IC can only join units with same armour?

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**sailense**

I was watching a beginner tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrB5rOnOhng&feature=relmfu

And in it, at around the 4:00 mark, he mentions that IC can only join units with the same armour. So an IC without Terminator Armour can't join a Terminator squad.

I looked over the IC rules on pg48 in the BRB, and I don't see anything mentioning this.

Is there something I'm missing here?

**dayve110**

It's perfectly acceptable for differently armoured models to join different units.
For instance Eldrad has 3++ Rune armour, which nothing else in his codex has yet he is still an IC and able to join other units.
Pheonix Lords have a 2+ save, and nothing in their codex equals that, but again are still IC with the ability to join units.

On a side note, there are many units with mixed armour normally, without getting into IC joining units.
Just look at Ork units with an 'eavy armoured nob, Aspect Warriors with an Exarch, Black Templat crusader squads, etc.

**Galador**

Not that I know of....

He's wrong on that account as far as I know, cause if that was the case, you couldn't have a Beastmaster unit, with all the different saves in there. I know they aren't ICs but it would be along the same principal.

You also couldn't attach anyone with Artificier armour to a regular SM squad, as its a different armor save.

So to my knowledge, he's wrong. You can only not attach an IC to single model units and vehicles. Other than that, the IC can attach to any squad he is within 2" of, provided he has the ability to attach (some IC's can't).

ninja'd

**Spetulhu**

sailense wrote:Is there something I'm missing here?

No, the guy is mistaken. There might be some Fantasy rule like that?

That said I would recommend not mixing terminator and regular power armors, but it's because you'll lose out on special rules. Terminators are forbidden to make a Sweeping Advance and would thus hold back the unit they joined. And ofc, attaching a power armored character to a unit of terminators means they can't Deepstrike from reserves...

**Userarm**

He is incorrect on the tutorial, IC's do have some limitations to who they can join but type of armour most certainly isn't one.

**Galador**

Spetulhu wrote:
sailense wrote:Is there something I'm missing here?

No, the guy is mistaken. There might be some Fantasy rule like that?

That said I would recommend not mixing terminator and regular power armors, but it's because you'll lose out on special rules. Terminators are forbidden to make a Sweeping Advance and would thus hold back the unit they joined. And ofc, attaching a power armored character to a unit of terminators means they can't Deepstrike from reserves...

Unless the power armored IC has a Jump Pack.

**Sir Pseudonymous**

Galador wrote:provided he has the ability to attach (some IC's can't).

To the best of my knowledge, every Independent Character can attach, though there are characters and single model units that aren't ICs, and thus cannot attach. Maybe in one of the older codices it's phrased as an IC with a special rule saying it can't join, but I can't think of any particular instance off the top of my head.

**Galador**

Sir Pseudonymous wrote:
Galador wrote:provided he has the ability to attach (some IC's can't).

To the best of my knowledge, every Independent Character can attach, though there are characters and single model units that aren't ICs, and thus cannot attach. Maybe in one of the older codices it's phrased as an IC with a special rule saying it can't join, but I can't think of any particular instance off the top of my head.

Main one that popped in my head when I was typing is the BT Emperor's Champion. So yes, the one I thought of was an older codex.

**sailense**

Thanks for clearing that up!

Although, Spetulhu brought up an interesting point.

If an IC is joined to a Termie squad, can he still sweeping advance even though the Termie's can't? And vice versa, if an IC in Terminator Armour joined a regular Tac Squad, could the squad still SA?

**Galador**

No, because even though he is a separate unit in CC, he can only join or leave in the movement phase.

And the IC in termie armor would make it where the Tacs couldn't SA because of the armor.

**nosferatu1001**

SirP - both Ctan are Ics that cannot join units, for some reason.

Sweeping Advance is on a per unit basis. If at least one member of the unit cannot perform a sweeping advance NONE of the unit can sweeping advance

**Mannahnin**

The C'Tan being ICs which can't join units is a legacy rule from 3rd ed, when being an IC conferred certain extra benefits in terms of attack allocation (like being able to pick out a model with a powerfist in the squad you're fighting).

**Jidmah**

They still get "move through cover" and "skilled rider" from that rule though.

**Mannahnin**

Well, they also get Move Through Cover nowadays from being Monstrous Creatures, no? And they don't get any benefit from Skilled Rider since it now only applies to models on bikes/jetbikes.

**Kevin949**

I think it would be horribly unfair if you could attach c'tan to a unit and just have an ablative wound monster of a character walk across the field and annihilate things in their path. Heck, just imagine if you attached him to a wraith squad. Sure, the toughness would suck but having a 3++ with 3 extra wounds on the c'tan (basically) and potential for WBB on the wraiths to continue soaking wounds...add in a lord (foot or destroyer) with res orb and phase shifter on top of that. Unstoppable, nearly. Sure, huge point sink though.