Every so often I see comments on whether or not an EotG gets 4 skinks + priest or 5 skinks + priest based on the interpretation of the word "displaces". People in the 5 skink + priest camp tend to argue that, like assassins in the DE list, the model "displaced" by the skink priest stays on the engine. While skimming the Beasts of Chaos army book, I found an interesting counterpoint: "When permitted, a Tuskgor Chariot can carry a single character, who displaces the Bestigor warrior automatically. The displaced warrior is lost and his value is not refunded" In this case, displaces explicitly means that a model disappears, in contrast to the use of the word in the DE army book.
Yeah displaced in chariots usually means removes one of the crew. GW have used the word to mean both things, which is a bit silly but I guess it is different authors on different books. The way I see it, if the 'displacement' happens well before the battle, as is the case for chariots and the steg, then the model displaced was simply never there once the depoyment starts. The DE assassin appears during the battle, so definitely arrives next to an existing model rather than as an existing model. A model isn't going to vanish from the battlefield. Also, all the EotG that GW have made have had 4 skinks and a priest, and hell I wouldn't want to try to fit an extra model on an already cramped machine.
Our gaming group came across this problem aswell (having both DE and Lizardmen players ) and we looked up the word displace in the dictionary. According to the definition, a model should be removed from the unit/crew. So that's how we've been playing it, one less Skink, but also one less Shade or Black Guard (which seems like a more than fair trade to me )
Hmm well I just looked at the Dark Elf FAQ to see if anyone had asked about whether the assassin removes a model or not, there is no explicite question but there is one that very strongly implies the answer. The bold bit indicates to me that a Dark Elf assassin most definitely does not cause a model to be removed when he appears. It is rather silly for GW to use the same word to mean two different things, but remember the books are written by different people.
Where exactly does it say that? If it did then this wouldn't even be a discussion. It would be somewhat amusing if everyone on the board missed a line that said that.
CRAP!!! I was SURE it said that... maybe i read it anywhere else. Well, at least i've learned my lesson. I won't post something unless i read the book 1st...
Hmmmm.... I went through it again(the staggy parts) and it's not in there... Now where did I read that... Still though... I'm almost CERTAIN The char. takes the place of a crew... Hey!!! I'm a BRAVE!!!
Yes I am almost certain it does too, especially since all of the GW stegadons are shown with 5 models total even if it includes a character. In fact i'm not sure if there are many people at all that use or try to use 5 + character, it is just a question of how the book is written and poor language and inconsistancy from GW. Its much an academic argument. Congrats on being a brave. I wonder what I am. Edit: Awww I'm a nothing. Oh well.
Yeah, there's like 10 mistakes in spelling in the book. Honestly, don't they have a spellcheck program. And, maybe, just maybe, I read it it a White Dwarf....? Maybe...? Maybe not.
Oh, and Strewart? You are probably a Slann relic priest on carnosaur with kroxigor guards !I'd add more but g2g really fast!!!!