Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So something that people noticed when Summary Execution was FAQ'd is that it honestly is pretty terrible now. Namely, that the re-roll is mandatory instead of optional. If you lose 8 guys and roll a 1 for the morale test, you still have to lose a model and re-roll the test. This is pretty nasty for small units. So my proposed change to Summary Execution is as follows:

Summary Execution: ASTRA MILITARUM units of up to
10 models within 6” of a friendly COMMISSAR can never
lose more than one model as a result of any single failed
Morale test. The first time an ASTRA MILITARUM unit of
more than 10 models fails a Morale test during the Morale
phase whilst it is within 6" of any friendly COMMISSAR,
one model of your choice in that unit may be slain for the
Morale test to be re-rolled (do not include this slain model
when re-rolling the Morale test).

I think this will keep Summary Execution within the spirit of the FAQ in regards to large units like conscripts, but will also be effective to prevent smaller units from evaporating the second they take fire due to mandatory morale checks. It also makes sense from a logical standpoint, because smaller groups are easier to control than larger groups of panicked soldiers. I plan on using this as a house rule, and the people I've shown it to so far think it's a pretty fair compromise.

I'm a fan of the proposal to leave commissars as they were pre-faq, but instead add in a rule to the conscripts to make the commissar less effective for them. I think Kanluwen has been the big proponent of that.

You keep commissars effective for infantry squads and special/heavy weapon squads, but keep conscripts in check by nerfing how good commissars are with them.

I really wouldn't mind having commissars be worth taking in my basic infantry squads simply because I love the models. The classic metal comissar lunging forward or the one stoically shooting his bolt pistol are such good models.

The problem with making a rule specifically for conscripts though is that it fails to take into account combined squads and how they will perform better than conscripts in every regard. They may cost more, but they're more likely to hit and can pack special and heavy weapons. Otherwise, my proposed rule does exactly what you're talking about, where it's pre-FAQ for MSUs and balanced for larger units.

 Smitty wrote:
The problem with making a rule specifically for conscripts though is that it fails to take into account combined squads and how they will perform better than conscripts in every regard. They may cost more, but they're more likely to hit and can pack special and heavy weapons.

As much as I yearn for the days of deployable combined squads, the new rule is pretty limited in how quickly you can combine up squads, and that they cost CP to do.

 Smitty wrote:
The problem with making a rule specifically for conscripts though is that it fails to take into account combined squads and how they will perform better than conscripts in every regard.

Given the proposed rule specifies unity with models of 10 or more isn't combined squads covered?

 ChargerIIC wrote:

 Smitty wrote:
The problem with making a rule specifically for conscripts though is that it fails to take into account combined squads and how they will perform better than conscripts in every regard.

Given the proposed rule specifies unity with models of 10 or more isn't combined squads covered?

I wasn't talking about my proposed rule, I was talking about adding criteria to summary execution specifically for conscripts as Blacksails was talking about in his post.

Drastically raise lord commisar's price. Give him Lord Commisar special 'Summary execution' with the old rule.

The old summaru execution wasn't over powered. It was just WAY TOO CHEAP for the buff that it offered. Increase the cost to the levels of what an ancients are to regular troops are. Nobody takes lord commisars over reg commisars. Make it so that lord commisar is a kind of tax to take conscript heavy list viable.