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Hello Dakka, I'm wondering about "Fear of the Darkness" that is used by the Librarians in SM/BA armies, can this ability be stopped by any method other than fearless, i.e. cover save? It was recently used to devastating effect against my Eldar Ranger squad, they continued retreating until they were destroyed. Neither I nor my opponent were sure whether it would ignore the effect of cover or not. (The rangers were deployed in terrain, therefore conferring them a 2+ cover save with their Pathfinder ability). We both settled that it would not be saved by cover, but we resolved to look it up. So, can this ability be blocked by cover? Thanks!

Edit - ignore me.

A psychic power needs to be able to inflict wounds in order to get cover saves against it. Fear of the Darkness does not inflict wounds, so no saves allowed.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
To refute Scott: check out the main rulebook FAQ found here: http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1490286a_Warhammer_40,000_Rulebook_FAQ_V1_1.pdf

GW wrote:Q: Do psychic shooting attacks grant cover saves? (p50)
A: Yes, as long as they cause wounds. Cover saves are
taken against wounds caused by psychic shooting attacks,
not against any other ‘weirder’ effects of the psychic
power.

Unless you are a tyranid player, and then they get cover saves against doom of malantai's ability as well, even though its not a shooting attack.

Grakmar wrote:A psychic power needs to be able to inflict wounds in order to get cover saves against it.

Excellent point!

gannam wrote:Unless you are a tyranid player, and then they get cover saves against doom of malantai's ability as well, even though its not a shooting attack.

And Mawlocs

Anyway as the FAQ says, they won't get a cover save due to it not inflicting wounds.

Don't have the Nid Codex, do they get a save from the power or the wounds caused from the power?

The Mawloc is something in it's own right, what's the faq for that? is it treated as barrage?

if you about Spirit Leech - then its not PSA)

jdjamesdean@mail.com wrote:Don't have the Nid Codex

Doom and Mawloc have abilities that are not shooting attacks but both allow cover saves--from the inflicted wounds--regardless.

Its just a good example of where GW is not consistent in it's rulings. We don't need to re-open old wounds. I had to put my nids on the shelf after that last disastrous ruling from GW.

Seems perfectly consistent to me. If it causes wounds, you might get a save. If it doesn't, you don't.

Awesome thanks guys. I appreciate it, even though it sucks for me. 120pts down the tubes in a 750 game is really really harsh.

It is pretty harsh. On the bright side a Farseer with the right equipment can shut that Librarian down pretty effectively.

gannam wrote:Unless you are a tyranid player, and then they get cover saves against doom of malantai's ability as well, even though its not a shooting attack

The FAQ entry quoted is only addressing psychic abilities. Spirit Leach is not a Psychic ability.

gannam wrote:We don't need to re-open old wounds. I had to put my nids on the shelf after that last disastrous ruling from GW.

Really? Your army list unraveled with the release of the FAQ?

If it was based around being able to actually put primes into a spod army, then yes it would have done!

I used to run my nids with empty pods, and a doom, so yes, it pretty much roasted my list.

I think the codex has some serious weaknesses as well in competitive play, but that put me over the edge.

Nurglitch wrote:It is pretty harsh. On the bright side a Farseer with the right equipment can shut that Librarian down pretty effectively.

Yea, RoWA was used in that game, but my opponent rolled some good rolls on Psychic Tests all night.