Wednesday, 4 May 2011

'Unofficial' Grey Knights FAQ

There are a few things that really need clarifying in the Grey Knight Codex.


Here is what I'd like to see when GW get around to doing it,

General Rules Queries.



Q: Does Daemonbane (or any other power/ability listed as effecting Daemons) effect Lesser/Greater Daemons from the Chaos Space Marine book as they do not have the “Daemon” rule?
A: I'd like to say no to this as the Chaos Space Marine Codex doesn't really need any more kicks in the balls. However, the answer is yes. Lesser Daemons, Greater Daemons, Daemon Princes and Eldar Avatars are all classed as Daemons for the purposes of appropriate Grey Knight rules.


Q: Can a Strike/Interceptor squad use the Warp Quake ability on a turn in which they came in from reserve?
A: No, Warp Quake is cast at the beginning of the movement phase before reserve rolls are made.

Wargear/Equipment Queries.
Q: Does a Servo Skull reduce the scatter distance of an Orbital Strike Relay attack.
A: No. The Orbital Strike Relay bombardment always scatters the full distance as per its own wargear entry.

Q: Do the Toughness reducing effect of multiple uses of Rad Grenades stack?
A: No.

Q: Does the Ulumeathi Plasma Siphon only effect Plasma pistols, Guns and Cannons?
A: No. Tau Plasma Rifles and other similar Plasma weapons are all effected as well.


Q: If a unit is hit by multiple Mind Strike Missiles does it take multiple Perils of the Warp tests (assuming the target was a psyker)?
A: Yes. One test is taken per hit inflicted.

Q: Does a Grey Knight using Nemesis Falchions get 2 extra attacks (the one listed in the description and another for 2 close combat weapons)?
A: No. He just gets the one extra.

Dreadknights.
Q: If a Dreadknight is given a Personal Teleporter does it actually become Jump Infantry in all regards?
A: No. The Dreadknight moves as Jump Infantry but still retains Monstrous Creature status.

Q: Does a Dreadknight double his strength when using a Nemesis Doomfist?
A: Yes as it is a Dreadnought CCW and therefore follows the appropriate rules on page 73 of the main rulebook.

Q: Does a Dreadknight gain an attack when armed with a DCCW and a sword?
A: Yes as page 73 of the rulebook states that an extra attack is gained for each close combat weapon over the first

Q: Should he be equipped with them, does the Dreadknight get to use both the double strength for DCCW and the re-rolls for the Nemesis Greatsword?
A: No, he must choose which weapon he is using before any attacks are rolled.

Q: Does a Dreadknight gain an attack when armed with a DCCW and a Daemonhammer?
A: No, as the Daemonhammer is a Thunderhammer, he would need to be armed with a pair to gain an extra attack

Q: Can a Dreadknight equipped with a Personal Teleporter use the 30” shunt combined with his scout move?
A: No. A 'Scout move' occurs before the game starts but the shunt may only be used once “during a game”. That applies to Interceptor units as well by the way ;-)

Purifiers.
Q: Does Cleansing Flame stack? E.g. Two unit of Purifiers charge a 30-strong Ork Mob and both squads get Cleansing Flame off. Do I get 60 Cleansing Flames attacks in total or do I roll 30 dice for the first squad, and then potentially less for the second squad?
A: The two separate uses of Cleansing Flame would be resolved individually. In the above example the first unit would use Cleansing Flame against the 30 Orks and then the second unit would use it on any survivors of the first usage and so on.

Purgation Squads.
Q: Can Purgation Squads use their Astral Aim ability while in a vehicle?
A: Yes, however the standard rules for Fire Points and the vehicles movement distance limits the number and type of weapons that may be fired as normal.

Q: The description for the Astral Aim ability states that the target automatically has a 4+ cover save that can not be modified by any means. Does that mean that a unit that already had a better Cover Save would have it reduced to 4+?
A:  No. The targeted unit always has at least a 4+ Cover Save. If it would normally have a higher one (due to Camo Cloaks, Stealth, Bolster Defences, etc ) then it retains the better Cover Save.


Q: Can Purgation Squads use Astral Aim to fire into a vehicle?
A: No, because the powers description specifically says that you can't...

Corteaz

Q: Coteaz makes Inquisitorial Henchman Troops, does this mean they now take up a force organisation slot and thus I am limited to 6 choices?
A: Yes.

Draigo.
Q: Is Draigo’s Titansword a Nemesis Force Sword for purposes of improving his invulnerable save?
A: No, nothing in the description says it would work as such.

Q: Should we completely ignore Draigo's backstory as it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever?
A: Yes. Please accept our apologies for this travesty of writing.

Crowe.
Q: Does Crowe’s 'Blade of Antwyr' gain any abilities for being a Daemon Weapon.
A: No. It is a CCW as per its description in the codex.


Well that's all I can think of for now. But I'm sure that I've missed something that seemed important at the time.....Regardless I'll probably end up updating this page based on any additional rules feedback received. However arguments will need to be of superlative quality to make me change my mind about most of what I've already done.....

Thoughts and comments are (as usual) most welcome.

15 comments:

  1. lol loving Dragio fluff comment! Btw we need to sort a game out you're only down the road from me.

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  2. Am I the only person that liked Draigos fluff? Seems so...Anyway me and my mates were wondering how the crusible of malediction would work against GK. The main questions are:
    1) If it hits an infantry squad and they fail their leadership check, should the whole squad die or just the justicar/random member/
    2) If transport vehicles with the Psychic Pilot rule get hit while carrying models and they lose their leadership check, what should happen to the passengers. Should they be removed with the vehicle?

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  3. @ The Antipope - As the rules for the Crucible of Malediction specifies 'every psyker' then imo each model in the unit should take a test or be removed.
    In the case of vehicles then I'm not sure they should be removed from play at all as there were no psyker vehicles when the rule was written. In the spirit of the rules background 'fluff' I suppose the vehicle would be immobilised instead as it's the driver that would be effected not the vehicle itself.

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  4. Hey, dont be hating on Draigo, hes a bro. I'm OK with his fluff. He is the last Supreme Grand Master of the Grey Knights, he can do whatever he wants.

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  5. @ Everybody who likes Draigo's 'Fluff' - The landscape of the Realm of Chaos is controlled by the whims of whatever Daemon Prince, Daemon or Chaos God happens to rule that area, right?

    Daemon 1" Hey isn't that the Grey Knight guy who we hate"
    Daemon Prince "Sure is"
    Daemon 1" Why don't you turn the ground underneath him into molten lava so he dies?"
    Daemon Prince "Good idea"

    And thus the legend of Draigo the Badly Written came to an end.....

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  6. ^ To quote Clerks two... "Fucking aye"

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  7. You seem to have missed the one of the biggies with the falchions and how many attacks they get. Otherwise a fairly solid list, I may just link this thread on the Expo Tourney page until and official one comes out.

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  8. @ Boomstick - In my opinion you only get the one extra attack. I've added it to the 'FAQ' using that interpretation.

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  9. When are you doing another primarch?

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  10. @ Custom - I have an army list e-mail I'll be doing a post on later today and then I'll be doing a Primarch post for Lorgar after that.

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  11. In Codex: Grey Knights, under the Nemesis Dreadknight rules entry, the book states that it comes standard with "WARGEAR: Two Nemesis Doomfists."

    The Wargear section states about the Nemesis Doomfist;

    A Nemesis Doomfist follows the rules for Dreadnought close combat weapons (and also the nemesis rules on page 54 of Codex Grey Knights).

    Taken from Page 73 of the Main Rules book

    DREADNOUGHT CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS
    "...A Dreadnought close combat weapon is a power weapon and doubles the walker's Strength in close combat (up to a maximum of 10)."


    Thus a Nemesis Doomfist applies follows the rules for both the Nemesis force weapons and Dreadnought close combat weapons.

    A Nemesis Dreadknight unit type is Monstrous creature and is not a Walker. It never functions as a Walker under any circumstances. It is a Monstrous Creature.

    The rules for Dreadnought close combat weapons state specifically that it "doubles the WALKER'S Strength in close combat..." Walker referring to the unit type as it is used through out and not interchanged with anything else thus applying to Dreadnoughts, Sentinels, Defilers and Soul grinders etc

    If we are to take this as-written, the Dreadknight is Strength 6 with the benefits of a Nemesis Force Weapon (i.e.: Force Weapon and Daemonbane), and the bonus attack for 2 CCW (because it is a monstrous creature) but does not gain the benefit of double-strength. The weapon states that it defers to the BRB ruling on Dreadnought close combat weapons, which only doubles the strength of a Walker, not a monstrous creature or infantry.

    While some would argue that this makes the Nemesis Doomfist a wasted Codex entry, that's just not true, as the Dreadnoughts and the Venerable Dreadnoughts come standard with them. As they are Walkers, they would gain the benefits of the double-strength rule, whilst the Dreadknight and both types of dreadnought also gain the Nemesis force weapon rules as well bringing them inline with other grey knight combatants.

    As for rules as intended, why have a 10pt option for making your model I1 -1 attack and survivors strike at I1 after being wounded or the hammerhand power? (stating the designer doesn’t know what he is doing is not a valid argument since the rest of the book is reasonable)

    Unfortunately there is no precedence to take with regards to monstrous creatures having dreadnought close combat weapons. But Strength 10 2d6 does seem rather excessive especially when the next closest unit (Carnifex) is an additional 30pts for a worse stat line and set of special rules.

    I didn't especially want to post this but the thought of it being used in a tourney when, in my opinion, it is pretty clear the double strength bonus does not apply made me want to act.

    I have yet to hear/read and argument as to why a monstrous creature benefits from a walkers rule without resorting to intentions of designers which cannot be proved either way until an official ruling comes forth.

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  12. @ Mark - If the intention was as clear as you state then there wouldn't be a debate about it on every 40K forum in existence, lol.

    The majority opinion at the moment is that they become S10 which is the interpretation I happen to agree with. Hopefully GW will get their fingers out and release an FAQ soon. I bet you a bacon sandwich that they end up as S10 in the official FAQ as well though ;-)

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  13. yeah, i suspect they will, but i hold out hope that the written rules might prevail, lol and when the FAQ is released i will go with that.

    though i still haven't seen a sensible counter argument on any of the online forums, seems like a lot of WAAC players favourable interpretations, cos lets be fare s6 +2d6 is still dam good (even without rerolls!)

    everything else you stated i do agree with

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  14. Thanks for the heads up.

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  15. Apart from the scouting shunt move I agree with all that. I have not read Draigo's page so can not comment on that but your answer was very funny to read.

    The only question not covered is how Thawn interacts with kill points if he not on the battlefield and how he works with victory points for the tie-breaker.

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