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Canticles of the Omnissiah: All units with this ability gain a bonus during the battle depending on the Canticle of the Omnissiah currently being canted. At the start of each battle round, pick which Canticle of the Omnissiah from the table below is in effect for the duration of the battle round. The same Canticle may not be picked twice during the same battle.

Litany of the Electromancer: Roll a D6 for each enemy unit that is within 1" of any affected units; on a roll of 6, the unit being rolled for suffers D3 mortal wounds.

When looking at Canticles and Litany of the Electromancer, I'm confused as to when the rule comes into effect. The way my friend has been playing it is it is in effect for the entire battle round, and anyone ending a move within 1" or being brought within 1" is under the effect. However, I have the thought that the Litany of the Electromancer only triggers once when the canticles are activated.

So when is it? When do you check for each enemy unit that is within 1" of affected units?

To me it looks like GW screwed up and gave us two contradictory wordings.

Do the other options have effects that would happen at other times other than the start of a round?

We have been playing it as, and we assume the RAI is, the canticle only takes place at the start of the phase.

 SlaveToDorkness wrote:
Do the other options have effects that would happen at other times other than the start of a round?

Almost all the effects do. They grant cover to all units, give +1 Str, give rerolls of 1 for shooting or fighting, or allow rerolls of morale.

So the rest of them have a specific use at a given time. Id say it's when you declare which canticle you're using, which is the star of the round it takes effect. The others do too they just don't come up until the time to roll cover, to wound, or morale.

Not sure what they intended, but I've been playing zapping when the Canticle is selected i.e. at beginning of round. Obviously this makes it not very useful.

 axisofentropy wrote:
Not sure what they intended, but I've been playing zapping when the Canticle is selected i.e. at beginning of round. Obviously this makes it not very useful.

Speak for yourself! I've lost far too many models to that damned canticle!

The rules for canticles makes them into effect for the whole battleround.

Nothing in litany of the electromancer indicates it is in effect for any less or more time.

I would say an unit can only be affected once beer battle round, but if an unit moved with the canticles to within 1" of an enemy unit it, by charging or piling in, during the battle round it would affect the enemy unit.

Yes, nothing hints the effect lasts momentarily. The only condition is 1" and the litanies last for a whole round.

blaktoof wrote:
The rules for canticles makes them into effect for the whole battleround.

Nothing in litany of the electromancer indicates it is in effect for any less or more time.

I would say an unit can only be affected once beer battle round, but if an unit moved with the canticles to within 1" of an enemy unit it, by charging or piling in, during the battle round it would affect the enemy unit.

The rule is poorly worded, but in w40k, rules have to be applied as they read in the moment you arrive to read them, so at the beginning of the round, if this litany is selected you do what is written on such rule, so you immediately apply the shock and the effect is over until the next litany is selected the next battle round.

Anyway, in the moment players have to suppose how a skill works, it's probably the wrong interpretation, here you are supposing that a unit can be affected once per battle round, if it was the case they would have written so. As soon as you are supposing a rule, is fair to assume you misinterpreted it. We could easily start a discussion supporting that it applies multiple times, so dozens of times during pile-ins of the fight phase.

If it was a single isolated case of weird wording, it would make sense, but the game is full, so we have to get along with it until they realize that players are confused and they clarify the problem.

I was really hoping they would have clarified this one in the codex, and it was the first thing I checked. Og course they hadn't, as it's a clear copy-paste from the index.

Well hmm. Im thinking at anytime for the duration of the turn if an enemy unit gets within 1 inch you would roll. But it can only happen one time per friendly unit on a enemy unit. But if you charge in the charge phase are charged in the enemy's phase if would go off.

Its on for the entire round.

1. At the start of the Battle Round, pick Litany.
2. Pick an enemy unit within 1" of any of your units with Canticles.
3. Roll a D6. On a 6, roll another D6 and deal the result divided by 2, rounded up, in mortal wounds.
4. Repeat 2-3 until you run out of enemy units to select from.

Suzuteo wrote:
1. At the start of the Battle Round, pick Litany.
2. Pick an enemy unit within 1" of any of your units with Canticles.
3. Roll a D6. On a 6, roll another D6 and deal the result divided by 2, rounded up, in mortal wounds.
4. Repeat 2-3 until you run out of enemy units to select from.

That's how I've always played it... it happens once at the start and is useless unless you are already in combat... but I am really not sure if that's as intended. It would make more sense to be able to say "ok, I plan to charge this turn... let's power up litany"

Would love this to be FAQ'd

Wording sounds like you should avoid being near powered-up Electromancers for a whole Battle Round!

The two biggest offenders in need of a FAQ in the AdMech codex is this and the GRAIA dogma.

I've avoided using the Litany just because I don't want to try and figure out what the consensus is, because there isn't really a reading that I feel is supported by the rule as written at all.

I play against Admech a bit and we have played it that until the Admech players next turn if any unit is/moves within 1" at anytime or is within 1" when it is enacted, roll. For example, if I am in combat with an Admech unit on their turn and this cant is enacted, roll. However, If I destroy them on their turn and charge another unit on my turn (and get in) roll again. Or if on their turn they charge one of my units with 3 units and they all get in, roll 3 times etc. Or if in combat with 2 units on one of my units, roll twice etc etc. Otherwise, is a pretty crap cant (its only on a 6).

That's how we play it. Sounds fair to me. But just has to be house ruled I suppose until they faq it.