Thursday, December 9, 2010

Grot Mega-Tank Rules

(Image property of Games Workshop/Forgeworld & used without permission)
o/

So, as you all know, I've bought one of these awesome things named Da Grot Spee after this. Sadly, I still haven't really done any work on it since my last post on the subject. Yeah I know, an EPIC fail on my part. However when I made my purchase I also sent in a few rules queries to FW as the experimental rules are kinda vague on some things.

I asked:

(1) If I don't have any grot tanks, then does this just count as a HS and not an FA choice?
(1) it moves 2D6, yet all of the weapons (barring the one shot boom canister) are STR 5 and up, so does it still fire if more than a '6' is rolled on 2D6, and/or does everything fire and at random targets like a super heavy?

Two months later I get this reply:
(1) it may only be used if grot tanks are also included, and may only be an FA choice.
(2) it's considered a 'standard' tank and so uses normal shooting rules meaning that it may only fire @ one target with an offensive weapon if it moves 6" or less, as per normal. However it may fire all of it's weapons if it sits still (though again @ '1' target meaning at least one gun gets left out of the fun).

I could care less about the time required for response (like I said, its not yet built), but the answers are sorely lacking.

Really? I need grot tanks to field this? Sorry, did I forward that query to the sales dept. by mistake? If it needs grot tanks, why isn't it mentioned in the Kastorel-Novem book? Sorry, but I don't have another $100 to drop on the (awesome) grot tanks right now, nor another $60-$70 on a book. My friends are cool with me running this as a heavy choice, so ignoring (1) I move onto (2).

(2) WTF? So it's festooned with weapons, yet assuming I don't roll a '1' @ the beginning of the turn (a '1' means a squabble has broken out among the krew, and it can't shoot this turn), AND I roll a '6' or less on 2D6 (and I'm pretty sure that on a roll of 2D6 the average total is '7') I get to fire just one of it's main guns. Whereas if I sit still, I can level one hellova broadside! Meaning I most likely will do just that the majority of the time. Also, if this is most effective when stationary, then I would like an official explanation as to why this qualifies as an 'FA' choice?

It looks to me like the sculptors went 'above and beyond' in their duties (as per the FW usual) while the rules makers failed utterly. More or less like they're saying, 'you'll love this on a shelf, but hate it on the table.'

Does anyone know of any other FW models with such screwed up rules?

Note: I did send another query to FW regarding my issues with #2, and I tried to write it without the ranting tone of this post.

Note: #2: I got a new answer this morning that's the polar opposite of yesterday's response. So YES it can split its fire, and also YES it can fire ALL of it's weapons at DIFFERENT target if it just rolls the 2D6 for movement, regardless of whether or not that distance is over 6" or not (and you don't roll a '1' which denies shooting due to an on board brawl). Whereas rolling 3D6 qualifies as moving flat out, and no weapons may fire. So MUCH better (though it does suffer from the typical GW roolz boyz issue of different guy, different answer).

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