Acolytes and the wound allocation rules

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Ok, so I'll outline the issue with three quotes. Firstly, the Acolytes entry in Codex: Daemonhunters;

 

'If an Inquisitor with an Acolyte suffers a wound, he may allocate the wound to the Acolyte. This must be done before any saving throws are attempted.'

 

pg. 14, Codex: Daemonhunters

 

The Witch-hunter codex has a slightly different entry;

 

'If an Inquisitor with an Acolyte Henchman suffers a wound, he may allocate the wound to the Acolyte, but he may only allocate one wound per Acolyte in any given phase. This must be done before any saving throws are attempted.

 

pg. 16, Codex: Witch-hunters

 

Now, we turn our attentions to the BRB, under 'Complex Units';

 

'One the number of wounds caused by the firing unit has been determined, the player controlling the target unit must decide which models have been wounded, allocating the wounds to the models of their choice... a player must allocate one wound to each model in the target unit before he can allocate a second wound to the same model'

 

pg. 25, main 40k rulebook

 

 

So what, if anything, does the 'Acolyte' rule do in 5th edition?

 

1st interpretation (for a Malleus Lord)

 

- Enemy unit fires/assault the Inquisitor and his retinue (which contains some Acolytes)

- Opponent rolls to hit and to wound

- I choose to allocate a wound onto the Inquisitor

- This wound gets passed to an Acolyte

- I keep doing this until all wounds have been placed onto the Acolytes

- I then roll saves on the Acolytes

 

So long as there are Acolytes left in the retinue, I can continue to allocate wounds onto the Inquistor, then simply pass them onto his Acolytes and 'soak' them.

 

2nd interpretation (for a Hereticus Lord)

 

- Enemy unit fires/assault the Inquisitor and his retinue (which contains some Acolytes)

- Opponent rolls to hit and to wound

- I choose to allocate a wound onto the Inquisitor

- This wound gets passed to an Acolyte

- I can do this up to 3 times (maximum number of Acolytes in a retinue), before I have to continue normal wound allocation onto the rest of the unit. I can't allocate a 2nd wound onto any of the Acolytes until everyone else has taken at least 1 wound first.

- I then roll saves on the Inquisitor+retinue

 

Less broken than the Malleus version, this interpretation allows low-AP/Instant Death etc to be picked out and allocated to the Inquisitor, then passed to his Acolytes. It's an improvement over the usual 'complex unit' shenanigans, because you don't need to allocate one wound to everyone first before chucking the 'special' attacks onto specific 'groups' in the unit. You can just take the dangerous wounds, put them on the Inquisitor, then chuck them onto the Acolytes.

 

 

What are your thoughts? I think the Malleus version is a bit iffy, but I might be perfectly right according to RAW. The Hereticus version seems like an update (which its 'only one wound per Acolyte per phase' restriction), and it seems to be balanced and workable.

[Grand Master Tyrak]

I reckon the Malleus version works better. If you drag your Acolyte in front of you as a meat shield in the shooting phase, then even if he gets killed first shot his corpse is still good for being riddled with bullets on your behalf.

[Grand Master Iapetus]

Not sure if I understand your interpretation of the DH completely - it appears you are saying: "I allocate the first wound to the inquisitor, he allocates to the acolyte, since the inquisitor has taken no wounds I allocate the next wound to the inquisitor, repeat, repeat, repeat, until all wounds are gone and sitting on a single acolyte." But the WH can only do this process equal to the number of acolytes he has before moving on to the rest of the unit.

 

The codex does not specify a clear order for the steps, the rulebook does fill in the details, which I think you have to follow first. Since the inquisitor / retinue is treated like standard squad w/ vet sarge keeping in mind that models w/ different profiles or wargear are different in terms of the complex unit rule.

 

- first dole out the wounds to the unit following the procedure for complex units

- next move wounds from =][= to acolytes (DH is infinite, WH is limited as you noted)

- roll saves by group type (complex unit rules) and remove models

 

As a matter of practice, when I run with acolytes (which is only in higher point games), I typically throw artificier armor on them, and load them up on standard (not PW) wounds since they will save them on a 2+. I will put the PW / ID wounds on sages or mystics as their removal from play does not affect the inquisitor's profile or ablities. Or maybe even one on the multi wound =][= as long as it doesn't cause instant death. This usually works for 1-2 turns (unless you are facing banshees or bloodletters), eventually - as you know - models are removed or fail saves and then you have to worry about what you will remove since you are down to the actual "shooty" units in the unit.

[Captain Malachi]

My codex says only one wound may be allocated to an acolyte per acolyte per phase (this is the DH codex second printing). Are you all using the first printing or something?

[DevianID]

The way I read it, say you have an inquisitor with 1 warrior, 2 mystics, and 3 accolytes, each accolyte has different war gear (Bolter, las pistol, bolt pistol)

 

If the unit takes 21 wounds, then each model has to take 3 saves each. The inquisitor, however, can pawn off 1 wound to the bolter acc, 1 to the las acc, and one to the bolt pistol acc, thus the inq takes no wounds from the set.

 

Now, if the unit takes only 2 wounds, then one could go on the bolter accolyte, and the second could go on the inquisito--who then puts the wound on the bolter accolyte, so for example if 2 las cannons wound you can only have 1 acc die to both wounds.

[Aidoneus]

The problem with your interpretation is that you're allocating wounds one at a time, and allowing the acolyte mechanic to take place after each one. Doesn't work like that. All wounds are allocated simultaneously, and only afterwards may the acolytes use their ability. So the process actually goes something like this:

 

1) Enemy unit, through whatever means, inflicts X wounds onto your unit

2) You allocate wounds as with any complex unit, giving 1 wound to each member of your squad before any get a second

3) Any wounds that you had allocated to your inquisitor may now be transfered to acolytes

4) Roll saves and remove models as usual

[Grand Master Tyrak]

Captain Malachi Posted Today, 04:17 PM

My codex says only one wound may be allocated to an acolyte per acolyte per phase (this is the DH codex second printing). Are you all using the first printing or something?

 

Probably. What's the publishing date on yours?

[Captain Malachi]

If I knew how to check I'd tell you ;) I just know it says "second printing" on the last page. (Not the back of the cover, the page before that.)

[Reclusiarch Darius]

My codex says only one wound may be allocated to an acolyte per acolyte per phase (this is the DH codex second printing). Are you all using the first printing or something?

 

Yeah thats what I suspected, given the difference with the WH version. So, lets ignore the 'Malleus' version I posted, because thats been re-written since (it's a typo which they corrected afterwards).

 

The problem with your interpretation is that you're allocating wounds one at a time, and allowing the acolyte mechanic to take place after each one. Doesn't work like that. All wounds are allocated simultaneously, and only afterwards may the acolytes use their ability. So the process actually goes something like this:

 

1) Enemy unit, through whatever means, inflicts X wounds onto your unit

2) You allocate wounds as with any complex unit, giving 1 wound to each member of your squad before any get a second

3) Any wounds that you had allocated to your inquisitor may now be transfered to acolytes

4) Roll saves and remove models as usual

 

That seems about right. So, how would we utilise this to our advantage?

[Grand Master Tyrak]

Captain Malachi Posted Today, 08:25 PM

If I knew how to check I'd tell you :D I just know it says "second printing" on the last page. (Not the back of the cover, the page before that.)

 

Mine is a 2002 publishing, and it doesn't have that "second printing" line. Seems like an issue with the reprinting. You'd think they'd bother to tell us in an Errata. ;)

[DevianID]

The problem with your interpretation is that you're allocating wounds one at a time, and allowing the acolyte mechanic to take place after each one. Doesn't work like that. All wounds are allocated simultaneously, and only afterwards may the acolytes use their ability. So the process actually goes something like this:

 

1) Enemy unit, through whatever means, inflicts X wounds onto your unit

2) You allocate wounds as with any complex unit, giving 1 wound to each member of your squad before any get a second

3) Any wounds that you had allocated to your inquisitor may now be transfered to acolytes

4) Roll saves and remove models as usual

 

Isnt that what I did? Or is this in refrence to someone else?

[Red Lost Soldier]

The problem with your interpretation is that you're allocating wounds one at a time, and allowing the acolyte mechanic to take place after each one. Doesn't work like that. All wounds are allocated simultaneously, and only afterwards may the acolytes use their ability. So the process actually goes something like this:

 

1) Enemy unit, through whatever means, inflicts X wounds onto your unit

2) You allocate wounds as with any complex unit, giving 1 wound to each member of your squad before any get a second

3) Any wounds that you had allocated to your inquisitor may now be transfered to acolytes

4) Roll saves and remove models as usual

 

Isnt that what I did? Or is this in refrence to someone else?

 

That is what you did, just worded in a nicer way that will account for more situations. For example if every model in the unit only takes 1 wound or less, only a single wound (initially allocated to the =][=) can be passed onto a single acolyte.

 

It might just be me, but I'm usually allocated wounds to my =][= Lord first before anyone else. 3 power armour wounds that don't remove a model is very handy. Just watch out for S6 or above!

[Aidoneus]

That is what you did, just worded in a nicer way that will account for more situations. For example if every model in the unit only takes 1 wound or less, only a single wound (initially allocated to the =][=) can be passed onto a single acolyte.

 

It might just be me, but I'm usually allocated wounds to my =][= Lord first before anyone else. 3 power armour wounds that don't remove a model is very handy. Just watch out for S6 or above!

Yup, what he said. I just replied to the OP.

 

With the new allocation rules, I have found less and less use for acolytes. They're better in smaller squads, where they can soak more wounds. But in general, it's just better to take more 6pt henchmen and let them die.

[Maharajah]

I think you need to build your retinue to keep in mind that you'll typically only get a small number of high strength, low AP wounds, or alternatively a high number of weaker, high AP wounds each turn.

 

So take 2 chirurgeons, and a couple of familiars. Each turn that a few low AP shots come in, put one on the =][= (which the chirurgeons let him ignore) and the rest on familiars.

 

Also take 3 acolytes in power armour with different builds so they are each a different "save group". When a large number of hits come in, give them to the =][=, each acolyte, each familar, each other henchman, in that order, and repeat this same order until they're all used up. The first =][= wound will be healed as noted above, the second one should be allocated to the ugliest henchman, and keep going like that.

 

Seems to me that a good defensive retinue should have:

2 chirurgeons

1 acolyte in power armour with bolter

1 acolyte in power armour with bolt pistol, ccw

1 acolyte in power armour with laspistol, ccw

3 warriors of your choice, hopefully different builds.

3 familiars (meatshields)

1 bound psyker (because he's cheap too)

 

This build will be very resilient to shooting, especially since you can hide most of it out of LOS or in cover and get a cover save for the whole unit.

 

13 models, the =][= ignores the first wound, can shrug the second, third, fourth to acolytes. So to try to eliminate this unit in one round of shooting or a single assault, you'd have to do more than 13x4 = 52 wounds to it to even hurt the inquisitor, let alone kill him (or her). And you can't break them because of Iron Will.

 

The perfect squad to have defending an objective! The cinematics are nice - insane fire density, the smoke clears, and the Inquisitor is still standing among the bodies of his retinue.