Challenging a single character?

[Wintertooth]

I recently had a battle with my WoC vs the new Vampire army book. I met with the new shredding vampire lord, he did a lone character charge (500points - red fury etc) and he tore through 8 models in the first round of combat, forcing a panic test, which I subsequently failed, ran down, bye bye chaos warriors?!

My questions is this. If I had challenged his single vampire with my champion, what would be his incentive to accept? Does a single model have any penalties to declining a challenge?

Apologies if I have missed this in the BRB, maybe I'm just looking at this sideways.

[Zinfandel]

I don't have my book on me, but if i remember correctly, if you challenged him he could not refuse since he has no back rank to retire to. If you don't mind me asking did you just roll really badly on your break test? Because you should have been steadfast against 1 model.

[Blackheart]

I don't have my book on me, but if i remember correctly, if you challenged him he could not refuse since he has no back rank to retire to. If you don't mind me asking did you just roll really badly on your break test? Because you should have been steadfast against 1 model.

That's the way I read it too, he has no where to retreat to so he would have to accept.

[Petrocco]

As said, he would have to accept. Says something along the lines of 'nowhere to run nowhere to hide' in the BRB. Keep in mind, with overkill he is likely to get 6 wounds towards combat res. So a total of 7 combat res with the charge. (He still gets his red fury attacks if he kills your champion with his base 5 attacks)

But yes, you should have been steadfast... unless you were running one rank.

[Wintertooth]

I had one rank, but rolled double six followed by a re-roll nine or similar. However I didn't know he could not decline a challenge. I mean I actually completely forgot I could challenge at all, but I'm new back to the game and the question of how the hell he did that has been irritating me.

Thanks for the prompt replies and good info, seems a tactical error, followed by my lack of knowledge is what lost me the warriors. On a plus note I did go on to win, despite myself.

[CaptainSarathai]

But yes, you should have been steadfast... unless you were running one rank.

Actually, you would have been Steadfast even with only 1 rank. One of the stupid loopholes in Fantasy, any rank counts towards steadfast, including the first. The only time you don't count the first rank is when determining rank bonuses. The rules are:
Any rank counts towards Steadfast
The first 2 ranks count towards Disruption (negate rank bonuses with a flank charge)
2nd and subsequent ranks count towards Rank Bonuses

So if your opponent is a monster, lone character, or anything else that does not present a full rank, you will be Steadfast with only a single rank of models. Good trick to remember against Dragons and the like. This is what happens when GW decides to do away with Unit Strength

[sirkently]

Actually, you would have been Steadfast even with only 1 rank. One of the stupid loopholes in Fantasy, any rank counts towards steadfast, including the first.(

I don't think it is a loophole, and actually rather like that rule.

SirKently

[CaptainSarathai]

I would rather they hadn't gotten rid of Unit Strength. Basically, you have 5 guys (1 complete front rank) who are Steadfast in front of a dragon because "hey, there's more of us than him". Yeah... 5 piddly mortals, 1 huge angry dragon. Totally worth it. At the very least, if they'd done it all based on wounds it would make sense. Do they really think that we're too stupid to figure out Unit Strengths or wound totals on the fly? We write our damn army lists don't we?!

[Heiromyo]

If you declared a challenge the maximum combat resolution he could get would be 5 overkill plus 1 for charging, it's worth doing just for that as well as saving ranks.

[Petrocco]

If you declared a challenge the maximum combat resolution he could get would be 5 overkill plus 1 for charging, it's worth doing just for that as well as saving ranks.

You also get the amount of wounds you do in the challenge (before overkill)