Becoming untargetable after being selected as a target

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Looked through the rules and wasn't able to find an answer to this, so thought to ask here.  Note, haven't played 10e yet, but I'm sure it will come up at some point.

 

The Chaos Space Marines Index has a stratagem called "Dark Obscuration".  I'm wondering how the following interact with the more general 10e rules.

 

First, its triggering rule, which reads: "When: Your opponent’s Shooting phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets."

 

Then the underlined part of the effect: "EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, your unit has the Stealth ability. In addition, if your unit is a Nurgle unit, until the end of the phase, your unit can only be selected as the target of a ranged attack if the attacking model is within 12".

 

Now, how does making your unit unable to be selected as a target when you have already been selected?

 

As I can't see anything in the rules that clarifies this, I could see it doing any of the following:

 

1.  The "can't be selected as a target" portion of the effect does not affect the unit that triggers the stratagem, as it is too late for it to come into effect as targets have already been selected.  The effect will, however, work against any further units that try to target the chaos unit.

 

2.  The stratagem prevents the selecting of the chaos unit as a target and therefore if the firing unit is outside of 12", it can instead select a different target.

 

3.  The stratagem prevents the selecting of the unit as a target and therefore if the original targeting unit is outside of 12" the firing unit essentially can't fire the weapons it had selected to shoot at the chaos unit.

 

Typing this out, I'm inclined to think #1 is the correct answer, but appreciate whatever thoughts anyone else may have on this.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Lukoi]

Rules commentary, page 5:

 

"Eligible Target (no longer eligible): If a unit that was an eligible target of an attack or charge when it was selected, stops being an eligible target for that attack or charge (for example, because a rule enables to make an out-of-phase move that takes it out of range), the attacking or charging unit can select new targets for those attaccks, or the charge."

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Thanks!  I still can't seem to find anything in the commentary. 

[Lukoi]

Yea, GW rules writing can indeed be brutal with having to find things across multiple locations.