Sternguard vets and ammo selection

[Milez]

I have a friend that stated when he chooses his ammo, and selects to shoot a unit, if he is short, say he wants hellfire rounds at 24 inch range, but the unit is at 26 inches, he can just switch to kraken rounds , which is at 30 inch range and still shoot the squad. I would think that is he is short that he just misses as described in the BRB, but I can not find a FAW or errata for this. Can he do this or no?

[Olis]

I would say not and call shenanagins on his deeds. The way I understand it is that you declare which ammo you're using and who you are shooting at before you measure or roll and for that turn that is what the unit uses, whether it is short or not. What your friend is doing smacks of cheating imo. ;)

[Schmitt.]

'Each time a Sternguard Veteran Squad fires, the controlling player can choose which type of ammunition is being used...'

 

If the Sternguard unit has not selected its special issue ammunition then it literally has no ranged weapon stats (the special ammunition rule replaces the boltgun's stats) and cannot fire (it checks its range and finds it has none, an excellent use of the phase for a shooty unit). Therefore only once it has selected its ammunition can it move through the different stages of the shooting phase. The controlling player chooses which type of ammunition is being used, then fires. Once we get to the check range step we find 'Any model that is found to be out of range of all of the models he can see in the target unit misses automatically...' (BBB p17). So if his squad's shots fall short, they have missed. He cannot go back and alter which ammunition he is using just because he doesn't like the result, his guys have already shot and missed. I really don't think it needs an errata.

[Race Bannon]

Agreed to both replies.

[Tybrus]

Yep, it would be like asking if I could switch my missile to a krack missile, cause I failed to hurt anything with a frag...

[Dosjetka]

Agreed to both replies.

Same here.

 

Ludovic