Shardnets and Challenges?

[The Sovereign]

I like to run Lelith, a succubus, and/or a hekatrix with my wych blobs. Last edition, conventional wisdom dictated one bring shardnets and only shardnets to a wych fight. But in the brave new world of 6th Ed, everyone challenges because it behooves the player being assaulted to do so, rendering shardnets useless until one of the dueling characters is dead. I could just not take a character with my wyches (but I want to). Am I missing the merit of shardnets? Are they still relevant this edition?

[Nefarius Drapesh]

Sounds like when fighting a challenge you tend to forget the squads at all...
While the characters (independant or not) fight their challenges the squads fight against each other,too.
only if you challenge a singled character your squad is only allowed to cheer and clap :D

[Houghten]

Heh, heh... "wych fight"...


Also, Lelith has a shardnet of her own, which she can use in the challenge.

[vharing]

Wouldnt the shardnet still take one attack from the character you challenged or were challenged by?

[Anggul]

Pretty much, Shardnets are still decent against enemy multi-attack squads if you can get them into base contact with enough of them, but this also means they'll be some of the first to die, so yes, Shardnets are no longer as good.

[The Sovereign]

Wouldnt the shardnet still take one attack from the character you challenged or were challenged by?

My understanding is that challengers cannot be affected by the abilities/wargear of non-challengers.