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Sorry if this has been asked before. I've been poking around Dakka and a few other sites to get a feel for the new WHFB since RL just won't let me enjoy my hobby(sigh....) I've seen a few threads now about how folks are being decimated by multiple copies of Spell X (usually Purple Sun). I guess my question is: did I miss something? Aside from signature spells and a few other exceptions I didn't think you could have multiple copies of the same spell in your army. Did I miss something in a GW FAQ or are folks just playing it wrong?

If a character does not roll for spells, either because they come stock with a spell, get to choose directly or has the Loremaster (I know ALL the spells) trick, then you can have duplicates. The only time you can't have duplicates is if the wizards involved are getting them by virtue of rolling randomly. Of course, random generation is by far the most common way, but a few armies have the ability to just take all the spells or the ones they want.

Of course the other option is having the spell cast on you over and over again during the course of the game. That sucks too.

Most of what I've seen are folks complaining that they were being thrashed by three or four purple suns on the table at once, multiple pit of shades cast in one turn or multiple time warped units carving their way across the table.

If you have a Loremaster, would that not, in fact, keep you from having another non Loremaster mage of the same type in your force since all the spells have been accounted for already? (they could take the signature spell but that would be it-not real useful)

Nope. Again, you can only not roll for multiples of the same spell.

Imagine it this way: When you roll for spells you draw out of a hat with one of each spell and a stack of signature spells next to it. If one wizard draws spell 4 there is no more of that spell for anyone else.
However, if a Wizard has Loremaster or gets to directly (non-randomly) chose his spells, he just brings his own from home and doesn't compete with others.

So yes, if you can squeeze 6 Wizards with Loremaster (Death) into your army you can have 6 Purple Suns a turn. I don't think any army can actually do that, but there it is. And of course you need dice to actually cast all that. Really, if you are getting hit with 3-4 Purple Suns a turn you are either REALLY unlucky in your opponent's ability to rock huge Power Dice rolls, or really unlucky in dispelling.

Another possibility is that those writing the reports were playing incorrectly, and having one caster cast the same spell over and over again in the same turn, which is not allowed (except some Wood Elves can cast Tree Singing over and over).