Wound allocation

[Brother Valerius]

Hey guys, a disagreement came up today in a game on how wound allocation works. My opponent hit my tactical squad with (I don't recall, but something like) two rending wounds, a melta wound, and 6 normal bolter wounds. My tactical squad consisted of a sergeant w/ BP + chainsword, 7 bolter marines, a marine with plasma gun, and a marine with a lascannon. I allocated the wounds like so: both rending + melta to the sergeant, two normal wounds to the plasma gunner, two to the lascannon marine, and two to the group of bolter marines.

 

My opponent argued that I needed to allocate to ALL bolter marines before I could double up wounds, whereas I was sure that wound allocation was done per wargear group, not per man in the squad. As I could not find a citation to back me up, I did things the way he felt was correct and we moved on. I'm still sure I didn't get this idea from nowhere, however. Was I correct in how I allocated the wounds, and if so, where can I find a citation for that rule if I need to in the future? Or was my opponent correct?

[Purge]

see page 25, complex units. You must allocate one wound to each model in the squad before you can double up wounds on a single model.

[Frosty the Pyro]

I created this a long time ago, it answers over 90% of all wound allocation questions that have been asked on this board.

 

 

Frosty's Wound Allocation Order of Operations

 

1. Enemy Rolls to hit

2. Enemy Rolls to wound

3. Apply one wound to each MODEL untill each model has one wound, Then Apply a second, third, and so on untill there are no more wounds to allocate.

4. Seperate wounded models into different identical groups based on wargear and profile (so all marines with just a bolter in one group, ones with a boltpistal/ccw in another, plasmaguns in another, sergents in another and so on)

5. Roll armor saves for each GROUP

6. Within each group aply wounds in such a way to remove the maximum amount of models/wounds posible (for example intant death goes on the ones with the most wounds remaing), extra wounds do NOT carry over into other groups, they are lost.

[Brother Valerius]

Here's what I don't get. Why, then, do debates such as the wound allocation with combi-weapons rules exist? If you place wounds on each model, what's the purpose of grouping them up? Or arguing whether combi-weapons are a separate group once fired?

[JamesI]

Here's what I don't get. Why, then, do debates such as the wound allocation with combi-weapons rules exist? If you place wounds on each model, what's the purpose of grouping them up? Or arguing whether combi-weapons are a separate group once fired?

Because, once you allocate all models that are the same are rolled together. In your example the 7 bolter marines are rolled together. If 1 bolter marines fails 2 saves, then 2 bolter marines die.

 

So it is important to know whether some models are the same or not.

[Algesan]

Here's what I don't get. Why, then, do debates such as the wound allocation with combi-weapons rules exist? If you place wounds on each model, what's the purpose of grouping them up? Or arguing whether combi-weapons are a separate group once fired?

Because, once you allocate all models that are the same are rolled together. In your example the 7 bolter marines are rolled together. If 1 bolter marines fails 2 saves, then 2 bolter marines die.

 

So it is important to know whether some models are the same or not.

 

+1

 

To make it more direct: If you have a Sgt, 4 bolter Marines and 5 combi-melta Marines and none of the combis have fired their shot, then you have three groups: the Sgt (different characteristic profile), the bolter SM and the combi SM (different weapons on the last two). If you take 20 wounds (2 per SM), then the Sgt will roll 2 AS and if he fails either, he dies. The bolter SM will roll 8 AS and up to 4 will die depending on how many you fail. The combi SM will roll 10 AS and up to 5 will die depending on how many you fail.

 

The big debate centers around whether or not there is a difference between expended and unexpended combi-weapons in game terms. How does this play out in a game? If all the combi-weapons are the same regardless of whether they've used their shot or not, then any that have been shot will be pulled first. If there is a difference, then either you have a new group of combi-melta SM that have shot their wad, er, melta OR the SM with expended combis now move into the bolter Marine category.

 

At that point it is all about wound allocation games. Depending on which way you go, either you have an easier chance of wiping out all the combi-melta SM at once and the other way you get a chance of killing some unexpended combis with low numbers of wounds but make it harder to kill the entire squad. In the long run, not important, but it can get results by plinking a few rounds if you use the second method.

[Brother Valerius]

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks, guys! Maybe next edition we can get wound allocation rules that aren't mystifying... :D