Don't have my book with me, but I know you need 40 Ag and Acrobatics to get it, and after making an attack you can move away with a succesful Acrobatics roll, and if the roll is succesful the opponent gets no free swings. The move away is a half action right, using the player's regular move rate (whatever they can move in a 1/2 action)?

But based on this, someone with Assassin Strike basically can't move, attack and move correct? A Charge is a full action, a Move is a half, an attack is a half, and then the Assassin Strike Move is a half. So it's best effect is against an enemy that keeps chasing them. Am I correct in this?

The move action at half rate you get from a successful Assassin's Strike counts as a Free Action. So you can make a Charge, attack as part of the Charge and than move at half rate after a successful test, all in the same round. You can only do it once per round though, so you can't use it with Swift/Lightning Attack to move multiple times.

Oh, I didn't realize it was a free action to move away. Big difference there. OK, thanks for verifying that.

Yeah, it especially fun when combined with a jump pack, where you can use the half action to fly to Low Altitude, out of the range of retaliatory melee attacks.

Redemption NL said:

Warning: Don't expect to get away without retaliation when faced with Tyranid Shrikes, Ork Stormboyz, Eldar Autarchs with Swooping Hawk Wings, or Bloodthirsters. They'll simply fly up after you...

Another funny way of using Assassin Strike we found yesterday. Blood Angel Devastator with Assassin Strike (Chapter List) and Counter Strike (No Quarter Given Background). Someone charges him, he parries (Mag Lock Chainsword or even improvised Weapon, WS 58, rolled 20 + 5 Chapter + 3 Background), moves thanks to Assassin Strike and in the next round the enemy is in Point Blank Range.

Why would the Devastator be able to use Assassin Strike after a parry?

qcipher said:

He can't unless he also has Counter Attack, successfully hits, and hasn't used Assassin Strike in the previous turn.

Also, you can't use Assassin Strike with a Jump Pack to retreat to Low Altitude unless you are already at Hovering Altitude. If you're on the ground and use it, you'll only be at Hovering Altitude and still within range of melee attacks. It takes a Charge or Run action to change two levels, such as going straight from the ground to Low Altitude.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Another tactics: soak up the charge (unless it's your Blood thirster with Preternatural Speed it is probably manageable), strike back with Swift/Lightning Attack, then do Assassin Strike move to jump just out of melee. Use Fate to take 10 for init next turn and unload point blank. Or if you have Preternatural speed yourself, charge in for multiple attacks and jump out again on last attack (making sure that you are out of point blank yourself). The enemy might be forced to charge and be limited to 1 attack.

Alex

Brand said:

Actually assassin strike only requires an attack be made. The attack does not have to hit, it just has to be made.

If your Devastator had not used assassin strike in his turn, then used a counterattack but rolled a 99 and missed, he may still use his assassin strike if he wanted to.

herichimo said:

I meant successfully Parries, because without the Parry he doesn't get the attack from Counter Attack which allows him to move. Sorry about the confusion.

But in the end, it is an attack that is made that allows the free move, not a parry. Right?

qcipher said:

Yes. You have to make an attack to move via Assassin Strike. Just making a regular Parry isn't enough. That's why someone with Counter Attack needs a successful parry so they can attack and then use AS to move.

Brand said:

Hmm, valid point. I suppose that depends if you count 'Landed' as an altitude, even though the flying rule only mention that are 3 different altitudes, or if using the Flyer trait when on the ground automatically puts you at Hovering Altitude.

If you take into account that falling from Low Altitude equals to falling from about 15 meters, which is pretty close to the 12 meters a Half Move with a Jump Pack would take you, it doesn't seem that unreasonable to reach Low Altitude with a Half Action.

Redemption NL said:

This is another of those areas where you have to toss realism out the window if you want to play by the book. Yes, falling from LA is considered to be 15 meters, yet HA (which is supposedly out of range of any attacks, even ones from LA) suggests starting damage at 25 meters - which technically is still well in range of even a Heavy Flamer on the ground...and it's certainly nowhere close to what I think of when I hear 'High Altitude.'

Flying is one of the areas where I just hand-wave it. If you've got a Flyer (6) chasing a Flyer (12), technically the two can stay with each other going up and down. Realistically, the Flyer (12) should hit High Altitude well before the Flyer (6). So I mostly just go with what seems realistic based on the situation, meaning that Flyer (6) character/creature had better hope his target doesn't do so well on his Pilot rolls to escape if he wants to catch up.