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I know this is a basic question but I'm a new player so here we go:

What is the point of having an IC join a unit if he gets their toughness.
Example: Deathleaper joins some rippers and gets easier the kill.

Why would you ever join a unit if it makes your stat line worse?
Or, am I totally misunderstanding majority toughness?

Thanks.

a) Deathleaper can't join Rippers - DL isn't an IC.
b) You have it right. But you also have to realize that if an IC joins a unit, the IC has "free" wounds that don't actually injure him.

Indeed,
Position the meat-shields to be between shooter and Independent Character and, most of the time, it makes the Independent Character survive longer even with a lower Mixed Toughness.

Does the IC use his own stat line for assault and templates?

No, unless in a challenge. You only use your own stats if you're working out instant death; s8 on a majority t4 unit is ID but nit to say a bike riding captain at t5.

First, be sure to understand the difference between character and independent character.

The quad can be used as meat shields to be extra ablative wounds that the character might not otherwise have. It is all in the tactics of positioning. However, beware, this can be used against you if I'm thinking correctly(correct me if I'm wrong) ...
-precision shots. This still go by majority toughness?
-barrage landing square on to of the indy. Does this still go by majority toughness?
Either way, they would still get the LOS roll that you might fail.

Of course, it could also be a gamble. In some cases, it may lower the toughness of the character but that character may have a 2+ armor save compared to a much worse one that the unit may have. You hope the indy makes the armor saves or sucks up enough to allow the unit to survive the trip where otherwise they might not have.

It also only changes the toughness for the purposes of rolling to wound. it doesn't change toughness for ID purposes, so any wounds allocated to the character will check ID against his toughness, not the altered toughness from the unit.

Characters join units because they need mooks to take hits for them, either via Look out Sir or just by being the closer models. Most characters will die very quickly if they don't, even if they have slightly better stats.

 EVIL INC wrote:
First, be sure to understand the difference between character and independent character.

The quad can be used as meat shields to be extra ablative wounds that the character might not otherwise have. It is all in the tactics of positioning. However, beware, this can be used against you if I'm thinking correctly(correct me if I'm wrong) ...
-precision shots. This still go by majority toughness?
-barrage landing square on to of the indy. Does this still go by majority toughness?
Either way, they would still get the LOS roll that you might fail.

Of course, it could also be a gamble. In some cases, it may lower the toughness of the character but that character may have a 2+ armor save compared to a much worse one that the unit may have. You hope the indy makes the armor saves or sucks up enough to allow the unit to survive the trip where otherwise they might not have.

Everything except wounds in a challenge goes against the majority toughness. This works out well if the majority toughness is higher than the models involved and poorly if the majority is lower.

ID still happens on a per model basis.

For instance an DE archon T3 joins a unit of 6 grotesuqesT5. Everyone is T5. For precision shots, for barrage weapons, in close combat, but not in a challenge. Any str6+ shots that the archon doesnt LOS will ID him.

A Nurgle bike lord T6 joins a unit of 30 cultists T3. Everyone is T3. For precision shots, for barrage weapons, in close combat, but not in a challenge. No shots will ID the Nurlge Biker Chaos lord unless they have the ID special rule. Str10 isnt even enough.

Cool. Thanx guys. I wasnt sure of those specifics and I wasnt about to assert something that wasnt true or I wasnt sure of being true.
Was just giving possible items that could affect this or that could be used to enhance the combination or work to it's detriment. Just things to chew on.

 Exergy wrote:

...

A Nurgle bike lord T6 joins a unit of 30 cultists T3. Everyone is T5. For precision shots, for barrage weapons, in close combat, but not in a challenge. No shots will ID the Nurlge Biker Chaos lord unless they have the ID special rule. Str10 isnt even enough.

Err...
While mostly correct, they would be majority Toughness 3