Rules Question

[discordian]

So I wanted to ask a question to the group, while reading some of the new tau rules I noticed something about overwatch and I don't think I'll see a FAQ anytime soon covering it.

Are shooting abilities and war-gear that are queued to "in the shooting phase..." applied to overwatch?

Overwatch (p21)

"And overwatch attack is resolved like a normal shooting attack (albeit one resolved in the enemy's assault phase) and uses all the normal rules rules for range, line of sight, cover saves, and so on."

Does being a "normal shooting attack" with "so on" allow one do use them. If not some tau war-gear, monstrous creatures 2 weapon rule, Sternguard special ammunition, gunslinger, and I guess crack grenades couldn't be used in overwatch. I searched the Internet and found a few threads talking about this but I didn't find any unified consensus.

I'm pretty sure If I didn't mention anything and I used any of the things above in overwatch no one would be the wiser, but I didn't want to play it like that. And I don't know if I'll be playing Tau this weekend, but when I do I know this will come up.

I have just enough reason to question its use so I want to bring it up here. What do you guys think?




P.S. Why Overwatch?... Why can't I ever not find a problem with you?.......

[Sterling Archer]

My opinion is that most wargear can be used, as long as it could normally be used in the shooting phase. So a monstrous creature can fire both weapons, a tau with a multi tracker can fire his additional weapon and so on.

[discordian]

Can someone please look in the Main Rulebook, page 91 bottom left bold text.

Did anybody know about this?

I feel like Im taking crazy pills, I'd feel like a idiot if it wasn't in the most remote place in the rulebook.

[hdbbstephen]

About area terrain? That p 91?

[discordian]

+2 cover save if you go to ground in area terrian. So 3+ cover save if you go to ground in a field.

Edit: Probably should have mentioned that in my first post, I was just so surprised and I wanted to see if anyone noticed.

[ross]

MCs can benefit form area terrain cover now too if I'm not mistaken

[discordian]

Yeah that was a neat change, but I have played plenty of games where people knew that.

I have yet to play anyone who told me I get +2 to my cover for going to ground here.

I think I need to re-read this book again.

[hdbbstephen]

I don't think that a field counts as 5+ cover... not like a forest.

[discordian]

Sorry when I said field I wasn't talking about open terrian, I was referring to anything that has a definiable boundary that is difficult terrian. Like a grassy knoll or a forest as you said.

[hdbbstephen]

We used to have a house rule at my old FLGS for WFB & 40k that if a unit was on a hill they were in area terrain for 5+ cover save, *if the enemy shooting unit was closer the the boundary of the hill than the target unit*. ie, units on a hill (without rubble to hide in) are sitting ducks, but as you get closer the "rise" of the hill gives them cover.

[ross]

In general hills have not been area terrain at t-play unless specified as such - we're on a go over it before the game basis since half our players are used to them just being open and the other half used to them being area terrain.

[hdbbstephen]

We also had taller hills there, 1" - 3" high layers... I am thinking of getting some foam and making some more hills next month.

[discordian]

I really don't mind what is decided before the game starts.

But I really don't like getting stuck in situations where someone takes cover saves at the bottom of 5 and the other person's like you shouldn't get a cover save for that because that's the way I've always played.

So usually if something is overlooked during the setup, I revert to is it physically apart of the table. If it's not I usually go with thinking it's area terrain.

[ross]

Exactly my point Chris. We're at the point where half the group has always played it one way and the other half played it another. Then both players assume what the terrain is and don't go over it before the game starts which leads to late game confusion/tension. So the moral of the story is to just go over it before hand and avoid the whole thing.

[ross]

I have another question, what is the order in which modifiers go to unit characteristics? For instance, I target a unit of space marines with enfeeble (lets assume it goes off no problems) and the unit leader has a powerfist. Will that power fist be str 7(8-1) or str 6((4-1)x2)?