I had always thought that characteristics were mandatory - if they were included in the list you included them in the army builder and paid the points - even if e.g. stakes, you had no intention of using them.
I note that in the new army lists the heading is "optional characteristics".
Have I been doing this wrong - can you elect to take them or not?
I cannot find anything in the rules or the lists to confirm either way.
Characteristics have always fallen into two categories. For a particular UG a characteristic may either be mandatory or optional. Mandatory characteristics have to be taken. You can always choose whether to take optional characteristics or not.
This has always been the case since the first set of MEG army lists were published.
Richard
Thanks Richard - where does it define which are which, please?
I can see for example in the early 100 years war English that in the Troop notes it mention that optional barricades are allowed. But in the Sengoku Japanese ( which we're about to get on the table) there is no reference to the Barricades being optional (yet they were not automatically deployed historically).
Quote from: Nick2729 on April 03, 2021, 02:50:58 PM
Thanks Richard - where does it define which are which, please?
I can see for example in the early 100 years war English that in the Troop notes it mention that optional barricades are allowed. But in the Sengoku Japanese ( which we're about to get on the table) there is no reference to the Barricades being optional (yet they were not automatically deployed historically).
Nick,
look at the column headers in the troop tables: They read "Melee Weaponry", "Mandatory Characteristics", "Base PTS", "Optional Characteristics"
The Mandatory Characteristics are the ones you have to take and the Optional Characteristics are the ones you can choose if you have a use for them (and the points!)
So in your Sengoku Japanese lists Barricades are in the Optional Characteristics column and are thus not compulsory.
Hope that helps
Steve
Ah, brilliant. Thanks Steve - all clear now. :)