Rune Priest wargear

[Bloody Legionnaire]

In the Space Wolves Codex it states that the Rune Priest has a Runic Weapon but doesn't define which type of Runic Weapon the Rune Priest has. Going by WYSIWYG Rules... if I modeled my Rune Priest with an Axe does it effectively become a Runic Axe? 

[Rune Priest Jbickb]

No the runic weapon is an unusual force weapon and therefore is always strength user ap3 until it gets an faq

[Bloody Legionnaire]

But it maintains the usual force weapon rules? 

[Grey Mage]

But it maintains the usual force weapon rules? 

Unusual Force Weapon Rules actually- but if you mean the powerweapon/instantdeath part, yes :)

[Squark]

It really depends on your playgroup. The intent of one of the FAQs seems to have been that runic weapons use the normal force weapon types (Since Njal has a Runic Staff, per the FAQ), but since the rules technically don't say anything about what a Runic Staff is or whether runic axes and runic swords behave at all differently from each other, the RAW is that, as Grey Mage and Jbickb have said already, they're unusual force weapons (Strength as user, AP 3, at initiative, and can spend 1 warp charge to make a psychic check and give the weapon instant death), as they wound demons on a 2+, thus deviating from a generic force bonker's profile.

 

So, in short, ask your playgroup if they think it's fine to let Runic Weapons use force weapon types. If they're cool with it, all the better, but if they're not, its not worth fighting, frankly. Our codex may have aged more gracefully than, say, the Blood Angels codex or the old space marine dex, but it's still from a previous edition, so it doesn't follow the 6th edition design mindest of "Everything fits into a couple of nice categories, but you have a tone of keywords that can change functionality," so, given that GW's FAQ team are as lazy as they are, well, you get a lot of questions like this.

[Mammon]

Squark, this is good to know! I had been using the Power Axe rules in my local shop all the time. More than one challenge as been settled by the Str 6 Ap 2! 

[Grimtooth]

The intent of the faq is that NJAL has a runic staff. That has absolutely zero impact on runic weapon equipped rune priests who are classed as having unique force weapons.

 

Njal is a rune priest, but not all rune priests are Njal.

[Valerian]

The intent of the faq is that NJAL has a runic staff. 

 

But what does a Runic Staff do?  There are no rules for it, outside of it being an Unusual Force Weapon.  We really have no idea what the intent is behind a FAQ ruling, as they never bother to explain their intent (unlike certain other game systems).  It is just as likely (an my own personal suspicion) that whoever wrote that entry in the FAQ doesn't even realize that Runic Weapons follow the rules for UFWs (due to the 2+ Deamon Wounding attribute), and wrote that Njal's was a Staff only because his models (both versions) each have staves, and the "rule expert" assumed that weapon-typing would apply - which it would, if our Rune Priests carried Force Weapons, but they do not - Runic Weapons are different.

 

In my opinion this particular entry only highlights the big fail that is often the case with GW rules designers.

 

Best,

 

V

[Urauloth]

Why they diodn't clear this up in the recent FAQ is beyond me, but strictly RAW, as of now, all runic weapons ofther than Njall's are unusual. Since they have an email link for asking questions, it can't hurt to drop them an email and see if some kind of answer either way can't be poked out of the proverbial anthill.

[Valerian]

Why they diodn't clear this up in the recent FAQ is beyond me, but strictly RAW,

How long have you been playing 40k?  Genuine question, because they've always been exceptionally poor in the FAQ-producing department.  They often miss the big questions that are, in fact, frequently asked and likewise often "answer" things that aren't under question and don't need answered.  Similarly, they often cause more confusion than relieve it, and rarely go back and police up (i.e. fix) the problems they've caused.  Unfortunately, it's just how they operate.

as of now, all runic weapons ofther than Njall's are unusual. 

I'd argue that Njal's is, too.  Calling his weapon a "staff" in the context of being a UFW is meaningless.

[Grimtooth]

 

 

The intent of the faq is that NJAL has a runic staff.

But what does a Runic Staff do? There are no rules for it, outside of it being an Unusual Force Weapon. We really have no idea what the intent is behind a FAQ ruling, as they never bother to explain their intent (unlike certain other game systems). It is just as likely (an my own personal suspicion) that whoever wrote that entry in the FAQ doesn't even realize that Runic Weapons follow the rules for UFWs (due to the 2+ Deamon Wounding attribute), and wrote that Njal's was a Staff only because his models (both versions) each have staves, and the "rule expert" assumed that weapon-typing would apply - which it would, if our Rune Priests carried Force Weapons, but they do not - Runic Weapons are different.

 

In my opinion this particular entry only highlights the big fail that is often the case with GW rules designers.

 

Best,

 

V

That is my point.

 

The only weapon that is broken by the FAQ is Njal's runic weapon (staff) because there is no rules to dictate how that weapon designation works other then us trying to RAI it.

 

However the rules for runic weapons are completely clear as the do not have a weapon designation, but by their own entry fall under UFW.

[Reichfaust]

Although I really want it to be tournament-legal to take variations of Runic weapons at the moment, we are happy enough playing them that way in my local gaming circle regardless. Consensus is the whole thing is just more fun RAI, and at the end of the day that's what the game is all about.

[Urauloth]

Valerian: since there were sustained fire dice, and yeah, I know, I really shouldn't be surprised anymore. ;)

 

You're right about Njal's staff, I was making a reflexive RAI leap there. No precedent for a runic staff in RAW means the (stave) in brackets is essentially meaningless.