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Hi all,

I've just picked up 8th edition and had my first game - I'm struggling with a few things, particularly around force composition.

Take keywords, for example. If I pick a battle forged army, say a Patrol detachment, I can pick any units that have the same faction keywords (p240 BRB). That being the case, since Plague Marines, Rubric Marines and Bloodletters all share the CHAOS keyword in the Index: Chaos book, does this mean I can use these to populate my Troops choices in the single detachment?

Similarly, Khorne Berserkers of the WORLD EATERS legion are Troops. They also have the CHAOS keyword. So, what is to stop me from simply selecting these as Troops in any army, as above?

I'm obviously missing something, but for the life of me I have no idea what...

Next up, vehicles.

I'm right in saying that vehicles no longer have fire arcs, and that line of sight is no longer taken from the barrel, but from any point on the hull (p179 BRB). That being the case, does that mean that the sponson on the right side of a Land Raider can shoot through it's own hull to a target on the left side? Not only that, but the range could be measured from a point on the hull more than 4" from the sponson itself?

I have no issue with this being the case, I just need to know that it's correct.

No doubt I'll have more questions as I play more games, but hopefully someone here can shed some light!

Thanks in advance,

A.

Both of those assumptions are correct, fill your chaos detachment with any number of different legion units and then set up your vindicator facing the wrong way and shoot at the enemy anyway.

It's all very silly and immursion breaking for some people but it doesn't stop the game from being fun.

You are correct on both accounts. It just means that any other legion Berzerkers aren't troops. This matters for auras.

Measuring from any part of the hull is just an abstraction to represent the battlefield isn't static. The Land Raider will be jinking and rotating as needed to fire.

Thanks - I did wonder.

So I could field a battalion with Abaddon, Kharn, Typhus, Bloodcrushers, Plague Marines, Berserkers, Noise Marines, bloodletters, Soul Grinders, the works, and no-one could bat an eyelid?

Vindicators shooting out of their back end is just daft, but I can see why they've done it...

A.

 amimmortal wrote:
Thanks - I did wonder.

So I could field a battalion with Abaddon, Kharn, Typhus, Bloodcrushers, Plague Marines, Berserkers, Noise Marines, bloodletters, Soul Grinders, the works, and no-one could bat an eyelid?

Vindicators shooting out of their back end is just daft, but I can see why they've done it...

A.

Yes, they all share the CHAOS keyword. No different to including Dante, Calgar, Celestine and Cawl in the same army.

Think of it this way. That trooper with the autogun can turn and shoot any direction, roll and fire, duck and fire.

So too the tank is spinning its wheels, turning its tracks, and moving all over the place and firing.

Don't think that the 'abstract' nature of the game means the miniature is only doing what the plastic model is doing on your table. It is a vibrant active combatant. Not moving like a toy.

I just thought of something else.

Since Dark Angels and standard Astartes share faction keywords, does that mean I can include standard Astartes units in what is effectively a dark angels detachment? e.g. Centurions, Storm Taking, Land Speeder Storm and so on?

Thanks!

A.

Yes. As long as you build using a shared keyword such as Imperium.

The Keywords will play a larger part when the Codexes come out. As an example:


Under the Index 1:
Patrol has:
Castellian Crowe : Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Grey Knight
1 Librarian: Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Raven Guard
1 Strike Squad: Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Grey Knight
1 Tactical Squad: Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Raven Guard
1 Devastator Squad: Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Raven Guard


This is a legal Army that's librarian would need to use the Librarian powers from the beginning of the index and crowe would use the Sanctic powers from the Grey Knight section.

Using the Codex:
A patrol:
1 Librarian: Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Raven Guard
1 Tactical Squad: Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Raven Guard
1 Devastator Squad: Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Raven Guard

This patrol would get to use the Raven Guard Chapter tactics because all members are Raven Guard. The librarian would use the Librarius powers.

Patrol 2:
Castellian Crowe : Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Grey Knight
1 Strike Squad: Imperium, Adaptus Astartes, Grey Knight

This patrol will get to use the Grey Knight Chapter Tactics from their upcoming codex. They also get all abiliity as per a Grey knight list.

What you have to watchout for is the <Legion> and their Mark of Chaos (or if they already have one; Khorne, Slaanesh, Tzeentch, Nurgle) keyword.

You can field Berzerkers, Rubric Marines, Noise Marines and Plague Marines as Troops, but they must be all from different Legions and many buffs are Legion specific. For example a Chaos Lord of the Word Eaters can not buff Rubric Marines, etc. because only Khorne units can be part of the World Eaters Legion.

Same goes for the Adeptus Astartes chapter specific buffs. You could bring a Ravenwing Darkshroud from the Dark Angels in a Ultramarines Chapter army, but no units from the Ultramarines would benefit from the chapter specific ability of the Darkshroud.