WH40k Planetstrike

[DeathKorpsman]

Hey guys. A friend just picked up the Planetstrike rules and dropped it off with me on orders to "get a game going, and soon". On skimming through the rules, I came across an oddity that I can't really RAW or RAI away. I intend to houserule it, but wanted some input on exactly what and how to house rule.

 

The rule is this:

 

In Mission Special Rules on page 13, under Shock Tactics second entry: "Attacking units with the Deep Strike special rule in their unit entry may assault the turn they enter play."

 

It seemed really cut and dry at first, especially with their example of assault marines with jump packs assaulting first turn. However, I looked up the assault marines in the 5th edition SM codex and found that they don't have the Deep Strike special rule. Neither do Terminators. Neither, amusingly, do Daemons. In fact, only Imperial Guard Stormtroopers, Tyranid Raveners, Necron Scarabs and Necron Flayed Ones have this special rule specifically listed in their unit entry out of all the Codexes that I had access to (not counting vehicles, many of those).

 

Some may look at what I just wrote and say "You are an idiot, just extrapolate from their example and have at." But it's not that easy when you play with people who want rules to be clear and easy to understand. This rule is not. Reading the rule again, it specifically cites having the Deep Strike rule in a unit's entry for that unit to get a first turn assault. Not deep strike from wargear, not from an upgrade, not from fancy shoes. You could argue that the Jump Infantry unit type meets this criteria and I'd agree, but that still leaves out things that inherently come with Deep Strike like Terminators and Daemons.

 

So basically there are four (that I can see) ways for a unit to get Deep Strike:

 

- The unit has Deep Strike in it's entry ( as I've pointed out that's pretty rare )

- The unit gets Deep Strike from wargear. ( specifically Terminators, though other things may be out there )

- The unit gets Deep Strike from some special rule that isn't called Deep Strike. ( Daemons, Legion of the Damned, etc...)

- The unit gets Deep Strike from it's unit type. ( specifically Jump Infantry )

 

So, given the above, how do you guys think I should house rule this? Giving the rule to any unit that can get Deep Strike in any form seems a little broad and also brings to mind Bloodcrushers and Bloodthirsters first turn assaulting my poor Imperial Guardsmen in a defend mission. Restricting it only to units that have the rule in their entry or are Jump (or Jet) Pack Infantry seems to at least fill the RAW, but still seems a little narrow as it leaves out some key Deep Striking assault units like Terminators etc.

 

Remember my contention is not whether a unit can Deep Strike at all in Planetstrike, as that rule is clear, but whether they can get a first turn assault on the turn the Deep Strike. This is a rather huge rules question and one that can alter how armies are written for this sort of game and how the game would be played by both sides.

 

If you still think I'm a fool for bringing it up, thank you for your criticism beforehand and please go troll someone else's thread. ;)

[Isiah]

This has come up before about this being put into each units entry. Termy armour by RAW allows wearers entry onto the battlefied via deep strike and termy armour is certainly mentioned in appropriate unit entries. With Codex Daemons every unit in the army has Daemonic Assault and this isn't mentioned in their unit entries either (incidentally all Daemons are also Fearless and this isn't repeated in unit entries). Perhaps GW thought repition was uneeded who knows.

 

I think this is best discussed with any potential opponent beforehand – as per RAW it is indeed a problem, yet by RAI (which doesn't concern us here of course) it's kinda obvious what the intention is. Personallly I love Planetstrike, where half the fun is the drop and assault capability – I'd hate this to be ruled out by virtue of a silly worded entry in the Planetstrike rulebook.

 

Incidentally, Oblits do get a deeptrike mention in their entry so something else to add to your list of allowed to assault on landing by RAW :rolleyes:.

 

By the way, if you want to make up your own Houserule for this that's fine – but do it here.

 

Cheers

I

[antilles13]

Not sure how it's written in other Codices, but the Terminators and Assault Marines entries in the Blood Angels codex both have the Deep Strike special rule (although it's strangly missing from the Veteran Assault Marines entry, but they get it for standard 40k by virtue of having jump packs)

[DeathKorpsman]

It seems like they used to put Deep Strike in alot of unit entries in older codexes, but have gotten away from doing that. The special rule is absent from alot of units that get Deep Strike from other rules in newer Codexes, namely Daemons, Imperial Guard, the new Space Marines and Space Wolves Codexes. I don't contend that these units can't Deep Strike, as they clearly do from wargear, special rules, etc. However, the Planetstrike rule is poorly written in that it requires the specific "Deep Strike" to be in the unit's entry.

 

If you go one way and say everyone that can Deep Strike through any special rule gets it, that means Daemon armies can go all hand to hand and gobble up any opponent in Planetstrike. If you go the other way, mainly jump troops and a scant few special units are the only who can benefit. It just seems like a very poor rule probably written as an afterthought by some temp staffer while nobody was looking.

 

I'm thinking about ignoring the rule altogether, as it isn't necessary and seems just too cool for some armies and totally worthless for others.

[The Trickster]

An FAQ is now out on the subject saying:

 

Page 13, Shock Tactics, second bullet point.

In the first and third sentence, the words ‘in

its/their unit entry’ will be deleted.

[Isiah]

Good find The Trickster and thanks for the heads up. So, I guess that solves that then.

 

Cheers

I