8th Ed. WS 0 and -1 to hit spells

[bobhope99]

Apparently the new dark magic lore can reduce a units WS to 0 so that a unit is hit with no dice roll. My question is if you cast something like iceshard blizzard on a unit in combat with them, IRC if the attack does not roll to hit it only works on a 4+. I don't have my rule book on me at work and am not sure if all of the -1 to hit spells only make shooting attacks that do not roll to hit happen on a 4+. On a similar note, is a stat loss stopped at 0? for instance if skinks lost 3 WS and then gained 3 would they have WS 2 or WS 3?

 

[Lizardmatt]

Apparently the new dark magic lore can reduce a units WS to 0 so that a unit is hit with no dice roll. My question is if you cast something like iceshard blizzard on a unit in combat with them, IRC if the attack does not roll to hit it only works on a 4+. I don't have my rule book on me at work and am not sure if all of the -1 to hit spells only make shooting attacks that do not roll to hit happen on a 4+. On a similar note, is a stat loss stopped at 0? for instance if skinks lost 3 WS and then gained 3 would they have WS 2 or WS 3?

The player who has the current turn determines the sequence.
Stats range from 0 to 10, so you cannot reduce below 0.
On my turn, I'd apply the -3 first (dropping to zero) then add the +3, making me WS3.
On the elf turn, I'd bet it goes the otherway, so I'd be WS2.
Scratch that, I'd not going to buff skinks at all. I've got better plans for my power dice.

-Matt

 

[Qupakoco]

Doesn't the BRB say that a characteristic can never be reduced to less than 1? Is there a DE spell that supersedes that?

 

[Scalenex]

If you don't have to roll dice to hit something, there is no dice to apply -1 to. Similarly the Ark of Sotek snake shooting is not poisonous because no dice are rolled to hit.

 

[Lizardmatt]

Doesn't the BRB say that a characteristic can never be reduced to less than 1? Is there a DE spell that supersedes that?

No.
The rules set a range of 0 to 10.
Random Attacks was FAQ's to be allowed to exceed 10.
Most hexes have a clause that limits "to a minimum of 1". The weapon skill reduction from word of pain does not.
The Strength reduction from Night Goblin netters likewise does not.
The skaven spell Wither reduces Toughness by 1, against with no limit.
IIRC, those are the only 3 reductions in the game that do not have a limit of 1.

-Matt

 

[Bronzino88]

From the brb page 31 under hexs:

"Bonuses and penalties from hex, augment and other spells are cumulative, but normally cannot take any characeristics above 10 or below 1"

So by that ruling unless the spell says it can drop it below 1, imo it stops at 1.

 

[Qupakoco]

^^ Right. That's what I was referring to. Since this is a spell I would think it would have to follow that rule.

Also, IIRC, in the close combat section of the book there is a section where it states that a roll of 6 always hits, regardless of modifiers. So even if you stack Iceshard a whole bunch, a 6 to hit should still go through. There might be a FAQ about that one though.