"Enfeebling" a unit to death?

[Geneva]

This idea hinges on one basic assumption, that Enfeeble is cumulative with itself.

Enfeeble is a malediction reduces a single unit's Strength and Toughness by 1. Not their characteristic or unmodified Strength and Toughness, mind. Just the two stats in general. This to me suggests that two or more units with Enfeeble can target the same unit for combined effect. Note that nowhere in the Enfeeble rule on p.419 or the BGB does it say "to a minimum of one."

Now let's turn back to p.3 of the BGB under Zero-Level Characteristics. In bold it is stated "If at any point, a model's Strength, Toughness or Wounds are reduced to 0, it is removed from play as a casualty.
I put that last bit in bold for a reason.

Essentially, you can wipe out entire units with three or four castings of Enfeeble. 40 man Imperial Guard blob squads? Enfeebled to death. Crazy Draigo-Wing Paladins? Enfeebled to death. Asdrubael Vect or Marneus Calger? Enfeebled to death!

Note that is specifically states "removed as a casualty" and thus bypasses Eternal Warrior too.

Now, the odds of getting 3-4 psykers with Enfeeble isn't great, but it's not impossible either. Tyranids are the only army capable of nabbing 17 psykers in the standard FOC. It's not something you can reliably plan on but, should the opportunity arise, we get a pretty awesome insta-kill option that can wipe out entire Deathstar units in a single turn. Before even ending the movement phase. Hello, Grey Knights!

Anyway, it's just a little tidbit I thought I'd throw out there. Not sure if I'm late to the party in mentioning it but there it is. Hopefully I'm right in this and haven't missed anything preventing it.

[WestRider]

There's something somewhere that says that Maledictions can't reduce stats to 0. I think it's in the Maledictions portion of the Psychic Powers section, but I don't have access to my book right now for the page reference.

[Geneva]

Ah, so it does. Oh well. At least it confirms that they are cumulative too.

[coredump]

It is not clear if Enfeeble will stack with itself.

And p68 has what Westrider is referring to.

[zephoid]

Since it would be two of the same effect, im guessing they would stack

Also: can someone check, but in previous rulesets Toughness 1 allowed for re-roll of wounds. Only came into effect with spore mines and specific missions, but i have no idea if its still in the rules. Make a paladin squad T1 and ID it with stock gaunts melee attacks... haha.

[nurglitch]

The rules say that bonuses from different maledictions are always cumulative, it doesn't say that different manifestations of the same malediction are always cumulative. So no multiple manifestations of Enfeeble. But you might cast Enfeeble on an Imperial Guard Platoon and then Haemmorrhage, to net those 3+ Toughness tests.

[coredump]

But that is the issue. It is not clear if a HT casting Enfeeble and a Zoan casting Enfeeble counts as 'different' or not.

I am inclined to believe they are not 'different', but I am not positive. And if so, the warning about going over 10 under 1 seems quite unnecessary.

[nurglitch]

There is no "casting" in Warhammer 40,000. Psychic powers are manifested.

[coredump]

.....

Really....

wow...

[Lanesend]

Damn. I have been playing it wrong all the time! I've been casting powers like there's no tomorrow.
Looks like I'll have to adjust my playstyle.

[kurbutti]

I've always played so that spells like Enfeeble stack with itself. The fact that you can't reduce a characteristic below 0 is, like coredump said, an odd limitation if -1 would be the maximum modifier. That is, for now. Who knows what weird stuff future codicies hold within.

[Jabberwocky]

GK can reduce enemy T already so others probably will have similar. DE can reduce S with a whip too.

Minimum 1 will be to cover themselves for future abilities.

[nurglitch]

Lanesend:

Every new edition requires changes in terminology.

[Lanesend]

Yeah, I know. I'm just attempting humor.

BTW, I think you're right that it's important to use the right terminology in rules discussions.