Deployment trick from ambush

[Rogue]

So, I posted the following in the Rules forum a couple of days ago, but there's only been one response, which makes me think that there's a least no obvious mistake in the idea. That being the case, it's maybe worth bringing it over here for a chat. If this is old news to people, then it would be interesting to know how you've got on with it, and if it's new (as it is to me), we could bounce around some ideas.

 

Anyway - here's the thing:

 

 

I came across an interesting interpretation of the Cult Ambush rules this week (via YouTube). The suggestion is that units consisting of a single model (such as a Goliath truck) can legally deploy outside the deployment zone because of the way the Cult Ambush rules are worded. Superficially, that looks correct, but feels like a loophole, so I'm interested in getting a wider opinion.

 

Cult Ambush says this:

 

Each time you reveal an ambush marker, select one unit from your army that you set up in ambush, then set up one model from that unit within 1" of that ambush marker. Then remove that marker before setting up the rest of that model's unit wholly within 6" of the first model, wholly within your deployment zone and more than 9" from any enemy model (any models that cannot be placed are destroyed).

 

So there are three steps:

1. place one model within 1" of the blip
2. remove the blip
3. place the remaining models, following the given restrictions

As the rule is structured, the only restriction on step one (placing the first model) is that it must be within 1" of the blip. It's not required to be within the deployment zone - that restriction only applies in the second sentence, which covers the placement of the rest of the unit. So if there is no rest of the unit, the restrictions have nothing to apply to. 

 

This is potentially very handy for the Cult - stick a blip up to the line; deploy a Goliath into no-man's land, with the front maybe 6" in; disembark the passengers 3", and you've gained 9" of movement before even moving. Suddenly you're opening up multiple first-turn charges, or tons of counter-charge potential to flood the centre of the board.

 

As I say, it feels wrong, but reads as legal, so if anyone has any thoughts, that would be helpful.

 

As suggested in the video I watched, it's a way to launch groups of 10 acolytes up the table for first-turn charges. Even without the Goliaths, it means one model from a squad can gain an extra inch or so of forward movement, which could be handy. And it even opens up possibilities with things like a Leman Russ tank - if they start 6" into no-man's land, then they can move up 5", sit on an objective and still double-tap the turret gun.

[Jorgend Lupus]

Yes, Rules as Written you're correct, but I would not try it because it doesn't look like RAI to me ; I know some would say we need all the help we can get before our Codex finally drops, but that's pushing it too far for me ^^ !

 

We are the underdog right now, ok, but we already have plenty of nasty tricks, even if the change in edition made most of them too pricey CPwise, and I would feel "dirty" to do something like this...

[Rogue]

It's certainly not something I'd want to spring on anyone out of the blue. In the context of playing against a friend's marines (who currently seem to win whatever I try), it might be an interesting leveller, if discussed in advance.

 

Either way, it's a fair point, and this definitely sits in that grey area between RaW and RaI. But then, I sometimes wonder if there are game designers somewhere thinking 'Why is no-one doing that neat thing we wrote into the ambush rules?' :)