Steampunk Arachnid Swarm Scattering

[APCollyer]

Played a few games with Ramos crew and want someones opinion/ advice on the ability Scatter

The situation was a Steampunk Arachnid Swarm activated first and walked into combat 1AP.
They then used the +2 melee master to get a number of strikes in some of which caused damage on their opponent ( Death Marshall)
I then used Scatter for 1AP and replaced the model with 3 spiders and distributed the wounds amongst the new spiders which killed one leaving a scap counter. ( Lady J was about to enter the fray and one of her abilities means dead spiders don't leave scrap so thought a good tactic at the time).

Am I right that each spider now can activate with slow 1 AP and attack as they were still in contact with their enemy model base or do they have 2 actions? do they do this immediatly or have to wait their turn.

If this is correct could they then use their 0 action to latch on reducing the Df by 2 for each spider. My opponent said no as gave the arachnids too many AP and actions I was unsure hence my post.

Do they have to activate as normal sequence individually and use their normal 2 AP as per normal rules?

As a side issue could the Steampunk Arachnid Swarm have used the 0 action disruptionfied and then when they scattered the new spiders have this disruption field ability transfered or is this lost when scattering? If not do they each still have a 0 action ability themselves ( ie can use latch on?) as at the time I had the Steambor Executioner ready to charge

My ususal opponent is Lady J and she and here crew are tough to beat

Any advice clarification would be appreciated.

Ramos Newby

[Sholto]

The Swarm's (1) Scatter Action results in three Steampunk Arachnids being Summoned into play in base contact with the Swarm (the Swarm is then removed).

1. Since the Steampunk Arachnids are Summoned, they receive Slow. There is no mention in the Swarm's rules about the Summoned models activating immediately, so they simply activate as normal - ie. wait their turn, as you put it. This means your opponent will get to activate a model after you summon the Steampunk Arachnids but before you get to activate any of them.

2. As they are Summoned in base contact with the Swarm, you should be able to place two of them in base contact with the Death Marshall (ignoring any blocking terrain or other models which might prevent this).

3. Slow does not affect (0) Actions, so the Steampunk Arachnids can still use (0) Latch On and then use 1AP.

4. If the Swarm had used (0) Disruption Field, this would be an effect on the Swarm. As the (1) Scatter action states, "any effects on this model are applied to each Steampunk Arachnid". This means that the two Steampunk Arachnids who survived the Scatter would now be generating Disruption Fields of their own - and still be free to use a (0) Action in their own activation later that Turn.

[EnternalVoid]

Scattering and swarming is a good way to force your opponent to activate some models if you are trying to out activate them. Scatter and swarm can effectively be 4 activations if you get all 3 out of scatter. I have heard of some using it first turn to force their opponent to activate half their models just to see where they have to start sending other models.