IG advisors have to be on the table to reap their benefits?

[sneakyben]

Do your astropath and officer of the fleet have to be on the table to reap their benefits?

i.e. Can I gain +1 to my reserve rolls and -1 to my opponants reserve rolls if my
Comany Command Squad with these advisors is sat in a Vendetta that is still in reserve?

I am thinking they do have to be on the table, but I didn't bring my codex to work and I am curious...

If you could provide page ref's that would be extra-super!

[Colonel Bindoff]

My gut reaction is no - also at work, where reading the codex would probably be frowned upon. I don't remember reading a rule about this though. I'm thinking that it will only be mentioned if there is an exception to say you *can* do this, and that otherwise it'll be silent on the matter.

[Denzark]

I would say it is not as clear cut. The book says for the astropath 'whilst he is alive'. As does the officer of the fleet. Page reference is the entry on P31. I believe there would be precedence to this - the fact that vulkan is in reserve doesn't prevent TL HF/MM etc. Same for most other marines with similar effects.

I think there are also, admittedly less relevant to a rules discussion, fluff reasons. The effect the officer of the fleet brings, is off table airpower disrupting reserves. The astropath brings off table guidance to the timing of deepstrikers. Why should this be predicated on where they are physically being on the table - it is only death prevents them doing their thang.

[Colonel Bindoff]

The problem is that other units which say 'whilst he is alive' like the eldar autarch and lictor (IIRC) both also go on to add 'whether or not he is on the table', which this doesn't. And I'd differentiate vulkan because he confers rules onto others (and I don't think it changes if he dies either: it just alters chapter tactics) whereas the advisors are using personal skills to affect the game.

The fluff thing can go either way. I see these guys as being assigned to the battlefield because their specialist skills will only work if they are there to actually co-ordinate. After all, if we say that the fleet officer or astropath can do his role just as well from off battlefield, then we might as well just let people pay their 30 golds and have them sit in orbit. I think it works better if you think of them as like modern forward air controllers: on scene, directing forces from up close so that micro management is possible.

[Tynskel]

nothing works off table unless explicitly stated.
Vulkan's power replaces combat tactics, and only applies to units on the board (as with all other codex space marines).
The Hive Commander power works, because it states while they are alive.

the IG powers are not explicitly stated working off board.






But, check the FAQ to be sure.

[Nabterayl]

The FAQ offers no guidance, but both the Officer of the Fleet's and Astropath's special rules begin, "Whilst the [advisor] is alive ..." I agree that includes being off the table.

[Denzark]

I'm sort of thinking that if something destroyed him in reserve the answer would be no - but if not destroyed in reserve, he is alive in reserve so therefore yes. Is there really such an advantage to keeping him in reserve - why would you want a Command Squad - only a denial unit - in your uber fast transport - when you could put a scoring in there?

[walrusman999]

The IG command squad sucks outside of the benefit of advisors, putting it in a vendetta really has no value other than to hide it on the field in a flying unit or in reserve to get the benefits of the advisers. If you should need to deny an objective then you can do that turn 5 or 6 if you really wanted to. Otherwise, yes you have a point to putting scoring units in a vendetta would be smarter but then you have to risk the grav chute insertion to attempt to get it on the objective, unless you go hover mode for a turn and get shot all to hell by everything just to drop the unit on the objective.

[sneakyben]

I'm sort of thinking that if something destroyed him in reserve the answer would be no - but if not destroyed in reserve, he is alive in reserve so therefore yes. Is there really such an advantage to keeping him in reserve - why would you want a Command Squad - only a denial unit - in your uber fast transport - when you could put a scoring in there?

Thanks for the replies everyone...

TBH this was 'thinking out loud' question while I was at work...

My thinking is/was that maybe I could keep my warlord a bit more safe if he is flying about... in the list I am thinking of, he has no heavy weapons teams to twin-link with orders etc(my typically use for him)... I also like the thought of keeping my advisors safe for the 1st turn...
(bear in mind that typically my lists constist of mostly troops, with penal legion out-flanking or in another vendetta for 'reach', so I am not overly concerned with loading both my vendettas with troops... I think :-) )