Cauldron of Blood clarifications

[Chronowraith]

Since the placement rules say to treat it like a character... I'd say, "yes, it counts as having been filled in by rank and file troops for the entire base of the cauldron". This is even stated on page 98 of the BRB under "different sized bases" Since the chariot base fits nicely in with 20mm base footprints then you should be good to go.

Nonetheless, I agree that it's poorly worded and leaves too much room for misinterpretation.

[Wildeybeast]

Those were my thoughts too. Thanks for the help Chrono.

[Mr Mystery]

Army books trump basic rulebook though. The DE book says it can join units as if it were a character so I'd interpret that as, "for the purposes of determining whether it can join a unit don't consider it a chariot, consider it a character". So it wouldn't be a chariot, or a character riding a chariot, it would be a character and thus could join infantry, cavalry, warbeasts, monstrous infantry, monstrous cavalry, and monstrous warbeasts (do these even exist?)

The Tomb King special rule is pretty comical... a Tomb King riding a chariot can join a chariot unit and then, if his chariot is destroyed, can stay in the chariot unit. I'm sure the king would be happy that his minions are riding around in their undead pimp-mobiles while he's hoofing it towards the enemy. I'd say heads would roll but... that's just terrible.

Mostly stops him being auto-ejected from the unit, which can leave your very expensive, and somewhat crumbly boss man out on his own. Also prevents him be launched out of a combat mid-pagga. So it's a slightly clunky rule, but arguably the best way to resolve it overall.

[Wildeybeast]

Having read the CoB rules again, I don't think it does count as a model for rank purposes. The rules state it does use any other character rules, it only joins them like a character, so the character rules about different sized bases counting as models for ranks wouldn't apply. I think it just sits there getting in the way.