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With the new Renegade & Heretic army list, a lot of units have a random leadership value. The value is decided the first time the unit is forced to take a Leadership test, but what happens if it is hit by a Psychic Shriek or similar effect before the random leadership has been determined?

GrafWattenburg wrote:
With the new Renegade & Heretic army list, a lot of units have a random leadership value. The value is decided the first time the unit is forced to take a Leadership test, but what happens if it is hit by a Psychic Shriek or similar effect before the random leadership has been determined?

The unit exists in a quantum superposition until it takes a Leadership test.

I"m not familiar with that army list, does their profile list the leadership as "-"? Or does it not even list leadership in their profile? If it has a "-" then that would fall under "Zero Level Characteristics" on page 9 of the BRB, so they would be treated as leadership 0. If Leadership is not even in their profile, then treat them the same way you treat any other model with no leadership stat (like vehicles).

I'd suggest a house rule - roll for the unit's Leadership when it's needed.

Uncertain Worth:
"This is represented by a militia unit's random Leadership value. The first time a unit with this special rule is required to take a Leadership test, roll a D6 and add 4 (giving a result of between 5 and 10). This is the squad's Leadership value for the rest of the game (and should be noted down for reference). This Leadership characteristic is subject to all the usual modifiers during play."

HIWPI is to generate the random Leadership as the unit is targeted by Psychic Shriek, but can anyone see an RAW solution?

Because there isn't enough confusion about Psychic Shriek already

Consider Psychic Shriek as a Ld test and be done with it ?

Sounds like the easy way.

Psychic Shriek is basically a leadership test on 3D6, with failing causing wounds, therefore you roll once psychic shriek hits.

it's also rolled by the firer instead of the owner of the model.

But again, if you're looking for the strict RAW, look at the profile of the model(s) in question. If their Ld is listed as "-", then treat it as 0 (Zero-Level Characteristics, page 9). If their profile doesn't even have a Ld stat on it, then treat them like you would when psychic shrieking a vehicle, or other model with no Ld stat. If their profile has an actual Ld stat on it, then use that leadership.

If there's any clarification ever on that topic, the clarification will not consider Leadership(Random) as Leadership(0).

Therefore, roll the Ld and be done with it.

So I looked it up since nobody would state their profile's leadership. The leadership on their profile is listed as "*". This does not fall under the "Zero-Level Characteristics" in the BRB, as it is not a "-". There is no RAW on how to handle this situation, so you'll have to house rule it like the others have suggested.

Or, since Forgeworld is better at this sort of thing (and consistent). E-mail them. I know that e-mails are not to be used as proof, however, FW at least will reply. With the same answer.

 Happyjew wrote:
Or, since Forgeworld is better at this sort of thing (and consistent). E-mail them. I know that e-mails are not to be used as proof, however, FW at least will reply. With the same answer.

QFT
They have helped me out a number of times.

Alright, I sent a mail to FW. Counting Psychic Shriek as a LD test seems like the most reasonable thing to do, but I wasn't sure if there was another RAW I was unaware of.

Thanks for your replies

Just make the roll for leadership when hit by a psychic shreak. And close the thread before rule lawhers arrive or you'll find out that you can't actually cast psychic shriek and move your models whatsoever.

Just bumping this thread because I finally got a reply from FW.

"Thank you for your email and please accept our apologies for the delay in replying to it. You should count the Psychic Shriek as a Leadership test to determine the units Random leadership and then take this value from the 3D6 rolled for the Psychic Shriek."

So now that should be cleared

Did they say how exactly psychic shreik works? Does it need to hit? Does it roll only once?

I doubt it, given it is FW and not GW

 koooaei wrote:
Did they say how exactly psychic shreik works? Does it need to hit? Does it roll only once?

Lol Nice try

I dont think that they would answer that ("go look in your book"), but if they did it would only be their opinion (as were 1 or 2 of the questions i have asked in the past) and would not be valid in the slightest on YMDC

 koooaei wrote:
Did they say how exactly psychic shreik works? Does it need to hit? Does it roll only once?

They did not and I forgot to ask, unfortunately.