Richard Dewsbery wrote:
> >On the one hand the arguement is that each superheavy weapon should be
> >treated as having a firepower of one; each blast marker causes the loss
> >of one firepower, so it would therefore cause the loss of one death-ray
> >or anti tank shots in the above detachments.
JJ then wrote:
> The first interpratation (sp?) is correct. Each blast marker stops one
> super heavy weapon from firing.
---------------------------------------------------
Let's explore the matter of Blast Markers and weaponry. Consider a
simple situation. All stands have a FP of 1 in the examples.
Example 1:
A detachment with 4 Assault stands, and 3 Normals. It also has 3 Blast
markers.
Assuming it has two targets, one at range 20cm, One at 12 cm.
Its firepower is 7 vs the first, 3 vs the second, or 4 vs the first and
3 vs the second (or 5 and 2 or 6 and 1) less the blast marker penalty.
Question: Is the blast marker penalty applied to each firing? I think
not! Only to the total firepower. So 3 is subtracted. But how is this
allocated? Equally - 2 on 1 and one on another? This is rather complex.
Maybe it should be. Let's Just Say No, because otherwise more complex
situations can arise. Total at all ranges is 7, less 3 = 4, of which no
more than 3 can be fired at the more distant target.
Example 2:
As Example 1, but there's only one target, at 20cm. Firepower is 3-3 =
0....er.... How come the subtraction of the nearer target suddenly
reduced the firepower at long range?
PROPOSAL:
In the firing phase, determine the total Firepower available, counting
every unit in the detachment, if it could fire (whether it has a valid
target or not). Super Heavy Weapons count as 1 FP {or more - the figure
in () if there is one - so a Dominatrix's Beam of Power counts as 3}.
NOW deduct the Barrage markers, allocating them wherever you wish. Thus
a War Engine with a weapon with an FP of 8, and a single Death Ray (1)
would usually allocate the first 8 BPs to the heavy weapon, leaving the
Death Ray intact.
Result:
Example 3:
Consider a detachment of 3 Engines of Vaul vs 10 Land Raiders. Eldar
move behind a ridge. In the shooting phase, the LRs, being vehicles,
have no target. The EofVs, being War Engines and so shooting after all
vehicles, AND ALSO skimmers then pop-up, and obliterate the LRs....
oops. That's another problem.
Start again.
Example 4:
Consider a detachment of 10 Land Raiders carrying 10 Terminators. The
Termies have an FP of 10, but are inside, so cannot fire, whether a
target is presentable or not. Assuming the detachment has a massive 12
Blast Markers, that means only (!) 8 shots, an average of 4 kills on
anything.
Example 5:
As example 4, but the Termies are outside. This means the LRs have 18
shots, the termies zip. EH? How come moving the termies outside suddenly
nearly doubled performance of the LR's Lascannons? OK, so lets assume
the termies count anyway, even if inside.
I'm beginning to think that allocation of BMs should be evened out
somehow. But then that would make most Titans fairly useless, as 4 BMs
means no AT, Death Rays etc.
No, the simplest is to total all the FPs of all the units in the
detachment at all ranges, add the () factors or 1 (whichever is higher)
for SHWs, and that is the budget of FPs + SHW shots that can be expended
in toto vs all targets. Normal range and LOS limitations then apply.
This means that those sponsons on the Shadowswords become very useful. A
single detachment of 3SSs requires 7 BMs before firepower is decreased
appreciably instead of 1.
OTOH..... maybe the opponent should allocate blast markers. Thus SHWs
become far less useful, unless the detachment is not upset by flying
splinters (or gretchin). They become specialists, vulnerable to
Counter-Battery fire. And Titans etc will have a reason NOT to have an
all Death-Ray warload, but some form of mixture. This will also militate
against the all-powerful Land Raider, which is now (with the exception
of the Eldar Engines of Vaul) threatening to become distinctly .... well
let's say the Dairy Industry is involved.
After one turn of firing, no non-Titan Psyker unit will be on the board
within 45cm of any Land Raiders, unless it's cowering behind cover.
Regardless of how many troops may be screening it, or however much
armour it has.
--
aebrain_at_... <> <> How doth the little Crocodile
| Alan & Carmel Brain| xxxxx Improve his shining tail?
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Received on Sun Apr 13 1997 - 09:21:16 UTC
