Lawyer, Secretary's Aide Overview and Tactics

[cerealkiller195]

Hello everyone sorry I have been away for quite some time, real life and all that jazz. But hope to get back to writing articles and helping my fellow Guildies in understanding the finer points of keeping the law. Today I look at one of the more difficult pieces to use in the Guild arsenal the Lawyer. Though he is still some what of an enigma to use on the table top I hope I can stir up a few ideas and get everyone's input. Check out the link, comments and criticisms always welcome

http://thewastedwarrior.blogspot.com/

[Ozz]

From my experience the guild seems to be predominantly damage dealing, bar Lucius, so it sort of makes sense, that his aid would also be a support model for other guild minions, he does not kill at all, but from reading your artical, it sounds like he is very good at putting a model in a position to die easily:) Or to not be able to get used how your opponent would want them to be used, without a major disadvantage:) But it sounds like he could be fun to try when i get onto painting up my guild stuff:)

[cerealkiller195]

Yes when using the Lawyer you really have to "switch gears" from outright damage potential most Guild models are known for, to a debuffer of sorts.

[Requirement]

Interesting article. Has it officially been ruled on the and on targeting him? I read it that you would get a if you shot him or a if you focused that shot.... I could be wrong though.

However, your article did make me think about fielding him again in a larger game.

[cerealkiller195]

Red Tape reads: "Strikes or Casts targeting this model receive -fate to Attack, Casting and Damage Flips. Focus or Channel Actions receive an additional +flip to the Attack and Casting Flips."

So if you focus/channel you would get the +fate flip but damage flip would rely on your margin of success for damage since the bonus from focus/channel would cancel Red Tape's -fate flip.

[Saracenar]

Note though that Focus and Channels are not precisely Strike and Cast actions. My read of Red Tape would be:

Strike or Cast Action: One Negative Twist

Focus or Channel Action: Two Positive Twists (because Focus and Channel give a Positive Twist inherently)

Are you saying that Red Tape would reduce a Focus or Channel to a single positive twist, or no twists at all?

[Therril_83]

since the ability reads "strikes or casts targeting.." it would include Focus and Channel aswell, just as any other ability that generates such (for example charge). If it had instead read "Strike and Cast Action" then it would not include them.

opposite of the Alps Exhaustion-ability that does not trigger when someone makes a focus on them, because the ability specifically says "Wk or Strike Action", meaning an ability that generates strikes (charge, focus, Lilith's whirlwind) is not affected, only the actual (1) Strike action.

also, I left a comment on the blogpost about Defense..

[cerealkiller195]

@Saracenar under focus it says "This model performs a melee or ranged Strike. The Strike's Attack Flip and Damage flip receive +fate. Weapons that require more than 1 AP to make a strike cannot be focused".

A good example of catch alls would be Ramos' "electrical fire" spell which Ignores Armor, it would slice through Magic Resistant because it is a form of Armor.

So as it reads it would reduce it to a normal flip which can then be cheated, unless of course the Lawyer hangs out in terrain or its foggy which causes additional -fate flips

@DaemonChild before I wrote the article I did a search fu and found nothing that would oppose the idea. On page 20 of the rules manual it has a few words of Stacking Effects/Ongoing game effects that may help the argument. I will try and research this further, if it is ruled the way I wrote it I believe it will be a good thing for the Lawyer.

[Therril_83]

@DaemonChild before I wrote the article I did a search fu and found nothing that would oppose the idea. On page 20 of the rules manual it has a few words of Stacking Effects/Ongoing game effects that may help the argument. I will try and research this further, if it is ruled the way I wrote it I believe it will be a good thing for the Lawyer.

If you are refering to my comment on the blog about HtW, I too think it would be a good thing for the lawyer (and possibly something that could make him worthwhile) if it was a permanent HtW, but the fact is that any effect that does not have an explicitly stated end will end in the closing phase. So unless errata'd otherwise, I don't see how it can be argued that it is.

However I cannot give a page reference to that atm, I'll see if I can browse the pdf version of the RM to find it in some spare minutes here at work.

edit: on Page 32 of the RM, you can read about the closing phase and part B: Resolve Effects Step, which says all action and spell effects which do not indicate a duration end there.

Edited April 20, 2012 by DaemonChild

[Saracenar]

Ah, I see now, so it goes:

Model makes a Focus strike on Lawyer. They get two positives and one negative which leaves a single positive. Then the damage flip gets the one positive from being Focus and one negative from Red Tape.

[Requirement]

Red tape is breaking my brain.

[dunce002917]

Red tape is breaking my brain.

just like real life Red Tape..LOL

[cerealkiller195]

@DaemonChild - another blow for the Lawyer much sadness will be had, I will edit the article accordingly.

@Saracenar - yes the positives/negatives almost equal each other out at that point, but its great because it means most models will have to stand still to even attack the Lawyer. It is easier for people to "ignore" the lawyer unless they have paired weapons as most times even with the low Df people will ignore the Lawyer because they cannot cheat.

[dunce002917]

Great write up! Ill use the lawyer as soon as i finish paining him..

[Saracenar]

Good to know. Thanks. I've got the Lucius set on the way and I am looking forward to using the Lawyer too.

[Cadfan]

On Prosecute- constructs are immune to terrifying. They aren't immune to morale duels. Feel free to Cross Examine Hoffman's favorite construct.

Edit- I'm less and less sure of that over time. Nothing in the morale section makes constructs immune to morale generally... where else should I check?

Ok, now I'm kind of angry. On page 9 it says that constructs are non living and immune to morale duels, and cites page 56. But on page 56 it says nothing of the kind. It does state that non living models are immune to terrifying, but specifies that terrifying is just one kind of morale duel.

I guess page 9 is still rules, so constructs are immune to morale. Even though... argh.

If you want your game to run like a CCG, you need to write it with the precision of a CCG.

Edited April 21, 2012 by Cadfan

[cerealkiller195]

I also find it funny that it doesn't say that terrifying only effects ENEMY models, it just says if they are in the highest melee reach or trying to charge a terrifying model... I'm sure that its been clarified under the rules forum somewhere though.

[GoodPhule]

Really good thought provoking write up. Might have to look at trying the Lawyer out.

[Etched Oracle]

Great write up, your article encouraged me to buy him and even though I have only used him in 1 game to Defense my objective grabbers and Censure nearby enemies, his Red Tape alone made him a problematic minion for my opponent.