Characters in the 2nd rank?

Sorry to ask a probably stupid question...

but i see alot of people talking about putting their butchers/tyrants in the 2nd rank of a unit in deployment..

I'm guessing that is for protection from shooting?

Am I just over thinking why or is that just as simple as it is?!

Cheers!

Neither

The rules of 8th state that the command crew of a unit (champ, musician, standard bearer) are always placed in the front rank.  Since we can form a rank 3 wide (being monstrous infantry), we often end up placing characters in the second rank of a unit unless we end up going wider than 3 models.

This does have implications for hitting those characters in close combat, helping to keep valuable characters such as a BSB alive longer.

Ta

Wildcard.

Neither

The rules of 8th state that the command crew of a unit (champ, musician, standard bearer) are always placed in the front rank.  Since we can form a rank 3 wide (being monstrous infantry), we often end up placing characters in the second rank of a unit unless we end up going wider than 3 models.

This does have implications for hitting those characters in close combat, helping to keep valuable characters such as a BSB alive longer.

Ta

Wildcard.

The characters in the back can still make way and get into combat to swing when they hit combat right?

Neither

The rules of 8th state that the command crew of a unit (champ, musician, standard bearer) are always placed in the front rank.  Since we can form a rank 3 wide (being monstrous infantry), we often end up placing characters in the second rank of a unit unless we end up going wider than 3 models.

This does have implications for hitting those characters in close combat, helping to keep valuable characters such as a BSB alive longer.

Ta

Wildcard.

The characters in the back can still make way and get into combat to swing when they hit combat right?

correct, but, IIRC, they do not have to as long as there is command left.

You do recall correctly

When the unit reforms after combat, any characters that did make way will return to the second rank as the command will again step forward.