Reply: Fast Transport Vehicles

GDMNV has discussed the ruling relating to fast vehicles and passengers. In the most recent FAQ it was clarified passengers in a transport which moves flat out and in the same player’s turn (pg 9 BRB) is destroyed, then the passengers are killed. We both agree on this as it’s quite clear based on this ruling:

“Passengers may not embark or disembark from a fast vehicle if it has moved (or is going to move) flat out in that movement phase.”

However, there is an important word GDMNV has missed in his interpretation of opponent’s shooting at transports having gone fast. Because of pg9, the FAQ clarification is only indicating passengers are removed as casualties if the transport is destroyed in that particular player turn. As Laeroth points out here, this would obviously be grossly imbalanced if it related to game turn as players going 1st would have a significant disadvantage with fast transports compared to individuals going 2nd. GW isn’t that dumb. However, they have been dumb in the past so let’s take further information from the rulebook and refer back to the pg70 ruling quoted above and focus on a key word: ‘that.’

What this quote from the BRB on pg 70 is saying due to the word that and what the FAQ clarifies is this - at any time during the specific movement phase of a player, passengers are disallowed from embarking or disembarking from a flat out transport whether it has gone flat out or is intending do. What this means is any transport which is wrecked for any reason when going flat out in that movement phase takes all passengers with it in an anti-climatic crash (we agree on this). This does not extend to the shooting phase of the opponent because of the combination of the ruling on pg9 helping clarify the FAQ and the word ‘that’ relating the rule to the specific movement phase on pg70. If the wording was “…moved flat out in the movement phase” it would indicate this would extend to the opponent’s next shooting phase as there was no restrictive clause (the word that) limiting the ruling to the movement phase. Explained further... because the word that is used, the specific movement phase has been identified to when this rule takes place which is supported by the FAQ and ruling on pg 9 indicating turn is quantified as player turn unless otherwise specified.

Again, this means the passengers of flat out transports suffer the results of wrecked and explodes results as normal when shot down during the opponent's shooting phase (i.e. pinning test, placed within 2" of exits/in crater, etc.) but are removed from play if wrecked or exploded (exploded was clarified by the FAQ) during the same player turn they moved flat out.

GDMNV however makes another point which I need to go look up though (I was using all of his references for this as my BRB is at home :P) in regards with flat out Skimmers and dangerous terrain. Without looking through the rulebook his points do make sense as the rule reference on pg 71 indicates immoblisation resulting in wrecks relates to a previous movement phase. From his logic I can see where he’s coming from but my brain is telling me I’m missing something (though we need to add a note that the Skimmer isn’t immoblised at the edge of terrain but inside the terrain as it is a skimmer ‘landing’ in terrain; this is where I think I might find my brain is kicking me and indicating there might be a rule to support this).

Anyway, as it stands we need to look at fast skimmers and dangerous terrain but Laeroth’s reiteration of what the FAQ ruling relating passengers and flat-out transports was correct. They are fine if destroyed during your opponent’s shooting phase but are dead if your transport dies during the actual player turn they moved flat out. Discuss the dangerous terrain please (and the other one if you’re still confused) until I can get my rulebook!