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So I have been getting into Warhammer 40k pretty heavily over the last month or so and I love it. I have a pretty good understanding of the rules and a lot of general tactics, but if there is one thing that sill buggs me its wound allocation. Ok here is my example (since i play orks):
I have a unit of 7 nobs and 1 Painboy. 5 orks have big choopas, 2 have PK, all 'eavy armor and cybork armor. 3 of the big choopa orks have the following, twin linked shoota, shoota/ rokkit, and shoota/skorca, one of the big choopa orks has a boss pole. One of the PK's has a waaagh banner. In short they all have different battle gear. So say they get assualted and take 14 regular wounds and 3 power fist wounds, how could I allocate these wounds efficienty? Thank you.

First of all, wound allocation in close combat is done per initiative phase, so it's very unlikely that you're going to have 14 regular wounds and 3 PF wounds at the same initiative phase. But let's say you do. 17 wounds, 8 models. There is no requirement to allocate the wounds in any order based on armor saves, etc, only requirement is that no model can take a second wound until everyone has one, no third wound until all have two, etc, so put the first PF wound on the model you don't care to keep. Then put regular wounds on the other 7 model. 2nd PF one model #1, regular wounds on 2-8, and finally PF #3 on model #1.

1: 3 x PF
2-8: 2 regular each

Now roll saves individually for each model as they are all separate wound groups. If you did happen to have two identical models, their saves would be rolled together.

Good question. Since it looks like your Nobz all have unique equipment, you have 8 Wound Allocation groups.

I am not sure how you have 14 regular wounds at I1 to go with the 3 Power Fists. I am going to assume though this is correct and the Fist wounds come at S8 (not the guard S6 variety).

First, you need to put as many of those fist wounds on one model groups as possible since they cause ID. You want to preserve the Painboy, Waagh Banner, Klawz and Boss Pole. This mean you throw the PF wounds on the Choppas (I would do just the standard Choppa). If you do so you get the following wounds...

PK-Waagh - 2 armor saves
PK - 2 armor saves
Choppa/TLShoota - 2 armor saves
Choppa/Rokkit - 2 armor saves
Choppa/Skorcha - 2 armor saves
Choppa/Pole - 2 armor saves
Choppa - 3 invuln saves
Painboy - 2 armor saves

14 Armor Saves, 3 Invuln Saves with all models taking at least 2 wounds and 1 model 3 wounds.

If your opponent had done one less normal wound, they probably would have done more damage.

calypso2ts wrote:Good question. Since it looks like your Nobz all have unique equipment, you have 8 Wound Allocation groups.

I am not sure how you have 14 regular wounds at I1 to go with the 3 Power Fists. I am going to assume though this is correct and the Fist wounds come at S8 (not the guard S6 variety).

First, you need to put as many of those fist wounds on one model groups as possible since they cause ID. You want to preserve the Painboy, Waagh Banner, Klawz and Boss Pole. This mean you throw the PF wounds on the Choppas (I would do just the standard Choppa). If you do so you get the following wounds...

PK-Waagh - 2 armor saves
PK - 2 armor saves
Choppa/TLShoota - 2 armor saves
Choppa/Rokkit - 2 armor saves
Choppa/Skorcha - 2 armor saves
Choppa/Pole - 2 armor saves
Choppa - 3 invuln saves
Painboy - 2 armor saves

14 Armor Saves, 3 Invuln Saves with all models taking at least 2 wounds and 1 model 3 wounds.

If your opponent had done one less normal wound, they probably would have done more damage.

wrong, pg 26 you cannot assign instant death wounds on multiple wound models to the same model , putting 3 pf attacks on the choppa nob would be cheating, most people wouldn't know the rule but it is still incorrect

G00fySmiley wrote:
wrong, pg 26 you cannot assign instant death wounds on multiple wound models to the same model , putting 3 pf attacks on the choppa nob would be cheating, most people wouldn't know the rule but it is still incorrect

Actually, He's right, you are the one that is wrong. You most certainly can place all three ID wounds on the same model. It's only AFTER saves that you worry about that bit on page 26. And saves are based on wound allocation groups of like models.

don_mondo wrote:

G00fySmiley wrote:
wrong, pg 26 you cannot assign instant death wounds on multiple wound models to the same model , putting 3 pf attacks on the choppa nob would be cheating, most people wouldn't know the rule but it is still incorrect

Actually, He's right, you are the one that is wrong. You most certainly can place all three ID wounds on the same model. It's only AFTER saves that you worry about that bit on page 26. And saves are based on wound allocation groups of like models.

So you can allocate ID wounds on an individual model provided they can accommodate the number of wounds inflicted? Now, if you only save one of the three wounds (which means 2 ID wounds we're successful), would this mean the first ID that landed would kill said Miniature and the second is then used against another model in the battle group? Just want to make sure I am understanding this correctly.

You remove casualties from wound allocation groups. If a unique model is assigned 3 ID wounds, and fails all of its saves, then you just remove the one model.

This is only if the model is unique, if there were two models with Choppas, then you would remove one for each failed ID causing save.

Edit: In short, you do not remove any other casualties in the above scenario if you fail all 3 Power Fist saves. The Choppa dies, and that is it.

ahh you're right, I neglected to see the I1 part... which is odd, you'll very umlikely ever have attacks at I1 only a few tyranids do I1 attacks, I origionally read it and thought he waited for the the power fists to assign them to one model AT I1 instead of spreading them around at that initiative

The 2nd ID wound would go away. What goof was thinking of was ID wounds with non wound allocated units. So, for example, a squad of obliterators takes 2 bolter and 2 lascannon wounds. They pass both armor and fail both invulns, so 2 oblits go down.

calypso2ts wrote:You remove casualties from wound allocation groups. If a unique model is assigned 3 ID wounds, and fails all of its saves, then you just remove the one model.

This is only if the model is unique, if there were two models with Choppas, then you would remove one for each failed ID causing save.

Edit: In short, you do not remove any other casualties in the above scenario if you fail all 3 Power Fist saves. The Choppa dies, and that is it.

right, sorry as said, the I1 part confused me.. this is never going to happen unless somethign that had a power fist attacked orks in cover... which would be pretty crazy fo rmos t things other than space marines to do and they have grenades so normal initiatives

Fallen_Veteran wrote:

don_mondo wrote:

G00fySmiley wrote:
wrong, pg 26 you cannot assign instant death wounds on multiple wound models to the same model , putting 3 pf attacks on the choppa nob would be cheating, most people wouldn't know the rule but it is still incorrect

Actually, He's right, you are the one that is wrong. You most certainly can place all three ID wounds on the same model. It's only AFTER saves that you worry about that bit on page 26. And saves are based on wound allocation groups of like models.

So you can allocate ID wounds on an individual model provided they can accommodate the number of wounds inflicted? Now, if you only save one of the three wounds (which means 2 ID wounds we're successful), would this mean the first ID that landed would kill said Miniature and the second is then used against another model in the battle group? Just want to make sure I am understanding this correctly.

If the single model that has all three ID wounds allocated to it is the only model in it's allocation group, then it is the only model that is affected by those wounds. They will not carry over to any other allocation group. It can fail all three saves and it will be the only model that dies. Not sure what you mean by accomodate the number of wounds, but it doesn't matter how many wounds might be inflicted for allocation purposes. It can be a model with only one wound remaining, while all the other models in the unit are untouched. The key to the whole allocation shenanigans is that every model must be different in game terms. Different equipment, statline, something. That makes each individual model a separate wound allocation group. Heck, you can even do this with single wound models and dump all the AP 2 or power weapon hits onto the single model allocation group, so long as you have enough regular wounds to fulfill the all take one bnefore anybody gets a second clause.

Example. My IG shoot at a Marine unit containing a sgt, flamer and three bolters. Due to extraordinary dice rolling I score two plasma wounds and 4 lasgun wounds. Using allocation you can put both plasma on either the sgt , while giving the flamer and three bolters each a single regular wound. The sgt dies (or takes two cover/invul saves) while the flamer takes a single save and the three bolters (all similar models so they form an allocation group) take three regular saves. Or you could give the three bolters both plasma and two regular wounds whle putting one regualr on the sgt and flamer. This would mean two dead bolters with the last bolter taking two saves and the sgt and flamer each taking one save. It's knind of an oddity in that sometimes you are actually better off to fire fewer guns. Goofed once and fired two meltas and several lasguns at a marine unit consisting of the sgt and an IC, all that remained,. Two melta wounds and one lasgun wound. Both meltas went onto the sgt, the IC made his 2+ save against the lasgun and then assaulted the squad. Would have been better to just shoot the meltas.

Ok, I see where the confusion was. Thank you for the clarification!

Thanks guys for you help, I guess making the wounds from ranged weapons would have made more sense, regardless I played some Nids after reading your responses and it helped me keep my nobz healthy enough to kill multiple monstrous creatures, he shouldn't have let my nobz charge that many times

If I have a group of boyz and a nob and take a wound on the nob to get an extra four attacks of a charging boy, would the next wound I take, either from the next round of combat or shooting phase, have to go onto the nob?

No, you can put them on the Boyz. The only time you have to put it on the Nob is if you have (for example) 10 Boyz and a Nob and take at least 11 wound. Dropping a wound on a Nob for this purpose is pretty common.