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I just finished my first spearhead game with a friend of mine. Mech IG vs my mech marines. I managed to table him in turn 5 thanks to outflanking melta squads and tank hunting annihilator preds. However, in the course of the game we ran into two situations where we weren't sure what to do with the spearhead rules. Perhaps the rules gurus could help us sort it out...

1. Does the "spearhead rule" allow stunned and shaken vehicles to fire one weapon?

Vehicles other than Walkers, that are moving at up to cruising speed, can fire one more weapon than would normally be permitted. In addition, this weapon can be fired at a different target unit to any other weapons, subject to the normal rules for Shooting.

I argued that the italicized text does allow them to fire even if stunned or shaken, my friend said no. IIRC, the land raider's PotMS allows you to shoot if stunned and this would be the same.

2. If a vehicle is the sole surviving member of a spearhead, may it still claim the "spearhead rule" to shoot an extra shot?

...units in a spearhead benefit from the following special 'Spearhead rule' when they are within 4" of another unit from the same spearhead at the start of the Shooting phase.

By my reading, the key requirement is having another member of the spearhead within 4". If you are the last vehicle, that condition is false and therefore the vehicle may not claim the extra shot. We agreed to play that they did not get the rule, but my friend wanted to check on YMDC. We also played that spearheads of 3 vehicles could have 2 vehicles break off from the third and still the two units could get the "spearhead rule."

What say you, friends?

If you are by yourself you are not within 4" of a member of a spearhead, so you cannot cvlaim a shot. And yes, 2/3 can be near eachother to claim the shot if one needed to move away.

Thanks nosferatu, that was my conclusion as well.

However, what about question #1: does spearhead allow units to fire one weapon even if shaken/stunned?

I guess it just comes down to the definition of "normal." I know there was a huge debate about that in the PotMS/Spearhad thread. But is there any consensus on whether shaken/stunned counts as a "normal" situation where you would get to shoot a shot due to spearhead?

EDIT - Wait I retract that question. I just revisted the codex entry for Power of the Machine Spirit, which specifically says that you may fire when stunned/shaken. And the spearhead rule is exactly the same, so it should apply.

Cheers.

Actually the spearhead rule and PotMS are not worded identically. This somewhat depends on which version of PotMS from which codex you are reading, but PotMS specifically includes stunned and shaken as conditions during which you can fire for PotMS. The spearhead rule does not.

In fact, all the spearhead rule does say is that you can fire an extra weapon while moving cruising speed. As far as I can tell, that is the only time the rule would apply.

Valdrad

Hmm... well I use C:SM. But I defer to the rules gods. Gwar, what do you think?

Kolath wrote:Hmm... well I use C:SM. But I defer to the rules gods. Gwar, what do you think?

I think spearhead is a massive con, poorly written and a very unsubtle attempt at GW to wring money it doesn't deserve out of it's fanbase.

But to answer:
1) No. PotMS Specifically says you can fire when Shaken/Stunned. The Spearhead doesn't. All it does it let you fire one more weapon than normally allowed. If you are stunned, you are normally allowed to fire however many you want (as you didn't move), but cannot now due to the special status of stunned.

2) No. "Another" makes it clear there has to be another member.