Raven Guard & Infiltrating Jump Infantry

[Monkeychunks]

Hi all,

Question regarding the Raven Guard and their jump infantry units. As Jump is not a unit type but something added onto a type as a prefix, do they benefit from both elements of the By Wing & Talon special rule?

 

Word for word from the big red book:

 

By Wing & Talon: Corax strove to forge his Legion into a highly adaptable rapid strike force, in which each component had its own unique role to play in sealing its enemy's fate, and was trained and equipped accordingly.

In order to reflect this, each model with Legiones Astartes (Raven Guard) gains a further special rule(s) depending on its type.

Infantry (except models with Terminator Armour of any type): Infiltrate and Fleet

Jump Infantry, Bikes and Jetbikes, Infantry in Terminator Armour: Furious Assault

 

 

Jump Infantry is not a unique unit type, but rather infantry with additional special rules. Assault Marines, Dark Furies and the like would therefore meet the criteria for both Infiltrate (as infantry) and Furious Assault (as jump infantry). Nothing in the rule suggests that a unit can only be one or the other, and the writer did not state that jump infantry were not valid as Terminators were.

 

Is this an appropriate reading? Should the Assault Marines be infiltrating?

Many thanks for any comments.

[GreyCrow]

Unfortunately, Jump Infantry is a specific type of unit as per the 40k Base Rules Book, so they won't get to infiltrate.

 

The BRB details several unit types, of which : Infantry, Bikes, Jetbikes, Jump Infantry, Jetpack Infantry, Beasts, Cavalry, Artillery, Monstruous Creatures and Flying Monstruous Creatures.

 

It would be neat if they could however :) You still wouldn't get to assault first turn, but you would be perfectly placed for a Turn 2 charge against your preferred target :)

[Monkeychunks]

Thanks GreyCrow for the input. I have to say I disagree however, the rulebook makes it clear that Jump is not a unit type by itself, and indeed calls out Jump Infantry as the example for being both Jump and Infantry as separate categories.

 

From the rulebook:

"Jump units are equipped with jump packs, wings, teleport devices or other means of moving quickly over short distances. Unlike most other unit type categories, ‘Jump’ is not a classification in and of itself. Instead, you’ll find it occurs before another category – commonly Infantry, sometimes Monstrous Creatures and perhaps, rarely, other things. Jump units therefore share two sets of rules, the Jump unit rules, and those of their base type. Jump Infantry would, for example, follow the rules for Jump units and Infantry."

 

It's not massively important since you won't be charging until Turn 2 anyway. But there is value in deploying after everyone else, and immense satisfaction in giving your opponent absolutely no idea how you intend to deploy.

[GreyCrow]

Fair enough, I don't have my rulebook at hand right now so I'll trust you on that one, but this is a very interesting quote and a new way to look at Raven Guard Legiones Astartes :)

 

I would tend to argue that the RAI is to not give the Jump Infantry Infiltrate due to the distinction made in the Legiones Astartes entry. What makes me say that is the Corax unit entry : when taken as his "regular" version which is Jump Infantry, you have the option to field him in a footslogging version based on the aftermath of the Massacre and that alternative version specifically says that he gains the Infiltrate special rule (meaning he doesn't have it previously, and he is Jump Infantry without Terminator Armour).

 

One thing to keep in mind is that Extermination came out during 6th edition (and the Horus Heresy ruleset was written with 6th edition in mind), so perhaps under 6th edition rules Jump Infantry was considered as a separate type of unit. I think I have a 6th rulebook lying around, I'll edit the post if I find it.

 

To keep having friends though, I think the safest way is to take it as Jump Infantry doesn't get infiltrate and ask Forgeworld for clarifications :)