Warhammer 40,000: FIGHT FIRST/LAST
The interplay between the Always Fight First/Last rules is a hotly debated topic in some gaming circles, and the clarifications added in our latest update were intended to be as comprehensive as possible. However, I wanted to emphasize what these rules represent, how they can be addressed in practice, and conclude with a concrete example.
What is this rare rule?
In short, this is the order in which players designate which units to fight with in the Combat phase. Normally, players take turns choosing an eligible unit, but some rules allow a unit to “fight first,” while others require a unit to “fight last.” Since multiple units can be affected by these types of rules at the same time, and a single unit can be affected by both types of rules, knowing when you can designate such a unit to fight isn't always obvious.
In practice, it is therefore better to imagine the Combat phase as being broken down into three distinct stages, as follows:
1. Players take turns designating an eligible unit with a rule telling it to “fight first,” starting with the player whose turn it is.
2. Players take turns designating an eligible unit that can “fight normally,” starting with the player whose turn it is not.
3. Players take turns designating an eligible unit with a rule telling it to “fight last,” starting with the player whose turn it is.
A unit that “fights normally” is simply a unit that is not affected by any rules telling it to “fight first” or “fight last.”
So, the rare rules clarify a few points:
1. If a unit has charged, it is a “fight first” unit this turn.
2. A unit “fights first” if it is under the effect of one or more rules telling it to “fight first.”
3. A unit “fights last” if it is the effect of one or more rules telling it to “fight last”.
4. If a unit is both a “fight first” unit and a “fight last” unit, it is a “fight normally” unit instead.
Another point of clarification:
units that are eligible to fight, and therefore can use the Counter-Offensive Stratagem (which allows a unit to “fight next”).
In practice, and according to the terms used above, you can choose any unit that “fights first” or “fights normally” for this Stratagem.
More details and clarifications here: https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/yMTf69ebawFddSYs.pdf
