I'm sure this has been asked many times...if a Steg is hit with a spell requiring an initiative test (I can think of two very nasty ones), does it test on it's own initiative, or the skinks riding it? I seem to recall that mounts test on the rider's initiative... Thanks!
I belive you test on the highest stat of the entire model. Steg vs Dwellers uses Steg Strength. Steg vs Banishment uses Skink Initiative.
actually its a little more complicated than that. it depends on what is hitting the model. template weapons affect all models under the template. in the case of PoS and PS, everyone takes a test seperately. obviously if the steggie bites it, they all go (minus characters, who will live or die on their own merits). for dwellers you would be doing the same thing since it tells you to take a S test for each model in the unit. for our steggies, the skinks are seperate models.
Steg and riders are considered all one model except in the case of template weapon where everone is effected, so would just be 1 test for Dwellers or Pit of Shades on the highest stat in the unit. Page 104 of the Main Rule Book - A character and mount are treated as a Single Character Model for all rules purposes.
except a regular steg doesn't have any characters on it . i was refering to the crew. and isn't pit of shades the one with the small/large template?
Steg and Crew still count as all one model for testing; except for templates and cannon balls. And yes you are 100% correct Pit of Shades is a Template, what I should have used as an example was Banishment and Dwellers Bellow.
O.k., so I think I understand, but just to confirm, spells like Pit of Shades and Dwellers use a template, and therefore the Steg tests on the skink crew's (highest) initiative? Is there ever a case where you would test on the Steg's initiative? Has this been FAQ'd (I'd prefer avoiding an argument, the player I expect to use this against me is a bit of a rules lawyer). Second Steg question - as I own the old metal one - what base does it need to go on? I assume a chariot base...? Honestly, in the upcoming game (1600 points) a steg is a big investment, so I don't want to take it if he can eliminate it in one shot with an initiative test spell.
Pit of Shades and Purple Sun use templates. When something is hit with a template you would roll separately for the mount and everything on it (so you would have to roll individually for each skink/character and the steg). Banishment and Dweller's effect the unit/model and do not use a template so you would use whatever is highest, the steg or skink stat. So dweller's just requires 1 roll at strength 6 for an ancient steg while Purple sun would be 5 at 4 for the skinks and 1 at 1 for the steg (and if you fail the 1 the skinks all die anyway).
Not to be dense here, but even with a template (pit of shades), isn't the whole thing just considered one model because it is a ridden monster? I have to imagine this has been FAQ'd somewhere...
Page 105 - Template weapons hit everything even if it just touches the base of your Steg, a Rock is dropped on you or a Hydra Flames you the same with a cannon ball. it bounces around like the magic JFK bullet and everything takes a S10 hit. Steg question - it is on a 50 x 100 chariot base.