And again, what about other ideas?

Extra BMs when failing activations.
2+ initative but fearless when holding
engage on a failed activation

etc, etc etc.

There are plenty of other possibilities, and I don't understand why you're so attached to this one overcomplicated version that you admit doesn't even represent the background all that well. You're not even entertaining other solutions.

Engaging on a failed activation fits the background better than your suggestion and is simpler, for example.

All workable.
Some maybe not as cool.
Some certain to change the army style greatly (Anything based around 2+ initiative).


It's no more complicated than the Ork initiative/rallying rule system.


It represents the background better than the current rule (Which just makes them better with no drawbacks at all) and better than the 40k rules (Which again just makes them better with only very minor drawbacks)...


I am, but I'd like to test this rule first because I like it as a solution.

That's how the rules development works, you pick a favoured option and test it to see if it works.

Maybe I won't like it in practice, or maybe it'll turn out to be really characterful.


And it's also an option.

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Which is the primary special rule for a whole race, not a minor fluff rule for a varient list which also has ATSKNF. The orc rules also affect every single activation and every single time they rally. How often do marines fail an activation when they have a supreme commander?

Let's assume 10 activations on turn 1, 8 on turn 2 and 6 on turn 3. If even half of them are on 2+ then that's 12 rolls, 2 fails, 1 rerolled to success. That's one time this rule will come up in the whole game.



And yet other options represent it better and are simpler.

It'll come up in every single game because you always have a Death Company formation.

Other formations may also dip into the Red Thirst on occasion.


I do not contest that there are simpler options.

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Then there's the bizarreness of Death Company using the Engage order to move around rather than Advance. That is a built in loophole in the rule.

Which is also built in to any "Engage if Activation Test roll is failed" solution.
Only now you've got the whole army doing it.

Sometimes you can take a bug, a re-label it a feature.

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Actually most "engage on hold" suggestions include a clause saying that they must engage and move at full speed towards the closest enemy formation precisely to remove this "feature".

Note how this also gets devestators running into close combat

This could work... but how often do you really Marshall compared to Engage... like the Death Company rule it turns out to be a flat power increase rather than a "curse".

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It doesn't nessesarily have to be represented at all, of course, but if the Red Thirst is to be represented, it should be a curse, sometimes beneficial but also concretely harmful.


+1 to Engage, May Never March?*


*They lose track of the mission whilst they're busy killing.

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Okay that's good. I think that can go in regardless.


Just trying to find a true "curse" that, unlike the current rule, or your latest proposal, isn't a flat boost in power.


The background is clear, the "curse" of the Blood Angels is a huge problem for them, it doesn't just make them better at fighting.

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