FAQ fun

[Master Of Malfeasance X]

I ran into an interesting issue today regarding the Blood Angels FAQ.

 

Blood Chalice: All friendly units within 6" are subject to the furious charge and feel no pain special rules.

 

I thought that was painfully clear and straightforward, but someone must have kept asking, so GW was nice enough to muddy the waters with this piece of fecal encephalitis:

 

FAQ:

Q: At what point does a model need to be in range of a blood chalice or the red grail in order to gain the bonuses of furious charge?

--When you put the bonuses (boni?) to use, i.e. when the model makes its close combat attacks.

 

My sharp-eyed, but terribly misinformed opponent tried to say that this meant that individual models have to be within 6" of a Sanguinary Priest, rather than the whole unit. I scoffed that he was clearly drunk, but upon closer inspection, I began to sweat that he might actually be right.

 

Then it hit me. As I started to diagram the sentences in my head, it occurred to me that the above two statements have literally no effect on each other. Granted, they are both about blood chalices, but they are comparing apples and oranges. The Blood Chalice talks about units, which don't care about individual models in the same way that objectives don't care about individual models. The FAQ talks about individual models.

 

He countered that GW would not post a FAQ that made no sense or contained an irrelevant entry. After I composed myself, I pointed out the Tau FAQ where they amend the damned hobby section. I rejoined that, by the logic he was trying to use, any unit that moved within 6" of a sanguinary priest would have feel no pain forever because there is apparently some disconnect between the rule in the codex, which could not be more perfectly written and whatever this FAQ is trying to say with regard to FNP which, while just as applicable, is not mentioned in the amendment.

 

Anyone encounter this?

[AbusePuppy]

Your original assumption was correct. A unit gains the benefit of the Blood Chalice if one or more of its models are in range of the Priest when they put the effects to use. The reason for the FAQ is that different models may strike (or be struck) at different times. For example, if you charge and strike with your models at Initiative 5 on the squad, you would check at I5 if the squad is in range. If the opponent then swings at I4 and removes some models, when your Power Fist (I1) swings, you will need to check again to see if he is in range- which, due to taking casualties, it is possible you are not. That is what the FAQ is referring to when it talks about models (as opposed to squads.)

[Master Of Malfeasance X]

I had not thought of that particular wrinkle. Good call, AbusePuppy.

[BOBMAKENZIE]

It also lets you do fun things like roll in with a tooled out honourguard. Slice through a unit and then consolidate past where they were to bubble up FC for another near by unit. Which is silly but awesome.

[AbusePuppy]

Entirely true. Remember that when you are making assaults, you also choose what order they are resolved in, which can be extremely relevant with Chalices around. It only took screwing that up once or twice before I learned my lesson. >.>