Grouding FMCs; conceptual discussion

[Raven]

Aug 6, 2012 1:10:08 GMT guns said:

This is the lamest interpretation I've heard yet. You're literally picking and choosing the rules that favour you.

There are two legitimate interpretations:

1) RAW: Grounded FMCs do not lose hard to hit/are still swooping, but can be grounded multiple times.

2) RAI: Grounding can only happen once, but causes the loss of hard to hit/swooping.

There's also a slim but convincing RAW explanation for #1, so that's what I'm using (since there isn't even a shred of RAW support for #2).

Yes I am picking the interpretation that favours my side, if everyone else gets to do it and if Games Workshop even releases FAQs that nearly always favour their precious Marines over anyone else, why can't Tyranids? Obviously I'm biased and obviously I'm rulesharking, but it makes it fair for FMCs compared to vehicle flyers. (well, fairer, vehicle flyers are still much better without Grounded tests, faster movement and the option to Skyfire) Grounded tests are a terrible idea and having them work hits instead of wounds is an even worse one. Also, slight nitpick, these are two separate rulings you're not forced to go RAW for one just because you go RAW for another.

[dirkspair]

here is how i play it, flyrant gets hit, rolls bad and gets grounded, takes grounding hit, enemy can shoot him normally and assault.
there is a sequence to shooting and it is up to the player to pick the units to shoot with in the most efficient manner. very similar to busting open a transport vehicle and then shooting the troops that spill out with your other units. would kinda suck if they could claim being invulnerable to fire even after their ride gets popped.

[N.I.B.]

I think those you're all better start playing like you lose Swoop when Grounded, as I can't see it FAQ'd any other way.
Sitting on ass =/= soaring through the sky.

[Raven]

Yeah, we probably are. There is however the argument that the FMC is falling so would still need 6s to hit, but for that to be justifiable I think you would take the S9 hit at the end of the shooting phase.

[drake118]

I started out agreeing with the "you can use normal ballistic skill" group, but the more i read the Grounding Tests paragraph the more i think they keep Hard to Hit. It described how grounding tests work, then in the next sentence it describes the rules for being Grounded. It say's a Grounded FMC can be assaulted, where Swooping is the only thing preventing you from assaulting a FMC. So why describe it that, way and not just say the FMC loses Swooping? Swooping seems to refer to the speed of the FMC, not how high it flies, and since you can only Vector Strike while Swooping, but can also Vector Strike Flyers and ground units. With that in mind you can argue that a Swooping FMC that has been grounded has done all of this so fast that it is still Hard to Hit.

[infornography]

It can be argued, but until an FAQ comes out, I think the only fair way to play it is that it loses swooping.

As said though, I won't be swooping very often as a result of the stupidity of the FMC rules. There will be tons of anti air fire by the end of this edition and swooping is just asking to give your opponent a free wound on your expensive MC.

[Psychichobo]

Cheer up guys, at least now Mawlocs can attempt to eat enemy flyers.

[fleetofclaw]

I really should have put a disclaimer at the beginning of my post stating "please don't let this evolve in to an argument over grounding rules," more intended to focus on the concept of actually causing a massive flying beast to eat dirt from a harmless bullet bouncing off of us.

The more i think of it the more it bums me out. Armies need not being anything to the table that is out the ordinary to deal with FMCs, and just wait for skyfire to proliferate, swooping will go extinct.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using proboards

[N.I.B.]

What bums me out is the difference between Fliers and FMCs. Fliers can easily be spammed and yet GW decides to hold down FMC's with the stupid Grounded ruling? Tyranids are the only army that can spam FMC's.