The Overwatch discussion in the DH2 forums has caused me to look a little closer at DH1's rules and reactions, and I've come to an uncomfortable realization.

It's the whole "you can only use reactions when it isn't your turn."

This means that for the purposes of melee combat, the delay action renders the Feint action almost completely irrelevant. I'll grant you could do something like Feint, and then do an All-Out-Attack or something, but otherwise, what's stopping me from doing the following:

My theoretical Acolyte is in melee combat with a random heretic. He takes a half-action aim and then delays for his other half action. All is well. Heretic's round comes about, and before he can do anything, the Acolyte takes his delay action to attack the Heretic on his turn. Even if he loses the Agility test, he still gets to make an attack that the Heretic cannot dodge or parry, since it is his turn, and he cannot make reactions on his turn.

With this in mind, what is the point of having a Feint Action, which the delay action seems to accomplish without the need for an opposed Weapon Skill test?

It also begs the question why anyone would bother to make standard attacks, even with a half-action aim, when they can just use the delay action to add on that the attack can't be blocked or dodged.

....Also the delay action is beginning to seem more and more broken the more I look into the possibilities of what can be done with it-- especially with this new realization about reactions.

Slow your row there; there are a couple of things I want to point out about your post.

1. Feint, in both DH1 and DH2, is only compatible with Standard Attacks by RAW.
2. Any non-Attack action negates the benefits of Aim, which means Aim -> Delay is counter-productive. In DH2, All-Out Attacks aren't compatible with Aim actions.
3. Delay is a Full Action that creates a Half Action outside of the normal combat order. In DH2, Delay explicitly cannot interrupt a Turn in progress.
4. The Opposed Agility Test seems to be only made when characters are trying to use their Delayed Actions simultaneously; the Delayed Action does not seem to occur during anyone else's turn, but your mileage may vary.

I don't think Delay is as offending as Overwatch is. I'll probably be back with a follow-up comment later.

Slow your row there; there are a couple of things I want to point out about your post.

1. Delay is a Full Action that creates a Half Action outside of the normal combat order.

I was not referring to DH2, merely noting the discussion on Overwatch is what spurred this revelation for me. Also, Delay is only a half-action, according to page 189 of the Core Rulebook.

1. The Opposed Agility Test seems to be only made when characters are trying to use their Delayed Actions simultaneously; the Delayed Action does not seem to occur during anyone else's turn, but your mileage may vary.

So then does it create an intervening round between? It doesn't seem to imply this, and even notes you can attempt to perform an action at the same time as someone else (I read this as implying within the same round), albeit having to pass an opposed agility test first to see who gets their action to occur first.

I was not referring to DH1, merely noting the discussion on Overwatch is what spurred this revelation for me. Also, Delay is only a half-action, according to page 189 of the Core Rulebook.

So then does it create an intervening round between? It doesn't seem to imply this, and even notes you can attempt to perform an action at the same time as someone else (I read this as implying within the same round), albeit having to pass an opposed agility test first to see who gets their action to occur first.

True, Delays are Half Actions in DH1. As this post was created within DH1's section, I assumed you were questioning DH1's rules specifically.

I interpret Delay as creating an "intervening" Turn (Round is a separate term), yes. Otherwise, there's no other opportunity to insert a Half Action before the character's next Turn/the next Round. Put another way, a Delay is like a temporary Initiative shuffle. Based on how Delay is worded, I do not think characters ever act simultaneously. The Opposed Agility Test is for deciding which character uses their Delayed Action first, but those reserved actions act as part of the character's normal Turn in my eyes (thus allowing the target to use Reactions/Evade). Only Overwatch-based Attacks ever occur during the active character's Turn, but again, your mileage may vary

Yes, in DH 1 a Delayed Half-Action would go between other actors later in the round.

You do not go in someone else's turn, and as such there is nothing unavoidable about an Attack Action taken as a Delayed Action. Whoever you shoot at can still Dodge or Parry as normal (as it is not their turn, it is yours).

As far as I can tell, the only unavoidable attack (besides those made after a Feint) is Counterattacks, made as part of your Reaction on someone else's turn.

Just forget this whole reaction not in your turn bull*hit . Use it like this: Each character has one reaction from the Begining of his turn, to the start of his next turn.

That way, he can make Furious Assaults, shoot from mechadendrites, use implants and other stuff in his round, at the cost of his dodging capability, until the start of his next turn.

or other: You have 1 reaction per turn. You can always dodge if you have reactions left.

No matter if it's counter attack or overwatch. You'll pay for it later, in someone else turn.

Just forget this whole reaction not in your turn bull*hit . Use it like this: Each character has one reaction from the Begining of his turn, to the start of his next turn.

That way, he can make Furious Assaults, shoot from mechadendrites, use implants and other stuff in his round, at the cost of his dodging capability, until the start of his next turn.

or other: You have 1 reaction per turn. You can always dodge if you have reactions left.

No matter if it's counter attack or overwatch. You'll pay for it later, in someone else turn.

This. 1000 times this.

As a related note, does Feint apply to the next ATTACK you make?

Or next attack ACTION you make?

That is to say, if I do a Feint maneuver one turn and succeed, and the next round I do a Lightning Attack.

Are all three of my attacks impossible to dodge or block? Or just one of the three?

A Feint only applies to a Standard Attack that immediately follows the Feint. The wording is somewhat muddy in DH1, but the last sentence states Feint's conditions.