Rules and FAQ (in the NetEA tournament pack) give the following option to a formation that start its activation in an enemy zone of control :
- use an action that allow movment to go out of the ZoC
- use an Engage action to engage the enemy formation

The FAQ notes also say that you can make an Engage action to move out the the ZoC.
But when a unit is in a ZoC an engaging, shouldn't it move toward the ZoC owner ?

And if there are more than one ZoC, the engaging move is free, of toward the nearest enemy ?

when engaging, you are not compelled to move directly toward the enemy, if you start in ZoC and engage the unit, you could move outside the ZoC (to FF and avoid countercharge for example) the rules don't stipulate further as far as I can tell....

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As you note, the FAQ allows you to declare an engage action, but move out of the current ZoC to engage another formation.

The logic behind this ruling being that 1.7.3 does not force the formation to charge the nearest enemy unit; it also allows the option of declaring an action which takes the formation out of the current ZoC - and engaging a different formation does fulfill this criteria.

Starting inside an enemy ZoC is uncommon, and the extended Scout ZoC means it is quite possible to be in the ZoC of several units from the same enemy formation. Starting a move inside the ZoCs of two different enemy formations would be rare, though not impossible. Here there are three options

1. Declare the enemy intermingled so the chargers can engage units from either formation
2. Engage either of the enemy formations, ensuring the chargers move out of the ZoC of the other formation.
3. Use an action that moves your formation out of the ZoCs of both enemy formations

Having just had a reread of this rule and having it come up in a recent game I wonder if this rule needs tightening up. As I read it, the rules don't specifically prevent a formation using its compulsory movement to move through the scout formation if it's already within the scout formation 's zoc, as long as the action takes it outside the scouts zoc and all units in the formation started their action within the scouts zoc. However I think such an action would be against the intent of the rule even if the RAW allow it. Unlikely I guess but the point would be that if you want to use scouts to shape or screen then you need to ensure at least one enemy unit in the formation is outside your scouts zoc in order to prevent movement through the screen. Thoughts?

I am not sure what you mean here, or how having a unit outside the enemy ZoC would clarify things.
Also, the answer depends on how you are playing assaults in multiple ZoCs, and thus whether or not you are required to exit the enemy scout ZoC completely.

I see the problem Orton is describing: if the formation starts its activation inside the enemy scout's ZOC, players generally move away feom the scouts to get out if the control zone. However, the rules don't appear to stop the formation instead moving forwards, towards and then past the scouts, as long as they end the move outside the zoc.
That would allow a formation to effectively break-through the scouts.

What Orton is then saying is that having one unit from the formation start its activation outside the scout's ZOC would clarify things because in order to move forward and through the scouts that unit that isn't yet in the ZOC would have to enter it, turning the move into an engagement and preventing the break-through that might have happened if all units from the formation had started inside the zoc already.

Correct, the rules say "move out of the Zone of Control" but doesn't state "by the shortest possible route".
Likewise, Eldar can shoot then move out of the Zone of Control using hit and run.




Most, not all but most of the times a formation starts a move in a scouts ZoC it's because the scouts moved their ZoC over the formation and if a player (scout owner) wants to stop a formation moving straight through them it's easy to leave a unit or more out of their ZoC.

In the past, I seem to recollect NealHunt suggesting that if the formation is not engaging the scouts, it ought to leave the scout's ZoC by the shortest route, though as dptdexys says, I do not think this was made compulsory. Note that a scout's ZoC is 20cm wide, thus moving though it and out the other side may not be possible.

However the recent discussions on assaults in multiple ZoCs also raises other points. I suspect the new FAQ might allow the chargers to remain in the enemy ZoC provided they end up in B-B with the target. So the proposed FAQ would diminish the impact of this particular tactic.

Note, the other situation where this occurs is where Fearless units do not move post-assault and so stay inside the ZoC of enemy units. In these circumstances, the "multi-ZoC" FAQ might enhance the impact of Fearless units using this tactic by increasing their assault options.