Priesthood of Iron

[Jarl Deathwolf]

So my wolf-brothers. I recently beat back an incursion of Chaos against my most diabolical foe (Chaos Lord Bubba), and did it using a Land Raider Redeemer to hold out against Lord Bubba's heldrake and soul grinder (he is really anti-troop, and not so much anti-Land Raider). The Redeemer was inhabited by Iron Priest Ulfric Steele (with Saga of the Ironwolf), three thrall-servitors and four cyberwolves. His purpose was to heal the Land Raider from within, as I recall reading from some FAQ or another that he could do. With the total of +4 to the roll to repair, and needing only a 5+ to regenerate a Hull Point, I figured I didn't even need to roll. 

 

Chaos Lord Bubba disagreed. He said that the rulebook stated that all rolls of 1 are automatically a failure. The Chaos Lord has a tendency to site facts that he cannot find, so I challenged that with a roll off and won. It didn't end up making a difference in the game (the Land Raider had three Hull Points at the end, two of which had been healed by Ulfric), but it has been bugging me.

 

Do I automatically succeed on the repair check if my bonus is high enough to get a 5+, even if I roll a 1? 

 

(As soon as this question is answered, I'll post a battle report, as I am particularly pleased with the results of the game)

[stinkenheim]

As far as I am aware (apologies for lack of citations, rulebook isn't at hand) your opponent had it right.

I know certainly for the vast majority of things a 1 is always a fail regardless of modifiers.

[dswanick]

You should have demanded that he show you that rule in the rule book (because it does not exist).  Only Characteristic tests automatically fail, and only on a dice roll of '6' (BRB, pg.7).
Further, even if a roll of '1' were always a failure, it would not apply to Repair rolls.  On the precedent that a roll of 2d6 can't benefit from Wolf Banners as you can't roll a '1' on d6+d6 (2-12), you also can't roll a '1' on d6+4 (5-10).

[Denison512]

As has been already said: You're right. The rule says you need a 5 or more and no rule that says you can't reduce it down to a 1+. This is an unusual case as with most things a 1 is usually a failure unless its a characteristic test which is always a pass.

 

PS remember you can move an extra D3 inches when Mr iron priest is in residence ;)

[Jarl Deathwolf]

Oh trust me, brother, I didn't forget. And I doubt those Pink horrors on the other side of the board will forget anytime soon.

Well, as promised, here is the battle report, but first the armies. It was 1,000 + 1,000 vs 1,000 + 1,000. I was allied with a new Blood Angels player, and my foes were Lord Bubba and a Daemon, who had to leave and left their army in Lord Bubba's hands for the rest of the game.

Me:

x2 Rune Priests (each attached to a Grey Hunter pack)

Alrik the True-Sighted - Runic Armor, Biomancy, Divination, Melta bomb, Warlord

Isleif: Runic Armor, Living Lightning, Murderous Hurricane

x2 10 Grey Hunters

- 2 Flamers, Wolf Standard and Mark of the Wulfen

Iron Priest Ulfric Steele

- Saga of the Iron Wolf, 3 Thrall Servitors, 4 Cyberwolves

Land Raider Redeemer w/ Multi-Melta

Blood Angels:

Librarian (attached to Isleif's pack)

- 2 Divination

10 Death Company

- Land Raider w/ Multi Melta

- 2 Power Mauls, One Hand Flamer

5 Sniper Scouts

Storm Raven w/ Twin-Linked Multi-Melta, and a Twin-Linked Plasma Cannon

Death Company Dreadnought with Blood Talons

All that versus...

Lord Bubba, on a juggernaught (attached to Spawn)

- Burning Brand of Skalthrax, Axe of Blind Fury, Sigil of Corruption, and Mark of Khorne

4 Spawn

Heldrake w/ Baleflamer (of course )

x3 Obliterators

- Mark of Nurgle on each

x2 10 Cultists

5 Chosen

- 5 Plasma Guns, Mark of Nurgle

Daemons:

Fateweaver

Herald (attached to 16 pink horrors)

- Level 2 Psyker, Greater Loci

Soul Grinder

16 Pink Horrors

12 Pink Horrors

6 Screamers

Basically, we allowed any character to join whatever, hence why the Librarian joined my Grey Hunters. I got for Alrik Endurance and Prescience, and the Libby got Forewarning and Prescience. The Fateweaver got a bunch of powers, but the ones I remember are two Daemon powers (one was a blast, the other a single shot, each S trength = d6+4), Invisibility, Endurance and Fire Shield. The Herald got Prescience, and maybe Forewarning. The battle was Hammer and Anvil, Purge the Alien.

They win the roll off to deploy first. They put out everything but the cultists and the 12 pink horrors. Then we placed everything, hiding in a single corner behind the land raiders, mine being closer to, and blocking the sight of, the enemy. My team mate said I could roll the dice, so I shouted, "Let the blood flow!" and rolled a 6. Hazza!

Turn 1, Us: Isleif's pack (Blood Howl) got Prescience cast on them as they strategically hid behind the Land Raiders. The vanilla Land Raider got forewarning cast on it and I popped smoke. My Redeemer ran out and blocked the pass through two hills into our little corner. Then the BA Land Raider fired into the Screamers, causing three wounds, but only one death. My Grey Hunters spread out, wary of the Soul Grinder's AP 3 large blast.

Turn 1, Them: Basically, everything marches on us, Fateweaver casts Endurance on the Screamers, who bolt across the board to within 6" of the BA Land Raider. As they turbo-boosted, they could not assault. Other than that, my Land Raider shook off the firepower of the rest of the army. The highest armor they hit was Armor Piercing 12, was the AV of the paint on the Land Raider. The Soul Grinder kills some Grey Hunters and the scouts lost three men and bolted behind my Redeemer, where they would ineffectually stay for the rest of the game.

Turn 2, Us: Forewarning on the grey hunters (Alrik's pack, the Saga Callers). The Storm Raven appears and fails to harm Fateweaver whatsoever, using a bunch of its missiles in the progress. My Redeemer doesn't do much. My Grey Hunters kill all but two of the Screamers, but Isleif rolled a double 1 on his murderous hurricane. Land Raider deals a wound to Fateweaver, and the Dreadnought assaults and kills the last of the Screamers.

Turn 2, them: Everything advances (excluding Pink Horrors, one obliterator and the Chosen), Heldrake and cultists come onto the board, cultists hiding and heldrake burning five grey hunters (Isleif's pack). Fateweaver tries to cast Invisibility on the Khorne Lord, but is DENIED by Rune Priest Alrik's staff. First time I successfully used that ability, ever. Then the Soul Grinder assaults my Redeemer, causing it two HP. Otherwise, we either saved or he missed.

Turn 3, Us: Forewarning on Dread, endurance on Isleif's GH. The Storm Talon hides behind a tall, impassable hill and hovers, deals a HP to the heldrake. LRR moves out of the path, where Lord Bubba has been approaching, and the BA Land Raider moves into its space, and disembark the Death Co right next to Lord Bubba. Iron Priest heals the LRR for one HP. The Death Company assault the Chaos Lord, losing four because of the guy's high initiative, but then drag him kicking and screaming to the Warp. The Spawn take a few wounds, but none die. The Dreadnought assaults an Obliterator, and kills it.

Turn 3, Them: The 12 Pink Horrors warp in about 12" away from my Warlord's position. The Heldrake moves over the GH, killing two with the flyby attack. The new pink horrors increase my 5+ FnP to 4+, then Heldrake flames, but most save (2 die). Once again, I deny Fateweaver, this time from casting Fire Shield on the pink horrors. The 16 Horrors get prescience cast on them by their Herald and fire at the dreadnought with 3d6 some-odd attacks. The ancient warrior saved many of the attacks, but lost two hull points and a melta. The chosen fire at something, miss, and one dies to overheat.

Turn 4, Us: The Land Raider fires at the Soul Grinder, with no effect (2++ invulnerable because of artifact blessing it, and forwarning, and then it rerolls ones because of being Tzeentch. Isleif's pack fires at the Fateweaver and Isleif gets a serious case of head 'splosion when he rolls yet another double ones. And the Fateweaver passes his invulnerable save. The Storm Raven goes straight behind the Heldrake, right next to its armor 10 rear and fires the multi-melta twice into it. It explodes and crashes on the 12 Pink Horrors, killing three of them. My redeemer reaches the old 16 horrors, right at the same time the Dreadnought does, and the Iron Priest disembarks, heals the Land Raider for another HP, and charges alongside the dreadnought. My Iron Priest's attacks do nothing, but the Dread kills 6 PH, 3 of which due to Blood Talons. The Saga Callers (with Alrik) fire and then assault the other Pink Horrors, killing them all without casualty (actually, they kill six, then they break and are banished). The Death Company finish off the Spawn, with six DC left alive, and consolidate toward the Chosen.

Turn 4, them: Alrik denies the Fateweaver again, when he is trying to cast invisibility. The artifact held by the Herald gives +1 inv to its squad of Pink Horrors. The Fateweaver tries to fly over the Saga Callers and kill them, but Feel No Pain negates his flyby. The Chosen get prescience cast on them, who fire on the DC. 4 DC die... and one Chosen, to overheat. One of the Obliterators fires a twin-linked Plasma gun at the DC, and kill one. Chosen assault DC, nothing happens. Cultists assault Iron Priest, three cyber wolves die, and five cultists die. The dread kills a few more pink horrors. Soul Grinder assaults the BA Land Raider, and fails to penetrate it.

As turn five rolls, Chaos Lord Bubba concedes, as his army lies in shambles and the only unit we lost entirely was the self-destructive Rune Priest.

(Side note: The scouts did nothing the entire game but fire at the Fateweaver. I'm not sure when it happened, but they managed to cause a wound to him. Hells, they didn't even move after they regrouped. Also, the second squad of cultists hid behind a rock for the entire game, never once contributing to the battle. Lastly, the Daemon player surrendered control of the army at about turn 2.)

[hoffmant99]

For those of you that don't know, I was the BA player.

 

I had nothing else to do with the sniper rifles except take shots at fateweaver.  I could of charged into combat with DC instead, but meh..

 

Chaos and Deamon deployed first.  They ended up spreading out across the board.  I told SW player to deploy on the right side to engage one half (or 1/4) and let them come to us.  I didn't want to advance right away because of the Helldrake 3 foot attack, so we let the enemy come to us - just like the Chaos Lord wanted.  The terrain was vastly superior on the right hand side so it worked wonders for close combat.

 

We deployed on the right side closest to the screamers.  I did not want this armorbane units to move in unison with the calvary (HQ and spawn) on the left flank.  Luckily, our opponent blundered and forgot that turbo boosted units (screamers are jet bikes) CAN be assaulted.  The screamers died before they could do anything and before calvary arrived.  CL Bubba attacks are confident but dreadfully predictable.  I've been playing this guy with multiple games for almost 20 years - I know what we likes to do and from what I've learned from my SW buddy his tactics hasn't changed.

 

Perhaps you are wondering why LR and DC?

1.) Fun to play (proxy) a unit to try to get DC into cc fast.

2.) CL Bubba's lack of anti-armor.  3 lone obliterators spread out means the LR was threatened 0 times from them (2 where blocked from los due to big bad battle in the middle valley between DC and HQ/Spawn; the other shot at the Dreadnought ONCE and failed to harm).

 

Question: If a unit of pink horrors is engaged so that they are so spread out that no more horrors can be put between my Dreadnought and a SW unit, does this mean that an obliterator can fire through the "spread out" combat at the SW LR?  What save would the LR get, if it is possible to be shot at, a 4+?  I thought this was cheesy, but I didn't want to argue CL Bubba on this as it was getting late and we where already decisively winning.

 

BTW: CL Bubba conceded while we where discussing outloud that we would have the BA lib give the BA LR Prescience to give it's multi-melta twin linked and with machine spirit and the Soulgrinder being with-in turrent range (it got immobilized) and was about 2 mm away.  Talk about being pawned.

 

Victory!! (Johnny "Drama" Chase img here, had Bolter and Chainsword allowed it)

 

 

Best unit:  Dreadnought

It killed 2 screamers, an obliterator, and 6+ pink horrors and tarred the rest down before CL Bubba conceded.

 

Best moment:

When the gunship flew up over the mountain and shot 2 twin linked (prescience from lib) shots at the rear of the Helldrake.  It was like watching a neighborhood dog hump another into submission.