[Bug Reports] Dwarfs

[ghstgry]

First off, I greatly respect and appreciate the time and effort you and your associates put into making the ArmyBuilder data files for us. I don't argue to be a pain in the ass or to prove superiority. I do so in the hopes of making the files and the game as accurate as possible for everyone else using them. That way we can avoid problems for folks like Ullr and his opponents.

I think I now understand the confusion here, and the logic that the army book author used when writing things as he did. I believe Ed and I are on the same page here, but let me explain my thoughts and we'll compare.

Ancestral Heirlooms are unique, highly revered items passed down for millennia. As such, these items are (and should be) likely possessed solely by the aristocracy of the Dwarf people. Hence, when the army list entry for Lords/Thanes/Runelords/Runesmiths says, "May take a combination of Ancestral Heirlooms and runic weapons, armour and talismans...", it inherently implies how special the Heirlooms are. Lords and Thanes are clan rulers, and the Runemasters are held in VERY high regard by Dwarf society in general. As such, they've earned the right to carry such precious artifacts of the Dwarf people.

Now compare that to the Slayer characters, who are limited to "runic weapons". Given that a Slayer's entire purpose of going into battle is to die a glorious death, I sincerely doubt that the Dwarf aristocracy would consent to letting a precious Heirloom item enter the battlefield knowing that its wielder is most likely going to die in solo combat. So in that regard, I can understand why the "Heirloom" has been omitted from their entries. The runic items available to champion-class Dwarfs, while being primarily restricted by points available, would also not be "allowed" to carry such precious items into combat, as they don't have the pedigree to have earned such an honor.

So then yes, I think it's perfectly reasonable to say that only Lords/Heroes which explicitly list the availability of Heirlooms can carry them. Otherwise, no, they can't.

Regarding the BoLH, I believe that only the BSB should be able to carry it, as a Slayer unit would not likely be granted such a boon. As Ed points out, it's poor wording on GW's part to not include Heirlooms in the description of the BSB. However, given that the BSB can only be a Thane, then through the rules for the character himself he should be allowed to carry the BoLH. So it's really a simple extension of logic that would allow it to happen.