Classichammer

Are there any expansions or other Editions that give a unit the ability to form up into such a formation?

Maybe when in the formation, the unit would have no flanks or rear, and would get credit for full rank bonus at all times. There would be a gap in the middle where a character could stand to confer LD or cast spells. The unit would be unable to charge or march but would be able to move in any direction at normal M. Somewhere in between a dwarf unit that sets the stone and a slann lord in a unit of temple guard? When the rank and file troops fall below 8-10 models the unit reverts back to a normal frontward facing unit?

Maybe something like that could be a cool mechanic to give to a Cathayan army that is distinct from Detachments? Would be a natural defense against Hobgoblin Wolf or Sneaky Git envelopment strategies.

That was in the 3rd edition.

Thank you so much for that info!!

Is there any reason they took it out? Did it not work for some reason?

It was before my time in this hobby so I don't know. The move from 3rd to 4th was a major reboot of the game, however, so there could be any number of reasons why they did what they did.

I assume it's part of the general "dumbing down for the kids" that went on between third and fourth edition WFB. I won't get into the weeds of why on a rules question thread but a lot of the changes through the 1990s can be attributed to pivoting the game away from "dad gamers" and toward adolescent boys as a target market.

Masses of sarcasm quotes around this because, well, I'm not an Oldhammer dad, I'm a Classichammer kid, i.e. one of the kiddies for whom the game was being dumbed down at the time.

I play from 1994, so from the 4th edition, and the only case I remember is a unit of dwarfs with a character planting an Oathstone. In all other cases the regiments have flanks and a rear.