I am new GM just learning the rules and preparing for the first session. I have a qustion about avoiding attacks and expecially parrying in melee.

I understand that starting rank 1 chartacter gets 1 reaction per turn... that means one dodge or parry. What if character gets hit in melee multiple times from the same opponent in one turn? One example might be chaos space marine with 2 melee-weapons and multiple-stike talents.

Does my player now have to decide which hit to parry, or can he parry every attack just with one parry-roll?

Nope, I wouldnt let them parry it all with a single roll. The rule says that if successful then the attack counts as a miss. Multiple attacks, clue is in the name, it's several attacks in one so the parry can be chosen say to deflect the first, and second hit but not the third or whatever. The same argument is also used (by me) for melee. If the guy tries to hit you with two weapons (which is terribly ineffective fighting but so is all of 40k) then you have to choose to block the left arm or the right arm (or multiple if some xenos hybrid).

We went through the same discussion when I was a beginner GM (as I suppose everybody who didn't start with an experienced group). Ahh, the nostalgia Anyway, what Calgor says. Parry negates only one successful attack, so you resolve how many attacks connect, and in case of a successful parry, the first one is a miss. Marines are hard to kill, and if someone plans to get often in melee situations in the long run, that person will work hard to get the relevant Talents.

[...] Multiple attacks, clue is in the name, it's several attacks in one so the parry can be chosen say to deflect the first, and second hit but not the third or whatever. The same argument is also used (by me) for melee . [...]

That part I don't get though. Parry is only usable in melee by default, isn't it?

We went through the same discussion when I was a beginner GM (as I suppose everybody who didn't start with an experienced group). Ahh, the nostalgia Anyway, what Calgor says. Parry negates only one successful attack, so you resolve how many attacks connect, and in case of a successful parry, the first one is a miss. Marines are hard to kill, and if someone plans to get often in melee situations in the long run, that person will work hard to get the relevant Talents.

[...] Multiple attacks, clue is in the name, it's several attacks in one so the parry can be chosen say to deflect the first, and second hit but not the third or whatever. The same argument is also used (by me) for melee . [...]

That part I don't get though. Parry is only usable in melee by default, isn't it?

Yes, you're right. You can parry ranged weapons in VERY limited circumstances. See "Deflect Shot" Talent (Core P115). Short version is that you can parry as you would a melee weapon, primitive or thrown stuff. So knocking a javelin out the way or a grenade etc.

My wording and use of punctuation though was dubious and unclear. Stop finding my linguistic weaknesses when I'm out of caffeine!

Sorry about that! I was actually concerned for a moment that it was me who missed some very basic rule for a very long time. Let's just say it wouldn't be unprecedented

That said, Deflect Shot (shudder) is something the less we talk about, the better. A very obscure talent with an incredibly limited applicability and, honestly, even that little is for mostly cinematic use - nothing a suitably challenging Agility test can't replace. I don't even remember this talent being offered in any Marine advancement table, so probably the only way to get it in DW is through Elite Advancement, for something ever starter DW characters (rightly) expect to be able to do if we roll with 40k's inherent Rule of Cool. I'd give it to Marines in the starting Talent list and be done with it if I had a say. If I wanted to painstakingly learn such an ability, I'd play DH

Ok. Thank you both

That said, Deflect Shot (shudder) is something the less we talk about, the better. A very obscure talent with an incredibly limited applicability and, honestly, even that little is for mostly cinematic use - nothing a suitably challenging Agility test can't replace. I don't even remember this talent being offered in any Marine advancement table, so probably the only way to get it in DW is through Elite Advancement, for something ever starter DW characters (rightly) expect to be able to do if we roll with 40k's inherent Rule of Cool. I'd give it to Marines in the starting Talent list and be done with it if I had a say. If I wanted to painstakingly learn such an ability, I'd play DH

Hey I felt dirty even mentioning it and had to absolve my sins with some "quality confessional time" with the Adeptus Sororitas".

Also want to point out that there are two talents to up your reactions -Step aside and wall of steel.

Combat spacing also lets your team up their reactions.

The quirk of the RaW is its better for the assault marine to let a genestealer charge him so he can easily parry the one attack. And then on the marines turn he gets his swift two weapon attack in as a full round action.

Also want to point out that there are two talents to up your reactions -Step aside and wall of steel.

Now I just have to find a build where I can get both early and cheap for a Librarian with Iron Arm

The Genestealer business is a bit silly, of course, but when I do my super-lethal Space Hulk adventure, I'll slap on Preternatural Speed precisely to counter this.

There is also Stalwart Defence, which lets you parry ever successful close combat attack(with restrictions to your other actions). You might even argument if this lets you parry hordes, as it negates any outnumbering advantages for your enemy.

There is also Stalwart Defence, which lets you parry ever successful close combat attack(with restrictions to your other actions). You might even argument if this lets you parry hordes, as it negates any outnumbering advantages for your enemy.

I'd draw the line with that one. Say what you like about a marine but when a dozen nids in a hoard are swarming around you getting lots of swipes in there I find it unlikely that you'd be able to parry weapon blows from every angle simultaneously and rule or not that would be applied to the argument of common sense and go with the idea of basically overrun.