Moritats & Bitter Duty

[Brother Kraskor]

The way Bitter Duty is phrased is any unit with this rule cannot be joined by any unit that doesn't have this rule. So this prevents you attaching Apothecaries, for example, to Destroyers, as Destroyers have BD and as such cannot be joined by a non-BD unit.

 

However this does not cover the reverse case. The rule says nothing about a BD unit joining a non-BD unit. Or to phrase it differently, a non-BD unit being joined by a BD unit. So RAW, a Moritat could join eg. a tactical squad. 

 

Keen to hear your thoughts fraters. I'm sure many of you will be thinking that's not how it worked last edition, but this is the new (uncertain) age of 2.0 and to me this is the natural interpretation of the rule. 

[Stitch5000]

I interpret that the joining between two units is a mutual thing, meaning that both Units being joined must had Bitter Duty. 

[Brother Kraskor]

Just now, Stitch5000 said:

I interpret that the joining between two units is a mutual thing, meaning that both Units being joined must had Bitter Duty. 

I appreciate this is how it used to work but that's not an natural interpretation. 
 

Independent characters join units (p241 Joining and Leaving a unit). Units don't join ICs. It is a clear unit A joins unit B. If unit B has BD, only BD units can join it. But where unit B, or the unit being joined, doesn't have BD, there's no restriction in the rule.

[Stitch5000]

I mean, if that's how you interpret it and that's how you are happy to use/it be used by your opponent, go for it. 

[Brother Kraskor]

Yeah the can v ought argument I have sympathy with. A Moritat in a tac squad fairly harmless. A Moritat in a unit with Lucius giving preferred enemy IC so he re-rolls 1s to hit and wound... devastating. But RAW I can't see any issue with it.

[MichaelCarmine]

18 hours ago, Brother Kraskor said:

Yeah the can v ought argument I have sympathy with. A Moritat in a tac squad fairly harmless. A Moritat in a unit with Lucius giving preferred enemy IC so he re-rolls 1s to hit and wound... devastating. But RAW I can't see any issue with it.

A Moritat using Chainfire cannot benefit from rerolls to hit, so all you'd get would be reroll 1s to wound, which is ok.

If you shoot your "normal" 2/4 Pistol shots (depending on Pistol) then you can, ofcourse, use the reroll on hits though.

[Brother Kraskor]

39 minutes ago, MichaelCarmine said:

A Moritat using Chainfire cannot benefit from rerolls to hit, so all you'd get would be reroll 1s to wound, which is ok.

If you shoot your "normal" 2/4 Pistol shots (depending on Pistol) then you can, ofcourse, use the reroll on hits though.

Good point! Saves the temptation on that score then.

[LameBeard]

The White Scars Dark Sons of Death “Shadow of Death” rule seems to align with your interpretation. Not conclusive, but slight evidence - it restricts which characters can join the unit, seems to be a variant of Bitter Duty.

 

It’s interesting this way round because “Bitter Duty” becomes:

* An advantage for independent characters - gives them more options.

* A disadvantage for ordinary units - gives them fewer options.