from play.  That's it, good bye.

Here is another rub, if there are enemy models blocking the victims from moving out of the way of the tank, they are removed from play.

OH MY GOD, NOT TWO OF THEM!!

Tank 2 moves up, and because the SHORTEST distance for the models to move to get out from under the tank is directly toward the other tank, they can't meet the stay 1" away from enemy models, they can't meet the stay 1" away from the shocking tank, and so, they are removed.

HOWEVER, only models that are forced to move can be removed in this way, and as long as the moved models can maintain coherency with "the unit", ie, at least one other model from the unit, they will survive.  But you don't really have a choice in where the models are moved to, that's all up to the guy with the tank and how he moves it.  Remember, it's not the size of the tank, it's how you use it.

Now that this shenanigans is out there, your best bet is to stay just out of 12" range from a tank, and carry melta bombs (or your filthy xenos equivalent) on all your squad leaders and Death or Glory, you have nothing to lose.

If you have any comments please leave them below, I'm sure you have questions.  Hell, even I have questions on some things.

Until next time, keep them dice rollin.