Can the Counter-offensive Stratagem be used when affected by "The Armour of Russ" relic?

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**Ysclyth**

Per the new FAQ

"Q: Can the Counter-offensive Stratagem be used to negate a unit fighting last because of the Vexator Mask Artefact?
A: Yes, the Counter Offensive Stratagem allows a unit to fight outside of the normal fight order (i.e. the Stratagem does not give a unit the ability to fight first in the Fight phase, it simply instructs you to pick a unit and f ight with it next)."

Ostensibly this clarification would apply to other such rules as the armour of russ because they are worded similarly. And the answer here is clarifying how to interpret the counter offensive stratagem (not an errata to vexator mask) any reason this FAQ would not not show up in Space Wolves or other codex with similar rules?

**Bilge Rat**

They are clarifying the way that Counter Offensive works, so it will work the same way in similar situations.

It is not unusual for GW to answer a question for a specific codex that will also affect unrelated codices. Even if you only play Tau, something may come up in the Death Guard FAQ that effectively changes your rules.

**tneva82**

Which alas opens room for arqument it\s only for that specific case. GW really should answer generally and not specifics.

**Ice_can**

Brilliant work again GW, as Tyranid faq

Q: If a unit is under the effects of the Paroxysm psychic power,
can the Counter-Offensive Stratagem be used on it?
A: No, because it is not ‘eligible’ to Fight until every
other unit has done so.

Like seriously who actually had a problem with universal special rules. We now have same effect from 2 sources different FAQ answers.

**Eihnlazer**

Honestly it seems like they just forgot they had ruled the other way previously.

Either that or there is a slight wording difference.

HAS to fight last vs. fight last (which would be the same as a generic fight first).

**p5freak**

Ice_can wrote:
Brilliant work again GW, as Tyranid faq
Q: If a unit is under the effects of the Paroxysm psychic power,
can the Counter-Offensive Stratagem be used on it?
A: No, because it is not ‘eligible’ to Fight until every
other unit has done so.

Like seriously who actually had a problem with universal special rules. We now have same effect from 2 sources different FAQ answers.

So, the one with the vaxator mask is not an universal answer

**Ordana**

Eihnlazer wrote:
Honestly it seems like they just forgot they had ruled the other way previously.

Either that or there is a slight wording difference.

HAS to fight last vs. fight last (which would be the same as a generic fight first).

I assume the former. They simply didn't know it was asked before.
But more tellingly giving a different answer to the same question just shows how hap hazard GW's approach to rule writing is. They should have thought of the answer to this when they wrote the first 'fight last' ability.

**BaconCatBug**

The FAQ only applies to the Vexator Mask Artefact, not the Armour of Russ artefact.

And since we've got two contradictory answers to the same question, we cannot generalise (not that we could before anyway).

**Ysclyth**

What is this other instance of an answer to this question. Where does it exist?

**p5freak**

Ice_can quoted it in this thread. Its really not that hard to find.

**Ordana**

Ysclyth wrote:
What is this other instance of an answer to this question. Where does it exist?

Dark Eldar Faq and Tyranid Faq (Paroxysm) have conflicting answers on the same question.

**BaconCatBug**

Warhammer 40,000 Update – April 2019: Addendum answers this.

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/05/29/warhammer-40000-update-april-2019-addendum/

2) Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook

We’ve also added an FAQ entry to the Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook document that explained what happens when the Counter-offensive Stratagem is used on a unit that is under the effect of a rule that states that a unit cannot be chosen to fight until after all other units have fought.

Q: If a unit is affected by a rule that forces it to fight after all other units able to fight have done so, such as the effects of the Paroxysm psychic power, the Vexator Mask or the Armour of Russ, can it still be affected by the Counter-offensive Stratagem?

A: Yes, the Counter-offensive Stratagem allows a unit to fight outside of the normal fight order (i.e. the Stratagem does not give a unit the ability to fight first in the Fight phase, it simply instructs you to pick a unit and fight with it next).

We are also removing the following entry from the Codex: Drukhari errata document:

Q: Can the Counter-offensive Stratagem be used to negate a unit fighting last because of the Vexator Mask Artefact?

A: Yes, the Counter-offensive Stratagem allows a unit to fight outside of the normal fight order (i.e. the Stratagem does not give a unit the ability to fight first in the Fight phase, it simply instructs you to pick a unit and fight with it next).

We are also removing the following entry from the Codex: Tyranids document:

Q: If a unit is under the effects of the Paroxysm psychic power, can the Counter-offensive Stratagem be used on it?

A: No, because it is not ‘eligible’ to fight until every other unit has done so.