Legolas uses his bow in two ways in CC, a) using the actual bow as a weapon to hit with, catching people in the string etc and b) firing at point blank range. Sisters of Avelorn as I said have a firing at point blank range special rule so no problem there. Using your bow as a melee weapon, if there are archers that have bows with a melee profile, again, no problem there. But actually firing a bow, during the shooting phase, whilst the unit is engaged is engaged in close combat? That seems lacking in common sense.
THAT is my "silly" issue. Missile units being able to fire out of combat or at the unit that they're locked in combat with, in the shooting phase, whilst being locked in combat.
Yeah, I mean, you can claim logic on that, but I could cry "Crazy over the top fantasy!" and pretend it makes sense. But also, in a much more fluid representation, it doesn't mean they are standing still with a guy swinging axes in their face shooting. And Gods know the game is far more abstract now than ever.
I don't know if you play 40k, but it's similar in concept to how "Gargantuan/Super Heavy Walkers" do Stomp attacks, where they "Rampage" through the enemy army literally walking all over their forces. But the representation calls for you to place templates up to as far as, I think around 12" or so away from the model, at the farthest? And I mean, you could say "Uh your guy can't step on things all the way over there!" But the rule specifically states that it's simply a representation of the effect, and that though the model has not moved from it's position, we assume it had done so during the "Abstracted" events of the turn. So you could think of it like that.
As for my close combat quandry:
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So the previous combat phase had seen L1 charge at the K-rath. The surviving L1 was where he was because that was the full charge range used up.
During his charge phase the Klord had come into combat, then L2 were in range after moving to charge into him in my subsequent phase.
So. Both Krath and Klord were in combat with L1. L2 were in combat with Klord.
Since it was my turn I opted to complete the L2 combat first. So my L2s hit, and I think take a wound or two off the Klord, nothing significant.
Now... here's where it gets messy. He gets to make his responding attacks after my L2s attack.
The Klord is in combat with BOTH L2 and L1. Since the Krath is also in combat with L1, he is under the impression that his Krath can make its 3" pile in to get into combat with the remaining L1. He can then opt to direct all the Krath's attacks against the L1, and then his Klords attacks against L2.
IMO he should only have been able to make his responding attacks with his Klord, THEN it would be my turn to resolve the final L1s attacks, THEN his Krath would get to respond and pile in.
Either way, it is unclear to me, and whichever way is the correct way, is still messy and not clear cut.
Ok, yeah no. Combat doesn't seem to follow that course of logic any more. It's no longer "this combat, then this one" it's simply taking turn attacking with units that are in combat across the board.
In this way, I charged with a unit of Dire Wolves (Ours, with +1 to wound on the charge), and I attacked with them first because the combat was similar to your example, with me having skeletons in a fight with Ogres and then the Dire Wovles charged both the Ogres and the Firebelly behind them. I didn't want the D-Wolves to die before they attacked the Firebelly, so I struck with them first. But then his Ogres were the obvious choice to attack with because they could kill skeletons before they had a chance to strike.
In fact, the Chaos in the starter set specifically have a special rule, I think called No Respite or something? Where if they are killed, they pile-in and attack in response. So even if you leave them to go last they can attack in a given combat. Or if you attack with them first, and they get killed by the retaliation, they get a second attack right before they die in the same turn!
But yea, I don't think your friend was wrong in how to play with AoS rules.