Librarium Online Forums banner

Stupid, yet important, rules question

1K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  Triorchin 
#1 ·
This rules question has been bothering me for a long time and I'd like to hear how others feel about this. I didn't see it in the Official GW FAQ. So, my question is:

Can a Command Squad issue an Order TO ITSELF if it is inside a Chimera?

The book seems a little bit hazy on this. The book says that a squad cannot order issues to a unit INSIDE a vehicle. However, you can issue orders OUT of a Chimera with the Mobile Command rule. Based on a 100% strict reading of the rule (and the way I play, unfortunately), a Command Squad cannot give itself an Order if it is inside a Chimera. This seems incredibly, incredibly stupid though, because you would think that if a squad can give an Order to a unit outside the Chim, then surely it can give an order to itself... I mean, they are all already inside the damn vehicle and there's no proximity issue, they're all standing next to the guy giving the order...

I run a CCS Plasma Squad of Doom (3 Plasmas and a Medic in a Chim) and it is quite annoying to have to disembark every time I want to shoot at a high-priority target like the rear of a Dreadnought, especially if they are beyond 12". I love the squad to death - it's probably the most killy thing in my army, even more than standard Chimelta squads - but having to get out just to give itself an order is dumb, dumb, dumb.

Like I said, I play what I consider the stupid 100% strict reading way, but I may change if it appears generally accepted that that is not the case.
 
See less See more
#4 ·
The unit is in transport so they cant have orders issued to themselves. It doesnt even come close to making common sense but it is the way it's played.

The Emperor Protects
 
#11 ·
I don't have the codex in front of me so I can't cite the Order exactly, but the Order is twin-linked against Vehicles and Monstrous Creatures. So, having to disembark just to shoot a Dreadnought's rear armor with rapid-fire plasma does matter so you can make more hits and it's not because I'm afraid of overheating, it's because I want the dang thing dead! I'm not entirely sure how the Medic argument applies there.

And there's the making-your-opponent-reroll cover saves which can be good at times too - I'm curious as to how the Medic applies there as well? Not meaning to sound offensive, I'm just curious what you were thinking when you said that.

I guess the only good thing about this "strict text" rule is that I've already been playing it that way since the beginning, so I guess nothing will change :qq:
 
#8 ·
Read page 29 of the IG codex, says you can't give orders to a unit embarked in a transport vehicle.

Which doesn't make sense at all (when trying to give orders to their own squad)... You could always just make a house rule if you wanted and not expecting to go into any tournament.
 
#9 ·
I can only assume it was done like that for balance reasons...
Nah, I'm with Solar on it being a senseless GW error. As evidence, I point out that a command squad with a vox can reroll an order issued to itself, as both the ordering and ordered units have a vox. Exactly who is that guy talking to? But them's the rules.
 
#10 ·
Here's why it makes some sense from a fluff perspective...the chimera crews aren't usually subordinate to their passengers (okay, with some exceptions, of course, like when the regimental commander's on board, or when you're dealing with a proper mechanized infantry company and the platoon commander is on board), they have their own chain of command, especially in cases where they're a transport unit (no organic dismounts) operating in support of a leg infantry unit. Having their own chain of command, they would therefore be marching to the tune of a different drummer...and issuing a "bring it down" falls on its face when the crew's just been told "hard left, and floor it!". It's also impossible for a voxcaster signal to penetrate the armor of a chimera, and the crew operates on a different net. I would say that it makes sense for a mounted company commander to issue orders to the crews of his vehicles, but not the passengers, and for an orders issuing authority at any level to give an order to his own squad when mounted (I would imagine that separate chains of command notwithstanding, even a lieutenant should be able to get limited cooperation from the crew of a vehicle in which he's riding, at least enough to get a short halt so that his men can get of a better aimed shot), but to assume that a leader using a manpack voxcaster would have reasonably good communications with some dismounts bundled up inside a tin can is to expose one's complete lack of understanding of the physics involved in radio communications... Anyway, even if an on board inquisitor is demanding that you stop so he can dismount and relieve himself, if there's an inbound battle cannon shell that he thinks he can still dodge, the driver isn't listening!

Anyway, that's why you can't issue orders to the passengers of a chimera.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top