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.