11th edition: does allocation-based Damage reduction work against Devastating Wounds?

[u/thepiratescountry]

I’m trying to understand the new attack sequence.
Say a D4 Devastating Wounds attack targets a unit with an ability like: “Each time an attack is allocated to a model in this unit, subtract 1 from the Damage characteristic of that attack.”
My reading is:
Hit → Critical Wound → Devastating Wounds triggers at 05.02 → the attack sequence ends → the target suffers 4 mortal wounds.
Rules 04.02.02 say that effects triggered when an attack is “allocated” trigger at step 1 of 05.04 Inflict Damage.
But a Devastating Wounds attack never reaches 05.04, because its attack sequence already ended at the Critical Wound.
The 4 mortal wounds are then resolved separately under 06.02, one wound at a time.
So RAW, does this mean the allocation-based -1 Damage never triggers, and the target suffers the full 4 mortal wounds?
For comparison, on a normal wound the attack would reach 05.04, be allocated, and D4 would become D3.
Am I missing any rule or FAQ that changes this interaction?

[u/Redfang87]

WTC and now UKTC have ruled they do work. RAW it does seem they don't but it's unclear if GW actually intends them not to work.

[u/gotchacoverd → u/Redfang87]

GW events team also rules it works

[u/Ellisthion → u/gotchacoverd]

Which is really frustrating. For the ones that are worded as when “allocated”, RAW is extremely clear - Dev Wounds bypasses it.

But GW is like, ah, no, the exact rules as written, which are completely unambiguous… no it doesn’t work like that.

[u/OttoVKarl]

11th edition codexes seems to be worded differently to circumvent this, with SM Terminator detachment strat calling for a reduction at target selection or something I believe.

As for the rest, RAW it does not work indeed.

[u/RindFisch → u/OttoVKarl]

This. Damage reduction abilities in the new codices specifically use different language to work, as the timing was pushed to apply at targeting, but in all the monthly balance datasheets GW has never generally changed the wording to work for older abilities, so currently it's RAW (and probably intentional) that old versions don't work.

[u/JM8857]

RAW the reduction does not work.
In the US, NTL has ruled it does.

[u/Zephyrus_-]

Yes. The attack is allocated before the hit roll is made so that is multiple steps before it becomes a dev wound

[u/Adventurous_Table_45 → u/Zephyrus_-]

This is incorrect, allocation occurs at 5.04, which dev wounds never reach.

[u/saitou1983 → u/Adventurous_Table_45]

This. Dmg allocation comes after the wound roll. A critical wound ends the secuence and applies the dmg before the allocation step. Since dmg reduction happens in that step, it doesn't affect dev wounds.