Direwolf Psychology FAQ v6.02
Format
Q = Question
A = Answer
S = Source
Q. Is a Break Test a type of psychology test?
A. No. Break tests are leadership tests but are not one of the defined
psychology tests per the Psychology section of the Rulebook.
Therefore, units with the ability to re-roll failed psychology tests
may not re-roll failed break tests and items which allow the re-roll
of failed break tests do not allow the re-roll of failed psychology
tests.
S. Rulebook pages 74, 80
*****
Q. Is a rally test a type of psychology test?
A. No. Rally tests are leadership tests but are not one of the defined
psychology tests per the Psychology section of the Rulebook. Units
with the ability to re-roll failed psychology tests therefore may not
re-roll a failed rally test.
S. Rulebook pages 75, 80
*****
Q. If a unit has to take multiple psychology tests at the start of
a turn (panic, terror, stupidity, etc.) or at the same time during a
turn (e.g. a unit is previously engaged in combat and charged in the
flank by a fear causing enemy unit) in what order should the tests be
taken?
A. The tests should be taken in the same order as they are listed in
the Psychology section of the Rulebook.
S. Rulebook page 79
*****
Q. How does psychology work with monster mounts (and chariots) and
their character riders? Does the rider’s psychology take precedence?
A. The character’s psychology takes precedence. So, if the character is
Immune to Psychology, the entire model is Immune to Psychology. Also, if
a character rider is frenzied, then it must always charge (using the
movement of the monster). However, there are some exceptions to this.
These exceptions are : Fear, Terror, Stupidity and Frenzy. A Fear or
Terror causing monster (or chariot) passes on immunity to fear/terror
to its rider. If the monster (or chariot) suffers from Stupidity, or is
subject to Frenzy, then these are out of the control of the rider, and
the entire model may suffer from it. In all other cases, the entire
model uses the character rider’s psychology.
Further Direwolf FAQ Council clarification: In these cases where the
mount's Stupidity or Frenzy affects the rider, it is the movement effects,
not the close combat effects.
S. Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the
Games Workshop Warhammer Forum) / Direwolf FAQ Council
*****
PANIC
Q. When a unit sustains 25% or more casualties from friendly fire
(e.g. mortar scattering, Skaven Life is Cheap fire) does the unit have
to take a Panic check at the end of the phase?
A. That would come under 'voluntary tests'. By the strict letter of
the rules, only casualties in the enemy magic and shooting phases
apply. However, as well known, friendly fire isn't friendly at all,
and I would probably take a panic test if one of my units suffered
self-inflicted casualties in this way.
S. Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team
*****
Q. When a war machine unit, Skaven Weapons Team, wizard, etc. destroys
itself via a misfire, malfunction, miscast, etc. do friendly units
within 4" have to take a Panic check at the end of the phase?
A. No test required. The panic test for friends destroyed is very
specific about enemy magic and shooting again. In this case, most
soldiers are just waiting for the wizard's head to explode or the
whirly-gun of doom to blow itself up. They're pretty used to this
type of behaviour.
S. Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team
*****
Q. Is a unit that passes a break test immune to taking panic tests
for friendly broken or destroyed units within 6" in the same turn?
A. No.
S. Rulebook page 81
*****
Q. Is the panic test for a nearby friendly unit breaking from combat
contingent upon the relative sizes of the broken unit and the unit
that might have to test?
A. No. Even single models with less than five wounds on their
original profile that break in combat force nearby friendly units to
take panic tests.
S. Rulebook page 80
*****
Q. If a friendly single model with less than 5 wounds on its original
profile is destroyed by missile fire or magic, does it cause a panic
test for friendly units within 4"? Do single models with less than
5 wounds on their original profile cause panic tests in any
situations?
A. In the Warhammer Chronicles Errata section, the wording on
page 81 of the Rulebook was changed to exclude single models with
less than 5 wounds on their original profile from causing Panic tests
when destroyed by missile fire or magic. Such models also do not
cause panic tests if they are destroyed in close combat. Note however
that such models DO cause panic tests in friendly units within 6" if
they break from close combat and if they are fleeing and have higher
unit strength than friendly units within 4" at the start of a turn.
S. Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 125 / Rulebook pages 80, 81
*****
Q. If a unit has only one model left in the turn that it is destroyed in
combat, does a friendly unit nearby have to make a Panic test (ie, does
the last model remaining in the unit count as being a single model)?
A. This is determined at the start of each phase - if it's a single
model at that point, then its destruction won't cause panic.
S. Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 113
*****
Q. Concerning panic from flank and rear charges, the rules say that you
use the Unit Strength (five or more) to require the check, but then
say at the end that no test is required if the charging unit numbers
less than five models.
A. Delete the last sentence. Unit Strength 5 is the only requirement
needed to determine whether a test is required.
S. Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 113
*****
Q. Do failed panic tests "cascade"? That is, does a unit failing a panic
test force nearby friendly units to take a panic test (as failing a
break test does)?
A. No. Panic does not cascade. If, in the player's subsequent turn, the
unit that panicked is still fleeing and is close enough to friendly
units to force them to take a panic check, one must be taken. None of
the listed cases for taking a panic test is based on another friendly
unit failing a panic test.
S. Rulebook pages 80, 81.
*****
FEAR
Q. When do you resolve Fear tests for an enemy unit that wishes to
stand & shoot?
A. Use the following procedure: The Fear causing unit declares a
charge. The charged player says, "The unit will stand and shoot."
Check to see if the charging unit is in range; if it is, then the
charged unit must take a Fear test. If it fails the test and is
outnumbered, it will flee as normal and not make its stand and
shoot charge reaction. If for any reason it does not flee, then the
charged unit may stand & shoot as normal.
S. Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 113
*****
Q. How do you resolve situations where a single model causing fear is
in the front rank of a unit that does not cause fear?
A. If a single model (e.g. a character) that causes fear is in a unit
that doesn't cause fear then any tests or effects that the fear causes
is only applied to that character, not the entire unit he is with.
For example, a unit would have to take a fear test if a unit with a
single fear causing model in it charges them. However if that test is
failed then the unit only flees if the fear causing character by itself
has a higher Unit Strength than the unit being charged. If the test is
failed and the unit requires 6's to hit, then it is only 6's to hit the
single fear causing model, not the rest of the unit he is with.
In an instance where a unit declares a charge against an enemy unit with
a single fear causing model and the unit declaring the charge will come
into contact with the single fear causing model, then the unit declaring
the charge must also take a fear test and, if the fear test is failed,
the unit will not charge.
S. Rulebook page 81
*****
Q. For purposes of determining if fear causing units outnumber their
foes to force an auto-break situation, do you determine it by the
largest fear causing unit engaged in the combat or do you use the
total Unit Strength of the fear causing units and compare it to the
defender's combined Unit Strength?
A. Neither. If a unit is outnumbered by fear-causing enemies, then
it automatically breaks. Operative word is unit, not side, so it is
worked out on its Unit Strength versus total Unit Strength of fear-
causing enemies it is actually fighting (i.e. in base to base contact
with), in the same way that break test are rolled for individually
rather than per side.
S. Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team / Rulebook - page 81
*****
Q. Does placing a fear (or terror) causing character in a unit
actually make the unit immune to fear (or terror)?
The Fear / Terror liability section on page 82 of the Rulebook states
"Obviously a large monster is less likely to suffer from fear or
terror itself. There is not way a huge Dragon is going to be scared
of a Troll for example. These special liabilities also apply to any
rider of a large monster (or steed) too, so a Dragon rider wouldn't
be afraid of a creature that would frighten him on foot. They also
apply to units that are accompanied by fear or terror causing
creatures, a skink unit with a Kroxigor would be immune to fear
for example."
Does the last sentence only applied to mixed units such as Rat Ogres
& Packmasters, War Hydras & Apprentices, etc., or does it apply to
characters as well?
A. The way I would see it most easily solved is to say that the
example quoted on page 82 refers only to mixed units including some
models in the unit causing fear, others not - and that it does not
refer to characters at all.
This would mean a fear causing character does not make a unit immune
to fear - and it does say on page 100: "if a unit of troops panics, or
is forced to flee because of a Fear of Terror test, then any character
who is part of the unit must also flee even if he is immune to panic,
fear, or terror."
S. Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team
*****
Q. Concerning the Fear test, what if your Unit Strength is equal to the
enemy's when you fail the test?
A. Change 'higher' to 'equal to or higher' in the section on being
charged by a fear-causing enemy.
S. Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 113
*****
Q. If charged by more than one fear-causing unit, do you test once per
unit, or once only and add up the total number of charging models?
A. Test once per unit, as each is found to be in range.
S. Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 113
*****
Q. Say Shadowblade, or some other Assassin, is in a unit that is charged
by a Fear-causing creature.
The unit fails its Fear test and requires 6's to hit. Does the Assassin
also require 6's to hit, or do you make a separate test on his own,
probably higher, Leadership? In other words, the Assassin cannot pass
on his Leadership to the unit, but does the unit in effect pass on its
Leadership to him?
A. If, for some reason, a Character does not pass hi Ld on to a unit he
has joined, then he may make a separate Ld test. In most cases, this
rule won't make a difference; if the unit flees (from Terror or Panic,
for example), the Character has to flee with it, regardless of Ld
values.
S. Warhammer Chronicles 2004 page 113
*****
TERROR
Q. Is there a limit to the amount of Terror tests a unit is
forced to take?
A. Yes, each unit is only forced to take one Terror test per
BATTLE. After taking the first Terror test, units treat Terror
causing units as causing Fear.
S. Rulebook page 81
*****
Q. If a unit is charged by a Terror causing creature (or a unit wants
to charge a Terror causing creature), does the unit have to take both a
Terror and a Fear test?
A. No. Just a Terror test.
S. Rulebook page 82
*****
STUPIDITY
Q. What happens if a stupid unit wanders off the board?
A. It counts as having fled the table, and thus the enemy gets the
victory points.
S. Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the
Games Workshop Warhammer Forum)
*****
Q. Can a unit suffering from stupidity elect to flee?
A. No.
S. Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the
Games Workshop Warhammer Forum)
*****
Q. If a character that is suffering stupidity is part of a unit that is
not stupid, does the character force the unit to stumble forwards, or
does he leave the unit, allowing the unit to operate as normal?
A. The entire unit stumbles forward at half the character's movement
value or the unit's base movement value, whichever is lower.
S. Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the
Games Workshop Warhammer Forum)
*****
FRENZY
Q. When exactly do you move frenzied units?
A. Follow this sequence:
1) Declare normal charges; 2) Measure to see if frenzied units must
charge, declare charges for those that have to; 3) Move chargers;
4) Move frenzied chargers.
S. Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team
*****
Q. Are the target units of forced frenzied charges allowed
charge reactions as normal?
A. Yes, forced frenzied charges are treated as normal charges in
regards to charge reactions. See the Q&A above for the proper
sequence of executing frenzied charges.
S. Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation
*****
Q. Would a frenzied unit which lost a combat, auto-break from a
outnumbering fear causing enemy in the same round?
A. First, Frenzied units that lose combat always take break tests,
just like any other unit. Second, the break test isn't to see if you
are defeated. If you have to take a break test you are already
defeated, that's what losing the combat resolution means. So
regardless of the outcome of a break test, a frenzied unit has
already lost its frenzy, just by having to take one.
An outnumbering fear causing enemy will therefore normally
break a formerly frenzied unit, as the state of frenzy is lost
prior to having to take a break test.
S. Rulebook pages 71, 84
*****
Q. Can a unit be frenzied while fleeing (with the use of spells)?
A. No. If for some reason they should still be affected by frenzy,
they regain it as soon as they rally.
S. Anthony Reynolds - Warhammer Design Team (Online Q&A on the
Games Workshop Warhammer Forum)
*****
HATRED
Q. Situation: Unit A is hates the enemy and is engaged in combat
with enemy unit B. The combat between Units A and B ends up a draw,
and in the following turn Unit A is then charged in the flank by enemy
Unit C (which unit A also hates). Will the previously unengaged models
in unit A get to utilize the first round of combat re-rolls vs. Unit C?
A. No, only unit C counts as in "first round of combat" in the situation
above. All models in a unit fight together and unit A is no longer in
"first round of combat" since it was fighting unit B in a previous turn.
S. Rulebook pages 67, 84 / Direwolf FAQ Council Interpretation
*****
IMMUNE TO PSYCHOLOGY
Q. Can a unit that's immune to psychology (or unbreakable or frenzied,
both which also count as immune to psychology) flee from a charge?
A. No
S. Rulebook page 112.
*****
Q. In a situation where a character that is immune to psychology,
frenzied, or unbreakable is attached to a unit that suffers from
psychology (e.g. A Chaos Exhalted Champion with the Mark of Slaanesh
attached to a unit of Marauders) can the unit voluntarily declare "flee"
as the charge reaction, or must the unit hold due to the presence of the
character?
A. The unit may voluntarily declare "flee" as a charge reaction.
It is the unit which declares the charge reaction (and not the character)
and the immunity to psychology of the character does not transfer to the
unit. Also, if they didn't choose to flee but were forced to, the
character would be dragged along anyway.
S. Gav Thorpe - Warhammer Design Team
*****
Q. Do fleeing units have to take additional psychology tests?
A. No.
S. Rulebook page 76
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