Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Time to re-read the rulebook

So I was flipping the rule book for something that I was double checking (not important to this bit) when I stumbled upon this bit:

Page 67, second paragraph of "Destroyed - Explodes!"

Note: remember that all models in a single unit fire simultaneously,  so a squad cannot take out a transport with its lascannon then mow down the occupants with their bolters.  However, if a transport is  destroyed (either result) by a ranged attack, the unit that shot it may assault the now disembarked passengers, if it allowed to assault  according to the assault rules.
I highlighted the part that made me go *blink*, *blink*.  Assault units with anti-tank weapons...  how did I miss this?  How has it not happened to me in the last year and a half?

I sent that paragraph with a "how did I miss that?"  to my evil twin and he responded with:

"Same way I missed pg62 "wrecks" count as both difficult AND dangerous terrain.  Makes transports slightly more dangerous to use.
"oh look I blew up your rhino. Now make a difficult terrain test for everyone that lived.""

I flipped to the page - well, damn.  Right.  What else am I missing?  What other rules changed between 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th editions are rolling around in the empty space between my ears?  Time to sit down in a quiet place and re-crack open the book.  Something I think really should be done about once a year anyway.

Which brings me to my point.  So often, gamers have a minor (or major in some people's case) of Gamer ADD.  Now for some people it's the gamer magpie (aka - "ohhh shiney") effect that results in people starting new armies when the next codex comes out "because it's the end all, be all, for this game!  It will totally dominate this game!"   ... and then sell the army off in 3 months time because they are in fact living with a case of INMABS (I Need My Ass Beat Syndrome) because they only read the good parts of the codex/rulebook/army list/whatever.  (BTW, for the record - 3 to 4 months after a Codex comes out is a good time to get reasonably cheap, used armies from eBay...)

Sitting down and re-reading my Ork codex a in August is what got me to look at Boss Zagstruk.  I'm now in the process of acquiring new Ork Stormboyz to bring a full mob in for my larger games.

So, my fall reading plan is to re-read my 5th Edition rulebook, and all my codexes (codecies?).  All of them, not just the ones I currently have armies using.  May I suggest you do the same?

6 comments:

  1. The one that got me recently is that offensive grenades can be used at S4 against vehicles. Those 10 naked guardsmen just became dangerous to roving rhinos and whatnot.

    Just a few days before that revelation was the wound allocation epiphany. 2 power weapon wounds and 4 armor saves against 5 guys? Ok, Joe in the back takes both power weapon wounds. *blink*blink*

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  2. Your friend is mistaken on wrecks. Yes, they count as "difficult and dangerous terrain" but, when a vehicle is wrecked, the passengers disembark in the usual way BEFORE it becomes a wreck. So they are never actually inside the dangerous terrain, and so there is n need to make any checks at that time.

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  3. That's very good advice. I'm attending an event at the end of the month. We'll be playing three games (that's three times as many games as I've had in the last six months...), so I'm using my twenty minute commute to catch up on the rules. Probably doesn't work too well in the morning - I'm not exactly receptive at that time...

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  4. I suppose if I am ever to play this game I will need to study this "rulebook" thingy...

    And then all the codices...Which reminds me. I have to buy some codices.

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  5. One that got me was that Grenades can ALWAYS be used against Walkers in assault now.

    Plus not only is it good to see what's changed, but also what's no longer there... Such as no more "Last Man Standing" or the like.

    I also have to agree about new Codex syndrome and the time to pick up new armies. I'm looking forward to adding to my Wolves sometime after Xmas and Tyranids.

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  6. Things I just learned from playing Planetstrike (half from others' discoveries, half from mine):
    Buildings can only be shot at if occupied by enemy troops. (pg.79)
    Template weapons whose template touches a fire point on a building hit the building once, and the squad inside D6 times. (pg.80)
    Jump infantry and the like may not land on a building occupied by enemy units. (pg.79)

    That last one brings up a paradox. Squad jumps onto an empty building but doesn't enter it. Can an enemy squad enter it? Can they then "fire from the parapets" (pg.80) if there's an enemy unit standing on them?

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