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Will list the stats and rules that matter for this question.

Dark Apostle
Leadership: 10
Special Rule: Zealot (Hatred and Fearless)

Options:
Veterans of the Long War: Hatred (SM) and +1 Leadership for free

WHY? WHY would I ever take this? It's a free upgrade but why is it there to begin with?
Dark Apostles have the Zealot rule which gives them Hatred vs everything and they are already Ld10. So taking the Veterans of the Long War could be considered nerfing them as you get Hatred (SM).
Or would the normal Hatred simply overrule the Hatred (SM) one?

I've tried to figure out why this is there as an upgrade but I just can't figure it out, one model having VotLW doesn't give it to the whole unit and the Dark Apostle already has a better Hatred and Ld10 so there is absolutely no point in this upgrade.

I must be stupid not to be able to spot the benefit of this upgrade. Could someone explain it to me, my vision is too narrow-minded to be able to spot it.

Edit: thought you meant on other units.

Its for fluff reasons, and thats why its free.

It's there for fluffy reasons, it's there so a word bearers player can give his Dark Apostle Veterans of the Long War to better represent that force.

Yes, it is truly functionally redundant. That is why it is 'free'.

That and 'Veterans of The Long War' sounds metal as hell, even if it does nothing much in that specific case.

It does nothing *for now*. There's a chance other Codexes may have something relevant - I can see the forthcoming Dark Angels' Deathwing being after VotLW, especially - and VotLW itself may not always keep the same effects.

Unless it's for another Codex, though, I highly doubt it's been planned in advance that meticulously.

It's the same for the Grey Knights Brotherhood Champion, for some reason he can take a digi weapon for free but his anoited blade already lets him reroll failed to wound rolls which is much better then the 1 reroll from a digi weapon

That's why they made it free. It's just there for fluffiness, although they could conceivably release other rules later which key off it.

 Riddick40k wrote:
It's the same for the Grey Knights Brotherhood Champion, for some reason he can take a digi weapon for free but his anoited blade already lets him reroll failed to wound rolls which is much better then the 1 reroll from a digi weapon

That one ain't free pal

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Riddick40k wrote:
It's the same for the Grey Knights Brotherhood Champion, for some reason he can take a digi weapon for free but his anoited blade already lets him reroll failed to wound rolls which is much better then the 1 reroll from a digi weapon

That one ain't free pal

Wow.... You actually have to pay 5pts to make him worse?....

Nah, it doesn't make him worse. He just pays points for no gain.

I was hoping 6th would allow multiple rerolls to stack, but no bananas on that one.

 Mannahnin wrote:
That's why they made it free. It's just there for fluffiness, although they could conceivably release other rules later which key off it.

Or.....

So LD 10 Apostile with Vet of Long War for +1 leadership. Yes, it cannot go above 10. BUT;

Fear of the Dark, or Weaken Resolve to subtract your leadership by X amount. Would it then not be X -1, since you are getting +1 from Vet of Long War? ie.

LD 10, take Fear of Dark at -2, making you LD 8. Veteran of Long War kicks in (as you are below 10), bringing you to LD 9.

 Super Ready wrote:
It does nothing *for now*. There's a chance other Codexes may have something relevant - I can see the forthcoming Dark Angels' Deathwing being after VotLW, especially - and VotLW itself may not always keep the same effects.

Unless it's for another Codex, though, I highly doubt it's been planned in advance that meticulously.

naw, your hope is flawed because:

1) Codex Space marines didn't exist prior to the beginning of the long war
2) Grey Knights didn't exist prior to the long war
3) Black Templar didn't exist prior to the long war
4) "Space Marines" are defined in the CSM book as any imperial-allied space marine

as such there's no "we're a 2nd+ founding chapter so the chaos marines don't hate us as much" clause

Also, read the Hatred rule more closely. Itnonly worksnon the first turn of close combat. Preferred enemy is for the whole game.

In general, I have been confused about the role of the Dark Apostle. I had hoped he would act as a chaos chaplain.

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
Also, read the Hatred rule more closely. Itnonly worksnon the first turn of close combat. Preferred enemy is for the whole game.

In general, I have been confused about the role of the Dark Apostle. I had hoped he would act as a chaos chaplain.

Vets gives you hatred(space marines)
the apostle comes stock with hatred(everything)

Vets gives you +1 Ld (Ld10 max)
the apostlel comes stock with Ld10

hence the question. He has an upgrade that gives him literally no benefit. And the answer is that you can give him the rule (for free) basically purely for fluff's sake. To believe otherwise would be to think that they kind of half realized that it did nothing, but chose not to take the full measure of either moving Vets into the "stock wargear" column, or deleting it as an option.

clever handle wrote:

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
Also, read the Hatred rule more closely. Itnonly worksnon the first turn of close combat. Preferred enemy is for the whole game.

In general, I have been confused about the role of the Dark Apostle. I had hoped he would act as a chaos chaplain.

Vets gives you hatred(space marines)
the apostle comes stock with hatred(everything)

Vets gives you +1 Ld (Ld10 max)
the apostlel comes stock with Ld10

hence the question. He has an upgrade that gives him literally no benefit. And the answer is that you can give him the rule (for free) basically purely for fluff's sake. To believe otherwise would be to think that they kind of half realized that it did nothing, but chose not to take the full measure of either moving Vets into the "stock wargear" column, or deleting it as an option.

As darknoise pointed out, it does do something if the model is affected with a -X Ld modifier. For example, if combat is lost by 1, the Morale check would be taken on Ld 10. Without, it would be on Ld 9.

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
In general, I have been confused about the role of the Dark Apostle. I had hoped he would act as a chaos chaplain.

Huh?

Chaplains come with a power maul and 4++, give fearless to their unit, and allow their unit to re-roll misses on their charge.

Dark Apostles come with a power maul and 4++, give Fearless to their unit, allows their unit to re-roll misses in the first turn of close combat, regardless of who charged, and allow re-rolls on the boon table.

Dark Apostles have everything chaplains do, and then some. My issue with Dark Apostles is their options. Was it really too much to ask to give them a bike or jump pack?

naw, your hope is flawed because:

1) Codex Space marines didn't exist prior to the beginning of the long war
2) Grey Knights didn't exist prior to the long war
3) Black Templar didn't exist prior to the long war
4) "Space Marines" are defined in the CSM book as any imperial-allied space marine

as such there's no "we're a 2nd+ founding chapter so the chaos marines don't hate us as much" clause

Not really what I meant. I was thinking something along the lines of Deathwing having "Hatred: VotLw". Or perhaps a codex faq that states a change to how VotLw works.

My guess is that in a futur WD supplement CSM gets a special gear/vehicle/unit/Fortification that interacts with models that have the VotLW rule.

Might be completly off, but that would'nt be impossible...