So yesterday I pitted a Sentinel against my party, thinking it would be a challenge for them and an interesting fight.
Instead, the parties tank charged into melee with it and virtually shut it down, because we couldnt find anywhere what the rules are for vehicles firing in melee combat.

I assumed as its not a normal character it would get to fire as normal but considering that probably would have caused the death of the charging character, I gave them the benifit of the doubt.



SO what are the offical rules on vehicles and walkers in melee? Can they still fire weapons as normal?

Only very few vehicles in the TT have close combat weapons. Most that do have appropriate weapons to tear a human apart. Only Sentinels and Eldar War Walkers are not equiped with CC weapons per default and are therefore not a big threat as long as the driver does not manage to land a kick with a steel foot on the human or trample on him.

Take a lookt into Enemies of the Imperium (OW) and use a Killa Kan. Whole other level.

Killa Kan. Got it =P Ill keep you posted on the kill count

But what about rules on shooting? Can a Walker in Melee combat still make full use of its Heavy Weapons? Will it be subject to an attack of opportunity when moving away from someone hitting it with a melee weapon? Can it still be shot at while in 'melee combat'? Are there any differences in these rules between a vehicle and a walker?

I'd say whether or not it could shoot depends on the facings of its weapons. I don't even recall DH having a developed vehicle combat section - if it's not in a supplement, you might want to look into the Rogue Trader or Deathwatch lines to see how to handle that. And a walker is just a particular kind of vehicle. I don't think it needs or should have specific walker combat rules.

I'd rule that a Sentinel can make melee attacks, even if it doesn't have a dedicated close combat weapon- it just has to step on you and it will feel like it's got a close combat weapon!

That said, some opponents are ranged-only and useless in melee, in which case it's sometimes worth it to take a Half Action to step out of melee, drawing an extra attack, in exchange for being able to shoot (at Point Blank, no less).

There was a semi-official supplement available for free download for a while which contained vehicle rules. It was called Apocrypha something

There is a melee sentinel walker thingie in the Tattered Fates adventure for Dark Heresy. Which is relatively old now and maybe outdated.

http://darkreign.org/sites/default/files/DH-Apocrypha_Vehicles.pdf

http://www.4shared.com/office/1-ArXw3P/dark_heresy_-_apocrypha_vehicl.html

Oh I get that Vehicles can attack in Melee combat,
What I mean is, if a player starts hitting a vehicle with a chainsword, can the vehicle then shoot its Heavy Bolter at the player (who is still in melee range) so long as the player is in the firing ark or is the vehicle only able to run the player over and smack it with a pin-mounted power fist?

Do these rules change if the vehicle has the walker quality? Does being a walker mean that if someone has engaged you in hand to hand combat, your only options against that target are to reply in kind? Or can you turn around and Full Auto your Assault Cannon into their face?

The Vehicle rules seem to omit this issue, that or I just dont see the bit that says 'When in melee combat, a vehicle...'

I believe that by RAW in the game lines where these things are written up (DW, OW) walkers act exactly like characters in this respect and so cannot fire rtanged weapons in melee combat (unless they are Pistol class, which would be weird).

However vehicles tend to be kind of fast , so they could just withdraw from the combat.

A tank would be a different issue, because while the side of the tank may be in melee range, the turret is located a couple of meters away.

I believe that by RAW in the game lines where these things are written up (DW, OW) walkers act exactly like characters in this respect and so cannot fire rtanged weapons in melee combat (unless they are Pistol class, which would be weird).

However vehicles tend to be kind of fast , so they could just withdraw from the combat.

A tank would be a different issue, because while the side of the tank may be in melee range, the turret is located a couple of meters away.

Aaaah thanks muchy!

If I happen to kill a party member and they throw a wobbly, I now have something to reference =D mwuhahaha

I seem to remember Catachan Sentinels from an older edition of the IG Codex having the option for some kind of nose-mounted chainblade. I could be wrong, but that sort of equipment does seem appropriate for the Catachans, who often mount heavy flamers on their Sentinels. A vehicle-mounted chainblade like that cound use the stats for an eviscerator -- that'll give the melee character a nasty surprise the next time he charges into combat with a walker

I seem to remember Catachan Sentinels from an older edition of the IG Codex having the option for some kind of nose-mounted chainblade. I could be wrong, but that sort of equipment does seem appropriate for the Catachans, who often mount heavy flamers on their Sentinels. A vehicle-mounted chainblade like that cound use the stats for an eviscerator -- that'll give the melee character a nasty surprise the next time he charges into combat with a walker

Stats for this are in Only War.

Vehicles in 40k in melee combat!!!

Hey, if a tank is bearing down on you and there's nowhere to run, sometimes your best shot is to whip out your power sword or melta and banzai rush the thing. if you can somehow luck out and survive the barrage on the way, jumping on the thing and carving it a (new?) arsehole is perfectly viable, and most vehicles don't have guns placed in such a way they can shoot things OFF themselves.

Personally, I'd just rule that the "no ranged attacks in melee" does not apply for vehicles - but make it depend on the exact position of the characters and the firing arc of the vehicle weapon.

The limitation exists as a representation of close combat being an intimate affair where two or more combatants are in such proximity to one another that they are unable to raise their gun and line up a good shot, their opponent essentially blocking the necessary moves. Pistols work because they are small enough and do not extend as much from the characters' own hands.

Vehicles, however, are not as easy to push around and can just "brute-force" their weapon into a character's face, the operator still being protected by slabs of armour plates and not nearly as frightened of some guy with a sword as if he or she had to face them in the open.

That being said, large vehicles like tanks but also Sentinels will have blind spots where their weapons just cannot reach, which is why infantry versus tanks is actually a pretty smart idea if people survive the approach. Which, in turn, is one of the reasons for tanks not having replaced infantry entirely, and both assets complementing each other.

In the case presented in this thread ... yeah, I'd follow Adeptus-B's recommendation. The Sentinel simply moving around alone should be dangerous enough to any bystanders; the pilot shouldn't even need to attack a specific enemy to become a hazard to them.

1. Announce that the Sentinel is backing up

2. Have anyone standing behind it roll an Agility test or face the consequences

3. The players can now be targeted by its main weapon again

And just remember that Xeno Creatures can take out a Sentinel!!!

Where are the rules for Vehicles, anyways? I haven't been able to find them. (We did come up with homebrew rules with a modified wound/armor system, but we haven't really needed it.)

There was a downloadable addition called Apocrypha, that was available from Black Industries website. I don't think it was made available after FFG took over the license.

You can find it here

Where are the rules for Vehicles, anyways? I haven't been able to find them. (We did come up with homebrew rules with a modified wound/armor system, but we haven't really needed it.)

In Only War :-/