I've usually played that if an attacker is engaging a formation on overwatch and is in cover when the defender shoots (ie after the charge move) that they count as in cover and get the -1 to hit (don't think I've ever engaged with infantry who needs the cover save in front).

However, there is that rule about a formation taking an Engage action never getting cover saves. It's written to be general and not specific to CC and FF attacks - the rule is that they can never gain cover saves when taking an Engage action, not that you can't take cover saves against CC/FF attacks when you are the attacker.

The rules seem pretty clear that you don't get cover saves against Overwatch fire if you Engage, is that a correct interpretation? Does this also apply to the -1 to hit, or is that not connected?

One thing that makes me think it should be connected is that the -1 infantry get for being on overwatch was initally not stated outright but implied from the fact that they get a cover save.

When you engage you make one move and then fight in the assault. As overwatch happens after a move is complete I'd argue they'd get cover, as they wouldn't be fighting in an assault until after the overwatch is resolved.

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What Dave says. IIRC this is what Neal has also agreed.

Think of this as two separate resolutions as they could both occur indepentently of each other;

• OW occurs at the end of movement, when the target (attackers) are in cover, so they receive the benefits of the -1 to hit, and cover saves if appropriate.
• However, in the actual assault only the defenders receive the cover benefit, it being assumed that the attackers have to move into the open relative to the defenders.

Do you have any links to the discussion? The rule clearly says no cover save while taking a charge action, and the action starts with the charge move. The reason for it would also apply to the charge move (as they have left cover to assault).

I'm not saying you're both wrong, only that I don't entirely agree with the reasoning.

One reason I think they shouldn't get cover is that a common situation is that the defenders are near the edges of a wood or some ruins. The attackers spend most of their charge move out of cover only to end up in a narrow strip of cover at the end of the move. So they have no cover whie moving, suddenly get a bit of cover just in time for overwatch, and then lose it again when the assault attacks start.

From the 2012 FAQ part one

Okay, there it is.

(Where's the 2012 FAQ, btw? The quoted passage isn't in the Tournament Pack, and I can't find any other FAQs from 2012.)

Here you go

These are FAQ that Neal is / was considering that have not yet become totally official.

Ah, there it was. Thanks!

For some fun we've played around with various house rules to see how they change the game and one we liked was changing the nature of overwatch to be allowed to be triggered anytime along the move after a formation has moved at least 2/3 of their move distance "in view"of the formation on overwatch. IN addition, in cases of assault / engage the overwatch is triggered as standard in the rules already. Basically it prevents the "zip by effect" of the current rules were you can move all the way from cover to cover without repercussions as long as you end up in cover at the end of the move. The logic of the house rule was that after a certain amount of time "in the open" a unit has time to respond and target the enemy formation if they choose to. Units can still move from cover to cover though logically tied to their speed. And to give credit where it is due, this rule was lifted 100% from the old Avalon Hill Arab Israeli Wars games. It really makes the tactics of posistioning units even more important.

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