Friends in Melee Question, night of the thousand ninjas... Options

[Game2BHappy]

If 4 opponents attack a character (in melee) as a coordinated group, do they all get the friends in melee bonus on their first attack?

or...

Does the first one roll normal, and (if he survives), the next one gets the -1, and (if those two survive) the next one gets -2, etc. ?

[Gorath]

I would allow every one the -4 bonus, because the defender does not know who will act first...

[BitBasher]

I do it both ways depending on circumstances, If they are all in arms reach when the fight starts then flat -4... If they are each running up to join on their actions then it stages up as each one arrives.

[Dogsoup]

I'll go with Gorath, since the close combat rules are admittedly even more abstract than the rules for gunfire.
It's a big brawl, not 5 bots with initative scores.

[RedmondLarry]

We play that if the attackers each run up on their own initiative phase, the TNs are based on how many attackers have reached the target at that time. But that if the attackers use Delay Action on their initiative (perhaps glancing into each other's eyes while they delay, like in the movies) then they can all move up together and all get the friends-in-melee bonus.

[kenny26]

i think this question is already answered by what the book tells you.
it's obvious that you don't gain the friends in melee combat bonus if they're not there by the time you strike.
but if they are already there (i.e. they're faster than you) then the bonus would count.

and i find OurDream's last post a very interesting idea. actually, i'd like to steal that move for my next run! :D