I did a bit more digging and reading of the codex and rule book and found that the leadership value used for the abyssal staff is off majority leadership. Due to how it is worded you replace the toughness of the target with its leadership to wound therefore is not a leadership test. as per the rule book the only time it mentions using the highest number for a test is if it has multiple numbers in the same profile such as tomb blades 4(5) for toughness and leadership tests. The leadership test is the only time the highest leadership value in a squad is used by the rule book is during the leadership test as described on page 13 of the brb. Since the abyssal staff does not cause a leadership check the bulk value as per page 34 of the brb for majority toughness since the shroud of despair is a substitution rule which substitutes instances of toughness for leadership for the purpose of rolling to wound and instant death.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 06:05:39 +0000