Druchii.net

This happened today.

Cauldron overruns into another unit ahead of it at the end of my combat phase.

In my opponents movement phase, he charges into the side of the cauldron with a character and challenges. Oh and the cauldron is solo now.

I have to accept the challenge with my hag bsb.

So do I get to use impact hits on the unit in front of me? I thought I couldn't because I was in a challenge.


Thanks

Yes, you get impact hits in this case, because the challenge step comes after the impact hit step of the combat. So, the sequence goes:
Step 1: Impact hits: you resolve your hits against the enemy unit that your chariot over ran into.
Step 2: He issues a challenge, you have to accept. From this point on, until the end of the close combat phase, your chariot can only hit the other model in the challenge.

The question is more contentious in multi-round combats, when a challenge is already going on. For example, if a chariot charges a single character who is locked in a challenge with another character, do the impact hits get resolved? It depends on your understanding of the rules: some argue that challenges are ended at the end of each close combat phase and automatically restarted near the beginning of each close combat phase (after impact hits, but before everything else), in which case, yes, you would get impact hits. Others argue that the challenge remains ongoing until its outcome is resolved - one way or another - and so you would not get impact hits. I believe GW's official stance is to 4+ it (yes, seriously).

Brilliant, thanks man

If two lone models are in a challenge in the middle of the field, and a chariot slams into one of them to add combat resolution, the impact hits are obviously resolved as normal :p

I beg to disagree.
Let's see the situation when a pair of characters, fighting an ongoing challenge, are rammed by a chariot.

Challenges are described p.103.
"If both competitors survive a challenge, and the combat continues, they will continue to fight in the next round of close combat. Further challenges cannot be issued in that combat until the existing challenge has been resolved."
It seems clear that the challenge is ongoing at the beginning of the next turn, when the chariot impacts.
Therefore, the rule p.102 applies "These two characters must direct all of their attacks against each other - they cannot be attacked by any other model for that round of close combat".

Impact hits are described p.71. It is for certain an attack. Therefore, impact hits cannot affect any character already in a challenge.
The only effect of the chariot will be to provide a charge bonus (+1 for charge, possible +1 or +2 for flank/rear charge, possible +1 if chariot is BSB, possible +1 if charging downhill).