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I have trouble understanding what actually stacks with what. For example moving with heavy weapon and hard to hit. They should stack in my view, but I don't see any clear rule to say why they would or wouldn't. Many places say that auras or effects do not stack to other similar, but what actually stacks with what? I believe rulebook or FAQ says effects do not stack unless stated otherwise, but what would then be the definition of effect and do rules, wargear, abilities and spells have "effect" or something else?


I have this scenario in my mind where Forge World Aeldari Hornet with Vectored engines Advanced and is being shot by a model with heavy weapon after it moved, or by with assault weapon after Advancing. What is the modifier to shooting?



1a. Moving with heavy weapon gives -1 to hit in shooting phase, source: 8 pages of rules.
1b. Advancing with a assault weapon gives -1 to hit in shooting phase, source: 8 pages of rules.

2. ForgeWorld Eldar Hornet ability: "Lightning Assault: On any turn in which this model Advances, your opponent must subtract 1 from hit rolls for attacks that target this model in the Shooting phase."

3. Aeldari wargear: "Vectored engines: If a model with vectored engines Advances, your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls for ranged weapons that target it until your next Movement phase."

4. And as a bonus, which is not valid in this Hornet scenario is:
Runes of Battle spell: "Conseal: Your opponent must subtract 1 from all hit rolls for ranged weapons that target the psyker or friendly Asuryani Infantry or Asuryani Biker units within 3" of the psyker until your next Psychic phase."


I would personally see that it is ok to say we only get -2 because of spell (4 in a case that the spell would be valid), wargear (3), Hornet's ability (2) give nonstacking 1 "effect", and a rule (1a or 1b) then somehow stacks the second. To me that feels like sensible thing -2 isn't that bad yet, Orks can't hit it. But I really don't have any rules backing this up since I can't find definition of effect.

I also feel that rules can be interpreted so that we can give and value from -1 to -4 modifier in this case, depending how you interpret it. Which is not right thing here. Similarly in the first example, would the end modifier then be -1 or -2?

I really hope there is already a clear ruling and source for this already to clarify.

Everything "stacks" unless it says it doesn't, or the FAQ magically makes them not stack despite the rules suggesting they do.

The rules are permissive, they tell you what you can do. If you have 4 different things telling you to -1 from the hit roll, you do it 4 times.

Yep, these modifiers are cumulative. Nowhere does it say the don't stack.

Basically you can't do a cumulative minus of the same thing. As per the recent FAQ:

Q. Lots of aura abilities say they grant an ability to nearby
units that are within range of any such models. Are the bonuses
cumulative (i.e. if I am within range of two models with
identical aura abilities, is the bonus doubled)?

A. Unless stated otherwise, no. The bonus for such an
ability applies once if any (i.e. one or more) of these
models are within range.

So a Dark Shroud -1 will only work once. However, if you have two completely separate abilities they will stack.

Thank you very much! So I did not miss any rules / FAQs / cucumbers and wargear, spells, abilities and rules can stack, if they are called different things. I'm unsure how good thing that is though

Eldarsif wrote:
Basically you can't do a cumulative minus of the same thing. As per the recent FAQ:

Q. Lots of aura abilities say they grant an ability to nearby
units that are within range of any such models. Are the bonuses
cumulative (i.e. if I am within range of two models with
identical aura abilities, is the bonus doubled)?

A. Unless stated otherwise, no. The bonus for such an
ability applies once if any (i.e. one or more) of these
models are within range.

So a Dark Shroud -1 will only work once. However, if you have two completely separate abilities they will stack.

You need to be careful about using this ruling out of context. It is referring to a very specific type of ability, that being abilities which say: 'models/units within X inches of ANY of the specified models/units get a bonus'.

Examples, of this are like the Venomthrophes cover ability, the Dark Shroud (post-errata), Ork Dok's Tools, Sanguinary Preiest's Blood Chalice, etc.


So if there were an ability that just said: 'all X units within 6" have +1 Strength', then there's absolutely no reason that ability wouldn't stack if you had two units with that ability within 6" of a unit that could benefit from it. The 'any' is the key word in the FAQ that you have to pay attention to and the key word you have to look for in an ability's text.

Stack away. Aura edition is a go.