FAQs and Grenades

[Lord Manton]

But the first sentence does not associate "throwing" with either shooting and assault. It would be a stretch to make that association. In fact, nothing does in the section until it starts going through the aspects of each Grenade. If they only wanted one Grenade used per unit per Phase, they should have kept their verbs straight. Often a rule difference can be based on the word chosen, such as Psychic Shriek "Wounding" a Vehicle.

Hence the confusion, clarity in rules writing is always the key. It certainly doesn't help that they explain all the ways a grenade can be used in assault that don't involve throwing them.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Yeah, I mean I thought the idea was they'd run up and pop them into weak points in the hull, like vents, engine intakes or the road wheels of a tank, etc. I mean, that's exactly how I imagine my Demolitions Veterans working when I smacked a Stompa with them. Running up, all clamping Meltabombs to the hull then sprinting as the countdown chimes down...

I get the whole, "one Grenade per phase," for gameplay reasons, but it ruins a really cinematic aspect of CC for me, IMO.

Ah well, my tanks should be much more durable without getting Krak'd to death...

[Path Walker]

I dunno, cinematically, you never see a whole squad throwing grenades into the tracks of a tank or whatever, it's always one plucky infantryman

[CoffeeGrunt]

True. Do Meltabombs count as Grenades, though?

[Mr Mystery]

Yup. Except you can't chuck one.

[Charistoph]

Yeah, I mean I thought the idea was they'd run up and pop them into weak points in the hull, like vents, engine intakes or the road wheels of a tank, etc. I mean, that's exactly how I imagine my Demolitions Veterans working when I smacked a Stompa with them. Running up, all clamping Meltabombs to the hull then sprinting as the countdown chimes down...

I get the whole, "one Grenade per phase," for gameplay reasons, but it ruins a really cinematic aspect of CC for me, IMO.

Ah well, my tanks should be much more durable without getting Krak'd to death...

Yeah, I proposed making it only those in base contact with the Vehicle on the Facebook post. It allows for the concept of only those who are actually right there being able to clap them on, squeeze them in, etc, while the rest would be trying to throw them in place ala basketball or baseball style (which you cannnot "shoot" in melee, anyway).

From that perspective it would make more sense.

I dunno, cinematically, you never see a whole squad throwing grenades into the tracks of a tank or whatever, it's always one plucky infantryman

Well, throwing grenades in to a track rarely works in real life. It's usually dropping or placing thermite on a sensitive spot or a satchel charge. And even then, that's usually the explosives expert in the squad, which means he handles ALL the major kracking explosives. If he dies, someone grabs the gear and runs with it if mission critical.

But in most cases in the game, you have numerous guys with small krackers and (at best) the Character with the big cracker, and no one can grab the another model's wargear, even if it is mission critical.

[Da Gargoyle]

I read the FAQ on this for the first time the other day, (Had not been able to get them up previously until I realised you don't access it from the GW website you do it from the WH Community Website- Duh). Anyway I queried the wording of the FAQ because it stated only one attack per unit allowed in assault as per the rule in the book "Only one grenade can be thrown per unit per phase".

My concern was that assault targets were limited and the description of the assault was the weapon was Clamped into place, plus the statement that A model can use such a grenade as a melee weapon in place of its normal assault characteristics. Anyway I felt they had confused the two phases.

I got a polite response that confirms the FAQ as it stands and that the term throw is inclusive of any action using a grenade to attack a target. Makes me wonder if you can use more than one bomb squig per turn.

Also, based on this news, my troops choices and tactics will change now. It's like they are almost driving me to use my Dar destroyer weapons. And vehicle assaults become a thing of the past. New tactics anyone?

[Denzark]

I don't know why vehicle assault becomes a thing of the past - it is always a toss up for me whether or not a unit's multiple attacks at S4 needing sixes to glance, is better odds that 1 attack at S6. Looking at say my 10 an bloodclaw as a base - 40 attacks on the charge, or 10?

[Da Gargoyle]

I know what you are saying regards to assaults on vehicles but that would depend on the race involved. SM at S4 on rear armour 10 can glance the vehicle to death. Eldar, DE, AM, Orks and other troops units that attack with S3 can't rely on multiple attacks.

Eldar have S4 plasma grenades for which only one attack is now allowed, that plus a witch blade that gives you 3 more attacks means a max of 4 attacks in assault from 11 models. And rather counter intuitively, a 6 man scorpion team is more of a threat in assault to a vehicle than a dragon squad. 5 x 3 S4 attacks & 4 S6 attacks for the Scorpion claw as opposed to 1 melta attack.

Shooting becomes the better option for most Eldar units, as it would I imagine for those others listed above.

It just means more adaptation in a fluid universe on the battlefield. I mean knocking a hull point off a vehicle for it to then drive away and leave the team exposed means greater consideration of your options. You might do it if it was the last hull point.