At the recent EEC tournament, there was a minor difference of opinion regarding the corner deployment area. The key definition is the following:-When using 'Corner' deployment, the table edge is defined as half of each edge, or 60cm x 90cm. The question is whether the deployment area is therefore 60cm x 90cm and 15cm deep, or 75cm x 105cm and 15cm deep except at the extreme ends.

The following diagram demonstrates both options
I thought this had been discussed and resolved over 10 years ago and seem to remember the diagrams, but cannot find the relevant discussions (which I presume may have been lost in the various moves).

Thoughts guys?

Good question.



When I first read it, I thought that 'Read as Written' (RAW) the answer would be option A: the player's table edge is 60cm of the short edge and 90cm of the long edge, so they can deploy within 15cm of those edges.

That would allow them to have a unit 75cm up the short edge or 105cm down the long edge, as shown by the extra space given by measuring the curves on the end of the deployment area, as shown in Option A.

However, this isn't actually correct, because "All of the remaining formations in the players’ armies must be set up within 15cms of their own side’s table edge" specifically refers to the table edge, and the deployment rules in 6.1.2 distinguish between the edge and the corner.



In conclusion, as far as I can tell there isn't a hidden easter-egg in the rules that allows that extra stretch of 15cm when deploying in Corners. The wording distingishes between Edge and Corner deployment, so using the 'set up within 15cms of their own side’s table edge' to gain an advantage in Corner deployment wouldn't be correct.

(BTW if there is an FAQ needed, it would be to clarify exactly how formations deploy when it is a Corner deployment).

ive never even contemplated A from reading the rules. The edge is the edge; 60/90cm the span. Seems absolutely clear to me but i'm just some schmo...

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I've always played it as B because that's how deployment zones work in other games so it's kind of a de facto standard. I can't see anything in the rules that would prevent A as a valid deployment, though. A unit in the quarter-circle endpoints is still within 15cm of its table edge, after all.

If you wanted to ensure that everyone used B instead, I think the wording would need to change, or at the least a diagram should be provided for reference.

Like Ginger I thought that this was resolved years ago and that there was something in the rule book. It might be because at the time the 40k rule book had square corners in its deployment zones. The closest I can point people to is page 149 of the rule book pdfs which shows a scenario with corner deployment. Not definite but as close as I can get.

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It's not something I would have imagined but option A makes perfectly logical sense - A diagram in the FAQ would be very useful to define this as well as what constitutes the half way line (which ifair isn't really defined in the rule book either...(?)

Always played option B.

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A here, but that wasn't until I saw the VASSAL deployment overlays.

@Matt-Shadowlord, if you're saying that a "table edge" is different that a "corner" than the rules never specify a deployment zone for a corner setup, just table edge:



Regardless, unless there's a huge epic contingent that uses A, I think we can safely say B. Otherwise, 5-min warmup it.

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I always understood it to be as per fig.B too, but looking at it afresh both seem valid interpretations.

Not fussed either way... as Dave said, something for the 5 min warm up.

If it's a tourney game, in the event of a disagreement, then go with the TOs ruling.

We always play B.



That's exactly what I am saying. The rules distinguish between edge and corner deplyment, so a player can't claim the '15cm of their own side's table edge' gives them licence to grab a some extra area when using the corner deployment rules. This means that if they want play in rules-lawyer RAW mode, then their attempt to interpret these rules strictly fails because RAW, their own side's table edge is only the 90cm of their own table edge, not the whole corner.
I've never hard anyone want to play like that

If this issue does come up as a question, I suggest an FAQ is added to the deployment rules to make it crystal clear and unambiguous.

Maybe not a large group, but the French certainly play "A".

Also FWIW, "grabbing that extra 15cm" at either end actually raises the deployment table area up very close to the same as that of the standard deployment; the overall length increases to 180cm, but you lose a fraction on the quarter circle ends and there is a 15 cm overlap at the corner.

Either way, I certainly think a FAQ is in order - IMO this is a case where discussing in the 5 min warmup is not sufficient.

So are there any more thoughts on this?

why is it not sufficient to have it a warm up thing?

I think pretty much all of Australia play's B

Two reasons really;

• It seems that the majority use "B" which means that when "A" is used, it can cause some very minor disruption to the game while the implications are understood. More importantly, this is one of those situations that is unlikely to be remembered in the 5 min warm up because each player assumes the situation is known, only to come out during deployment after the game has started (and after space bombardment / planetfall has been plotted where this discrepancy can be more significant).
  
  
• Option "B" is much more restrictive representing a 25% drop in the available deployment area over the 'standard' long edge deployment area. This gives the person choosing it a significant advantage over their opponent because it means he is more likely to be able to guess the opponent's deployment and work accordingly. This is especially true if a space bombardment is involved.

I usually prefer more restrictive interpretations of rules, but this is one case where I think it would be fairer to adopt the less restrictive option "A", where the deployment are has only lost 12% of the original. Indeed I can see an argument for allowing square ends to the deployment area which makes it easier to use and is only a 9% drop.