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There is plenty of rumour that there will be a day 1 designers commentary document to clear up a few of the repeated questions we've all been seeing asked the last few weeks.

I think this will cover:
- How the keywords of MODELs will interact when those MODELs are combined in a UNIT.
- When you combine two sources of Sustained Hits 1 does it equal Sustained Hits 1 or Sutained Hits 2?
- Does damage reduction (Avatar of Khaine) interact with Devastating Wounds like it was ruled to in 9th, e.g. the damage characteristic would be halved then become mortal wounds?
- Similarly does Devastating Wounds and Precision work to bop the Character model hiding in the Attached unit the way it feels like it should?
- Codifying what Below Starting Strength means for 1 model units (some datasheet abilities explain it, some don't).

For those of us who are more interested in practical rules answers rather than theoretical rules answers, are there any other common questions you've seen you think the designers commentary will probably address?

Can a model with no melee weapon attack at all in the Fight phase? (This is an issue with the SM Captain, who can swap his CC weapon for a shield, leaving him with nothing to attack with.)

Slipspace wrote:
Can a model with no melee weapon attack at all in the Fight phase? (This is an issue with the SM Captain, who can swap his CC weapon for a shield, leaving him with nothing to attack with.)

Logically no he can't, but it is an intentional choice.

Yep, that is a good one to get covered in the commentary Slipspace.

Another will be buffs/debuffs on an Attached unit. So a unit of Leader A, Bodyguard C. Once the Bodyguard C models die, does the buff/debuff stay on Leader A? What about Leader B if they exist (as we've seen a few double Leader rules).

If im correct the characters become both units with there original starting strenght (1). So you wil end up with two units.
Doesnt the card have a close combat weapon, so he will attack with that if he has no other melee weapon.

Two questions that popped up repeatedly:

- When leaders grant their unit a buff, does the leader itself benefit from it, since they are a model in that unit?

- Are models in range of themselves for the purpose of Auras and other range-based abilities (particularly relevant for Synapse, and for interactions with it)?

Aura question is answered in the core rules. Page 38.

First question is almost certainly yes, as there wouldn’t be a way for a rule to affect an Attached unit except one model. Nothing as written.

 skeleton wrote:
If im correct the characters become both units with there original starting strenght (1). So you wil end up with two units.
Doesnt the card have a close combat weapon, so he will attack with that if he has no other melee weapon.

There is no concept of a basic close combat weapon any more. The various close combat stats are linked directly to the weapon. Models don't have Attacks, WS or S characteristics any more - only their weapons do. So there's no way of determining what stats to use for some sort of basic close combat weapon.

There’s not ‘no way’ with a little intuition, but agree it’s an omission in the current design space.

Maybe just don’t be a plum and make a Terminator Captain with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield and claim the game is broken, and all is well… in truth it’s an unlikely edge case at best so far vs an actual issue.

 JohnnyHell wrote:
There’s not ‘no way’ with a little intuition, but agree it’s an omission in the current design space.

Maybe just don’t be a plum and make a Terminator Captain with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield and claim the game is broken, and all is well… in truth it’s an unlikely edge case at best so far vs an actual issue.

I don't see it as an omission. A model without a close combat attack can't attack in the fight phase, same as a model without a ranged weapon can't shoot in the shooting phase. It's no more an omission than a Hormagaunt not having a Bolter is an omission. Nothing in the game breaks if a model can't attack in melee.

 JohnnyHell wrote:

Maybe just don’t be a plum and make a Terminator Captain with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield and claim the game is broken, and all is well… in truth it’s an unlikely edge case at best so far vs an actual issue.

Don't take the options you're able to take!

It's your fault it's broken!

But how is not having a melee weapon "broken"? they just can't do gak in the fight phase, and THAT is your own fault.

 Lord Damocles wrote:

 JohnnyHell wrote:

Maybe just don’t be a plum and make a Terminator Captain with Storm Bolter and Storm Shield and claim the game is broken, and all is well… in truth it’s an unlikely edge case at best so far vs an actual issue.

Don't take the options you're able to take!

It's your fault it's broken!

If anyone had that combo built for games prior to that Datacard then I’m an inflatable Nurgling. It wasn’t an option in prior rulesets so let’s not pretend and do the fake outrage for e-peen points.

Looks like another few items for the day 1 DC will be:
- Do rules such as -1 Damage and -1 Attack have a cap that prevents them going to 0?
- Abilities that can be used in your shooting phase instead of shooting, can they be used when you shoot out of phase (overwatch)?

Your second question has a fairly obvious answer.

The funny thing is I'm not sure which answer is obvious for you!

Biovores have:

Seed Spore Mines: In your Shooting phase, each time this unit is selected to shoot, it can use this ability instead of making any attacks with its ranged weapons

Then someone said:

 Daedalus81 wrote:
It looks like you can overwatch to place mines with Biovores?

While 9th edition has:

Out of Phase Rules
Some rules allow a model or unit to move, shoot, charge, fight or attempt to manifest a psychic power outside of the normal turn sequence. If such a rule explicitly mentions to do so as if it were a different phase than the current one (e.g. ‘that unit can shoot as if it were the Shooting phase), then any rules that are normally used in that phase (in the example, this would be the Shooting phase) apply when that unit shoots.

The only exception to this are Stratagems; if a Stratagem specifies that it must be used in a specific phase, then it can only be used in that phase (e.g. you cannot use a Stratagem that says ‘Use this Stratagem in the Shooting phase’ to affect a unit that is shooting ‘as if it were the Shooting phase’).

10th edition says nothing unless I've missed it.

So on the face of it it seems like you could pop off some mines using the overwatch strat. But, I think GW will maybe use a similar Out of Phase explanation in the 10th DC but also expand the second paragraph above to say Strategems and also Datasheet Abilities? But then that would prevent normal things like re-roll hits or wounds.

EightFoldPath wrote:
The funny thing is I'm not sure which answer is obvious for you!

Biovores have:

Seed Spore Mines: In your Shooting phase, each time this unit is selected to shoot, it can use this ability instead of making any attacks with its ranged weapons

Then someone said:

 Daedalus81 wrote:
It looks like you can overwatch to place mines with Biovores?

While 9th edition has:

Out of Phase Rules
Some rules allow a model or unit to move, shoot, charge, fight or attempt to manifest a psychic power outside of the normal turn sequence. If such a rule explicitly mentions to do so as if it were a different phase than the current one (e.g. ‘that unit can shoot as if it were the Shooting phase), then any rules that are normally used in that phase (in the example, this would be the Shooting phase) apply when that unit shoots.

The only exception to this are Stratagems; if a Stratagem specifies that it must be used in a specific phase, then it can only be used in that phase (e.g. you cannot use a Stratagem that says ‘Use this Stratagem in the Shooting phase’ to affect a unit that is shooting ‘as if it were the Shooting phase’).

10th edition says nothing unless I've missed it.

So on the face of it it seems like you could pop off some mines using the overwatch strat. But, I think GW will maybe use a similar Out of Phase explanation in the 10th DC but also expand the second paragraph above to say Strategems and also Datasheet Abilities? But then that would prevent normal things like re-roll hits or wounds.

In your Shooting phase is pretty clean-cut. If they meant to allow this any time the unit shoots, they should've just left that part out of the rule and started the rule at "each time this unit is selected to shoot" or something similar.

Every Marine has a combat knife, reckon just use the profile on the intercessor datacard for that character without a melee weapon on hs card.

 PaddyMick wrote:
Every Marine has a combat knife, reckon just use the profile on the intercessor datacard for that character without a melee weapon on hs card.

Taking a survivability upgrade and a ranged weapon is a choice to forgo a melee profile, there's no need to proxy rules for an attack it doesn't need to make.

 PaddyMick wrote:
Every Marine has a combat knife, reckon just use the profile on the intercessor datacard for that character without a melee weapon on hs card.

That's not how rules work nor idea each card is self sufficient. You aren't expected to carrw intercessor card if you don't have those.

No need to invent rules if you make choice to build such a captain.

EightFoldPath wrote:
The funny thing is I'm not sure which answer is obvious for you!

Biovores have:

Seed Spore Mines: In your Shooting phase, each time this unit is selected to shoot, it can use this ability instead of making any attacks with its ranged weapons

Then someone said:

 Daedalus81 wrote:
It looks like you can overwatch to place mines with Biovores?

While 9th edition has:

Out of Phase Rules
Some rules allow a model or unit to move, shoot, charge, fight or attempt to manifest a psychic power outside of the normal turn sequence. If such a rule explicitly mentions to do so as if it were a different phase than the current one (e.g. ‘that unit can shoot as if it were the Shooting phase), then any rules that are normally used in that phase (in the example, this would be the Shooting phase) apply when that unit shoots.

The only exception to this are Stratagems; if a Stratagem specifies that it must be used in a specific phase, then it can only be used in that phase (e.g. you cannot use a Stratagem that says ‘Use this Stratagem in the Shooting phase’ to affect a unit that is shooting ‘as if it were the Shooting phase’).

10th edition says nothing unless I've missed it.

So on the face of it it seems like you could pop off some mines using the overwatch strat. But, I think GW will maybe use a similar Out of Phase explanation in the 10th DC but also expand the second paragraph above to say Strategems and also Datasheet Abilities? But then that would prevent normal things like re-roll hits or wounds.

Which Phase are you in?
Is it the Shooting Phase? No? Then you can’t play a Strat for the Shooting Phase in the Movement or Charge Phase.

I’m not sure what part of that needs an FAQ TBH.

 JohnnyHell wrote:

EightFoldPath wrote:
The funny thing is I'm not sure which answer is obvious for you!

Biovores have:

Seed Spore Mines: In your Shooting phase, each time this unit is selected to shoot, it can use this ability instead of making any attacks with its ranged weapons

Then someone said:

 Daedalus81 wrote:
It looks like you can overwatch to place mines with Biovores?

While 9th edition has:

Out of Phase Rules
Some rules allow a model or unit to move, shoot, charge, fight or attempt to manifest a psychic power outside of the normal turn sequence. If such a rule explicitly mentions to do so as if it were a different phase than the current one (e.g. ‘that unit can shoot as if it were the Shooting phase), then any rules that are normally used in that phase (in the example, this would be the Shooting phase) apply when that unit shoots.

The only exception to this are Stratagems; if a Stratagem specifies that it must be used in a specific phase, then it can only be used in that phase (e.g. you cannot use a Stratagem that says ‘Use this Stratagem in the Shooting phase’ to affect a unit that is shooting ‘as if it were the Shooting phase’).

10th edition says nothing unless I've missed it.

So on the face of it it seems like you could pop off some mines using the overwatch strat. But, I think GW will maybe use a similar Out of Phase explanation in the 10th DC but also expand the second paragraph above to say Strategems and also Datasheet Abilities? But then that would prevent normal things like re-roll hits or wounds.

Which Phase are you in?
Is it the Shooting Phase? No? Then you can’t play a Strat for the Shooting Phase in the Movement or Charge Phase.

I’m not sure what part of that needs an FAQ TBH.

It does not need a FAQ, but a Designer's Commentary to explain that that is indeed the intent behind it would not be bad.

It’s only needed to stop people trying it on for advantage. I don’t see how not being able to play a Shooting Phase Strat in the Movement Phase is at all controversial but here we are.

EightFoldPath wrote:

- Codifying what Below Starting Strength means for 1 model units (some datasheet abilities explain it, some don't).

I wouldn't mind if they clarified how below starting strength works with a unit of 2 as well.

For say two Carnifxes with no Leader attached or Ghaz and Makari if they aren't part of a unit, then I think it is:
- 2 Models they are at starting strength.
- 1 Model left they are now below starting strength but not below half strength.
- 0 Models dead so no longer care.
- Wounds on the models don't get counted at any point, as they only use wounds for starting strength on single model starting strength units.

It is a nice little bonus for 2 model units.

I was thinking the same, once they hit one model then they use Wounds as if a solo unit but would be nice if that is clarified

Hmm lookie at that. The Terminator Ancient has a contingency built in to his wargear to prevent him having no melee attacks if you don't take his standard Power Fist...

Designer Commentary is out: https://www.warhammer-community.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/KBvH5h3oY5QREpmG.pdf
Here's a few answers I've found while skimming through it.

- How the keywords of MODELs will interact when those MODELs are combined in a UNIT.

Pg7
Looks like Rubrics are Psykers, the unit has all the keywords of the models. However, it looks like if the Sorcerer Sgt is destroyed then they would no longer have the Psyker keyword.

- When you combine two sources of Sustained Hits 1 does it equal Sustained Hits 1 or Sutained Hits 2?

Pg5
Confirmed they don't stack

- Does damage reduction (Avatar of Khaine) interact with Devastating Wounds like it was ruled to in 9th, e.g. the damage characteristic would be halved then become mortal wounds?

Pg18 Those abilities work so the AoK would halve the damage before it turns into MW.

If only people had waited for this instead of assuming GW was utterly incompetent we’d have been spared a bunch of threads!

Almost like waiting for the release of a ruleset is best before judging a ruleset? Wild concept.

It is possible that people asking the questions altered the final contents of the document.