N18 Servo harnesses (partial or full) with Escher Cutters or bikes... are they mutually exclusive?

[AlexEthereal]

Hi!

First post - please be kind!

So, I was wondering about mixing a servo harness, for the added toughness, with a Cutter bike, for the mobility. The servo harness rules state the following caveats;

"...a fighter wearing a partial servo harness reduces their Movement and Initiative by 1. This item cannot be combined with a servo claw or any other type of servo harness."

And

"... a fighter wearing a full servo harness gains all of the benefits of a partial servo harness, but without the negative modifiers to Movement and Initiative. This item cannot be combined with a servo claw or any other type of servo harness."

The Cutter has the following;

"This Wargear cannot be combined with any other Wargear that affects a fighter's movement."

If im reading this right, the FULL harness (that does not affect movement) wouldnt restrict the use of the Cutter... Am I reading this right? Because if so I'm about to have a very scary Deathmaiden (not that they're not already scary!)

Alyx

 

[katfezza]

Yes, strictly by the rules you are correct. I think the intent was to prevent bonus movement like stimm slug stash and the like affecting mounts, but it also then prevents negatives like the partial harness. Might be best to check with your campaign arbitrator of course.

 

[Beebopalulla]

Hi!

First post - please be kind!

So, I was wondering about mixing a servo harness, for the added toughness, with a Cutter bike, for the mobility. The servo harness rules state the following caveats;

"...a fighter wearing a partial servo harness reduces their Movement and Initiative by 1. This item cannot be combined with a servo claw or any other type of servo harness."

And

"... a fighter wearing a full servo harness gains all of the benefits of a partial servo harness, but without the negative modifiers to Movement and Initiative. This item cannot be combined with a servo claw or any other type of servo harness."

The Cutter has the following;

"This Wargear cannot be combined with any other Wargear that affects a fighter's movement."

If im reading this right, the FULL harness (that does not affect movement) wouldnt restrict the use of the Cutter... Am I reading this right? Because if so I'm about to have a very scary Deathmaiden (not that they're not already scary!)

Alyx

This is devilishly clever but how the model will work?

Someone had a similar idea with a Orrus Spyder on a jet bike if I remember in an hive secundum campaign.

I just can't see it .

 

[Lunarcruiser]

Hi!

First post - please be kind!

Fresh Meat! Summon the Hungry Hungry Hippos!!!! (Corpse Grinders).
Seriously welcome to the Tribe. Enjoy the Bonkers madness

So, I was wondering about mixing a servo harness, for the added toughness, with a Cutter bike, for the mobility. The servo harness rules state the following caveats;

"...a fighter wearing a partial servo harness reduces their Movement and Initiative by 1. This item cannot be combined with a servo claw or any other type of servo harness."

And

"... a fighter wearing a full servo harness gains all of the benefits of a partial servo harness, but without the negative modifiers to Movement and Initiative. This item cannot be combined with a servo claw or any other type of servo harness."

The Cutter has the following;

"This Wargear cannot be combined with any other Wargear that affects a fighter's movement."

Note the Full servo harness states "all the benefits of a partial harness but without the negative modifiers do Movement and Initiative". (Key words here are "benefit" and "negative modifiers").
Note the cutter says "affects a fighters Movement".
Bit of GW word ambiguity there leaving it open to certain interpretations. (If you are new to Games workshop, especially Necromunda, brace yourself. It happens a lot).
If the sentence wants to say that the wearer gains the benefits of the partial harness and none of the penalties then they should have used an antonym of "benefits" (the no combining servos bit is in a separate sentence).
Instead of an antonym, such as "drawbacks", they instead specifically addressed it as "negative modifiers".
This does not mean that the fighter has no modifiers to their Movement and Initiative. Just not a negative one. Instead of dancing in heels they are in flats. Both are still shoes.
Essentially it means they have a Movement modified by +/-0. Movement is still affected but not in a positive or negative manner just a neutral one.

That was just a grammatical point.
If they used an antonym it would remove the penalty instead it changes the modifier from a negative to neutral.

Feel free to not agree with the grammar point. I doubt that GW really puts that much thought into every sentence they write. Essentially they tend to just grab the previous text and re print it in the new book without editing properly and looking how then old rule could interact with the new one.
There are many other examples of such confusion of sentence structures from transplanting old rules into new books without editing, don't get me started on the Combi trait or special ammo types.

Of course it could be interpreted that the Full harness cancels the Penalty to Movement and Initiative in which case it would fine, but that is not quite what the grammar and word choice says. (It would be simpler though).
This would be a incredibly expensive choice however. 130 for the harness and a minimum of 160 for the cutter. Plus the Death maiden and her stuff.

If im reading this right, the FULL harness (that does not affect movement) wouldnt restrict the use of the Cutter... Am I reading this right? Because if so I'm about to have a very scary Deathmaiden (not that they're not already scary!)

Alyx

So in conclusion based on the Quotes you gave there answer is No
And Yes.
Welcome to Necromunda Grammar annoyances.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

@AlexEthereal
On re reading the Cutter rules it gets even more convoluted.
The Cutter "increases their Movement characteristic to 9" (Capitalism of Movement). This ties it to the M characteristic your fighter has. A noun in this case. 9"
The end sentence of the paragraph says "affects a fighters movement" (Not capitalised this time). This describes the physical action of moving instead. An Adjective on this case.
It's a problem when two things use the same word for different things. For example, sorry to use real world politics here, take the Green party and the colour green. Both use the word green but one is a party the other is a colour.

The servo harness, both types, use Movement, capitalised, so tie thier changes to the noumed Characteristic. Not the physical act of moving.
So by that interpretation either servo harness can be used with the cutter

Other items do affect the adjective action of moving, Heavy Carapace armour as it affects the Charge action and Ceramite Shield as it alters the Move (simple) action. Displacer fields move the fighter affecting movement so they are out as well, no blinking teleport bikes. Drop rigs, and Grapnel launchers give other available Actions to move thus affecting movement so they are out as well.

By this interpretation all the various Chem options that affect the Movement Characteristic can also be used on cutters as they affect the Noun rather than the action.