Help this beginner clarify some rules please…

[Rowland]

Guys,

my mate and I had our first battle today, Vardenghast swarm v Octavius combat patrols.  It generally went well.  Slow with all the back and forth with the many rules and we forgot to use half the buffs etc but it was enjoyable.

 I’m not clear on a couple of things mostly to do with units.

1. If a single figure is visible around a corner that whole unit is visible until they move and therefore take damage to all those figures (even the hidden ones).  Does it work the same way in the shooting phase?  I.e. if I have a single shooter with line of sight (my other units are behind the building) can all my units shoot that visible unit?

2. I had the Winged Tyranid prime to the right and the Psychophage to the left.  In the middle was a line of Terminators which had the Librarian attached to them.  It was my move and I had charged the Psych in.  The Prime was already in contact.  The Psych gets first fight because of the charge.  Then the Terminators then the Prime.  Who can focus on whom?  Does a character become separated from their unit in melee, can I target one or the other.  When they fight back can they equally split their focus?

Thanks in anticipation….I’m sure there will be more questions…

[Focslain]

1) IIRC, the answer is it doesn't work both ways. Yes the unit can be targeted and lose models not visible can be lost at least until the unit that started firing is done. But making the attacks the model still has to have line of sight. Personally when teaching I use nebulas ruin rules (can shoot and be shot if inside ruins, regardless of  how the ruin is built) for ease in first games, then add the true LOS rule in as they get more games under their belt.

 

2) Models can target a unit as long as they base to base with them in the case of single model units (Prime/Psychophage). In multi-model units (terminators) the model can target a unit as long as they are in base-to-base or in base-to-base with a model is b2b of their target unit. So the prime/psychophage can target the terminator unit (including the librarian, but without precision can target the librarian until the terminators are gone). The terminators can only target those that they are in b2b with or is b2b with a model they are with. 

 

Fun Fact: The psychophages anti-psyher ability works on the whole terminator unit if the librarian is leading them, not just the librarian himself. 

[Rowland]

32 minutes ago, Focslain said:

1) IIRC, the answer is it doesn't work both ways. Yes the unit can be targeted and lose models not visible can be lost at least until the unit that started firing is done. But making the attacks the model still has to have line of sight. Personally when teaching I use nebulas ruin rules (can shoot and be shot if inside ruins, regardless of  how the ruin is built) for ease in first games, then add the true LOS rule in as they get more games under their belt.

 

2) Models can target a unit as long as they base to base with them in the case of single model units (Prime/Psychophage). In multi-model units (terminators) the model can target a unit as long as they are in base-to-base or in base-to-base with a model is b2b of their target unit. So the prime/psychophage can target the terminator unit (including the librarian, but without precision can target the librarian until the terminators are gone). The terminators can only target those that they are in b2b with or is b2b with a model they are with. 

 

Fun Fact: The psychophages anti-psyher ability works on the whole terminator unit if the librarian is leading them, not just the librarian himself. 

Thanks Focslain,  1. Is very clear.  With 2. I assume without precision I CAN’T focus on the Librarian.   The rest of the Terminators are acting as bodyguards and absorb the blows (if chosen to do so, (I’m painting up some reivers and note their pistols have precision and can pinpoint a character within a unit for this purpose))

Am I right in thinking that the Terminators and Librarian, have one fight back and can individually (model by model) choose either opponent for that single attack as long as they are b2b?
 

ultimately I’m trying to get my head around when a unit is a unit and when they are individuals…but it’s becoming clearer.

[Kommisar_K]

1 hour ago, Rowland said:

Thanks Focslain,  1. Is very clear.  With 2. I assume without precision I CAN’T focus on the Librarian.   The rest of the Terminators are acting as bodyguards and absorb the blows (if chosen to do so, (I’m painting up some reivers and note their pistols have precision and can pinpoint a character within a unit for this purpose))

Am I right in thinking that the Terminators and Librarian, have one fight back and can individually (model by model) choose either opponent for that single attack as long as they are b2b?
 

ultimately I’m trying to get my head around when a unit is a unit and when they are individuals…but it’s becoming clearer.

Correct. The Librarian and Terminators attack at the same time. Each can attack any enemy unit they're in base-to-base contact with or are in base-to-base with a friendly model that is in b2b with that unit.

The Librarian, however, cannot be attacked unless 1)all the Terminators are dead, or 2) the attacking model uses a precision weapon.

Edited 8 hours ago by Kommisar_K