How does Cloud of Flies work?

[Guidebot]

As far as I can tell it works in one of two ways.  

 

1.  Enemy units have to shoot the unit affected of cloud of flies if it is the closest visible target.  This means I want to use it on frontline ablative infantry (e.g. poxwalkers) to draw enemy fire and prevent them from targeting my more valuable units.

 

2.  Enemy units can't shoot the unit affected by cloud of flies unless, like a character, it is the closest visible target.  This means I want to use it on infantry units that are not the closest to my foe; I want to use it on the unit that I don't want my foe to shoot (e.g. tooled out Plague Marines or Blightlords), and keep another of my units between this unit I want to protect and my foe, so my foe is forced to target the non-cloud of fliesed unit.  

 

To put it another way.  All I want to know is:  Do I cast it on the poxwalkers at the front, so that enemies have to shoot them over my more valuable targets, or do I cast it on my valuable targets, so that they cannot be targetted (similar to characters)?

 

The FAQ has totally ignored this.

How does it work?  

Edited October 2, 2017 by Guidebot

[Charlo]

The way it's meant to convey is that you can only shoot at the affected unit if they are closest, to represent the flies shrouding them from vision.

 

So 2.

[Guidebot]

I initially thought that the cloud of flies was shrouding my army, meaning that enemies could only shoot the closest unit emerging from the cloud.  The italicized description was what lead me to that conclusion, seems to have lead you to the other.  

 

I'm happy to play it either way, it's a great stratagem.  I just worry that it's so badly worded, I'll have to ask each opponent how they want me to play it.  

Edited October 2, 2017 by Guidebot

[Charlo]

I think forcing your opponent to be able to only shoot at one unit would be far too powerful:

 

"Hi here is my unit of 20 Pox Walkers. Enjoy killing all of those while my army is uncontested!"

 

Whereas hiding a unit in exactly the same vein as a character, an example already within the rules, makes much much more sense.

[Guidebot]

I can't deny that that feels right, Charlo.  I'll probably ask my opponent before the battle if they're ok with me using it that way, and use it that way.  This means that my plan of using Plagueburst Crawlers to screen my infantry does work, which is pretty much all I wanted.

[MoGuy]

I think the intent is pretty clear. Your psyker shrouds your guys from sight so they may only be shot at if they are really close. So #2.

[Guidebot]

I think the intent is pretty clear. Your psyker shrouds your guys from sight so they may only be shot at if they are really close. So #2.

 

Has nothing to do with Psykers, just fyi - this is a stratagem not a psychic power.  Still, nice to see another agreeing with #2, thanks.

[MoGuy]

 

 

Has nothing to do with Psykers, just fyi - this is a stratagem not a psychic power.  Still, nice to see another agreeing with #2, thanks.

 

I know, I just confused the text in itaclis with the one from Miasma of Pestilence. Both shroud units. If you visualise it, it just makes much more sense that the enemy can't shoot at them instead of going "Sweet Emprah, Carl! You see that swarm of flies? We have to shoot at it, I don't want any of those bugs near me!"

[Guidebot]

 

 

 

Has nothing to do with Psykers, just fyi - this is a stratagem not a psychic power.  Still, nice to see another agreeing with #2, thanks.

 

I know, I just confused the text in itaclis with the one from Miasma of Pestilence. Both shroud units. If you visualise it, it just makes much more sense that the enemy can't shoot at them instead of going "Sweet Emprah, Carl! You see that swarm of flies? We have to shoot at it, I don't want any of those bugs near me!"

 

 

When I first read "With a thrumming roar, a thick cloud of Daemon flies whirls around the Death Guard and obscures them from sight" I thought it meant that the flies were obscuring everything, forcing defenders to shoot only the closest target as it advanced out of the cloud of flies.  

Edited October 2, 2017 by Guidebot

[Shockmaster]

Adding my voice to others that the 2nd option is clearly how it is intended to be used.

[robofish7591]

Yep, it is definitely the second one.  I believe in another thread someone pointed out that in the French (if I remember right) codex the wording is much clearer.

[Slippy]

I misread it the first time as well, interpreting it as option 1. and thinking it was stupid powerful. Then people mentioned 2. and I was kind of disappointed.

Makes sense though, kind of silly to make your opponent shoot T5 poxwalkers that are -1 to hit.

[Arkhanist]

While the grammar is poorly chosen, and I can see how it could be read as option 1, it's more obviously read as option 2 IMO - It then fits in with other similar rules, such as characters. Plus:

1) making nearly your entire army unshootable until they've cleared out a chaff unit would be stupidly overpowered for 1 CP.

2) The french translation of the rules is unambiguously option 2 - from here.

 

Irritating that they didn't FAQ it to clear it up yet in english.

Edited October 2, 2017 by Arkhanist

[Interrogator-Chaplain Ezra]

I know I'm not adding anything here, but even when squinting I can't see how anyone could think Option 1 was the idea. Yes, I see the use of the word "only" in there, but you'd be doing some serious gymnastics to interpret it as anything but Option 2.

 

Then again, 40k is the game that once had to have an FAQ repeat the very words of the rulebook, so...

[Guiltysparc]

You basically treat the affected unit like a character.  Pretty simple and very cool.

[DuskRaider]

It's definitely Option #2, which is still a very powerful option itself. For example, screen your CC Plague Marines with Poxwalkers, cast Cloud of Flies on them, then cast the -1 Hit power on the Walkers. The enemy won't be able to target the Plague Marines at all (unless they deep strike or whatnot) and even hitting the unit covering them has become more difficult. 

[Guiltysparc]

It's definitely Option #2, which is still a very powerful option itself. For example, screen your CC Plague Marines with Poxwalkers, cast Cloud of Flies on them, then cast the -1 Hit power on the Walkers. The enemy won't be able to target the Plague Marines at all (unless they deep strike or whatnot) and even hitting the unit covering them has become more difficult. 

 

That with the cover save aura from the myphitic haulers, so much stackable goodness in the DG codex.

[Isolia]

Yep the French rule translation is clearly 2, and besides, I think they'd have phrased it differently if they intended to force shooting on them, to avoid confusion. They probably read it slowly and figured it makes sense, but we often fly over rules until they come up during a game.

 

And agreed, the cost also points to the less op version :)

[Panzer]

Yeah the RAI is pretty clear and the different translations are clear as well. The wording is just pretty bad either way so I really hope they add it into the FAQ or change the wording via Errata.