Glade Riders rule question

[Fitz]

Glade Riders have both the skirmish AND open order rules. Does that mean they can do the triple move thing, get a rank bonus AND disrupt with a flank charge , as well as benefiting from all the skirmish stuff. OR in a given turn do I need to declare what formation I'm using or what?

[MortenLarsen]

Good question. I hadn't even seen GR had Skirmish. I guess they can do both? Extra maneuverability and ranks in CC

[Ikbuh]

I think you have to claim what formation they're using.

[godswearhats]

All units must adopt a formation. As mentioned previously, the type(s) of formation a unit can adopt are indicated by a special rule of the same name as the formation type. Models with more than one such special rule may choose their formation during deployment (see page 285), and may change it and adopt a different formation by reforming during the game (as described on page 125).

Generally you’re gonna deploy in a formation and stick to it all game, because there are no more swift reforms. However, if you win a combat, you get to reform for free …

[Fitz]

All units must adopt a formation. As mentioned previously, the type(s) of formation a unit can adopt are indicated by a special rule of the same name as the formation type. Models with more than one such special rule may choose their formation during deployment (see page 285), and may change it and adopt a different formation by reforming during the game (as described on page 125).

Generally you’re gonna deploy in a formation and stick to it all game, because there are no more swift reforms. However, if you win a combat, you get to reform for free …

Thanks for the references. It also appears that you could purchase and use Reserve Move to reform them at the end of the shooting phase, assuming they didn't charge, march or flee. So, move, shoot and then use Reserve Move to change formation if that was advantageous.

[Beithir Seun]

You'd only get the benefits of the formation the unit is in at the time, I think. You can't be skirmishing and open order at the same time, you'd have to change from one to the other I believe.

[kadeton]

Yep, you are always in one formation or the other, not both. You can switch between them by performing a Reform manoeuvre, but this takes your entire movement for the turn. However, as noted above, any time you have the opportunity to Reform for free (such as when you Fall Back in Good Order, or Rally) you can decide to switch formation.

I generally run my Glade Riders in skirmish formation, simply because it allows for 360° vision, charging and shooting. Open order doesn't really offer any advantages - you could deploy in a marching column to get a triple move, but then you're stuck in marching column so until you change formation again (via Reform or Redress the Ranks) you can't charge, can only see in front of you, and only the front two models can shoot. By the time you've got back into a practical fighting formation, you could have just moved to the same spot (or further) normally.

[godswearhats]

You really don't want Glade Riders to get into combat, so their first preference is to Skirmish.