Troll Terrible Stench?

[DrDemento]

How do you interpret this rule?

"Terrible Stench: Your opponent must subtract 1 from any hit roll made by one of their models that targets a Troll Hag in the combat phase."

Does your opponent pick one of their models to suffer the stench effect or do all their models that attack suffer the effect or?

thanks!

D

[shadowgra]

The entire unit, not matter how many models it has, is affected

[Soup Dragon]

Have to disagree with shadowgra. The RAW seem clear to me. The key bits are "made by ONE of their models" and "in the combat phase". It grieves me terribly to say that it's only ONE enemy Model that is affected as the Troll Hag has been pretty underwhelming in all the games I've played using her. 

One bright spark of light though, is that with the release of the new (mostly terrible) point changes from Forgeworld, at least she is 100 points cheaper at only 300 points.

[Furious]

It's a Forgeworld warscroll - you have to assume that it's been poorly edited.

I'd go with the colloquial "one" instead of the literal - like if you were saying across the table "if one of your guys tries to hit the hag, then they'd subtract one to their hit roll." Conversationally, it's the same as saying "if any of your guys..."

This is how FW does things - I've got email responses from them, clarifying rules how they meant them because the literal interpretation of it doesn't make any sense.

[Soup Dragon]

Hmmmm. I agree that some of the Forgeworld rule writing is sloppy, but applying your own interpretation to a rule that is clearly written (but badly thought out) is to open a can of worms of epic proportion. By that logic, pushed to it's extreme, I can apply any interpretation to any rule. That way madness lies. It's why we have played RAW for so many editions of so many games even if the rule is clearly stupid. If the rules are open to personal, individual interpretation then there's always some gamey swine who will argue a silly view and make everyones life miserable. Even in a friendly game between mates this laxness leads to ill feeling.
So I am sticking with my original point. The words are clear. Play by the words. If Forgeworld issue an FAQ or errata that changes it then fine, we all play by the new RAW.
I really, really want to use my fully painted Troll Hag more, but wishful thinking about the rules isn't the way to do it.

[Furious]

10 minutes ago, Soup Dragon said:

By that logic, pushed to it's extreme, I can apply any interpretation to any rule.

Yeah, you could do that, but we're not talking about trying to game the language of a rule, we're discussing an interpretation and likely intention. Safe bet is to go with only one model. But that rule doesn't make any sense in the context of the game, or other rules.

However, it's worth pointing out that the Fellwater Troggoth's ability of the same name is worded the the same as the Troll Hag's. So FW's notoriously terrible editing is moot at this point.

 

[BrAiKo]

Why would a stench only affect one model?  Clearly that's not the intention.

[Fungrim]

Awful rule-writing sadly, but you would expect it to say 'any' if it really meant multiple. 'one' sounds very singular in this sentence (and I REALLY want a Troll Hag...)

[Nico]

This looks analogous to the common "a" = "any" issue we've seen elsewhere (e.g. Gnarlroot). 

It's quite distinct from say Dryads, where you do pick a unit for a +1 to hit modifier.

[DrDemento]

If go with then singular "one" interpretation, then the question becomes "who chooses" the one?  

Narratively, would the Troll ****** in one model's general direction?  Or do the attackers push one of their comrades into the zone of stench?

My opponent last night made a good point on why stench should affect all attackers.  The -1 to hit is parallel to the +1 save for stone trolls (and the 6 magic save).  

 

[meet.the.doctor]

Well if we go in this direction that someone chooses which model is attacked and affected by the stench, why would we take another model (from the back) when 1 model was killed. The one from the back never got attacked, why it would have to be taken down. And people do it. Or accumulate all -1 to hit from all Troggoths from unit to ONE attacking model (if you can choose one- why not) making it -3 to hit.


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[Nico]

The fact that it doesn't include a mechanism for choosing which model is another sign that it means all models. 

[Paul Buckler]

Another reason for it to effect all models, is the fact it does not specify it unit (of trolls) by unit.  So if you had 6 units of trolls who all charged, only 1 model over the entire battlefield would be effected!