Wound allocation in 6th ed

Just read this on BOLS:

"Armies that have access to resilient, good save (particularly when you can give said model a reroll on armor and/or FnP) characters can place that model out front, and just take saves on him and him alone until he fails one, and then use Look Out, Sir! to soak the wound on a chump on a 2+."

Sounds terrible... is there anything that prevents this from happening?

don't think so, but you might be risking expensive characters to a hail of fire and be put down by lowly guardsmen. On the other hand, it might encourage people to put their characters forward - which should be the case. Lead from the front!

This is where the phrase, "flanking their ranks" comes into play.

If you knew the opponent is going to use this trick, just shoot them at the sides. That character can'be at all places at once.

Premeasuring helps in determining whether who is nearest to you before moving/shooting/assaulting.

word! cool tactical terms like flanking are beginning to creep into 40k. Nice

Seems like you can't really abuse LoS rules:

What this means is yes characters (independent and non) can tank shots at the front and spread wounds amongst the squad (particularly multi-wound units). This gets around the closest to closest allocation rule but leaves the character more vulnerable. HOWEVER, characters must elect to do this at the appropriate moment which is ALLOCATION. This is defined as two different points depending upon the make-up of the unit's armor save values. Characters are therefore much better at doing this when their save is different (hopefully better) from the squad's as it gives more freedom of allocation to the controlling player.

http://www.3plusplus.net/2012/07/back-to-basics-removing-models-from.html#more

Reading just the conclusion.. it's not clear enough.

1. In a unit with same saves, they roll the saves together, then "Allocate" the unsaved wounds accordingly. If the unsaved wound reaches a character, then it makes Look out, Sir rolls. Since they are already unsaved, models taking Look out, Sir wounds will die.

2. In a unit with different saves, they roll saves accordingly. Ie, Calgar and his unit of guards take 30 wounds from shooting. Calgar is right in front, the player has to now "Allocate" the wounds; which is now whether for Calgar to take it, or use Look out, Sir, and take a save against this wound.

3. In essence, a character cannot take a save, after failing that save, he cannot Look out, Sir roll.

Is what this article is suggesting? TL;DR so I read only parts of it and the comments giving their thoughts.

Jake sums it all right

How come the rules says if any wounds (or unsaved wounds) been allocated to a character, they can use look out sir?

Sounds like player can choose to save with character. if fail, then can opt to use look out sir?

From BOLS article, it does suggest it works that way though.

i did a test game, my de can flank easily.

In the previous turn i had my ravager take out a rhino, then my csm moved up close to my jet bikes, in the next turn I did a maneuver to have my jet bikes behind this csm squad which i kept my Champion... a bonus to that is my blade vanes took out one csm marine while zooming pass them, fired off my weapons and make sure mr champion did not live to smash:D

Kinda epic looking scene tho was like waaahhhh

As I just summarised, sometimes when you "allocate" wounds, emphasis on the term "allocate", it is different when you have a unit with same armour saves than a unit with different saves and usually different multiple wound models.

The article quotes the pages where it shows WHEN you allocate them.

A unit of same armour saves allocate "UNSAVED" wounds because you roll all the saves first together instead allocating them before you take saves, which the reason is to save time.

Now a more complex unit, let's say Joe(IC) has 2+ armour, and 5 Jakes have 4+ armour. The unit suffers 10 wounds, Because Joe has 5 wounds, the rules says you "ALLOCATE" the 5 wounds from the wound pool first before throwing saves.

Look out, Sir rolls are made when you "ALLOCATE" wounds. So if Joe wishes to do that, you have to allocate how many wounds the Look out, Sir dice are to be rolled and how many saves Joe should take.

Continuing in the example, 4 wounds is allocated to Joe to take for his 2+ armour save, whilst the other 6 will try to be allocated to Jake instead of him on a 2+.

Joe succesfully made 5 Look out, Sir rolls, Joe then rolls 5 armour saves, failed all and die. (For comedic effect)

The 5 Jakes take the 5 Look out, Sir wounds and rolls for saves, only one survived, which could be anyone since you can choose which models within 6" of Joe.

Therefore the rule includes wounds (and unsaved wounds). Imagine if Look out, Sir! rolls can be made after failing a save, ie. a unit with 5 Independent Characters, unit suffers one wound, 1st IC fails a safe then take a Lo,S! roll, 2nd IC takes it, fails a safe, takes a Lo,S! roll... by this reasoning you can endlessly loop the wound around the unit until someone actually fails his Lo,S! roll.

I thought it says only 1 Lo,S roll can be made per wound?

Mmm I'm confused, did you misunderstood when I said "Look out, Sir dice" for one die? Singular - Die, Plural - Dice?

If it's the 5 ICs example, it's still one Lo,S! roll per wound, since each character is different and makes a different Lo, S! for that wound. But I guess since one Lo,S! per wound than it's only possible to do it untill the 5th IC. Then again, it's not legal to do so. A switch of the sentence could mean the same either way; one wound per Lo,S! roll.

When that happens, just resolve it model by model basis with the closest model first.

Confused again, what are you referring to? Let's just forget the ICs example I give.

Are we clear that in a complex unit, we can't fail a save and then give it to someone else with Look out, Sir! AFTER allocating wounds?

Your examples were not very clear on the endless loop of LOS.
Not just me but my colleague T.Hijiri was confused as well. No offense.

I was clear to me after looking on the net with a better explanation.

"Basically Look Out Sir triggers immediately on the *allocation*.
So no taking a save and then LOS."

None taken, it was not really a good example anyways.