Friday, July 17, 2009

Friday FAQ #6

Another Friday, another FAQ. This week we'll be discussing Valkyries and the Scout special rule...

In Codex: Imperial Guard, the Valkyrie has the scout special rule. Does this mean the passengers inside also receive the Scout special rule?


Right off the bat, we say no. But you know us, we like to dig into the rules to find out for sure!
The Scout USR, like others, have a little asterisk that says (page 74 of the BRB):
The special rules marked with an asterisk (*) are automatically lost by an independent character joining a unit that does not have the same special rule. These rules are also lost by a unit that is joined by an independent character that does not have the same special rule.
Why do we bring this up? Well let's look past RAW for a second and take a plunge into RAI. What GW seems to be intending with this rule is that the Scout USR (and others with the asterisk) are rules specifically meant for a single unit and it cannot be conferred to another unit. The rulebook, of course, uses specific terms such as "independent charachter" so this intended interpretation may not be good enough for many of you. Now let's take a look at other transport vehicles that scout or deepstrike...

Honestly, only two come to mind: Space Marine Land Speeder Storms (which can only carry scouts so it's useless for this argument) and Drop Pods! Yes, Drop Pods! They have the Deepstrike rule and somehow confer it onto the squad, awesomeness! The Drop Pod has the "Drop Pod Assault" rule which allows the pod to deep strike. This allows for the deep striking of units that do not have the "deep strike" rule in their profile. With the Drop pod being a transport units can start the game inside of it and deploy in it. The same applies for the Valkyrie; being a transport vehicle it can have units deployed in it, with it. Using the same logic as the space marine Drop Pod where units that do not have the Deep Strike rule can deepstrike inside the transport (drop pod), then the Valkyrie can scout (outflank) with units embarked in it that do not have "scout" or "infiltrate" in their profile .

To outline the logic in steps:
1. Units can be deployed in transports.
2. Drop Pods are Transports which allow embarked units to deep strike with the Drop pod even though these units do no necessarily have the Deep Strike rule.
3. The Valkyrie is a transport much like the Drop Pod is a transport.
4. The Valkyrie can outflank or scout with a unit inside it that does not necessarily have scout or infiltrate because a Drop Pod can do the same for its passengers.
5. The linking ingredient to this logic train is the fact that Drop Pods and Valkyries are transports.

Terran Forge Final Opinion: Valkyries and Vendettas can scout with an embarked squad.


As always, these FAQs are unofficial but serve a purpose to shed light onto tricky situations that may come up in games. If you have a rules question you'd like answered, email us at terranforge@gmail.com!

6 comments:

Mitch said...

I see it the same way

Mitch
http://ottawagamer.blogspot.com/

Itkovian said...

I would have though of it differently - to the same conclusion. When the Drop Pod Deep Strikes, the unit inside is not doing so - they just disembark onto the board. At no point do you give the squad itself the Deep Strike rule - it just hitches a ride.

ctreleheb said...

kinda like putting khan hitching a ride with assault termies in a landraider variant being able to outflank. khan gives the transport(dedicated only) the outflank rule, not the units inside.

the Goat said...

Your conclusion is right but your logic is wrong. Itkovian's logic is 100% correct. The squad inside the drop pod doesn't gain the deep strike ability and they never make a deep strike move. The drop pod makes the deep strike move. The squad inside makes a disembark move.

Same with the Valkyrie. The Valkyrie's movement rules are separate from the embarked squad's movement rules.

Look at it this way: When a squad gets into a rhino do they gain the "vehicles movement rules" allowing them to go combat speed, cruising speed, etc? No, the squad is still infantry and can only move 6 inches. The rhino they are embarked in uses the vehicle movement rules.

-the Goat

oni said...

In any event, no matter how it's thought of the right conclusion was reached. ;)

Admiral Drax said...

Pg. 28 of UK's WD356 (Aug 09) sheds some light...:

"With the Valkyrie's ability to scout, you can embark your Storm Troopers before deployment and declare them as Outflanking."

Pics only of old-style 'respirator' stortroopers too - more hints?

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