Tiny-Tim wrote:
a) yes it is blocked, but if your base dimensions are not even and you have the space, you could rotate the middle WE one way and the blocked one the other to create a line of sight. (But that might be seen as gamey.)
b) yes its shooting at a model that it is not in BtB contact with.
This.
As far as the countercharges, keep in mind that the Marines are fully engaged, so the SHTs don't have to countercharge towards them. If the SHTs do choose to countercharge, their formation coherency is 15cm. Also, the SHTs can barge and the enemy ends up behind them after the countercharge (barged units placed touching the WE but as close to the original positions as possible) . As a result, even if you counted where they can move on a super-strict basis, there is virtually no chance that the SHTs can manipulate them into a position where they can all use FF.
For example, if the closest enemy formation was above the units in that diagram, the first two tanks could countercharge that direction. Once they did, the marines would be placed behind them and the situation would look like this:
WE..WE
M.M.M.M..WE