Goatboy’s 40k: Tau Rules Conundrum – RAW/RAI/Don’t be a Jerk
Goatboy here, and for today’s BONUS COLUMN list I want to look at a BIG HAIRY rules issue from the new Tau codex!
The new Decurion has an pretty powerful new rule that could allow for some shenanigans all based on how you read the rule. As we haven’t seen an FAQ in awhile I expect this type of rules issue to be fought in the forums, via email messages, and end up getting FAQ’d 2 to 3 different ways based on the event you plan on participating in. I have my opinions but I’ll go over that at the end. Instead lets show the rule and break it down in different ways.
Here is the rule in it’s entirety. The Rule at hand is the Coordinated Firepower rule. By RAW it says that once a unit selects a Target any of the other units in this Decurion Detachment can add their firepower to the attack. They must shoot at the same target and resolve these attacks as if they were a single unit – which includes Marker Light abilities as listed. When you get 3 or more combining up they get a +1 to their BS. It seems pretty Tau like, everyone joining together in a herd of bullet death and shooting the heck out of one target.
The issue comes from the wording – “resolving their shots as if they were a single unit”.
So what does that mean exactly? What if some of the models in the unit have Split Fire. What about Tank Hunter? What if they had preferred Enemy too? All of those rules specifically state if one model in the unit has this rule – the unit gets the rule etc. Here they are to see what I am talking about.
All of these just need one model in the unit to convey their rule. Heck the Buffmander can give out a ton of stuff too as well – making the whole “unit” Twin Linked as his wargear gives his unit those abilities. The biggest culprit would be Split Fire as it states it just needs one model to allow the unit to shoot other things as needed. They just have to shoot at a different target and it isn’t that hard to figure out that you could have your entire Tau Army shoot everything and utilize all their special rules.
Thankfully the Markerlight issue is just per unit Marker Lit up and only applies to shooting that unit. Here is the Marker Lights to see and you will understand later on.
We have started talking this through on how we think it should work and it still breaks down. Here is a basic thought process on how it could work.
Possibilities…
Tau Army – has Units A, B, C
Unit A targets Enemy 1. Unit A has the extra Unit Rules Split Fire, Ignore Cover, and TWL Everything per the Buffmander that has joined them.
Unit B decides to combine firepower into Enemy 1. It would gain any benefits Unit A has, as it is joins that unit with its Firepower.
Unit C decides to combine firepower into Enemy 1 too – it also would gain those rules per the RAW wording.
Unit A, B & C all get +1 BS and now unit B & C get Split Fire as Unit A has that – they target other units per Split Fire Rules and gain the benefits that are still on them as they are a Single Unit.
This becomes pretty messy as some rules are obviously not written with a broad look at what they imply. The only real thing we can read from the initial Coordinated Firepower rule is that it only calls out the Marker Lights as something that combines. If there was nothing listed there – then we would infer that it implies to all rules because we have nothing to base this on. But – as it only states Marker Lights it could be thought of to only include any rules given by said Marker Lights. Thus bringing into the idea that this would only work on One Unit as the Marker lights are placed a single unit its shot at.
The Solution?
Personally – it seems a lot cleaner to just say Marker Lights as that is the only thing specifically stated in the rule. Other rules only apply to the actual unit doing the initial firing as everything else is just added bullets. I would also say that it only targets one unit as that is specifically stated as well too in the initial rule. This is basically a way to “overload” one target with the full fire power of your army – not as a way to pass out favors to all your friends and have a unit on the other side of the board get the Buffmander patting them on the butt as they blow away all the enemies.
What do you think? Is this as “bad” as some people think it is? Is this just another batch of keeping the Tau down?
