I'm new to this game, and so are my gaming buddies.

It's funny that when I play my AM w/SM deck, I don't have much trouble in the manner of rules and such, but with my Tau w/Eldar deck I seem to run into many rules questions.... Here are a few questions that came up in last night's game that I wanted to ask this forum:

Game was my Tau w/Eldar, versus a tough Ragnar w/AM deck- (we played the best of 3 games, and I won the 1st and 3rd game, and he won the 2nd game; all questions below came about in our 3rd game)

1) I attached 2 Gun Drones to Shadowsun, and when I attacked with her, my opponent stated that I could only use 1 Drone and thus could only do 2 AoE damage to his units.... I believed that both Drones could be activated, and thus I should cause 2 points of damage to each enemy unit, and then another 2 points of damage from my other Drone to each enemy unit.

Thus, I argued (well, not really argued but suggested) that I would do 2 damage to each enemy unit from one of my Drones, and then another 2 damage to each enemy unit from my other Drone...... My opponent believed that only a single Drone could cause damage, so a total of 2 points to each of his units.

2) During his attack turn, he activated a Catachan Outpost to give +2 Attack to a Tactical Squad Cardinis, but then used his AoE to deal 3 points of damage to each of my units.

I thought that AoE couldn't be pumped up with Catachan Outpost, only a regular Attack, and thus I argued that his AoE would only cause 1 point of damage to my units and not 3 points.

3) Can the Heavy Marker Drone be attached to enemy Warlords?

My opponent argued No, and I was of the opposite thought.

4) My opponent had Ragnar's Warcamp out. He then insisted that this card would grant double damage potential to Ragnar as well, not just Space Wolves units with his warlord.... Given the text on the card, I argued the opposite.

Thus, does Rangar's Warcamp transfer double damage to Ragnar himself? Or, does the potential to cause double damage only transfer to Space Wolves units that are with Ragnar? (I honestly think I came across a thread on these forums specifically answering this question, so apologies in advance if there is such a thread)

Thanks in advance for any replies.

1) Area effect does stack (I'll try and edit back with the rules reference page number later) but it can't be attached to Shadowsun, as she isn't an Army unit (she's a Warlord unit). If you had two drones attached to a legal unit they would gain area effect (4).

2) You were correct. Area effect is not considered an attack, and so is not boosted by catachan outpost. Again, rules reference to follow.

3) Once again, a Warlord unit is not an Army unit, so no.

4) "At a planet with your warlord" means "the planet where your warlord is". So, is Ragnar at the planet where Ragnar is? He gets the bonus.

1. RRG, p. 9: "Keywords - The value pertaining to numerative keywords does accumulate, however. For example: a card with 'Area Effect (1)' that is gaining 'Area Effect (2)' would function as 'Area Effect (3).'"

Note #1: This is not the same as one Gun Drone doing 2, then another Gun Drone doing 2 more; it is played as if the unit said "Area Effect (4)." This is very important for shielding purposes.

Note #2: Your Gun Drones, which say they can only be attached to "non- Vehicle army units" were illegally attached to Shadowsun, who is a warlord unit, not an army unit. (See RRG, p. 16: "Unit Cards.")

2. RRG, p. 3: "Area Effect (X) - This damage is considered to be dealt by a card effect. It is not considered to be dealt by the attacker’s attack."

Note: Since the damage is not considered to be done by the attacker's attack, effects that increase the attacker's attack (like Catachan Outpost) do not change the X in "Area Effect (X)".

3. See RRG, p. 16: "Unit Cards." (It is interesting that your caught that Heavy Marker Drone cannot go on his warlord unit, but not that Gun Drones cannot go on your warlord unit.)

4. FAQ, p. 5: " I control Ragnar’s Warcamp (Warlord Cycle 004) and both my warlord Ragnar Blackmane (Warlord Cycle 001) and my opponent’s warlord are at the same planet. I use Ragnar Blackmane to attack my opponent’s warlord. How much damage will Ragnar Blackmane deal if my opponent doesn’t prevent the damage in any way?

Got it.

Thanks guys!

Thankfully we are both new with this.

Thanks ktom, now I don't need to edit in the rules citations

Gentlemen, one more question from last night's games:

In our 4th game, my opponent believed that once a warlord leaves a planet, his troops would NOT benefit from its (warlord's) bonus.

He was playing an AM deck with Ork support, and his warlord retreated off the planet during the combat phase. However, I remember reading somewhere (I think it was the FAQ, but am not sure) that army units still benefit from the warlord's bonus even after he/she leaves a given planet. (so long as the warlord committed to that planet at the beginning of the combat phase).

Before I go back and dig up the FAQ (am at work right now), can anyone chime in and steer me in the right direction?

However, I remember reading somewhere (I think it was the FAQ, but am not sure) that army units still benefit from the warlord's bonus even after he/she leaves a given planet. (so long as the warlord committed to that planet at the beginning of the combat phase).

If you read that somewhere, either the author was entirely incorrect or it was discussing a different context and you are over-applying it.

Straken's text is pretty clear: "Each other Soldier or Warrior unit you control at this planet gets +1 ATK."

"At this planet" is defined by where the warlord (or any unit) current is, not where it was committed in the previous phase. So if Straken is in the HQ, there are going to be no units "at this planet" to benefit from his effect.

I can think of only one Warlord who gives a bonus to your units regardless of where he is: the one spoiled from the first pack of the next cycle. Straken, Nazdreg and Aun'shi all give a benefit to units who are at the same planet.

Maybe you are referring to which player gets initiative in a battle. It is based on which Warlords are present at the start of the battle , and doesn't change if a Warlord leaves the planet or comes to it.

Straken's text is pretty clear: "Each other Soldier or Warrior unit you control at this planet gets +1 ATK."

"At this planet" is defined by where the warlord (or any unit) current is, not where it was committed in the previous phase. So if Straken is in the HQ, there are going to be no units "at this planet" to benefit from his effect.

ktom, I had read (or I thought I had read it, but am surely mistaken) that, for example, I commit my Warlord to a given planet, and then I retreat my warlord from that planet during combat, my units at the given planet still get his/her bonus.

During our game, he retreated his warlord twice from a planet and I mentioned to him (I now think that I was wrong) that his troops would still get the +1 Attack for his soldiers and warrior units, even though he (the warlord card) is back at HQ.

My apologies, but these questions still come up as our group is new to this game, so I hope I don't get "nerd shamed" too much.

Sorry. I wasn't trying to "nerd shame" you. I was trying to say, kind of tongue-in-cheek, that you shouldn't bother trying to find where you read it because it's not true.

The thing to recognize is that Straken's ability is a constant effect. It continuously checks to see if its conditions and requirements are met. That's why his continued presence is necessary to define "at this planet," and why his bonus stops applying if he moves.

This could end up being different if the ATK boost is created by a triggered or lasting effect. For example, if something says, "Reaction: After you commit your warlord to a planet, all units at that planet get +1 STR until the end of the round," the warlord's continued presence is not needed to maintain the bonus. This is because you're dealing with a lasting effect (created by a triggered effect). It's conditions and requirements are only checked when the effect is triggered, not continually through the effect's duration.

Check out the entries in the RRG for Constant Effects and Lasting Effects for full details.

ktom, all of your replies to queries and such have always been (in my eyes) quite upbeat, to the point and followed with quoting from the rules. In short, you are on the ball. Please don't think that I was portraying you or anyone else in negative light. I'm mostly free caring and playful in my posts, as I am in real life. No harm done.

nerd shamed... how have I not heard of this term before?!

nerd shamed... how have I not heard of this term before?!