David Dresser wrote:
> Okay, someone else has beaten me to the punch here, but for what it's
> worth I'll restate in my own words. One of the basic rules for SHWs is
> "SHWs can be fired at any target within range." This means that the
> target of a SHW is rarely the same thing as the target for an amount of
> firepower. FP always hit the nearest units in a detachment and a mass
> of FP can only have a detachment as a target, but SHW shots will
> cherrypick one or more individual models, each individual model being a
> separate target. This distinction between the various meanings of
> 'target' has not been well addressed by the examples.
>
> I think I have the gist of things though, tell me if my conclusions are
> correct.
Yes, you are _exactly_ correct.
> Detachments which comprise units with different maximum ranges will be
> suppressed back to the next highest maximum range by an amount of BMs
> equal to the firepower of the longer ranged units. This is already sort
> of an incidental effect of the rules, but the change closes loopholes
> which allow firing at maximum range.
> [example: 4fp at 90cm and 16fp at 45cm will become 20fp at 45cm when the
> detachment collects 4 BMs. I suppose the 4fp could still be fired up to
> 90cm for the purposes of placing BMs on opposing detachments, but with
> no possibility of causing hits]
Correct!
> This means that a few long range weapons in a detachment will easily be
> suppressed back to a lower effective range. I think this is actually a
> rather nice effect, which could have been better developed by the rules
> team. I don't think that unit points costs and detachment lists were
> constructed with this in mind, though. My pessimistic nature suspects
> that some units will be hosed.
Only completely-LR units. Add a LeMann Russ or two, and even that
doesn't happen.
> On the flip side of this nifty range-shortening effect is that I can't
> really think of a good reason why pouring regular FP into a detachment
> will make my SHWs better able to fire. A SHW doesn't work alone, but
> may fire with enough FP to overcome detachment BMs. I guess it's
> different, not bad for the game, just different.
>
> There is also the effect of making a unit with BMs very inefficient in
> shooting multiple detachments. It's also different, but at least I can
> rationalize this as things becoming very chaotic while people are
> shooting at you, and orders become more difficult to convey.
>
> Summing up, this little rules change turn an incidental rules effect
> into a cool game addition, and better simulates the confusion of
> combat.
Exactly my intention. It also means that BMs always cause some effect on
Firepower, however small.
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Received on Sat Jun 14 1997 - 03:59:02 UTC
