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I was looking at the SM Company Veterans and the Honour Guard and was unsure on their intercepting hits power.

My first question, whether it triggers per each wound or per each hit that will wound, seems to have been addressed in another thread, so I won't ask that one again. But, the result, 1 roll per wound taken, makes me want to ask a followup:

Do I choose whether to use their bodyguard power or is it a must use? The text says I roll a die and 2+ they "can" intercept. By "can", do they mean the units power triggers and they successfully intercept, or "can" as in I choose if I'd like one to intercept? They always use the word "may" when giving weapon options, and the phrasing makes me think the intercept is mandatory, but then GW has never been known for wording consistency and what little I've pulled up on search results for this kind of power everyone seems to treat it as optional.

Assuming you use the units with these powers, the difference seems rather important, right? A small unit of Veterans won't last very long if it has to mandatory intercept survivable hits on a Captain. I'd rather wait until the character is threatened before putting wounds on to other models.

I think its must use. Because you have to (thats a must) roll a die whenever a character loses a wound. It makes no sense that you have to roll a die, and then decide not to allocate that mortal wound to the veterans.

This is why there is an entire trope of "can vs may".

Can denotes the ability to do the thing.

May denotes permission to do the thing.

Old joke is: Student raises hand in English class, teacher calls on him. Student: "Can I use the bathroom?" English Teacher: "I don't know, CAN you?"

The unit suffers a mortal wound on a 2+; there is no choice in the matter. Keep the character outside of 6" if you don't want to lose a model in the command squad.

 Kommissar Kel wrote:
Old joke is: Student raises hand in English class, teacher calls on him. Student: "Can I use the bathroom?" English Teacher: "I don't know, CAN you?"

Off-topic, but just remind them that when you said 'can' you were using its secondary modal form as a verbal modifier asking for permission, as opposed to expressing an ability. You thought since they were a teacher they'd know that.

 Happyjew wrote:

 Kommissar Kel wrote:
Old joke is: Student raises hand in English class, teacher calls on him. Student: "Can I use the bathroom?" English Teacher: "I don't know, CAN you?"

Off-topic, but just remind them that when you said 'can' you were using its secondary modal form as a verbal modifier asking for permission, as opposed to expressing an ability. You thought since they were a teacher they'd know that.

Considering I have not been in any schools in over a decade...

Also secondary modal form is specifically an informal query. Can should never be secondary modal in written instructions; it is a formal indication of ability(I know you knew this joyous heb ).