Imotekh's Lord of the Storm lightning can hit Swooping Monstrous Creatures and Zooming Flyers

Allow me to start this post with: This is something I've been looking for quite sometime.  Finally found it.  Quite pleased.

In fact this something Joe and I were talking about at the gaming table last Friday.

I'll get to straight to the point.  Then become verbose later.

Basic versus Advanced 40k6 pg 7

Where advance rules apply to specific model, they always override any contradicting basic rules.  For example, the basic rules stat that a model must take a Morale check under certain situations.  If, however, that model has a special rule that makes it immune to Morale checks, then it does not take such checks - the advanced rule takes precedence.

On rare occasions, a conflict will arise between a rule in this rulebook, and one printed in a codex.  Where this occurs, the rule printed in the codex always takes precedence.

Fight Sub-Phase; Who Can Fight?; Unengaged Models 40k6 pg 23

Unengaged models cannot attack in close combat - they're too far from the crush of battle.

Flying Monstrous Creatures; fifth bullet point under Swooping 40k6 pg 49

 *A Flying Monstrous Creature cannot charge or be charged whilst it is Swooping.

Flying Monstrous Creatures; Hard to Hit 40k6 pg 49

A Swooping Flying Monstrous Creature is a very difficult target for units without specialized weapons.  Shots resolved at such a target can only be resolved as Snap Shots unless the model or weapon has Skyfire special rule (see page 47).  Template, Blast and Large Blast weapons cannot hit Swooping models.

Flyers; Hard to Hit 40k6 pg 81

Zooming Flyers are incredibly difficult targets for troops without suitably calibrated weapons and scopes.  Shots resolved at a Zooming Flyer can only be resolved as Snap Shots (unless the model or weapon has the Skyfire special rule, as described on page 42).  Template, Blast and Large Blast weapons cannot hit Flyers in Zoom mode.

Assaulting Zooming Flyers 40k6 pg 81

Due to their high speed (and presumably high altitude), Zooming Flyers cannot be assaulted.

Lord of the Storm; second paragraph Necrons Codex 5th ed pg 55

In addition, whilst the Night Fighting rules remain in play, roll a D6 for each unengaged enemy unit on the battlefield at the start of each Necron Shooting phase.  On a roll of a 6, that unit is struck by a bolt of lightning and suffers D6 Strength 8, AP 5 hits (vehicles are hit on their side armour).  Note that Night Fighting rules brought into play by a Solar Pulse (see page 84) do not generate lightning.

It's agreed that only Snap Fire shots can hit Swooping Monstrous Creatures and Zooming Flyers.  It's also agreed that neither of these models can be engaged/assaulted.  Taking the context of Basic versus Advanced and that when there's a conflict between the rulebook and codex the codex rule takes precedence.  The conflict is that those two types of models can only be hit by Snap Fire but Lord of the Storm lightning can hit unengaged models.  The conflicts rises between these two rules.  The codex and rulebook have conflicting rules.  Unfortunately codex wins, due to info on pg 7, and Lord of the Storm lightning can hit Swooping Monstrous Creatures and Zooming Flyers.

Possibly my favourite lightning pic.

Verbose time.

All of the rules taken in context, Rules as Written, we have to accept the Basic versus Advanced that when it comes to a game of rock, paper, scissors; Scissors cuts Paper and paper doesn't cover rock in 40k.  Rock of course being errata, scissors = codex and paper = rulebook.

Joe was talking about reading something and later being unable to find it.  I've had this happen to me throughout the dozens of RPG books I've read.  Last night when I was enjoying a free pint, while reading mini-rulebook, at my wateringhole it occurred to me.  Was reading the Flying Monstrous Creatures section and a bolt of lightning hit me.  Must have been Imotekh's Lord of the Storm ability going off.  Then started flipping through the beginning of the book til I found it.  The part that says when there's a conflict between codex and rulebook codex wins.  That's when I uttered "Ah..."  Thad, the bartender, looked at me and said "Huh."  Looked at him and said "I found it.  An amazing thing reading is."  He agreed.

There's a reason I provide book and page numbers with quoted text.  Because I want anyone who questions it to be able to look it up in the book of their own and verify the information.  Something I picked up over a decade ago when I was trolling/posting (would say questionably) on Vampire the Masquerade White Wolf Forums.  I quickly grew tired of people just typing something claiming it was in the book with no reference.  They also either couldn't, more likely didn't want to, find it.

As I've done on this blog.  If someone provides a rule I ask them to provide a page number.  Something Joe encountered recently on another 40k blog.  Someone posted the rule in the first page of a post but with no reference.  Wasn't til pages later someone else provided the page number.  The first poster said that is what he typed.  Which really doesn't matter if you don't have the material to back you up.

In court it comes down to the litigator who argues the best case wins.  Which is often the case with many things.  Reason why CON artists can do what they do.  Also why someone can BS someone else.

I look forward to using this rule in a tournament.  I'll start and end my case with Basic versus Advanced from pg 7.  Don't need to belabour the point with all these other rules and books.  KISS: Keep it Simple Stupid.  Though I'll be prepared when someone challenges pg 7.


slainte mhath