Cover save from Tau Markerlights?

[thade]

This came up in a game I was in recently.

 

Tau player fires marker lights at Necrons; Necrons ask if they get a cover save from it.

 

As the local rule junkie, I explain "No, no armor save from it so no cover save."

 

This was insufficient for them, as they insisted (effectively RAI) that it makes sense they could duck behind crap to hide from the laser beams.

 

Bringing them back to RAW, I said that "You take saves from wounds, not from hits. It's a three roll process. Roll to hit. Roll to wound. Roll saves. Since no wounds are allocated to save from, we don't roll any saves."

 

They had to google it and find some anecdote on Imperial Guardsmen laughing about "superior Tau weaponry" given the red light on their chests that seemed not to hurt them before they believed me.

 

My question here isn't whether I was right or not (I'm convinced I am :tu: ) but how you would have explained it given the circumstances. Is there a clearer rule somewhere to cite, or does my layman's breakdown there fit the bill?

[dswanick]

Nope, you nailed it.

The shooting sequence - Bullet 5 - Take saving throws. Each wound suffered maybe cancelled by making a saving throw. Saving throws usually derive from the armour worn by each model, from being in cover, or some other piece of wargear or ability.

[Seahawk]

RAI says no anyway, because if you can duck behind cover to avoid an Eldar's evil glare, surely you can duck a targeting laser...which of course you can't see, as such lasers typically are infrared.

 

RAW, unless it says otherwise in the Tau book, you don't get cover saves from them for the same reasons you said; no causing wounds, so nothing to actually save against.

 

Can it be quoted better somehow? Dunno. Checked both GW's and the INAT and it isn't mentioned in either.

[stinkenheim]

Would have explained it pretty much the same way as you did.

 

You only take saves against wounds, as the attack didn't wound you don't get a save regardless of origin.

[Grey Mage]

Yep, the procedure is outline in C:Tau- roll a hit, get a marker.

 

Note- not an 'unsaved hit' as if any such thing existed. Not a wound *wich is good as they have no strength*. Just... a hit.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

Can you imagine how useless ML would be if cover were allowed?

 

Instead of being 50% effective, they'd drop to 25%.

:rolleyes:

 

 

Still, he was playing Necrons, so I can understand him wanting a bone thrown to him

:P :D

[Grey Mage]

*nods* #1 hope for next codex- squad leader markerlights are all considered networked.