The only way a unit can move or be placed into base contact with an enemy miniature is to move into melee. While a unit that has at least one weapon with a melee range is moving or being placed, it can move into melee by moving or placing that unit’s unit leader into base contact with an enemy miniature. When a unit moves into melee, the following steps must be performed:- After the unit leader of the unit moving into melee is placed, place the other miniatures in that unit into base contact with enemy miniatures in the unit that their unit leader is now in melee with.
- If the opponent’s unit leader is not in base contact with an enemy miniature, that miniature’s controlling player places it into base contact with a miniature in the unit that moved into melee.
- The opposing player places the other miniatures in their unit that are not currently in base contact with an enemy miniature or are not in cohesion into base contact with miniatures from the enemy unit that moved into melee.
If any miniatures cannot be placed into base contact with enemy miniatures during this process, they must still be placed in cohesion. Miniatures may never move or be placed in such a way that they would be in base contact with multiple enemy units, though it is possible for a unit to be in melee with multiple enemy units if another unit joins the melee later.
Will decides that he wants to move his Clone Trooper unit into melee with Tony’s Battle Droids. Because they have a melee weapon, the Clone Troopers may move into base contact with the Battle Droids. To do this, Will performs a move with the Clone Troopers’ unit leader that ends with the Clone Troopers’ unit leader in base contact with 1 of the Battle Droids. Then, ensuring that all of the Clone Troopers remain in cohesion, Will places the rest of the Clone Troopers so that they are also in base contact with the Battle Droids. The unit leader of the Battle Droids is in base contact with an enemy miniature, so it does not move. Tony then places the Battle Droids that are not in base contact into base contact with Will’s Clone Troopers while maintaining cohesion. The Clone Troopers and Battle Droids are engaged and in melee.