‘Warhammer: The Old World’- GW Broke The Game With This One Rule

GW accidentally broke Warhamemr: The Old World with one rule change, and it needs a fix – fast.

Warhammer: The Old World is overall a great game. It’s maybe the best game GW has made in a decade and I am having a ton of fun playing it. However, it is not a prefect game. It has its own issues, and while generally I don’t think they ruin the fun of the game, some do have an impact. Luckily GW has been dedicated to fixing this issues. They’ve already put up a few FAQs to help improve the game. Normally this is all for the good. However in the last FAQ GW kind of unintentionally broke the game. It’s something that can be fixed, but until it is its causing a ton of issues. Lets take a look at what I’m talking about.

The Ruling That Broke The Game

The ruling in question has to do with models that have a split profile. This is basically any mounted model, be it cavalry, a chariot, or a big monster. In essence, their rules represent a number of models that share the same base. In the core rules it was a little unclear if the model counted as one model or several models. This was very relevant in determining the number of attacks a model not in base contact with the enemy could make in combat. One attack for the whole combined model or one attack for each part (i.e. rider and mount).

In the latest FAQ GW came down heavily on the side of each part of the model. In fact they clarified that a split profile is not not model at all, but several that just happen to share the same base. While this was a simple fix for the attacks, question, it broke a lot of other things – badly.

Impact Hits

The most obvious thing that broke was Impact Hits. As I mentioned when the FAQ first came out. The issue is that Impact Hits are a USR. As stated in split profile they would apply to all parts of the chariot: chariot, crew and beasts. Now if the chariot were one model it would only get to make one set of Impact Hits. But since GW has made it clear they are a number of models that means RAW each element gets to make Impact Hits. A basic Tomb Kings Chariot, RAW, now would do 5d3 impact hits. Some Orc chariots could get up to 7d6 … I think.

It seems unlikely this is supposed to be how it works. Yet RAW it does. It’s not even clear in the unit entries what is supposed to have Impact Hits. Even if you made a ruling for chariots what about items like the Orc ‘Edbuttin’ ‘At which gives its wearer Impact Hits? This one also clearly would spread to all parts of a split profile model and doesn’t even have the argument that it’s a chariot. The same issue also crops up with Stomp Attacks, which per the rules, each part of a split profile model should get to make, giving the Arachanarok Spider 10d6 stomp attacks!

Screaming The Night Away

Another example of this ruling causing major issues has popped up with the Vampire Counts Mortis Engine.  Now the issue with the Mortis Engine is manyfold. It is a chariot so already we have the Impact Hits issue. It then has the Wailing Dirge rule, allowing the model to make a special ranged attack. That’s all well and good, but how many can it make? This is a special rule that the model has and since it is a split profile all parts of the model get the special rule. Moreover, there is no one model here, per the FAQ, but a total of six, all with the special rule- so RAW you are looking at six Wailing Dirge attacks.

The fun doesn’t even stop there. The Mortis Engine has two other powerful special rules. Both of these require units to be within a distance of the model (not the unit, that wording would actually fix the issue). However, again per the FAQ there is no one model here, but rather six, each with the rule. So by that count wizards get a +6 to cast from the Mortis Engine and Undead get a +6 to their move and initiative. All well and good I’m sure. Worse, as this is a Legacy Army, it’s unlikely we will ever get an FAQ to directly address the issue here. That shows how important it is that the core rules for this are fixed.

Potions? Other Effects?

All of this has opened up a ton of debates online and around the world about how certain rules affect split profile models. A large one that comes up was does a potion of strength affect both a mount and rider? If it’s a special rule – it does, but some people argue that it is not. By making them separate models they’ve opened a ton of questions.

What About Templates?

Another big issue the FAQ has raised is how do templates interact with split-profile models. When you place a template, models whose bases are under it have a chance to be hit, either fully or on a 4+. Since split-profile models are explicitly not one model but many on the same base- how many hits can be done? If a template hits an Orc Chariot does it do 6 hits? Once for each element? What about a normal mounted Knight? Two hits? One for the mount and one of the rider? Afterall these are, per the FAQ, each separate models, whose base lies under the template.

I don’t think its supposed to work that way, but right now – it does. And to be entirely honest, I wouldn’t mind it if this is how it’s supposed to be. Mounted things are probably too powerful right now. Shooting is maybe too weak. Having mounted things be more vulnerable to warmachines and other area attacks could be a helpful balance tool. I doubt its supposed to be, but it could work. Still it’s just another thing illustrating how messy this FAQ has made things.

It Needs A Fix

Look I think its pretty clear that this needs a FAQ, or an updated FAQ, to clear up. This one ruling has had massive implications, and has kind of broken the game. While for some things it’s pretty clear how its supposed to work (Chariots are clearly not supposed to get 6x the same rule, such as Impact Hits) for other things I think there is more debate. I haven’t even mentioned all the various issues, just a few of the most common cases. For the sake of Warhammer: the Old World, this needs to be fixed fast.

The best thing would be a rework of the rules to differentiate between models and “elements” of a split model. This would make things a lot clearer. However that’s a major rework we are unlikely to see in an FAQ and will have to wait for Second Edition. Instead, what we likely need is something stating that in most instances split profile models count as a single model, but in combat each element fights separately and can make one attack if not in base to base. Something like that would put us back on an even keel and mostly fix the issue. So yeah, please do that GW. Thanks.

Let us know if you can think of any other units that got broken with this ruling, down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.