So what's the story with plasma and vehicles?

[Brother_Dan'l]

For some reason GW and FW have different rules listed for the effect of rolling a 1 when firing a vehicle's plasma weapon on the full power setting.

 

GW uses the exact same wording as they've written when the plasma weapon is carried by an infantry model. You are slain. Period.

 

FW however says you suffer a Mortal Wound for each 1 rolled.

 

Obviously the FW listing makes a heck of a lot more sense. At least in terms of game play. I mean you'd have to be a complete boob to use plasma on a Stormraven, tank or dreadnought when you've got a 1 in 6 chance of destroying your multi-hundred point model with each attack roll.

 

So which is it? Did I miss something in the rules book? Was it FAQ'd already?

[biglou666]

Yeah i was playing a game with 2 las/plas razorbacks earlier today and wash shocked to realise during the match that there was no clarification on this in the index... why does a plasmagun going poot destroy a whole rhino chassis? Its totally bonkers. I could understand it destroying the weapon and doing a mortal wound to the tank though. I really hope they FAQ this soon.

[Kastor Krieg]

From my several years of experience in editing rpg, boardgame and wargame rulebooks, it really looks like an artifact of early (?) playtesting where they still had something like "an infantry model" vs "vehicle model" instead of those as keywords and where the plasma entries said that infantry are slain and vehicles take a mortal wound. Then it all exploded in editing when those categories were mass removed as a misidentified rules tautology and GW editors retained the "infantry" part of the rule while the FW ones the "vehicle" part.

Had the distinction between "infantry keyword is slain, vehicle keyword gets a mortal wound" been retained, it'd have made a lot more sense.

[Leonaides]

Not all vehicles suffer the same from plasma overheats so yes, the whole model is removed is intentionally affecting vehicles which say that. You really dont have to overcharge plasma you know, it is optional

[Interrogator-Chaplain Ezra]

Not all vehicles suffer the same from plasma overheats so yes, the whole model is removed is intentionally affecting vehicles which say that. You really dont have to overcharge plasma you know, it is optional

To quote the wizard Specules, "FULL POWER!"

[Arkangilos]

Not all vehicles suffer the same from plasma overheats so yes, the whole model is removed is intentionally affecting vehicles which say that. You really dont have to overcharge plasma you know, it is optional

It could have been an oversight.

 

Honestly I'm surprised it wasn't in the FAQ

[feuer_faust]

 

Not all vehicles suffer the same from plasma overheats so yes, the whole model is removed is intentionally affecting vehicles which say that. You really dont have to overcharge plasma you know, it is optional

It could have been an oversight.

 

Honestly I'm surprised it wasn't in the FAQ

 

True. Even just a "working as intended" comment would be helpful.

[Brother_Dan'l]

It really is odder than I originally thought. There are at least 4 different plasma overheat effects between GW and Forge World. And honestly that's just stupid. I really hope they explain this variety soon. Really soon.

[Eddie Orlock]

I really hope they explain this variety soon. Really soon.

I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

It's the new era of bespoke rules. That plasma a is not the same as plasma b is exactly what this means.

[olcottr]

I think it will be fixed.  The clue is that the Heavy Plasma Cannon, which can only be taken by vehicles, says a misfire causes a mortal wound.  I first noticed this on the Stormraven datasheet.  It is backed up in the wargear list.  I find it hard to imagine that a plasma gun misfire can instakill a Land Raider Excelsior, but a Heavy Plasma Cannon will only cause a mortal wound to a Stormraven.

[Eddie Orlock]

I see.

 

Let me mention what I forgot to in my last post. This thread is no longer a suitable topic for the official rules forum. Our mandate here is to 'Discuss interpretations of official rules for Warhammer 40,000'.

 

How things should be is something that likely belongs under Homegrown Rules. Speculations that a change will come is a topic for news & rumours. Lengthy discussion about how you're uncomfortable with the 'flavour' of a rule and want a new interpretation of said flavour to reconcile your headcanon is a thing you might take up in one of our fluffy boards like the liber.

 

In the official rules forum our concern is only with what is.

 

While we occasionally indulge some tangential content appended to otherwise on topic posts, all discussions need to remain connected directly to the mandate. This thread's question has been asked, answered, and commentaried.

 

If you would like to use a post(s) in this thread as the basis of discussion on another portion of the B&C you may message me to that effect and I may excise that post and move it to your suggested venue.