Orbital Strike scatter

[Erasmus of Baal]

"An Orbital Strike scatters just like an Ordnance weapon but if a miss is rolled the distance scattered is double the number scored on the D6. If a hit is rolled, the template deviates by the distance shown on the dice in the direction indicated by the arrow on the ‘Hit’ symbol."

Clearly, this is written for a past rules system.

So how should this play in the current game of 2d6 scatter? Should only 1d6 be rolled? Should the rule be applied replacing "D6" with 2D6"? Should it be half the distance shown on the 2 dice if a 'hit' is rolled? Should a 'hit' be only one of the two dice, and if so, who picks? Or something else that I didn't think of?

[Nabterayl]

So how should this play in the current game of 2d6 scatter?
Can you clarify the parameters of your question? Are you looking for a RAW answer or a "what would we do?" answer?

[Erasmus of Baal]

Either, both, I'm just looking for thoughts. RAW would be useful as it's usually pretty hard to dispute, but opinions on the best way to do it are useful because I'll probably only ever use this list in a local setting, so most people will let me do that.

[Nabterayl]

My "what I would do" answer is to roll 1d6 for scatter and double it per the wording of the rule - in other words, to play it as it was meant to be played at the time of writing. My personal policy for stuff like this that comes up in prior-edition codices is to permit my opponents to play by either the current rules or the rules in effect at the time of writing, whichever they prefer.

My RAW answer is to roll 1d6 for scatter, on the following grounds:
Ordnance weapons, in 5th edition, do not scatter at all.
The rule says "the D6," which clearly contemplates only one.

I am sympathetic to the 2d6 position, as it has an intuitive appeal, but I find it problematic in the following ways:

Ordnance weapons do not scatter at all.
If we are going to read the rule as applying to blast weapons, which is what "everybody knows" was meant, why are we going to disregard the phrase "the D6?" Why would we disregard the explicit in order to infer the implicit?

[Xethik]

Might be a bit off-topic, but do Ordnance Weapons not scatter? I've always played them as scattering exactly like blasts, as they are just a special type of blast. I thought it was like "Heavy 1" and the such. To me, this seems like it is the logical and I would hope this is the actual situation or have I been playing wrong?

Anyways, I say play it RAW. Roll a D6 and double it if a scatter is rolled else move it shown in the direction of the hit and so on.

[Mike X]

"An Orbital Strike scatters just like an Ordnance weapon but if a miss is rolled the distance scattered is double the number scored on the D6. If a hit is rolled, the template deviates by the distance shown on the dice in the direction indicated by the arrow on the ‘Hit’ symbol."

What codex is this from?

[Nabterayl]

Might be a bit off-topic, but do Ordnance Weapons not scatter? I've always played them as scattering exactly like blasts, as they are just a special type of blast. I thought it was like "Heavy 1" and the such. To me, this seems like it is the logical and I would hope this is the actual situation or have I been playing wrong?
Double check your rulebook, and you'll see that all Ordnance means, by itself, is that you take the best of 2d6 for armor penetration and no other weapons may be fired by a model that fires an Ordnance weapon. Ordnance blast weapons gain the additional properties of being blast weapons, and using the large blast marker unless otherwise specified, and Ordnance barrage weapons gain the additional properties of not being required to fire indirectly, not being able to be fired indirectly if the firing model moved, and inflicting a -1 Leadership penalty for purposes of any Pinning tests they may inflict.

[Erasmus of Baal]

What codex is this from?

Daemonhunters. I know it's [probably] being re-released soon, but I'm already building some custom stuff for it.

[BuFFo]

Do what you do with ANY codex. Play the rules that are printed in the codex!

[Aegis]

I do not have it on me right now, but I think one of the FAQ's dealt with this issue, bringing in line with 5th ed. rules.

Once again, cannot confirm at the moment, but if once I can, I will double check the FAQ.

[Nabterayl]

I do not have it on me right now, but I think one of the FAQ's dealt with this issue, bringing in line with 5th ed. rules.

Witch Hunters FAQ:

Ignore the ‘(In)accuracy’ special rule given in the Codex and treat the attack as an Ordnance Barrage with the ‘firer’ not having line of sight to the target. The blast marker is therefore placed anywhere in the terrain feature nominated and deviates 2D6" from that point.

[YourMomsBox]

My "what I would do" answer is to roll 1d6 for scatter and double it per the wording of the rule - in other words, to play it as it was meant to be played at the time of writing. My personal policy for stuff like this that comes up in prior-edition codices is to permit my opponents to play by either the current rules or the rules in effect at the time of writing, whichever they prefer.

My RAW answer is to roll 1d6 for scatter, on the following grounds:
Ordnance weapons, in 5th edition, do not scatter at all.
The rule says "the D6," which clearly contemplates only one.

I am sympathetic to the 2d6 position, as it has an intuitive appeal, but I find it problematic in the following ways:

Ordnance weapons do not scatter at all.
If we are going to read the rule as applying to blast weapons, which is what "everybody knows" was meant, why are we going to disregard the phrase "the D6?" Why would we disregard the explicit in order to infer the implicit?

Where does it state that Ordnance weapons don't Scatter? I'd love to see where that is. Thanks.

[Nabterayl]

Where does it state that Ordnance weapons don't Scatter? I'd love to see where that is. Thanks.
It isn't anywhere. Rather, look at the definition of ordnance. You'll see that in 5th edition, ordnance weapons are not blast weapons by default, and therefore follow the regular shooting rules unless they are blast weapons.

[Lerra]

The Imperial Guard codex has an ordinance weapon which is not a template weapon and does not scatter - the missiles on the Valkyrie.

[Melissia]

And many people accused the BA vindicator of being that, because they're rules lawyering twits.

[TSINI]

Whats wrong with just playing it as its meant to be played as per the wording of the codex entry

The only thing I can't recall now is how far ordnance blast weapons scattered in 3rd/4th edition, but i think it was a single D6" (but you didnt reduce it by BS - remember that small blast weapons didnt scatter at all in 4th ed)

its an ordnance blast weapon, it scatters (D6 x 2)" if you score a miss. and D6" in the direction of the little arrow on the "to hit" symbol.

if the codex entry has specific wording that overrules the rulebooks "standard" then you should probably play it as it is worded in the codex.

(i'm dreading 6th edition when current codexs will be linked to the USRs from the 5th edition rule book - instant out of date system)

[jeffersonian000]

The DH Orbital Strike scatters 1d6" on a hit, or 1d6x2" on a scatter, per the rules entry in the DH Codex. WH Orbital Strike use to work the same way, however, they received an FAQ telling them to use the current rules for scattering blast markers.

When you follow the DH OS rules, you get a scatter between 1-12", with the most likely distance rolled between 4-8". As such, its way too random to be useful (but way too fun not to use in Apocalypse).

SJ

[Melissia]

Whats wrong with just playing it as its meant to be played

The way a Vindicator is meant to be played is as a vindicator. Which is a large blast weapon.

[Nabterayl]

And many people accused the BA vindicator of being that, because they're rules lawyering twits.
And/or they haven't seen the erratum?

[DarkLink]

And/or they haven't seen the erratum?

Well, now, yes.

[Big mek]

Do what you do with ANY codex. Play the rules that are printed in the codex!

Exactly, the codex always rules, unless theres an official faq on the subject!

Been going over the orbital strike myself as im thinking of starting DH army at some point, and the scatter on this thing is absolutely awful imo, but thats a matter of taste, id never use it ;)

but back on track, if codex say scatter, you scatter!