How does blocking really work with shields of realms of man?

[technomagez]

So got into an argument with a newer play today over a game in TTS. Here is the situation:
I attack with some berserkers into his NW vets with shields attached. He controls the money bags. I roll 6 hits. He uses the counterattack order. He rolls a 3 on the D3 for shields, now here is the rules questions:
He says he gets to roll 6 defense dice vs the attack. Everyone I have seen who plays shields would remove the 3 block hits from shields and roll 3 defense dice, but he points to page 17 on the rule book. If you follow the steps on page 17, it just says you roll a number of defense dice equal to the number of hits the attacker got on their attack roll, it doesn't say to roll a number of defense dice equal to their "unblock hits" and no where in the rulebook does it say a block hit, removes the hit. The rulebook even has a few places that talk about "unblocked hits" vs hits, so that makes it seem like a "hit is a hit, no matter if it is blocked or not, it is still considered a hit, it is just that unblock hits causes wounds". So how many defense dice should he be rolling ?

A. 3 defense dice
B. 6 defense dice (if B can you get more blocks than hits in regard to counterattack?)

 

[Maelstrom74]

Of course it's B, the guy is just trying to go into severe technicalities so he doesn't get smashed. I see what he was trying to do and where his logic comes from. But in the end he only rolls three defense die. As a NW player myself that's how I've always played it. As it is auto-blocking three hits is pretty damn OP, especially with the vets. So long story short I agree with you lol, it should be 3 defense dice.

 

[Joken]

As a NW player my interpretation is:
You: Roll 6 hits
Me: I either I play Shields of Men, or have it as a Vow activated by the Wealth zone so I remove d3 of your hits. In this case 3 of your hits never made it so I roll 3 defence dice.
You: Realise the error of your ways, acknowledge the superiority of the Watch and withdraw ??????
Simples.

The rules are all about the timing of each action. My action happens immediately after your rolls to hit and before I roll defence dice so my action has reduced the number of defence rolls I have to make as it has reduced the number of hits I have taken.

That’s my interpretation. As an NW player I’d be delighted if I was wrong, but as I said the rules are constructed around the order of events. In this case I interrupted the normal order and reduced the number of hits which is to my benefit. I can’t then benefit from defence dice from hits that never hit. Bonkers??????

 

[Maelstrom74]

As a NW player my interpretation is:
You: Roll 6 hits
Me: I either I play Shields of Men, or have it as a Vow activated by the Wealth zone so I remove d3 of your hits. In this case 3 of your hits never made it so I roll 3 defence dice.
You: Realise the error of your ways, acknowledge the superiority of the Watch and withdraw ������
Simples.

The rules are all about the timing of each action. My action happens immediately after your rolls to hit and before I roll defence dice so my action has reduced the number of defence rolls I have to make as it has reduced the number of hits I have taken.

That’s my interpretation. As an NW player I’d be delighted if I was wrong, but as I said the rules are constructed around the order of events. In this case I interrupted the normal order and reduced the number of hits which is to my benefit. I can’t then benefit from defence dice from hits that never hit. Bonkers������

Always good to meet a fellow man of the watch. I also agree completely with our puny opponents second action.