So I think I have been playign this wrong in the past, but the wording on the rule is unclear. wanted to get opinions from those here who know more rules than I do before I try to use it in my games...

The question is, can an IC ride in an empty dedicated transport at the beginning of the round? I have always thought yes, and have done it a few times with my Wolves, especially on dawn of war setups. I would have a grey hunter squad on a hill, and then a rhino with a runepriest in it.

But I was thinking about it, and I'm not sure an IC is allowed to ride the dedicated transport if he's not actually attached to the unit. looked up the wording this morning, and it didn't clear it up very well. the dedicated transport box in the rules says that only the squad that the transport was purchased for "(plus any Independent character)" may start the game inside.

So this wording is a little confusing. does it mean the squad and attached ICs? it doesn't say attached anywhere in the rule. it says any IC. the confusing word is "plus". in this context does it mean attached, or does it mean and/or any IC?

Logically it makes sense to me that the IC should get to ride the transport. but rules don't always follow logic in this game. makes sense that a commander could take a transport from his troops if needed.

Doesn't come up a whole lot, because most people want their ICs attached to something. I've done it a few times in dawn of war scenarios to protect an IC I needed on the table ASAP.

Real reason I need to know now is for my webway Harlequin army. I have one of my two gate caddies riding in on my trueborn's venom. I have been attaching the caddy to the trueborn, but that forces my blasters to be very close to the enemy with no other targets nearby. I have been losing my poor trueborn every game as they sacrifice themselves to get a portal on the table. So I want to keep the Trueborn in reserves to come out of a gate later on, leaving just the heamonculus in the venom at the start of the round. that way I only sacrifice my venom and cheap heamonculus instead of having to give up my anti-tank as well. the fluff in the DE codex says that many paranoid DE nobles take venoms as their personal transports, but there is no way to buy one as a transport for any HQ choice.

So which way is the right way to do it? do I have to begin the round inside the transport with my trueborn, or can I put "any IC" in my transport at the beginning of the game?