Melee damage with partial base contact (Can Luke defeat /all/ the stormtroopers?)

[kaibutsu]

Hello! Trying to understand the melee rules.

Luke Skywalker charges a unit of five stormtroopers. 
1) Luke gets in contact with one storm trooper.

2) The rest of the storm troopers are moved so that (say) 3 of them are in base contact, but we run out of space, and the remaining two are placed in cohesion.

3) Luke rolls four damage, and the stormtroopers totally flub their defense roll, taking four wounds.

Do the stormtroopers lose three minis or four?

Philosophically, is base contact equivalent to LOS for melee?

Thanks!

[Seth]

Hello,

1 hour ago, kaibutsu said:

Philosophically, is base contact equivalent to LOS for melee?

No. Luke can defeat all the Stormtroopers if the dice roll his way!

Hope this helps,
Seth