Rules Question (not sure where this goes)

[sporesprayer]

So move through cover= no difficult terrain test

if we charge enemy units who are in cover do we strike at regular initiative since hormies and termies (and others) are not affected by terrain rules (except dangerous) they charge units in terrain we count as having assault grenades?

[coredump]

You need to review Move Through Cover. They *are* still affected by terrain, they just get an extra die to roll.

So they go at I1 when they need to roll for terrain movement.

[Jabberwocky]

May 30, 2012 2:17:40 GMT sporesprayer said:

So move through cover= no difficult terrain test

if we charge enemy units who are in cover do we strike at regular initiative since hormies and termies (and others) are not affected by terrain rules (except dangerous) they charge units in terrain we count as having assault grenades?

If only this was the case!!

As coredump already said, unfortunately it isn't.

[nurglitch]

Move Through Cover means rolling 3D6 and choosing the highest, rather than the usual 2D6 and choosing the highest. P.75 in the rulebook.

Interestingly, units that were already locked in combat, or that had gone to ground, don't inflict the Initiative penalty for charging through cover. P.36 in the rulebook. This is kind of interesting, because instead of steaming willy-nilly into combat, Tyranid players need to set up charges using units equipped with assault grenades (Harpies, Lictors, Carnifex broods), units that strike at Initiative 1 anyways (Pyrovores, Tyrannofexen, Tervigons, Carnifex broods), or pinning units beforehand with pinning weapons (strangeweb, barbed strangler, stranglethorn, spore mine launcher).

[DarkGuard]

I wish pinning was a reliable way around it. If I had a pound for every time I've pinned unit whose transport I blew up (leaving them in a crater) I'd be as poor as I am now. Pinning is very unreliable as most units in the game have a high enough initiative to ignore it. Or rather, Marine units do.

I always tend to forget the other one though, that's quite interesting really, I look forward to using that in practise.

[coredump]

Not only do Nids not 'need' to set up their charges, but it is often a very bad idea

The idea of using things like Harpys, pyrovores, Tfexes, etc to charge into combat; just to lock a unit down for a second unit to charge in 2 turns later.... is almost always a bad idea.
As stated, if you can Pin something first, that is cool; but it is so unreliable that it would be pretty foolish to count on it.

[nurglitch]

DarkGuard:

Yeah, a single pinning test on Ld9 is a 2+ on 1D6 to avoid pinning. On the other hand, multiple pinning tests increase the chance of pinning like a re-roll would.

[Elof Valantor]

Wouldn't it be cool if Shadow in the Warp caused enemy units to take all leadership based tests on 3D6 (you know, because the SitW messes with peoples heads, particularly psykers - oh wait that's fluff)? That would solve the pinning problem (if you kept a synapse creature nearby).

[coredump]

May 30, 2012 17:20:31 GMT nurglitch said:

DarkGuard:

Yeah, a single pinning test on Ld9 is a 2+ on 1D6 to avoid pinning. On the other hand, multiple pinning tests increase the chance of pinning like a re-roll would.

Which is still unreliable. Even a re-roll on a 2+ means no pinning 70% of the time. If Nids "need" to do this, we are really screwed. (of course, still probably a better idea than charging in with a Harpy or such.)

[nurglitch]

Elof Vanator:

I like that idea. It's pretty brutal though. Ld10 goes from failing pinning 3/36 times to failing 18/36 times.

However, that reminds me of something I should have added: The Aura of Despair on the Genestealer Broodlord puts a unit at -1 penalty to its leadership at the beginning of the Tyranid assault phase. Useless for shooting-based pinning, but handy for helping a unit of Genestealers avoid retaliation by units they forcibly disembark from transports during an assault.

[Jabberwocky]

I find Parox, along with naturally high WS and T are enough for me to wade into combat willy-nilly.

[DarkGuard]

With pinning I reckon they should take a leaf out of Project Biomorph (3++ 5th ed revamp). Each wound caused by pinning weapons in the unit incurs a -1 modifier. So one wound is a pinning test at -1Ld, 5 is -5 and so on. Makes it more reliable but not deadly if you only took one wound.

You can live and dream right?

[Space is pretty big]

This thread makes me yearn for 4th ed flesh hooks...