Mighty Blow - and what I think about it!

There are two starting points:-

1. Just because that's the way it has been done in the past doesn't mean that there isn't a better way to do it. If there is then the better way should be adopted. It's fair to say that this approach to life has caused some conflict and not only in wargaming. People don't like being disrupted or being told that what they are doing isn't the best way of doing it. But works for me.

2.GW's rules are always a hotch-potch. This comes about because they write a set of rules and then they start inventing lots of Special rules that apply only to certain characters, units etc. Quite often the general rules and the special rules intersect and create a problem. Historically GW fixed these by writing an FAQ that actually changed the rules.

Now in my opinion Mighty Blow is one of those Special Rules that doesn't fit well with the General Rules.

If you look at the wording for the rule is says -

' Add 1 to any Armour roll or Injury roll made by a player with this skill when an opponent is Knocked Down by this player during a block. Note that you only modify one of the dice rolls, so if you decide to use Mighty Blow to modify the Armour roll, you may not modify the Injury roll as well'

If you play it per the general rule that you apply a Skill after the initial dice roll is known, then it's a bit odd. Once you know the roll of the dice in what sense are you making a decision? A decision requires at least 2 viable alternatives to decide between. But that's not the case once you know the roll - if you rolled equal to your opponent's armour (or 7 if you have Claws) then you will always use MB to break the armour. The alternative (no, I'll let you off this time!) isn't viable. Equally if you beat the opponent's armour you'll always apply MB to the Injury Roll (no, I don't want to hurt you so I'll just beat your Armour by more instead).

If that's the way MB is supposed to work the rule could have been something like:-

'Add 1 to the Armour roll if you don't beat your opponent's Armour with the initial roll. Otherwise add 1 to the Injury roll.' That would have been shorter, and to the point, and clear. That whole sentence starting 'Note' and ending 'as well' in the actual rule is redundant on this interpretation.

The only way the second sentence of that rule makes any sense or has any point is if there is a real decision to make - do I want to increase my chances of breaking armour or do I want to save the effect so that if I break the armour I increase my chances of causing a Knock Out and Casualty result? And that decision only exists BEFORE dice are rolled.

Now there are situations in Blood Bowl where you do have to make a decision before dice are rolled. A good example is that you have to say what action a Big Guy is taking before you roll to see if he'll do it. And it's a real decision as it means you can lose your Blitz for that turn and what the action is sometimes affects the roll required.

Equally there are situations where choosing whether to use a skill after dice have been rolled is a real decision. If you throw an inaccurate Pass, you have to weigh up whether it's better to let that stand or re-roll using the Pass skill and risk a fumble. And others where it isn't - who doesn't use Dodge to re-roll a failed Dodge roll?

So the general rule isn't so universal that it always applies. There are situations where it's breached - eg Big Guys- and others where there is no decision - eg Dodge.

So to sum up:-

The general rule that applies skills after the initial dice roll is inconsistent with the specific wording of the MB rule. The way that has been played to date is to ignore the specific words of the rule and treat it like any other skill. I think it is arguable that you should prefer the specific over the general and that would mean a decision being made before dice are rolled. And I think that would make MB a more interesting skill and be a better way forward. Which takes me back to my very first point.

Regards

C