Seraphim/Celestine Hit-N-Run re-examined

[Charred Heretic]

Per WH 5th ed FAQ:

"Seraphim and Saint Celestine have their own version of the Hit and Run special rule."

 

Thus, Hit-N-Run is no longer a "Universal Special Rule".

We now use the text in the local Codex to determine exactly how H-n-R works.

 

In the WH Codex under Hit and Run, I see: "...the unit falls back 3D6..."

In the WH Codex under Purity Seals, I see: " ... if the model wearing purity seals falls back, roll one extra D6 for its fall back distance and then discard one D6 of your choice..."

 

The verbiage is clean.

Purity Seals do not require the failure of a morale test.

Purity Seals simply allow an extra D6 throw during a "fall back" move.

The Hit-n-Run fall back qualifies with exact wording. (If "Fall Back" were capitalized in the Purity Seal entry, then I'd say it only refers to ONE specific fall back move, but since it is not capitalized, there is nothing to restrict the applicability of P-Seals to the one well-known fall back move that comes after a failed morale test).

 

As I see it, Purity Seals are applicable to the Seraphim and Celestine Hit-N-Run move.

I believe this was the original intention.

 

Remember that Purity Seals were written in 3rd ed when that extra D6 for fallback move made the difference that would allow you to escape from combat (this advantage let us not only escape slaughter in CC, but also enabled the unit to shoot again at the enemy, being free of the CC lock).

 

That was a huge difference between 3rd and 4th, where WH lost a very important trait.

So this business of "making the original codex trump the main rule set" has a small merit

of restoring a sliver of the original intent closer to when it was originally written.

[Toogeloo]

Though I completely agree with the post, I doubt that anyone will start buying Purity Seals just for a chance to get a slightly higher Hit and Run result. The ability to fall back in any direction should usually be more than plenty to get Seraphim out of range (unless you roll trip 1's and you are surrounded by an ork mob lol) somewhere.

[Charred Heretic]

It's not too big of a deal, admittedly.

 

But for 5 bits, I think it's worth it.

If not for the chance to reroll a "dud" 1 when you need a nice, long H-n-R move to get behind an enemy tank.

 

Or it might better serve you on the off-chance that you fail a Ld test to shooting casualties (yes people do

shoot at Seraphim, and they're too tall to hide from LOS), so it could save them from falling back off-table.

[Eltnot]

Must be an earlier printing than mine since my copy of the codex doesn't mention the words "fall back" anywhere in the description for Hit and Run.

[rat of vengence]

Yes, he was quoting the FAQ on the GW site.

 

RoV

[Charred Heretic]

Must be an earlier printing than mine since my copy of the codex doesn't mention the words "fall back" anywhere in the description for Hit and Run.

 

Interesting. Mine absolutely does.

These discrepancies further underscore the folly of GWs motion away from rule centralization.