Locator Beacons

[TheReclusiarch]

Hello all!

 

I read at the Bell of Lost Souls that the locator beacon will be usuable not only to the Space Marines, but the opponent as well, making sure they can place units nice and close to your marines. Is this true?

 

Thanks!

[touchedone1971]

I read that also. I would be interested in the answer. I am at work so no rule book handy. I have used them before, and no one but me used it to beam down.

[Ceres]

A part of the Locator Beacon rules:

"If a unit wished to arrive on the battlefield via deep strike

and chooses to do so within 6" of a model carrying a locator

beacon, then it won't scatter"

 

So apparently yes, your opponent can use it too, according

to raw that is. Oh and, feel free to remove the quote, if it is

perceived to be a problem.

[Lokied]

Dunno myself,

 

Think about all those rules that aren't "shared" even between friendly armies. SM commander's leadership rule doesn't effect your allied SM chapter in mega-battles or Apoc. Same thing with BA Sanguinary priest abilities, or pretty much any other abilities in the game. So as any armies ability is used only by that particular army I can't see how a tele homer could be used by your enemy since, according to the RAW I detailed above, your allies wouldn't be able to use it either.

 

If you're looking for a fluffier reason though think of it this way. Of all the varied radio frequencies, encryption available today you'd think in a world with tech beyond what we have now would have access to even more varriable frequencies and such. Therefore in a single battle the chances an enemy would be able to detect and home in on your tele homer's signal is so slim as to be nearly impossible.

[Remmah]

I'd tell my opponent to pay for his own bloody beacon.

 

This is just sillyness.

[BrotherAtrox]

Fluffwise wouldn't the signal for the beacon only be readable to the units intending to deep strike near it anyway?

[TheReclusiarch]

Yes, it's really silly. :lol: Well, no player I know would ever think about using my beacon since it's just.. silly.

[The Defiler]

GW are not really good at writing rules.. It's not the first time they forget important parts needing to be FAQ'ed later..

 

So I believe they meant:

 

If a unit OF YOUR OWN ARMY wish to arrive on the battlefield via deep strike and chooses to do so within 6" of a model carrying a locator beacon, then it won't scatter

 

It makes more sense...

 

:lol: the def :fa

[Dreadnought Baraziel]

Same issue with the DA Sacred Standard: All models within X" of the standard are Fearless.

 

Friendlies or everyone?

[Captain Malachi]

I can't believe this discussion is even being had, no, your enemy cannot use your beacon, and anyone who tries to isnt worth playing.

[Snozz]

I think it's one of those "goes without saying rules".

[Maladon]

You know this is actually funny, I'd say yes to that. Simply because that the stupid chaos wants his terminator squad to be rapid fired to death before he gets to assault....

 

Sure let the idiots try it.... will be sorry they did.

[mughi3]

Dunno myself,

 

Think about all those rules that aren't "shared" even between friendly armies. SM commander's leadership rule doesn't effect your allied SM chapter in mega-battles or Apoc. Same thing with BA Sanguinary priest abilities, or pretty much any other abilities in the game.

Actually it really depends on the players. when we do team games, unless it is a specific army special rule like faith points for SOB, than we do share.

 

I.E. my tech marine can fix IG tanks in the guard army i am allied with and so on.

 

 

That aside, the teleport homer issues may be a "goes without saying" rule. it doesn't mean GW knows how to write it into the rules.

[Gothical]

Although it seems fairly obvious that it's only for the SM army in question, if someone played it on me during a game I'd allow it, just for laughs (I look at this from my Guard standpoint):

 

"I say chaps, were getting a signal showing where those uppity Marines just landed. Tally ho!"

 

"Brother-captain, it appears re-enforcements are inbound...:cuss?"

 

*entire Platoon appears*

[Spacefrisian]

Their are more silly things like this eg:

 

Quickening. this gets you the Fleet special rule and I 10 both in the assault phase.

 

Or from other races like necrons being able to mess with other Necron armies (teleporting i believe), Nids giving Synapse to enemy Nids.

[Captain Malachi]

What's silly about the quickening?

[Disruptor_fe404]

The folks at my FLGS are sticklers for RAW. It's funny when one 'Nid players feeder tendrils mean that his opponents 'Nids have Preferred Enemy now too. So I have no doubt that they'll enforce the locater beacon discrepency until it gets FAQ'd, just like how they enforced Rites of Battle applying to all Space Marines.

[Hellfury]

Silly silly issue. This, as others have stated, isn't the first instance where someone can try and claim that they get the benefit you paid for.

 

I know its easy to rationlaize anything to go anyway you want, but I cant see the enemy gaining encrypted access codes to use a telemetry beacon that isn't in their own army, atleast not paying for it.

 

Same holds true for all the other instances as well. Rites of battle to your opponents for free? Synapse to your opponents for free?

 

BoLS is losing a bit a credibility for even hinting that this is intended. I would say that it is only intended if it was FAQ'ed to state that it was intended. Otherwise, buy your own damned beacon and get the hell off of my telemetry channel, you beardy git!

[srpelicano]

That's just ridiculous for an opponent to even suggest. I understand that RAW it doesn't say anything about the opponent using it, but it's about common sense. As has been stated, there are enough radio frequencies out there that it would be hard to figure it all out. I'm sure as it is, the deep striking unit has some way of communicating with the unit holding the beacon that they are enroute.

 

I don't think GW sucks at writing rules for the most part, I think it's the rules lawyers who try to find every loophole to min/max the game. I think GW expects the players to use some sense before jumping to conclusions. Some of the rules are a little murky though, so I am not saying they are perfect :)

[Massawyrm]

There is nothing particularly silly about this situation. The beacon is a signal being sent up to the ship. Encrypted or no, it is a signal detectable by all. That someone else can say "Drop them there." How wise is it to do so? Depends on the situation. Don't want to risk it? Then don't be cheap and pony up for a drop pod. Beacons are good for allowing your units to pinpoint on your already established units, to provide support or reinforce an area - with the drawback that enemy units could target yours. So what? Build that way. Don't leave transporter beacons on objectives or juicy high cost units. There's a reason it doesn't say friendly units.

 

Point is, the deep striking units that can do this can already come this close with a hint of scatter. But since you're blasting Here I Am, Rock You Like A Hurricane to the high heavens, they can choose not to scatter...if they're willing to get into assault range with you. Nothing particularly broken, cheesy, stupid or silly about it.

[mughi3]

Their are more silly things like this eg:

 

Quickening. this gets you the Fleet special rule and I 10 both in the assault phase.

 

Or from other races like necrons being able to mess with other Necron armies (teleporting i believe), Nids giving Synapse to enemy Nids.

Indeed, one of our rules lawyers found the deepstriking landraiders clause-IE the librarian power that lets him teleport (ala necron viel) any unit he is with......so if he is inside a landriader which is a "unit" he is with....warp! here comes the land raider.

 

Not that anybody would try it, it is funny to imagine.

[the jeske]

What's silly about the quickening?

check when you cast it and when you use fleet :angry:

 

 

I don't think GW sucks at writing rules for the most part, I think it's the rules lawyers who try to find every loophole to min/max the game.

O rly ? what some examples ? or when GW people and DT apologised for making certain rules or rule changes [like not nids not being instant death by weapon with 2xstr , but instant dieing to weapons with 2xsty +1 ? etc ]. unless you took part in the desing proces you cant say anything about "designers intent" . I mean they did FAQ the DA stuff [chapter banner etc ] . why? because the rules do look at fluff or how something should work acording to players ? otherwise bolters would have to be able to blow up tanks and a single squad or marines should be able to kill 1000 guardsman 1 on 1.

[rat of vengence]

Meh. I think that if anyone tried to pull that one on me, I would be tempted to pack up there and then. No, not a sulk, but I play for enjoyment. If the other guy just put "The most important rule" in a hessian sack and threw it off a bridge into the river, because they want to squeeze an advantage, I think the 'fun factor' would have left...

 

RoV

[One More Day]

A part of the Locator Beacon rules:

"If a unit wished to arrive on the battlefield via deep strike

and chooses to do so within 6" of a model carrying a locator

beacon, then it won't scatter"

 

Which ignores the bit before it...

 

The Rest of the Locator Beacon rules:

"When activated, the locator beacon uploads detailed positional information to the Astartes Tactical Grid, allowing precision reinforcement by reserve forces."

Don't think it's got a party channel, do you? :angry:

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

I don't have the new SM codex, but I checked my DA dex. The teleport homers that the Ravenwing use allow the same thing, the only difference is that they only work on units described as teleporting into battle, ie not jump infantry or drop pods. I don't own the CSM codex, but I'm willing to assume that chaos icons are also worded in the same way. I don't think that it was Games Workshop's intent for these items of wargear to work in your opponents favor, however by RAW it's perfectly legal, despite being extremely cheesy and anybody that does it is a bad sport and not worth playing against.