BFG FAQ 2010 Fleet Specific Questions

[RayB HA]

Hello everyone,

I'm going to collate all post 2007 FAQ and then add this to a newer and eventually official BFG FAQ 2010.

Please help by putting up Fleet Specific rules questions unanswered by the 2007 FAQ or are unclearly resolved in official material.
There are two other topics, one for general rules questions and ordnance questions.

General Rules Questions: http://www.sg.tacticalwargames.net/forum/index.php?topic=1352.0

Ordnance Questions: http://www.sg.tacticalwargames.net/forum/index.php?topic=1362.0


I will be adding answers to the questions by editing this first post.

If an answer has the term ‘needs HA ruling’ it may change before publication.

Thank you very much for your help,

RayB HA

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Attack Ratings

Imperial: 2
Chaos: 2
Orks: 3
Eldar: 4
Dark Eldar: 4
Craftworld Eldar: 3
Space Marines: 3
Necrons: 4
Tyranids: 3
Tau: 2

Imperial, Chaos and Space Marine Fleets

***The prices for the Emperor and Retribution should be changed in Armada as in the rule book. (Add to existing FAQ statement)

Imperial Power Ram: The Power Ram may be taken by any Imperial capital ship with a 6+ prow unless it has a Nova Cannon. This is for any Imperial fleet list.

Imperial Grand Cruisers contributing to Battleship Requirements: Imperial grand cruisers count as cruiser for the purposes of the three you require to field a battleship.

Apocalypse Class Battleship: Replace the Apocalypse class battleship’s thrusters critical special rule with placing a blast marker in contact with the ship at the end of its movement. Or a ‘Gets Hot’ special rule. (Needs HA Ruling)

Adeptus Mechanicus Leadership Test to Shoot at Drifting Hulks: If this test is failed you may shoot at the closest target or take another leadership test to shoot at a different target, this may be another drifting hulk.

Adeptus Mechanicus Refits: When a 6 is rolled on the leadership table you may pick your refit instead rolling for it randomly, you don’t get an extra one. If an Archmagos is bought for a ship you do not roll on the leadership table for this ship and can therefore not pick your ships random refit if a 6 is rolled, unless it is the same one picked by the Archmagos. The Archmagos’ ship only has two refits.

Adeptus Mechanicus Escorts and Turret Strength: Escorts do not get an additional turret like the capital ships.

Chaos fleet requirements: As Battleships, Grand Cruisers and Heavy Cruisers all have their own requirements you may use the same cruisers for these requirements. E.g. You could have a fleet comprised of 2 Cruisers, 1 Heavy Cruiser(requires 2 Cruisers), 1 Grand Cruiser(requires 3 Cruisers or Heavy Cruisers) and a Battleship (requires 3 Cruisers or Heavy Cruisers).

Multiple Chaos Marks of Slaanesh: If a ship is in range of the affect of multiple marks of Slaanesh it is only affected once.  (Needs HA Ruling)

Chaos Murder Class Cruiser Variant: The Murder variants broadsides consist of four weapons batteries and two lances all at 45cm range. These are broadsides and so have port or starboard arcs.

Warp Cannons and Brace For Impact: Warp Cannon do not ignore brace saves!

Chaos Repulsive’s optional third shield: The Chaos Repulsive Grand Cruiser can have a third shield for +15pts but must then have a large flying base.

Chaos Lords as Fleet Commanders: You cannot have a Chaos Lord as your Fleet Commander in the 13th Black Crusade List.

Combining the Chaos Space Marine and Chaos boarding modifiers: Chaos come with a +1 boarding modifier and as the Chaos Space Marine upgrade does not replace this they are combined for a total of a +3 modifier.

Multiple Marks of Chaos on a Single Capital Ship: It is not possible to have multiple Marks of Chaos on a single capital ship in the 13th Black Crusade fleet list. Note: The Chaos Incursion Fleet list in the rulebook allows the Warmaster to have multiple Marks of Chaos.

Abaddon the Despoiler and Chaos Space Marines: If you buy the Chaos Space Marine upgrade for a ship commanded by Abaddon it is further improved.
It’s Leadership of course will remain at 10.
It will have a total +4 boarding modifier (+1 for Chaos, +1 for Abaddon and +2 for Chaos Space Marines).
Teleporter attacks have a +2 modifier, this can be further improved with Terminator Teleport Assault rolling 2D6 and taking the highest.
Other Hit and Run attacks will have the +1 bonus from the Chaos Space Marines.
The ship will also score 2 points in a Planetary Assault scenario.
The ship may take a Mark of Chaos, if a Mark of Khorne is taken the ships boarding value is quadrupled! Note: If a mark of Tzeentch is chosen you will gain no benefit unless Abaddon is killed as you may only use one command re-roll per turn. (Don’t get excited, this needs a HA ruling!!!)     

Chaos Daemonships Haunting: When a Daemonship is ‘haunting’ or is spectral it can suffer damage from fire critical hits and may repair critical hits while in the warp. Daemonships may not make repair rolls in the end phase they are deployed.

Daemonships Scattering Off The Table: If a Daemonship scatters off the table when deploying place the Daemonship so that its base is completely on the table on the point of the table edge indicated by the scatter dice. 

Daemonships Repairing Above The Crippling Threshold: If Daemonships repair enough hits to uncripple themselves they will still count as crippled for purposes of victory points and for losing leadership in campaigns unless they started the game crippled.

Daemonships Repairing In Campaigns: Daemonships do not automatically regain hits after each battle. They have to be regained either in a game by warp translation or by expending repair points.

Eldar: Corsair, Dark and Craftworld Fleets

Eldar Ordnance and Turrets: All Eldar Ordnance has stealth and can only be hit by turrets n a 6. This includes Vampires, Assault Boats and Orbital Mines.

Eldar Corsairs and Craftworld Eldar as Reserves: (Needs HA ruling)

Solar Sail Arcs: An easy way to determine a ships facing in relation to the sunward edge is to place a bearing compass over the ship and draw the shortest possible line from the ships stem to the sunward edge. The arc this line passes through is the sunward facing, or sunward arc.

Void Stalker point restrictions: In a Corsair fleet list you may only have a Void Stalker in your fleet if your fleet list is worth 1000 points or more. This is very strict, if you are playing a 1000pt game and your fleet list is 995pts or less you cannot field a Void Stalker. (Needs a HA Ruling)

Craftworld Eldar Dragonship weapon typos: The strength of the Dragonships weapons battery option should be 14, the torpedo option should be 8 and the launch bay option should be 4. (Needs HA Ruling)

Eldar Hero points cost: The Eldar Hero should cost 100pts instead of 150pts. (Needs HA Ruling)

Flame of Asuryan fleet restrictions: You require a Hero to field the Flame of Asuryan. The Flame of Asuryan counts as a Dragonship in the Craftworld list and a cruiser in the Corsair list.

Flame of Asuryan’s weapons: The Port and Starboard Pulsar Lances should be labelled Keel. They share a single weapon entry and so will be affected when weapons strength is halved for whatever reason. The launch bays carry Vampire Raiders at no extra cost. (Needs HA Ruling)

***(Dumped) Craftworld Eldar Shadow Hunters: Shadow hunters only have normal weapons batteries or a normal lance. The special rules for shooting ordnance is removed and replaced by strength 3 turrets. Note: roll turrets before holofield saves.

Dark Eldar minimum movement: Dark Eldar do not have a minimum movement requirement. Note: if a ship moves less then 5cm it counts as a defence for shooting purposes.

Dark Eldar Hit & Run Attacks: Dark Eldar receive a +1 to all of their Hit & Run attacks excluding Impaler Assault Modules. Slavetaking may be performed instead of any Hit & Run, including teleporter attacks. Brace saves may be taken against Slavetaking.


Ork Fleets

Ork Warlord Limitations: Ork Warlords maybe purchased for every full 500pts in the fleet including the value of the Warlord. So you may include two Warlords in a fleet worth exactly 1000pts but only one Warlord in a fleet worth 995pts. (Needs HA Ruling)

All Ahead Full and Command Checks: If an Ork command check is failed Ork ships not already on All Ahead Full may not then be put on All Ahead Full.

Fighta-Bommas: Fighta-Bommas are fighters with a speed of 25cm. They may also attack like bombers with D3 attack runs instead of D6. Fighta-Bommas count as having +3 to turret suppression. E.g. If a wave of 4 Fighta-Bommas attacks a cruiser with 2 turrets they will have (D3-2)+(D3-2)+(D3-2)+(D3-2)+ turret suppression(2) attack runs. Note: If each Fighta-Bomma marker attacks individually they will have (D3-2)+ turret suppression(2) attack runs, which is far more offensive. 

Fighta-Bommas and turret suppression: When a wave of fighta-bommas attacks a ship you must decide if any of the markers will forgo their attack runs in favour of turret suppression. This is in addition to the inbuilt +3 fighter suppression.

Space Hulk’s Low Orbit Table: Space Hulks do not have a low orbit table! They’re stem sized after all.

Space Hulk on All Ahead Full: Space Hulks can use All Ahead Full but cannot gain extra movement. This will allow them to attempt to ram, but given the size and poor leadership of a Space Hulk it’ll only be viable against defences. (needs HA Ruling)   

 Necron Fleets

Brace for Impact and Reactive Hull saves: Necrons do not get a 4+ brace save, the Reactive Hull save replaces it and for all intents and purposes is treated as a brace save.

Warp Cannons Ignoring Reactive Hull Saves: Warp cannons ignore reactive hull saves unless the Necron ship is braced.

All Ahead Full: Inertialess drives merely replace the bonus distance travelled, all rules concerning All Ahead Full still apply so weapon strengths are still halved.   

Star Pulse Generators and Nightmare field on Lock-on: Neither of these weapons my fire if on lock-on special orders. (Needs HA Ruling)

Tyranid Fleets

Vanguard Fleet List Instinctive Behaviour: You may test for instinctive behaviour for all your squadrons even if a squadron fails. (Needs HA Ruling)

Hiveship fleet list requirement: You must include at least six escorts for each Hiveship in your fleet.

Re-rolling Synaptic Control: You may test for synaptic control over a ship which failed the test the same turn including other Hiveships. 

All Ahead Full under Synaptic Control: If a Tyranid ship is put on All Ahead Full special orders while under synaptic control it gains 4D6cm to its movement instead of 2D6cm. (Needs HA Ruling)

Spore Cysts in a Ship’s Stats: Where the number of spore cysts is written as a turret strength they also count as the shield strength as noted in their special rules.

Spore Impacts: Spore impacts only occur at the end of each movement phase. (Needs HA Ruling)

Bio Plasma ignoring holofields and reactive saves: Bio Plasma only ignores shield in a similar fashion to that of ordnance only they cannot be shot by turrets either! Bio Plasma does not ignore holofields or reactive hull saves. (NEEDS HA Ruling)

Feeder Tentacles and Massive Claws during the opponents turn: Feeder Tentacles and Massive Claws may not attack a ship that made contact during the opponents turn. Note: they may board as normal however!

Ship Sizes Relevant to Movement while grabbed by Massive Claws: The sizes for the purposes movement while grabbed are exactly the same as ramming, so from biggest to smallest: Defence>Battleship>Cruiser>Escort.  (Needs HA Ruling)

Massive Claws and disengaging: If a ship is grabbed by massive claws it cannot disengage until free of them. 

Tyranid Ordnance Limit: The Tyranid attack craft limit is double that of normal fleets. (Needs HA Ruling)

Taking Tyranid Refits: The refits included in ‘Evolution of The Hive Mind’ may only be taken in campaigns unless your opponent agrees.

Multiple Tyranid Refits: A Hiveship can have three ‘different’ refits and may therefore have four reinforced carapaces, two extra spore cysts and another refit. A cruiser could have the three reinforced carapaces (as four would make it a Hiveship unless in a one off game with your opponents permission) and two extra spore cysts.

Accelerated Healing: The two extra repair dice are added after the halving of the dice for having a Blast Marker in contact with a vessel.

***(Dumped) Extra Spore Cysts Refit Cost: Extra Spore Cysts should cost 20pts each instead of 10pts. Note if a cruiser has this refit it must also have a large base. (Needs HA Ruling)
 
Cruiser Clash Scenario: Instinctive behaviour is all you can do with your cruisers in this scenario. But as this is a somewhat unbalanced scenario I would encourage the use of one Hiveship and three cruisers vs an enemy fleet of four cruisers. Note: The Hiveship would not be accompanied by escort drones.
 
Tau Fleets

Bor’kan Gravitic Launchers: The Bor’kan Explorer variant’s gravitic launcher fire arc is front. 

Tracking Systems and Special Orders: Tracking systems are fully functional under any special order.

Tau Orbitals: Orbitals follow all High Orbit and Satellite defence rules.

Tau Waystations and Niccassar Rigs deployment: Waystations and Rigs are defences that maybe deployed anywhere within the Tau deployment zone. In the case of an Orbit Lost critical hit the only effect is the lose of a hit point unless the waystation or Rig is within the gravity well of a planet or moon.

Leadership of Nicassar Dhows equipped by Rigs: Nicassar Dhows fielded in this way have leadership 8 and the Rig has leadership 7.

Niccassar Dhows used in the Forge World Fleet List: The only way to field Niccassar Dhows is either with a ship with compatible grav hooks or as defences in scenarios that allow them.

Fleets of Demiurg: At time of writing there is no official Demiurg fleet list and no effective way of fielding a Demiurg Mercenary Fleet.

[Vaaish]

Things I've seen come up:
Further clarification about ordnance waves vs single markers (overlaping, stacking, etc)

Chaos Lords not counting as Fleet commanders (mainly due to the missing armada pages, but a FAQ clarification would be good).

Repulsive extra shield

I'll add more if I can think of any.

[horizon]

Ray, shall I mail you the FAQ's you/HA did for Warp Rift? Adding them to a more complete FAQ would be cool.

Craftworld Eldar:
clarification on how the Flame of Asuryan can be taken in a fleet. (eg in relationship to the Hero).

Dark Eldar:
do they have to move minimal half distance or not.

Asteroid fields:
ammend the rules back to the old rulebook.

Ork Fighter Bombers:
Clearer writing of the rules.

[RayB HA]

Thanks guys,

I can grab the stuff from Warp Rift, I'll do it soon.

Cheers,

RayB HA

[Moox]

Very, very exciting!

Here are some problematic questions:

Shooting by squadrons: It says on page 38 of the rulebook (page 7 of the Advanced Rules PDF) on the very last line, that ships firing at different target aspects, ranges, etc calculate their firepower individually. This is incredibly misleading, as it sounds as though if there's any ship in the squad that has a modifier to its firepower, every single ship has to calculate firepower on its own and none of them may be combined. Only by careful study of the example on the following page could you become clear on this point.

Shooting at squadrons: the rules on page 38 are clear, but seem very odd when applied to squadrons of capital ships. Can I really not choose to pick out specific ships in this case? Am I allowed to take a cheap gun ship, squadron it with an expensive carrier that makes no sense squadroned, and then say, "haha, I have an 8 hit buffer before you can hit my good ship and there's NOTHING you can do about it"?

When Fighters leave CAP: what happens? Clearly they do not get 'bonus movement' due to moving along with the ship in the move phase, then getting a full move in the ordnance phase. How exactly do they move off the ship, are they placed in contact with the base?

Brace for Impact: can you make saves against hits on shields? This is clearly a 'no' in some sections, but appears to be a 'yes' in other places. Clarification is needed; I would hope that you do get to make the save.

Massing Turrets: Is there any limitation on how many ships can join in? What if I have a cluster of four ships with around one in the center, does it get +4 turrets?

Blast Markers: When placing blast markers on a ship that touches bases with another ship, you can place the Blast Marker so that it touches both. Is there any limitation on this? What if there are three ships all touching each other in a group, can you place the Blast Marker in the center so it touches all three?

Furthermore, note that when escorts in a squadron are massing turrets in a line, all their shields after the first are pretty much negated, because when each ship explodes it leaves a blast marker, which if placed in contact with the next escort down the line leaves it completely vulnerable to hits from the same broadside, or shooting later in the turn. Or is this not legal?

I know Horizon already mentioned this, but I wanted to add about Ork Fightabommas: do they count themselves as fighter support?

Ships on top of one another: this is a big one. There appears to be no convention for what occurs when ships stop on top of one another. It's commonly played as "stop the model, mark the correct position of the ship and keep playing." But is there anything that stops me from starting the game and saying, "Okay, all my ships are starting stacked on top of one another." !?

I'll write more if I think of them. This is too awesome! Let us drink and dance in the streets!

Moox

[RayB HA]

Thanks Moox, you're awesome!

Roy, what about asteroids? Leadership and damage allocation within escort squadrons?

What's the question on the Flame of Asuryan?

Vaaish, what's missing from the armada pdf?

I'll be getting the HA to answer some of these questions and look over some of these points. Please be patient.

Cheers,

RayB HA

[Vaaish]

Ray, the armada pdfs are missing the first 9 pages that detail fleet ratings, reserve ships rules, and clarifies that the chaos lord is not a fleet commander.

[fracas]

BFI and capital ship squadrons.
can only one ship brace for impact rather than the whole, using its own leadership ofcourse? and thus limit the squadron ability to go on special order next turn but not halve the other ships forced to be on BFI as well.


Attack Crafts.
can you stack if using markers?
or if using epic bases, represent # in wave with # of models on base?


Fighter and turret suppression.
lets have this included publically?


Dark Eldar
Let them have a Battlecruiser size ship? I know models won't be available but players can customize. GW releases rules without models all the time in 40k and FB so why not BFG as well?

[RayB HA]

Vaaish,

Oh yes, I remember now that was a throw back from when it was all fragmented. Unfortunately that's in GW's hands, however we could add a brief summary of the missing content.

Fracas,

No single squadron member can go on special orders. ***Unless it was a squadron of 2 and the other member is out of formation... Note: the ship out of formation will only be able to BFI if the rest of its squadron is completely destroyed.   

I doubt stacking will make it, but fingers crossed.

You want a public inclusion of fighter support... isn' it allready?

Although frequently asked this FAQ won't add extra content to fleets.

Cheers,

RayB HA

[Vaaish]

A summary of the missing info would be fine, though a poke to GW to get it added to the site would also be nice

[fracas]

Fracas,

No single squadron member can go on special orders. ***Unless it was a squadron of 2 and the other member is out of formation... Note: the ship out of formation will only be able to BFI if the rest of its squadron is completely destroyed.   

I doubt stacking will make it, but fingers crossed.

You want a public inclusion of fighter support... isn' it allready?

Although frequently asked this FAQ won't add extra content to fleets.

Cheers,

RayB HA

too bad about BFI

crossing fingers for stacking

fighter turret suppression is not in any official documents as far as i know

too bad about not adding anything new

[horizon]

Roy, what about asteroids? Leadership and damage allocation within escort squadrons?

What's the question on the Flame of Asuryan?

Asteroids: in the current rulebook the the leadership test for AAF has been removed (3d6 instead of 2d6) and something else.


On the Flame of Asuryan. Read both Doom of the Eldar and Yriels Raiders. There is no option to take the Flame of Asuryan.

A ruling by Bob has been that when a Hero is taken the Flame of Asuryan may be taken. The Flame then belongs to the parent fleet in terms of determing reserves.

But that was in the forum and never put in a document.

[russ_c]

Chaos Space Marines and Boarding:  Does a CSM boarding bonus stack on the Chaos +1 bonus for a total of a +3 modifier?

Blastmarkers and Base-to-Base Ships: I think this was ruled on already, but it is very muddy...if a ship has a Blast Mark in base contact then that blast marker effects all other ships that are base contact with the ship that has the blast marker? whew!

Reference: http://www.portmaw.com/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?28896

Resilient AC vs Waves (at least I need an official clarification):  If a T-hawk touches a wave of 4 fighters, it removes one, passes it's +4 check, but is it now considered to have "come into contact with another ordnance marker" since there are 3 more fighters in the wave?  Or is the wave treated as a single incident and the T-Hawk stays in play?  If it is considered a second incident then does the Thunderhawk remove a second marker prior to being removed from the table?

Also, it is stated that Thunderhawks (possibly all resilient craft) can only remove one enemy marker during a given ordnance phase, so if a T-hawk intercepts a fighter, saves and then the opposing player moves a fighter to intercept the the T-hawk in that same phase, does the fighter stay and T-hawk removed?!

Source of question: Armada pg21 (Imperial Fleet PDF pg11) 2nd to last paragraph in right colum: "Thunderhawks can only remove one enemy marker in any given ordnance phase...if a thunderhawk marker uses its save to remain in play and come into contact with another ordnance marker in the same ordnance phase, it is removed normally".

Fighters on CAP...wait ship exploded: How do you treat fighters on CAP when the ship they were in base contact with just exploded?  Are they still a squadron for the purpose of test against the BM generated and the potential lance shots from warp drive explosion or are they treated individually? Or do they go down with the ship?

Fire Criticals: The damage also stacks with fire criticals?  i.e. if I have 3 fire criticals at the end of a turn I take 3 damage?

Russ

[russ_c]

You want a public inclusion of fighter support... isn' it allready?

Unfortunately it's a part of the missing 9 pages that Vaaish referred to.  So getting GW to post those pages would be gold.

Russ

[RayB HA]

Russ c,

Thanks for your questions.

There is no mention of fighter suppresion in Armada that that I can find.... it was in the 2002 annual though.

Cheers,

RayB HA