Black blood pustule, request for FAQ please!

[Joel]

Hi,

The black blood shaman can hand out a condition "black blood" which works with the same wording as the black blood ability common to the nephilim.

It then has the black blood pustule action that allows it to do a variety of nifty things to a model with the black blood ability.

as things currently stand, a black blood shame can NOT use his pustule action on a model with the black blood "condition" but only on models with the black blood "ability"

Since the wording on both the condition and the ability is identical, of have long wondered if this difference was intentional or an oversight. The rules itself is currently clear (it doesn't work), but I would like this to be spelled out in an FAQ because it's something I've had to explain many times to newer players and opponents alike. Also, I'd just like it clearing up for me too.

Ta,

Joel

[zFiend]

I think it's quite clear it doesn't work. But I would like to know as well was this the intention, as it is a powerful thing what the shaman does to Black Blood ability, it probably was worded as a condition so it would not be used on things like the Illuminated?

[Shadowfane]

I think part of the problem is that the Shaman is clearly (to me, anyway) designed to do just that - give models black blood and then use pustules on them.

I mean, RAW it doesn't work, but it obviously should, because otherwise the Shaman doesn't perform what appears to be his actual point...

[Joel]

I've gotta say that when I thought this worked, the Black blood shaman became a real option for many crews for me. Not an always take - he's fragile and too much of a support pice for that, but certainly a consider.

Since I figured out it didn't, he only sees the table in very niche fluffy nephilim crews - and even then not always. He's usually just gathering dust on a shelf or in my bag.

The interaction with illuminated is strong, but hardly game breaking and usually not as much as simply running a third illuminated in his place frankly - and they are probably the best target for it outside of Lilith herself.

[solkan]

The counter proposal is that you're not expected to use Blood Infusion on friendly models, you're supposed to be happy with the various models that have the Black Blood ability (rather than the condition) already.

 

On an enemy model, you hit it twice with the knife to put the Blood Curse and Black Blood conditions on it (so that each turn it takes a point of damage, and then sprays a point of damage on everyone else without Black Blood).  Not stab some random Neverborn model, put the Blood Curse condition on it, and then try to power it up like it was a respectable Nephilim. 

[Joel]

Depends if you view black blood as a buff or a debuff for the model that has it. Fluff wise you could just as easily see it as the shaman infusing a non-nephilim to give it protection from the blood of the nephilim around it. A "you are now part of the tribe" predator-esque moment.

Black blood is generally considered a buff, so why wouldn't you use it on friendly models?

[zFiend]

I hope this makes into the next faq.

[Csonti]

I hope this makes into the next faq.

 

/sarcasm on

 

Nah, I don't think so. Nowadays in order to make it to the FAQ you need to ask questions like: If I need to have 2 or more wounds to use an ability can I use it when I have exactly 2?

/sarcasm off

On topic: Good question, Joel! I always thought that the Shaman could play with the guys who got the BB treatment but RAW this is clearly not the case.

[Ludvig]

I second this opinion, clarity would be nice.

Isn't there something similar with armour as an ability/condition and some attacks ignoring the ability but not the condition? Don't have the books atm but I think conditions and abilities with the same name stack so maybe it could be FAQed that they just are the same for ignoring and using abilities off as well?

[Bengt]

Most models just says "ignore Armour" with no mention of Abilities or Conditions. Of course there might be some exceptions as there quite few models that ignore Armour and wording in general isn't always consistent.