FAQ updates - guard and marines

So were on to the final part of the FAQ updates, were going to look at the Guard and Marine updates. This could be a long one, as there will be quite a few bits to cover, but first up I will cover the Marine FAQ. Now, I will be taking a brief look at the Space Marine FAQ, as there isn't a Blood Angles one, one of the few codices that hasn't been updates, along with the Dark Angles.

There is not a lot to really say with the marine codex, the only ones that are of note are related to stratagems. You can now use Auspex Scanner to strike at units redeploying on the battle field but not for units that can set up before the first battle round. So some good news and some bad. 

In other news, if you choose to use the Armorium Cherub after you have played the Flakk Missile or Hellfire Shells stratagem, you get to keep the benefits for the second round of shooting. This is quite a big bonus really as it can double the damage quite easily. Oh, but you cannot use the Flakk stratagem on cyclone missile launchers.

And that's it. While there is nothing much to write, there are some implications for the Blood Angles, as they share the same stratagems its mean that the rulings will apply, as in the main rulebook FAQ states that the stratagems with the same name in different codices can be considered the same stratagem. So, if the rules apply to a marine stratagem then they will apply to both the BA and DA ones.

So, we finally get to the main event, the Guard FAQ and there are a lot to go through. So where do we start with the three pages of goodness.

The first change is a good change and undoes a number of issues that the previous update did. Summary Execution got a tweaking, removing the word "must". This changes the whole rule and gives you the option to use it or not. This means that failing a test by 1 will not result in you loosing at least 2 (one for the rule and one for the reroll) men. A very good change. In addition to this, there have been some points changes in the Chapter Approved update, dropping down the cost of a Commissar and Lord Commissar. This is a double benefit and really does make Commissars viable again.

The next change is that Heavy Weapons teams across the codex have been brought in to line with each other, arming all of them with a lasgun and frag grenades, alongside their heavy weapon. In other wargear options upgrades, the Militarum Tempestus Command Squad get the option to take there lasguns or not when they upgrade to either a Vox-caster or Medi-pack. 

Baneblades and there brother variants got an update, mean that it can not longer fire overwatch with its guns when within 1 inch of an enemy unit. Which brings it in line with every other unit in the game. Well, you've got to take the good with the bad I suppose. In a similar vain, the stratagem "crush them" has been amended so that you can only use it in your turn. It makes more sense this way round. 

The next change is to the Cadian stratagem, although i'm confused as to why the change has occurred and what it is designed to stop. It seems to me that they have just added in a bunch of words to make the stratagem longer but it still has the same effect. The only thing that I can think is that the original stratagem says "an unsaved wound" but the update says "one or more wounds", thus stopping people playing the "its taken 2 wounds, you cant use it" card. Apart from that I don't really understand it.

There are 2 changes to relics as well, the Aquila can only be used now when the bearer is on the field and the Cadian relic has finally been restricted to a once per game only item, which is what I always though it should have been and that was always the intent.

There is a fun one with the Grand Strategist warlord trait, as it has been clarified that you roll a D6. Now I would have thought that this was fairly obvious but as it didn't say, so I suppose there was nothing wrong with rolling a D20! Chances of rolling a 5+ on that would be a little bit easier!

So that's the rules updates. Some good ones, namely Summary Execution, which makes Commissars useful again, and there are some not so good ones, like Crush Them, although there really aren't any bad ones. 

In addition to the updates there are the standard questions. The first one relates to the Catachan doctrine, clarifying that the rule applies to each individual weapon and not just ones to the vehicle. This will help some vehicles, such as Plasma Executioners, but I cant think of many others that will. 

The second new question is rather confusing and you can see why it needed an explanation. The question refers to the interaction of the Laurels of Command (LoC) and the Cadian warlord trait, Superior Tactical Training (STT). Now both of these give the ability to issue extra orders. So in theory issuing one order could result in 4 orders! How, well, issue you original order, and then using STT that order (on a 4+) will affect another unit. Then using LoC you can (on a 4+) issue an additional order and as you've issued an order (on a 4+) you can use SST to have that order affect another unit! Ok, so it requires you to roll a few 4+'s, so it's not going to work everytime, but of your using Creed, there is the possibility of turning 3 orders in to 12 orders! Which is pretty powerful. Ok, you'll need units around to actually take advantage of the rules and it won't work all the time, so your really only likely to get around 6 orders off.

So while there are not a lot of changes, there are some really good amendments to the guard codex and some clarification to the BA codex. After the nerfs we have seen in the past, it's good to get some love. Ive a few other posts waiting in the wings, then I'll have a review of how the various changes will affect my armies.