Abilites and units "not on the board".

[Abominant]

Units in Strategic Reserves can still use their rules and abilities while they are in S.R.

Units embarked in vehicles cannot use their rules and abilities while they are embarked.

So my marine hero mounted in a rhino can't use his abilities while he and his squad are physically on the battlefield, but the same guy chilling miles above in the teleportarium could?
 

Of course this doesn't sound logical at all, but that is often the case with GW; rules balance trumps common sense. But I don't see how these restrictions ensure game balance this time; they seem arbitrary- like two parties weren't communicating or something.

Thoughts?

 

 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Abominant

[Karhedron]

Broadly speaking, this is probably not an issue. Most abilities are limited to the Character and/or their unit so will not work anyway in SR.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

I don't think its intentional "nerf" to units in a transport, rather I think its for simplicity in rules that had unintended consequences.  My guess, is that the writers intended the two to operate the same on the assumption that if a model wasn't on the table (at all, so not even notionally like one in a transport) that it wouldn't have any abilities that would be relevant and therefore functionally the language for units in transports was the same as the rules for those in reserves.

 

Unfortunately, that isn't the case - some models do have rules that don't in any way depend on where they are in relation to the battlefield or other units on it.  One such rule that immediately sprung to mind was the Chaos Lord's Lord of Chaos rule that allows for the free use of a stratagem every turn, with no need that it be on his unit, a unit visible to him or a unit within a certain distance.

 

In 40K, there has always been a tension in the rules over how much to treat units in transports as being on the table.  This edition has decided to treat them as not being on the table for pretty much any purpose, as even the Firing Deck rules don't treat an embarked unit as existing, but rather give the unit's weapons to the vehicle.  Other editions have gone the opposite direction, and essentially treat them as being there except in terms of LOS and targeting, where necessary measuring distances to the hull of the transport when determining ranges for abilities (incidentally, this greatly favours embarked units with auras, as it keeps them safe(r) while increasing the aura size as it measures from a greater footprint).  Normally, units in reserves are similarly treated as not existing on the table top, but don't generally need any additional rules clarification as they aren't even notionally on the table (and therefore don't need rules or rules clarifications to deal with that tension between notional and actual existance).  Unfortunately, in this case, in clarifying that units in transports don't exist, the writers have restricted what they can do even more than units in reserves that also don't exist on the table top but don't need that clarification.  Whether that was unintentional or in order to keep the rules simpler, only the writers can say. 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Metzombie]

On 10/28/2023 at 1:14 AM, Dr_Ruminahui said:

One such rule that immediately sprung to mind was the Chaos Lord's Lord of Chaos rule that allows for the free use of a stratagem every turn, with no need that it be on his unit, a unit visible to him or a unit within a certain distance.

That is not correct. Lords of Chaos can only be used on a unit with this rule.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

I guess I read that wrong and owe my friend an apology for misplaying it last game.