Another Space Hulk Overwatch question

[JeffTibbetts]

Hope you folks can help me clear this up.

 

Let's say you've got 2 marines in a corridor, and the one in the back is on Overwatch. If the one in front is killed in close combat, and a genestealer is then revealed, can the one in the rear immediately take an Overwatch shot? Or would they have to wait for the stealer to move?

 

In the rules, you can only shoot at genestealers who've taken an action in their line of sight. Since their LOS is blocked by the first marine, that wouldn't count, right? It's complicated by the fact that you can shoot at stealers who are revealed from a blip, though, or even a door. They don't have to move and you can shoot at them since they're now visible. Seems like the same kind of situation.

 

Anything in the book to push this one way or another? I can't find it.

[Stercus]

I've always played it that the act of killing the marine in front counted as an action, and therefore allowed you to shoot.

[DexC]

I've always played it that way too, reasoning that if you can't shoot at a genestealer because it isn't in LOS at the end of the action, then you can shoot a stealer that ends an action in LOS. Rereading though I'm pretty sure that's wrong. The rule says take one shoot action when a stealer performs an action within LOS and within 12 squares. This is resolved after the action is performed. In this case, the Stealer is visible after the action, but it is not visible when it performs the action,  so there's no overwatch shot.

[JeffTibbetts]

Okay, it's good to know I'm not crazy, but it still seems funny. Anyone else want to weigh in?

[Stercus]

It might be worth looking at how it works in the iOS game if you have it. That's usually pretty faithful to the spirit of the rules.

[Brother Tyler]

I disagree.

Assuming the setup is:

②①⓪⓭

"①" is the terminator in front.
"②" is the terminator in back.
"⓭" is the genestealer.
"⓪" is the empty space between the genestealer and the terminator in front.
"⓪" is an empty space that doesn't matter (I need it for the diagrams to work correctly ).

Both terminators are on overwatch.

If the genestealer moves forward one space into the unoccupied space, only ① has LOS and may take an overwatch action. Assuming ① misses, the genestealer then makes a close assault attack, which cancels the overwatch status of ①. The genestealer wins and kills ①. ① is removed and ② now has LOS to the genestealer. However, the genestealer must make another action in order for ② to take an overwatch shot.

The two terminators would have to be arranged differently in order for the second terminator to be able to take an overwatch shot.

Examples:

②⓪
①⓪⓭
(the terminators are standing side by side, presumably in a room)

①⓪⓭
⓪②
(both terminators are facing the empty space)

In both of the examples above, both ① and ② have LOS to the genestealer both when it moves and when it launches the close assault. If ① and ② both fired on overwatch and failed to kill the genestealer, the genestealer might then launch a close assault on ①. When the genestealer launches the close assault, it negates the overwatch status of ①, but ② is able to shoot at the genestealer based on it taking an action in LOS of the terminator on overwatch. The close assault action and overwatch shooting action would be simultaneous, so the genestealer might kill ① while being killed by ②.

[Space Truckin]

We've house ruled it as a 'auto-reveal' like a blip.

When Marine 1 dies the 'reveal' being the genestealer action that triggers the overwatch reaction or marine 2

Not sure if that makes any sense and it may not be the way the games designers intended it but we've found it:

1) Makes the marine player really have to think about putting a spare Marine on overwatch and spending those Command Points.

2) Ads a little bit more survive-ability when playing my wife - who always insists on playing the "red spacemen".

This reminds me that I need more space hulk in my life.

Been working way too much.

[JeffTibbetts]

Bro Ty, yeah that's what I was reading as well. It just seems goofy a little.

[Deamon Wolf]

its badly worded but what it means is when the terminator infront of you dies  you can only take a shot when the genestealer move in to attack yoy , that is how it has been for every iteration of space hulk i have played ( 1st - 4th )

now dont forget its just a game so  as previously stated you can house rule it like space truking suggests

 

it does give the stealer the advantage but if you have let the staler get the jump on you then that is fair enough

[JeffTibbetts]

Makes sense. All the more reason to leave an extra space between in corridors. Mind the gap!