Goatboy – FAQ’s Out – Woohoo!
Well if you’ve been living under a rock – GW came out with 2 FAQ’s. One for the main rule book and the other for the Grey Knight Codex. Lets take a look.
Both answered some questions and left others hanging in the wind. We’ll see if we can get some other answers later on. So today lets look at the “changes” GW brought about and some thoughts on the idea that there might not be a 6th edition.
The Main Rule Book got an FAQ and it did answer some questions as well as fix some small things. Here are the big ones I thought they changed.
Q: Do the effects of the same psychic power cast multiple times on the same unit stack? (p50) A: Yes, unless specifically stated otherwise.
This means that Hammerhand stacks. This is pretty interesting as that it creates ways to get some super strong units out there without having to rely on weapons to amp up your strength but make you go last. Let’s say you have a GKM, Librarian, a Tech Marine, and Thawn in a unit of Terminators. Besides costing a crap ton of points you could amp up your basic strength to 9 if you wanted too – Hammer Hand X 4 plus Might of Titan. Strength 9 + 2d6 on Penetration Grey Knights is a scary thing to face even with you most likely making them hit you on 6+’s. Makes the idea of just taking a sword that much more interesting. There isn’t a whole lot of other stacking powers out there so will see if this makes it into other armies.
Q: Can a psyker attempt to cast the same psychic power more than once in a turn? (p50) A: No, unless the psychic power itself specifically allows it.
This means that if you don’t get Shrouding off then you don’t get it. This answers the questions I had arguments about with local players (Damn you Panda!!!). I am fine with it as it makes the Eldar’s magical staff that much better and at least it is a straight answer for once. This also means hoods and other anti psychic abilities are going to be better because if you stop it once you stopped it for good this turn.
Q: Can a model equipped with multiple grenades use all of them in the same Assault phase? (p36) A: Yes.
Yeah if you got em all you can throw them all. I bet it is like some kind of crazy fireworks party when you come at someone with Frag, Psyk-out, Psychotroke, and Totally Radical grenades.
Really you can see a lot of these questions were really responses to Grey Knights and their FAQ. It cleans up some things but leaves me wishing they answered some more. I really want an answer on the vehicle pivot and shoot issue that we see happening with Dark Eldar. We have one side that says you can pivot for free – but only if you don’t move does it count as free -so if you move it still falls into the whole you can only move a total distance as you want to travel. IE – you pivot and then move 12 from the new front point you actually moved 15 as you moved farther then where you started etc. I see both sides and would rather just have a concrete answer. Basically no point on your model can move farther then the intended distance moved. No more pivot to get the extra 3 inches etc. That way it makes all vehicles basically the same etc. Come on GW, throw us a bone…
Now onto the real reason the rule book was FAQ’d – the Grey Knight FAQ. They have answered a lot of things we all have been fighting about so for the most part it is pretty good. Let’s look at the main ones.
Q: What counts as a Daemon? (p21) A: Everything in the Chaos Daemons codex, Daemon Princes, Possessed Chaos Space Marines, Obliterators, summoned greater Daemons, summoned lesser Daemons, any vehicle with the daemonic possesion upgrade, Daemonhosts, Mandrakes, Kheradruakh the Decapitator, the Avatar.
Wow there are a lot of Daemons. Basically we have more reasons Chaos gets punched in the jimmy a few times. Grey Knights have a special pair of wargear Brass Knuckles called the Chaosium in da Nutium. Either way this gives us some answer on what is tainted and what isn’t. Lots of obvious ones here.
Q: If a walker is the target of Unyielding Anvil, from the Grand Strategy special rule, can it claim objectives even though it is a vehicle? (p22) A: Yes.
I said to everyone this was the way it works. The only walkers are vehicles so codex always trumps rule book. Hooray more reasons to take Dreadnoughts!
Q: If a Grand Master gives a unit with personal teleporters the Scouts special rule, can they use the shunt move as a part of their Scouts move? (p22) A: No.
Welp they answered the nonsense I talked about. I am glad for it as it gives us an answer which means no need to argue anymore. Hooray beer!
Q: Personal teleporters make the unit with them jump infantry. How does this affect a Dreadknight with a personal teleporter? (p28) A: It is a monstrous creature that moves like jump infantry.
This is an obvious one even though the thought of a Dread Knight flying in a Storm Raven is kind of funny. Either way this answers the obvious question we all knew was right with this damned dirty suit of armor.
Q. Taking Inquisitor Coteaz in your force turns Henchman Warbands into troops choices. Does this mean that they take up a force organisation slot and can no longer be taken as an elites choice? (p33) A. Yes to both questions.
Awesome no more infinite Henchmen with Psybacks. So yay an answer is awesome!
Q: Does a Dreadknight with a Nemesis doomfist strike at Strength 6 or Strength 10 in close combat? (p34) A: Strength 6, as it is not a walker.
Q: Does a Dreadknight armed with two Nemesis doomfists get an extra attack in close combat? (p34) A: Yes.
I think they only listed it as a Nemesis Doomfist so you can force weapon something if need be. It is neat that you get an extra attack from it. Why do we take the other weapons again? Oh I think the Sword is ok.
Q: For each Jokaero Weaponsmith in a henchman unit after the first you add +1 to the Inconceivable Customisation roll. Does this mean that if you have 6 or more Jokaero in a unit that they will receive no bonuses (as you cannot roll less than a 6 and duplicate rolls are ignored)? (p50)
A: Yes.
Haha screw you massed monkey armies!!! This one was just funny when I read it. Sorry all the guys who bought a crap ton of metal monkeys – you can just suck it.
Q: If a model with a Nemsesis force halberd has had his Initiative reduced to a fixed number by an ability/special rule, do they still get the +2 Initiative from the Halberd? (p54)
A: No.
Q: Do Nemesis falchions count as 2 close combat weapons and thus give +2 Attacks in close combat (+1 for their special rule and +1 for wielding 2 close combat weapons)? (p54) A: No, they just give +1 Attack.
I put both of these together. The Falchions means it is a terrible option in general and the Halberds one makes sense. It just means the Initiative bonus was added first then it is brought down with the effect. It does make Grey Knight on Grey Knight battles a bit harder. No more going before the Hammer goes smashy smash.
Q: Does the entire unit need to be equipped with rad, psyk-out and/or psychotroke grenades for their effects to work or is just one model being equiped with them enough? (p60)
A: One model in a unit is enough.
This is an obvious one that at least keeps people from getting crazy with how Grenades interact. Makes the random Tech Marine who has a Batman utility belt a heck of a lot more interesting.
Q: Are units with either the Stubborn or Mob Rule! special rules effected by the ‘They’re horrible’ result of the psychotroke grenade? (p60) A: Yes, such units will be reduced to Leadership 2. However a unit with the Mob Rule! special rule that has 11 or more models will still be Fearless.
A big stab to stubborn. Very interesting as it might mean that other leadership effecting powers are not stopped by Stubborn. Very interesting indeed.
Q: Do you take into account the strength increase from the psybolt and psyflame ammunition vehicle upgrades when working out if a weapon is a defensive weapon or not? If a vehicle has either of these upgrades, must you use them? (p62) A: Yes to both questions.
Woohoo no more monstrous Land Raider Crusaders pumping out a crap ton of strength 5 pain. Again a rather obvious one as the weapons base strength is increased etc.
Q: Would an orbital strike relay targeted within 12″ of one or more servo-skulls have its scatter distance reduced? (p62) A: No, it always scatters the full 2D6.
Well poo – I guess it is on to testing Conversion beamers.
Q: What counts as a plasma weapon for the Ulumeathi Plasma Syphon? (p62) A: All Plasma weapons, as well as Eldar missile launchers firing plasma missiles, burst cannons, starcannons, all Tau pulse weapons and any weapon described as using ‘plasma’ as its effect or in its special rules.
Tau = :(. Maybe will see a change in the upcoming Tau book (whenever it comes out) which changes from Plasma to baby blood for its power source.
And finally a Durrrh answer.
Q: Can you only take an Inquisitorial henchmen warband if you have an Inquisitor in your army? (p90) A: Yes, you can take a maximum of one warband for each Inquisitor (unless you take Inquisitor Coteaz).
All in all it answered a lot of questions I had within the book. What other questions did you have? I thought it answered a lot of obvious questions but still it is good to have them answered to keep everyone from arguing it. I do wish the Falchion’s gave you +2 attacks though. Bastards!
This FAQ coming out does make me wonder when 6th edition is going to come out. There are a few other things that need clarifying but will see if it is just left alone for now. Still any FAQ is a good FAQ for me. The less we have to argue when you judge an event. Goat out.
