Saving/Cover/Inv Saves

[Morollan]

Quick question - do you have to take the best available save?

[thade]

Quick question - do you have to take the best available save?

You know, I wondered this myself this morning; if the book says "can" or "may use the best save available to it" then that sort of implies you can use the sucky one. If it says "the model takes/gets the best save available" then it's compulsory...but I'm pretty sure it's "may" or "can" and not "must".

 

Likely because the rules writers assume you'll always want the model to make his/her save...discounting weird cases like Lemartes, for example, where taking a wound early on will buff him, or certain models that effectively detonate when they die, taking other models with them. I'd say it's "not in the spirit of the game" to forgo the best save you have available to you...but possibly not against RAW. Silly, silly.

[Morollan]

I was thinking of Lemartes but also the odd situation where you have something very nasty that wants to assault you but you only have one or two models within assault range of it. In that case, if you were under fire you might want a couple of casualties to save the rest of the unit from the nasty thing.

[dswanick]

MODELS WITH MORE THAN ONE SAVE

In these cases, the model only ever gets to make one saving throw, but it has the advantage of always using the best available save.

 

If a unit can benefit from different types of cover, for example being behind a hedge (5+ cover save) and a low wall (4+), the unit uses the best cover save available (in this case 4+).

This sounds, to me, like a pretty definitive requirement to use the best of a models available saves. (Although there is wiggle room if you have two different saves of the Invulnerable type, ie. 5++ from termi armor, and 4++ from a Rosarius). I think it shows that you are to take the best one save from all those available to the model.

[Seahawk]

Yes, you must use the best save.

 

"...each model has the advantage of always using the best save available to it."

 

I believe that's the quote (my book isn't on me right now). It's in the multiple saves part of the Shooting Phase section.

[Morollan]

Yeah, that looks pretty solid. Oh well, just have to pray to the dice gods in those situations.

[falldown]

Yeah, you have to take the best save. Otherwise you could then argue that you are taking the non-existent cover save against some wounds to make sure you down the figs in assault range.

Player 1 : "I'm taking a cover save for these three models."

Player 2 : "They don't have a cover save."

Player 1 : "Guess they're dead then. heh heh heh..."

[thade]

There we are then. :P

[Dante999]

Then what is the point of getting something that will give you a cover save that is lower than your armour save. For example the GK Librarian has the shrouding ability (which increases your cover save by one) but since my Librarian will be around GK units their armour saves will most likely be better than their cover save.

[Dan VK]

Then what is the point of getting something that will give you a cover save that is lower than your armour save. For example the GK Librarian has the shrouding ability (which increases your cover save by one) but since my Librarian will be around GK units their armour saves will most likely be better than their cover save.

The point is that there are plenty of things that ignore armor saves.

[Morollan]

Then what is the point of getting something that will give you a cover save that is lower than your armour save. For example the GK Librarian has the shrouding ability (which increases your cover save by one) but since my Librarian will be around GK units their armour saves will most likely be better than their cover save.

 

If your Librarian and his unit are getting shot at by plasma guns you won't be getting any armour saves but you can still benefit from the cover save.