Wound Allocation

[Jebusiah Long]

I've been out of the game for about 10 years.

There are a few people running GK at my local gamestore.

Can someone point me to a clear and concise explanation of how wound allocation works in 5th ed?

Thanks much.

[Jwolf]

BRB:

P.25 for complex units.
P.26 for multiwound models.

[DarkLink]

It's honestly pretty simple.


Allocate one wound to each model in the squad, in an order of your choice. Once you've allocated one to each model in the squad, go back and allocate a second wound. Repeat, until you've allocated all wounds.

Then, group together models with identical weapons and statlines and roll all of those wounds at the same time. You take a casualty from that group for each failed save.





So, as an example, let's say you take 9 wounds on a squad of tactical Marines. There are 7 normal dudes, 1 special weapon, 1 heavy weapon, and a sergeant. You want the sergeant to live, so you don't allocate a wound to him. The other 9 guys take wounds. Since the 7 normal Marines have identical statlines, you roll all 7 of their wounds together, removing one of the normal Marines for each failed save. Then roll the wound for the heavy weapon. Then roll the wound for the special weapon. Done. Take any morale tests you may need.

You could also chose to save, say, your meltagun and risk killing your sergeant if you thought you really needed the meltagun.


Just as a note, you can make wounds "disappear" in some circumstances. If all the models within a group are killed, all of the wounds allocated to them disappear, they don't spill over onto other groups. So if your squad takes a wound from a plasma rifle and 10 more wounds from bolters, you can put the plasma wound on a unique group with a single model, like your heavy weapon, and put one of the bolter wounds on him as well. The plasma kills him, and he takes that last bolter wound with him so it can't kill anyone else.




Using dice to physically represent wounds is a useful trick. One dice per wound, and start placing dice next to models until you run out of wounds to allocate, then just pick up the groups of dice and roll.

[Tynskel]

good explanation, although, the book says this same thing...

[bfmusashi]

The book says it in two different places and the example doesn't cover multiwound models, only a complex squad of marines. It is a situation rife with dickery (like determining LOS from fliers*).

*Always fun watching someone try to line up a shot from the Storm Raven's turret.

[Lexington]

*Always fun watching someone try to line up a shot from the Storm Raven's turret.
:D

There's actually a rule somewhere about ignoring the model itself when determining fire arcs, as well as one that gives extra leeway when it comes to up/down angling. If it weren't for both of these rules, the Razorback would never be able to fire at anything shorter than a Tyranid Warrior.

[thecactusman17]

Frankly, the rule book sometimes does a very poor job of describing how things work. But Darklink has hit the nail on the head here.

If you or your opponent plays with weapons or units that can cause large numbers of wounds (Razorwing Jetfighters, for example, can output 30+ wounds on a unit if aimed well) then instead of pulling out individual dice (especially if you are going to have to dig for a whole dice bucket) you can just set out dice with pips to represent how many wounds were done, before rummaging around for everything.

The biggest headache can be tracking wounds across multiple squads, such as due to blast and template weapons. Since units are wounded separately from each other, it's a good idea to physically separate any wound counters by a foot or two (or perhaps use differently colored dice) to ensure that there isn't any mix up. Even if there are only one or two wounds.

Typically, in this case, I roll and ask for saves from whichever units took the least wounds, until I get to the main target. That way both I and my opponent have the most dice ready and available to go by the time we get to the last, biggest wound pile.

[Wolfshade]

BRB:

P.25 for complex units.
P.26 for multiwound models.
Sounds like a Tynskel reply

[DarkLink]

It is good to go an read the rules yourself, though. I just posted as simple of an explanation as I could, for reference.




Multi-wound models basically add just one step to the process. Once you've allocated wound, divided models up into groups and rolled saves, but then you place wound counters on one model. Remove whole models in each group before putting wounds on the second model in that group.

So if you've failed two saves out of that group, and the models have two wounds each, you remove one model. If you fail three saves, then one model takes two wounds and you remove it and a second model takes one wound. If you later fail another save, it goes to the already wounded model and that model dies.

This is where wound allocation "abuse" really comes in. With a unit like Nobz or Paladins, you can get unique wargear so they're all different groups, and put one wound on each group, letting you soak up a bunch of wounds before you actually start removing models. You can generally avoid actually taking casualties until you've already taken 9-10 wounds.


Edit:
It also basically works exactly the same in close combat. The two main differences are obviously you have to deal with initiative steps, and that in close combat you allocate attacks to independent characters as if they were a separate unit, whereas against shooting ICs are considered part of the unit.

[SeattleDV8]

The best description I've seen is from the Bolter & Chainsword

Frosty's Wound Allocation Order of Operations

1. Enemy Rolls to hit
2. Enemy Rolls to wound
3. Apply one wound to each MODEL until each model has one wound, Then Apply a second, third, and so on until there are no more wounds to allocate.
4. Separate wounded models into different identical groups based on wargear and profile (so all marines with just a bolter in one group, ones with a boltpistal/ccw in another, plasmaguns in another, sergeants in another and so on)
5. Roll armor saves for each GROUP
6. Within each group apply wounds in such a way to remove the maximum amount of models/wounds possible (for example instant death goes on the ones with the most wounds remaing), extra wounds do NOT carry over into other groups, they are lost.

[Jebusiah Long]

Thanks for the responses. I guess it isn't as convoluted as I was led to believe.

[herigonz]

Thought I had a good handle on multiwound models and wound allocation but here goes another situation:

Vulkan rolls up and Heavy Flames the dickens out of 3 Tyranid Warriors (same loadout, not sure if they could be different anyway) and a Tyranid Prime with them. As you know, Heavy Flamers are AP4 so that denies the warriors saves if wounded.

I roll to wound and score 4 wounds. Now this is how we played it:

The Tyranid player was able to put 2 wounds on the Warriors and 2 Wounds on the Prime. The Prime made both of his saves but a Warrior took 2 wounds.

At first I thought it worked another way. Since there were 4 wounds and 4 models, every single model got a single wound allocated to him. That would mean the Prime would take 1 save and I'd automatically remove 1 of the Warriors.

So which of the two would be more correct? The more I think about it, the latter makes more sense. I don't think it ultimately made too much of a difference since that warrior whiffed in close combat but it had potential to be a lot more deadly.

[Anggul]

Thought I had a good handle on multiwound models and wound allocation but here goes another situation:

Vulkan rolls up and Heavy Flames the dickens out of 3 Tyranid Warriors (same loadout, not sure if they could be different anyway) and a Tyranid Prime with them. As you know, Heavy Flamers are AP4 so that denies the warriors saves if wounded.

I roll to wound and score 4 wounds. Now this is how we played it:

The Tyranid player was able to put 2 wounds on the Warriors and 2 Wounds on the Prime. The Prime made both of his saves but a Warrior took 2 wounds.

At first I thought it worked another way. Since there were 4 wounds and 4 models, every single model got a single wound allocated to him. That would mean the Prime would take 1 save and I'd automatically remove 1 of the Warriors.

So which of the two would be more correct? The more I think about it, the latter makes more sense. I don't think it ultimately made too much of a difference since that warrior whiffed in close combat but it had potential to be a lot more deadly.

You're correct on the second one. It doesn't matter what is in the unit (unless it's IG bodyguards, they can be allocated to instead of the officer), you allocate one wound to each model, then go around again until they're all gone.

[Tynskel]

even if there are IG body guards, you allocate to the commander *then* re-allocate to the bodyguards.

[Tynskel]

Sounds like a Tynskel reply

Well, it is all right there on those pages!

[Jwolf]

Sounds like a Tynskel reply

With so much material that he really should read, giving quotes seemed like a bad idea. Besides, Tynskel isn't evil, he's just drawn that way. ;)

[Tynskel]

With so much material that he really should read, giving quotes seemed like a bad idea. Besides, Tynskel isn't evil, he's just drawn that way. ;)

Oh my, I think I just found my signature statement...