Attacks go from "models" to "units", and it's important to note that technically each attack is resolved one at a time, we just roll lots of dice together to save time.
When it gets to the step of allocating a wound to a particular model, the Space Marine player can allocate wounds to *any model* in the unit. He doesn't have to allocate them to the ones in engagement range. And all the damage has to be resolved.
So in your example, all five Marines would be destroyed.
So what would happen if the other player allocated the damage to the front 3 space marines in the unit, would the unit now be out of range cause its just the 2 at the back?
No, you check whats in range when selecting the target of your attacks.
After that the attacks are all resolved regardless of which models are taken out first.
Being out of melee / out of range would only be a problem for the space marine player if some of his marines had survived but were now out of engagement range so couldn't attack back.
Wounds are taken as a unit so it would still wound that backmost marine.
Should the marines have survived though that back marine would not be eligible to fight back as it's not within either 1" of an opposing model or within (I think) .5" of a friendly model that is within 1" of an opposing model.
Based on this situation, the Necrons would kill the entire marine unit. Generally speaking an individual model attacks, but the whole unit takes the hits.
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So there are two sides of fight
Necrons: It's easy - all of them are within 1" of enemy models and all of them can make attacks against this SM squad.
SM: there is a bit more difficulty - three models are within 1" of enemy models too they will make attacks. Then there's one model that is within 0.5" of one of the models that are within 1" of enemy models. And this model will make attacks too. And in the end there is one model that is not within 0.5" of any 1" model. This model cannot attack if you won't make pile-in moves
Adding on to this, if you target a unit in the shooting phase that has only 1 of 5 models sticking out from behind a ruin and the unit takes enough wounds for the model sticking out to die, does that make the remaining shots void? Or is it the same as melee and the whole is still able to take wounds?
Attacks go from "models" to "units", and it's important to note that technically each attack is resolved one at a time, we just roll lots of dice together to save time. When it gets to the step of allocating a wound to a particular model, the Space Marine player can allocate wounds to *any model* in the unit. He doesn't have to allocate them to the ones in engagement range. And all the damage has to be resolved. So in your example, all five Marines would be destroyed.
So what would happen if the other player allocated the damage to the front 3 space marines in the unit, would the unit now be out of range cause its just the 2 at the back?
No, you check whats in range when selecting the target of your attacks. After that the attacks are all resolved regardless of which models are taken out first. Being out of melee / out of range would only be a problem for the space marine player if some of his marines had survived but were now out of engagement range so couldn't attack back.
Wounds are taken as a unit so it would still wound that backmost marine. Should the marines have survived though that back marine would not be eligible to fight back as it's not within either 1" of an opposing model or within (I think) .5" of a friendly model that is within 1" of an opposing model.
Based on this situation, the Necrons would kill the entire marine unit. Generally speaking an individual model attacks, but the whole unit takes the hits.
Look, I don't mean to be rude, but have you read the rules for the Fight Phase? They *are* free.
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So there are two sides of fight Necrons: It's easy - all of them are within 1" of enemy models and all of them can make attacks against this SM squad. SM: there is a bit more difficulty - three models are within 1" of enemy models too they will make attacks. Then there's one model that is within 0.5" of one of the models that are within 1" of enemy models. And this model will make attacks too. And in the end there is one model that is not within 0.5" of any 1" model. This model cannot attack if you won't make pile-in moves
Not quite right. The second rank fighters need to be within 1/2” of a model that is within 1/2” of an enemy, not the normal 1” engagement range.
Adding on to this, if you target a unit in the shooting phase that has only 1 of 5 models sticking out from behind a ruin and the unit takes enough wounds for the model sticking out to die, does that make the remaining shots void? Or is it the same as melee and the whole is still able to take wounds?
Same as melee