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The boarding plank seems to allow a character to attack with impunity.

But on closer reading, the warboss or whatever is "technically" disembarked.

If using a boarding plank on a walker, does it get to fight back? Seems odd that it can't.

first off the boarding plank is only used against vehicles so the counter attack is a moot point (I dont assume you mean counter attack ability but Ive seen weirder questions). As far as a vehicle with a WS in the ultra rare cases where its come up (ive seen it once) we just treated it as a single round of combat with the one attacker from the boarding plank attacking (like the rules say) and we allowed the dread to fight back. After that being as the attack came from a vehicle w/o a weapon skill the dread got his attacks on his turn (the veh. can only move on its turn remember) and if it had survived would have been able to move away freely in the next turn. All in all its a pretty stupid thing to do as this seems like the most obvious result, its better to just move up wrecking ball the dread and if its alive charge it with your PK nob. But technically yes hed get his swings back because the dread has a weapon skill and attacks,

Although it is great fun to watch your opponent tear his hair out as 6 trucks run around wrecking balling/ boarding planking everything. Stick a big mek with a KFF in the center truck and those things never die.

Yeah, that's our problem. Someone in our group uses the boarding plank to drive up next to walkers [well, 2" away] and then rip them apart with a warboss with 6 powerclaw attacks. He thinks they can't fight back, and that's been how it's been done but it seems really ridiculous that defilers or dreads can't defend themselves.

Boarding Plank allows you to attack a vehicle exactly as if you were disembarked and charging. What happens when you disembark and charge a Dreadnought? Correct... it hits you back, and if you have a Klaw it hits before you.

The vehicle upgrade doesn't provide any special rules for the CC except the 2'' range. You'd still hit a tank in the rear armour as detailed in the BGB. You'd still use the movement table on page 63 to determine what you need to roll for the attacks to hit. You'd still fight a round of CC with a walker as it has Weapon Skill and deals with Assaults like Infantry ie. it fights back.

One would assume the Ork won't get locked by doing this as he's not the same unit as the Trukk, but someone might argue that too. ;-)

ha its funny when a warboss attacks with a boarding plank since the walkers attacks can only hit him ... i've seen warbosses die horrbily

Wouldn't a nob also be hit by the counterattacks, since only the model using the boarding plank fights the close combat round?

yes but you can allocate the wounds any where in the unit ... where as IC can't ... so one lucky hit from a dread CC weapon and even a T5 warboss is instantly killed before making any attacks

2 things to think about:

1) The model who attacks isnt outside the vehicle. The dex just words the attacks counts as not the model is outside and charges.

2) A Walker is not really a vehicle so maybe it´s not possible to attack a walker with boarding plank.

But what way you take it, if you fail to crunch the walker you´re doomed more or less.

DaDok wrote:2 things to think about:
2) A Walker is not really a vehicle so maybe it´s not possible to attack a walker with boarding plank.

This is entirely incorrect. A walker IS a vehicle, as stated in the rules. Might as well say that An assault marine really isn't infantry.

Lordhat wrote:

DaDok wrote:2 things to think about:
2) A Walker is not really a vehicle so maybe it´s not possible to attack a walker with boarding plank.

This is entirely incorrect. A walker IS a vehicle, as stated in the rules. Might as well say that An assault marine really isn't infantry.

Well, I just said, a thing to think about. Sure, a Walker is a vehicle, but it´s a special kind of vehicle eh? It´s not my intention to get on the "A Walker is no real vehicle point" but I thought it´s sth to think about. But again, I would never attack a frickin walker with a boarding plank.
But if, the walker cant counterattack the unit who has tried to crack him. Simply because the unit isnt embarked, just the attacks counts as the unit is.

If you're going to say I can't attack on the grounds that the unit's embarked, I'll say you can't attack for the same reason.

Counter to that is that the boarding plank makes it so you count as disembarked - well then guess what, you no longer count as embarked, so I'll be smacking you in the face.

Trouble is this is another of GW's "doesn't say you can, so can you?"

I don't think you attack back, as it doesn't say you assault as if charging, but you make your attacks as if you were charging.

Emphasis on what the boarding plank is telling you to do, make your attacks.

Either way it is unclear GW wording, and probably should have clarified if walkers could punch back.

As worded the boarding plank does not "make the unit count as disembarked". It just explains that the embarked unit makes its attacks as if it were disembarked and charging. Note that it doesn't say 'resolve the combat as if disembarked' or anything like it - it's very limited wording and refers only to the embarked model making attacks.

It also doesn't say "fight a close combat" or anything like that. There's no scope for the walker to strike back, either at the vehicle or at the embarked infantry. It's actually quite likely that the walker won't even be in base contact with the trukk.

Tactically this might not be such a problem as it seems. The boarding plank isn't on the front of the trukk but around the sides, and can't be used if the trukk moved more than 12" (13" with red paint job). So effectively it can only be used by a trukk that starts about 10-11" away from the walker.

This means the trukk probably has to spend a turn within assault range of the walker, and definitely within shooting range. Make boarding-plank trukks a high shooting priority, charge them with your dreadnought where possible, and you should be just about right.

The boarding plank can be used ANYWHERE on the trukk. Physical placement of it on the model means nothing, it just works within 2" of the vehicle.

And is there a specific restriction on it moving flat out and using it? If not, where are you getting that moving more than 12 won't allow its use?

Spellbound wrote:And is there a specific restriction on it moving flat out and using it?

Boarding Plank, page 93, Ork codex. Neither vehicle can have moved over 12''.

I'm on the fence on this one. (I am an ork player too). I have never bought the boarding plank upgrade, because normally, I try to get my boys off those things and into CC as quick as possible. So, in my mind this is an almost point sink for a truck, very limited in use, unless fighting a vehicle heavy army.

On that note, I am leaning toward the walker being able to swing back.

The kicker being the word 'exactly'. If my English is correct, exactly means the same in 'every' instance.

So if it says "exactly as if the 'ork' were disembarked and charging" means just that, he disembarked and just assaulted the vehicle and everything that follows. So there will be defenders react, initiative order stuff, and then resolving close combat.

Remember that the rule does not have to say anything about being 'locked' or anything of the like. He 'must' follow all the rules as if disembarked and charged. as per the ork codex tells him.

Note: this is the 'boarding planks' special rules.
Note also, the rule does not specify which phase this takes place in either. I would do this in the assault phase if I did this to another player. As it says the word "exactly".

This is my reading of the rule.

Edit: I would like it to be otherwise, really. But I cannot seriously tell my opponent across the table from me that it means any other meaning from what I just wrote. I am sure my opponent would feel the same about the word 'exactly' and I would feel cheapened if I tried to use it that wasn't 'exactly' as described in the codex.

One ork model from the unit embarked on the trukk may make his attacks as if disembarked.

padixon wrote:
So if it says "exactly as if the 'ork' were disembarked and charging" means just that, he disembarked and just assaulted the vehicle and everything that follows. So there will be defenders react, initiative order stuff, and then resolving close combat.

Remember that the rule does not have to say anything about being 'locked' or anything of the like. He 'must' follow all the rules as if disembarked and charged. as per the ork codex tells him.

This is where I disagree - the codex doesn't say it allows the embarked ork to assault the walker. Making my close combat attacks doesn't automatically include you making your close combat attacks.

If the boarding plank actually initiated an assault, then all the embarked orks would be able to attack the walker. They clearly cannot ("a single embarked Ork") so we can see this isn't a normal assault. The sentence fragment "...exactly as if the Ork were disembarked and charging" is subordinate to the body of that sentence which limits the effect of the plank to allowing a single ork to make close combat attacks. All it means is that the Ork gets +1A, +1I and +1S when it makes its close combat attacks. Anything further, like return attacks or combat resolution, is outside the scope of the boarding plank rule and there is no allowance for it.

There is also nothing prohibiting the assaulted unit from making its attacks.

Nothing allows it though.

Normally an embarked unit cannot make close combat attacks. The boarding plank gives us an exception to this which allows us to make the attacks anyway, within certain limits.

Normally a walker cannot make close combat attacks against an enemy it is not in base contact with during the opponent's assault phase. The boarding plank does not give us an exception allowing the target to make attacks.

@ Boss Ardnutz

You bet brother, it doesn't and that's why I'm on the fence on this one.

I always (well mostly) tend to side on the 'friendlier with other players' reading of a rule if it is ambiguous. This one is one of those rules where if your opponent has a problem with it, I can honestly say, that I could not put up a good enough explanation on why his poor walker that's about to get hosed pretty hard by a Nob with 3 base attacks (+1 for the charge) can not attack back.

Simply put the rules say 'exactly', and I know my opponent will see that exactly means what I'm thinking it is meaning.

But, Boss Ardnutz, I do agree, the rule does not insinuate an assault in the words they chose for the rule. Just an attack(s) as if disembarked and charging.

I would LOVE to see this one get answered, has anyone e-mailed (busy) John Spencer on this yet for some guidance on what he thinks?

I'm with Boss Ardnutz here.

The wording in the codex is actually very clear. The boarding plank only allows a model to make its attacks as if disembarked and charging.

That's the only thing it grants. No other rules of close combat are followed (besides resolving those attacks).

The Dreadnaught does not get to attack back because the boarding plank rules don't say he does and they don't specify that the target is locked in combat (which is what is required for the Dreadnought to get to strike back).

I e-mailed John on this one, to see what he thinks.

I'm with Yak here

Here is an interesting bit, from John

Hello,

We’re a little busy, but we’re getting caught up. Answers to your questions are below, in blue.



Thanks!



John Spencer

Customer Service Specialist



Please do not delete previous email threads as this will help us serve you better!



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-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 9:13 AM
To: askyourquestion
Subject: Rule help with boarding planks



Hey John, I know your busy, I was wondering what your take on this rule is.



Ork Codex pg. 93 Boarding Plank



Question: When using the boarding plank, what 'phase' (movement, shooting, assault) does the attack take place in?

Assault phase.



Question: When using the boarding plank against a walker, does the walker get an attack back against the 'ork' making the attack?

We would say that it does not work against a walker as walkers are assaulted like infantry, not vehicles. This is a judgment call on our case and may change with a FAQ.



Question: If the walker can make an attack back against the 'ork', if the 'ork' was in a squad (lets say it was a Nob) does the attack by the walker go only against the 'ork' model because the rule specifies that only the model may make the attack or can the ork owning player pull from anywhere in the squad as per 5th edition rules?

N/A, see above.





Thanks again, your doing great, and we appreciate your work.


This is real interesting, and a something I never thought about, Walkers being assaulted like infantry...hmmm.

But John! What happens until the FAQ??

The new service is handy, but handy in the way that a tree full of unripe mangoes is handy.

GW needs to have one guy that answers rules questions that's official. I think his answer is a nice way to use the rule - because what walker would just sit there and let you drop a boarding plank on it without shaking it off?

Problem is it's not official, so if your opponent wants to use his 5 point upgrade to destroy your dreadnoughts with impunity, he can.