Tuesday 31 March 2015

40K Rules Question: Barrage


I have recently been looking at my Heretics and Renegades force and thinking what I would like to add to the force in the future. And purely from a background perspective for the traitors, I would like to add in some artillery pieces, both tanks and actual artillery. However looking over the rules, an issue has come up that I would like your help with.


Reading over the barrage rules it seems rather clear to me, but I have been looking online and talking to people at my club and a few have a different interpretation of the rules than me. So I would like to see your takes on these.

Now the barrage rules themselves are quite easy, it’s when it comes to multiple barrages is when it becomes more interesting.  I will go over the rules to make sure we are all on the same page. When firing multiple barrages we fire the closest model first and find out where it lands. Then for each extra shot we scatter to see where it lands based on the original shot. So in picture 1, the darker blast is the original shot, and the other two scatter off in relation to it.
Picture 1

If I roll a hit, I get to choose where to place the template, and according to the rules I can “place the markers so that it touches any part of ANY marker”. So if I wanted to I could snake out the barrage in a long line (picture 2), or cluster it and get as many hits as possible (picture 3).

Picture 2

Picture 3
Now if I have a unit like 3 wyverns, each throwing out 4 barrage shots, so that's 12 shots, is where things get interesting. So my interpretation of the rules says that I need to place a marker for each shot and leave it on the table. So who the hell has 12 templates? It’s impractical to be able to hold that many templates above the table, but that's how it’s meant to be done right? So if I wanted, I could have a line or two of blasts going off in different directions if I roll enough hits, and then a lot of blasts around the centre?

The first issue I come across, many people don’t have more than 1 or 2 templates and so some people flip the first template in relation to the others. That is ok in a pinch with 2 or 3 shots, but it doesn’t really allow the shots to travel to where they need to. It has also seemed to make a few people think that when you get a lock on, you can only place it in contact with the original shot and can only circle around it. That's not right is it?  

Another issue I have come across is wound allocation. In the rules it says “when determining wound allocation and cover saves always assume the shot is coming from the centre of the FIRST blast marker”. But people seem to think it’s from each blast, especially when it comes to odd situations like picture 4. In picture 4 the dark blast marker is the first shot, and the other 2 scatter off from it. Because the infantry are behind the wall, even though two blasts are behind it, they will still get a cover save as the FIRST BLAST in on the other side of it.
Picture 4
So am I right in my assumptions with placing blasts and cover saves or have I missed something vitally important from somewhere else? And more importantly, if I buy a thud gun or wyvern, am I going to have to buy a million more blast markers? As well as coming up with a magic way to keep the blast makers above the table.


What are your thoughts?

7 comments:

  1. Hey nice post
    I think you are correct in your rules interpretation
    Games workshop being silly again and not thinking all the rules through.
    I don't know if you have seen these before but a clear plastic attached could help hold the markers in place.
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Pizza_saver.JPG

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  2. I'm pretty sure that you're correct. At least that's how I've been doing it with my group.

    The only thing I noticed that wasn't was in picture 4. As per the blast rules you must place the template with the hole completely over the base of a model, so that would be an illegal shot. Other than that though, I think you've got it right.

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  3. Looks good to me! (At least that's how we have been doing it).

    The wound allocation gets a bit nasty when you start dealing with tons of barrages, as barrage weapons can be used to snipe characters. Just be sure to discuss that with your opponent before the game begins (to give them a reminder about how they work). This will usually mean every single incoming anti tank will be at your manticore/wyern thingys.

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  4. Your interpretation is spot on. As far as templates, I have had this problem and most players will be fine with you marking where they came down with dice representing the center of each blast; that way your 2-3 templates is enough.

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  5. 6th ed rules stated that you took wound from the centre of each marker, 7th ed rules state the first marker and in 6th you had to circle around the first marker, but in 7th you don't as you have pointed out. It's one of the subtle differences between 6th.and 7th, and as its a rule most people don't use, they haven't caught up with it. As a guard player, with 2 wyverns, ( replacing my 2 griffins) as standard in my army I've come across this a few times. It can be a pain, as with the last example, but in general it makes things a lot easier.

    As for the template issues, yeah, I've got 3 and tend to borrow my opponents for extra ones and go from there, keeping the hits and moving the arrowed ones, that and write everything down.

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  6. got a sparten tank with flare sheilds does the barrage go to the top as a template wepion reduced by 2 or is it routed to the side were i does nothing?

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