As a GM I had a chat witch one of players about Chapter Squad Mode Abilities. I believe that not only us found them to be somewhat confusing. I ruled that squad leader can affect other battle-brothers using his chapter abilities, even if they aren't from his home chapter. I think that it is more in line to what leader is supposed to be.

But then again we found another problem. As it is now, Tactical Marines 'Tactical Expertise' is rather meh when squad leader also can share chapter abilities. It also seems, that Tactical Marine is not that much better when it comes to actually choose, who should be squad leader. So we decided that it wouldn't be bad idea to somehow 'upgrade' 'Tactical Expertise', make it unique. My player came up with examples how to do it, such as allowing for battle-btothers to be under influence of two separate squad abilities for brief moments (at GMs discretion) or to grant squad one more of codex abilities apart from those allowed from oath. Of course it should be somewhat limited (once per session ect) and it would be in effect only when such Tactical Marine is squad leader and have 'Tectical Expertise'.

However we both don't want to make this speciality too good and in effect always chosen as leader. Even if I think that is what makes Tactical special.

Any thoughts?

I would like to see the Tactical Marine have his ability work two ways:

1) He can share his Chapter's Squad Mode abilities with all other Marines in the Kill-team when he leads it. [This is already the case.]

2) He can benefit from the Chapter-specific Squad Mode abilities of the Kill-team's leader's Chapter when the Tactical Marine is not leading the team.

This has the advantage of being useful to the Tactical Marine both when he's the leader and when he's not, and keeps him flexible.

Thing is, all other Battle-Brothers already benefit from leader's Chapter Abilities, which means it's no difference for Tactical Marine.

I would like this solution in case the leader wouldn't grant access to his abilities. But I just can't see a reason why wouldn't he. He's supposed to lead the squad and I find this bonus to be interesting enough and that it mean something to be a leader.

vizz said:

The leader can only grant access to Chapter abilities if the leader is a Tactical Marine with Tactical Expertise. If you have a Dark Angels Librarian leading a mission, your Blood Angels Tactical Marine with tactical Expertise is unable to make use of the Librarian's call to use Sustained Suppression or Immovable Defense (in fact, no one but other Dark Angels could benefit). Even worse, his Tactical Expertise ability does nothing for him for the whole mission.

My fix would be to allow Tactical Expertise to function as is already does and additionally allow the Tactical Marine to adapt to the Chapter tactics of the Kill-team's leader when the Tactical Marine is not calling the shots. In the above example, the Blood Agels Tactical Marine with Tactical Expertise could benefit from the Dark Angels Librarian's Chapter patterns, but the Blood Angel would still need a Dark Angel in charge to use them - he doesn't gain the ability to project these abilities, only to 'play along' with those that can.

From the FAQ and Errata sticky on main page:

Shaun said:

Key things:

1. Any squad member can activate a squad mode ability

2. The pool of squad mode powers available to a character = those from the oath the leader took + the character's chapter abilities

3. Chapter mode abilities only affect those of same chapter (unless the initiator is a tac marine with tac expertise, and makes the command check)

4. Characters can never activate the squad mode powers of a different chapter (or at least, no RAW way)

5. The leader is really only there to determine size of cohesion pool/make the oath/function as a leader in terms of final say on things.

This at least, is the RAW (or my interpretation of it, but its starting to shape up now that Ross is putting out responses).

As far as what you are suggesting on how to improve it, I would definitely not allow them to make more than one "squad action" per turn, as that could easily be abused. Currently, even with you're own mod of allowing the leader to use his chapter squad power on everyone, allowing a non leader tac marine to also use his own power on everyone is kinda nice.

I know that normally only Marines of the same chapter as the one's initializing power can benefit from it. And 'Tactical Expertise' allow Tactical Marine to grant his own Chapter Squad Abilities to others. I just see the way squad leader function now is just uninspiring. So lets just assume, that squad leader also gives others his chapter abilities (of course only he can initialize it).

If we have this Dark Angels Librarian and Blood Angles Tactical Marine, then whole kill-team can benefit from either one of Dark Angles or one Blood Angels (not in the same time and of course assuming Tactical Marine have passed his test). In this situation I feel that Tactical marine should have some sort of benefit when he is leader or else he will never be chosen as one, because then kill-team will only have one of squad abilities. But to me it is exactly Tactical Marine who should be primary candidate to the role of a leader. So, he needs some buff. Not game-breaking, but fluffy and useful.

@HappyDaze:

I actually like your solution. But it only works when leader will not be helping others with his chapter abilities. If we don't find good solution, then I might use it.

KommissarK said:

I'll play per Ross' ruling, as it makes more squad modes available, but that seems to contradict the book's ruling on Squad abilities per Oath. I don't have my book atm, but around pg 220 it lists the Squad modes available by oath and the section heading says something to the effect of 'limited to the listed squad modes and those of the squad leader.'

Given that you are allowing squad leaders to have their chapter ability affect the squad, I would allow a tac marine with tac expertise, when leading a squad, to be able to one more codex power they may use, beyond the standards with the oath. I would allow this ability to expand as they increase in rank, up to +3 codex patterns to the base oath.

Radomo said:

It's page 228, last sentence in the Oath-Taking heading.

My GM after read trough the tactical abilities:

All leader can share chapter tackticks with the team.

Tactical marine is able to learn other chapters tactick (as elite advancement) one per rank (or one / 2 rank we will see).

Tacticl marine can share tacticks with all team members.

This makes tactical marine tactical specialist, and a very usefull member of the team.