Can I declare Detonate Kuang Shi when the only game object affected by the Template will be a Camouflage and Hiding Marker? I ask because Detonate Kuang Shi lacks the Indiscriminate label, which states: "Indiscriminate. This weapon or piece of Equipment is usable or deployable even if there is a Camouflage and Hiding Marker in its Area of Effect, and even if there is no valid target nearby." What about Impersonators?
I’m just going to link to an unresolved “Is Explode an Attack or not?” thread: http://infinitytheforums.com/forum/...riendly-troops/?do=findComment&comment=960687
Explode and Detonate Kuang Shi aren't Attacks. That's actually unambiguous: both lack the Attack label. It's also, unfortunately, ambiguous whether it's relevant.
Civilian rules give an example of interaction with Explode L1: So, at least for the Civvies, Explode is (or at least was at some point) considered to be a template attack. I would also infer that RAI Explode should be nullified by the presence of friendly troops in the blast area (but I wouldn't insist on playing it like that if anyone contested that statement, since "other troops can declare ARO" part makes the whole thing kinda fishy and probably outdated). BUT! All of this is not really relevant to this question for enemy Impersonation or CH markers, since: and Detonate Kuang Shi only triggers Explode, which is an Automatic skill.
Wow... there is so much wrong with that example (primarily the bit about AROs, but also using the 'Attack' label). The take away is that Explode get's nullfied if it affects neutral civies. It's why that example appears in the Civilian rules: it's specific to Civilians and, I would argue, not generalisable. Explode L1 isn't nullified by friendly Troopers. That's pretty much a core interaction. Detonate, however, could plausibly be. personally I doubt it would be nullfied [because all it does is intentionally trigger Explode L1] but there was disagreement so I asked). Detonate Kuang Shi isn't an automatic attack. You choose to do it. The core issue is whether you can choose to do it when the only thing affected by the resulting templates are Camouflage and Hiding Markers. The other two questions fall out of it, but can have different answers.
Camo markers can't be target of an attack. Detonate Kuang Shi doesn't target anyone. Don't know how this is unresolved...
Well, yeah. It isn't an attack at all - the whole page on Control Devices has no word "attack" on it. And it doesn't really interact with markers at all, only with Kuang Shis, activating Explode - which is an automatic skill => unaffected by marker state. Why? It isn't an attack. Basically, this goes two ways. Either we go by examples in Civvies and Control Device wiki pages, according to which Explode is an AOE attack, and as it lacks any special exceptions to general rules regarding attacks - you cannot explode neutrals, you cannot explode friendlies, you maybe can explode markers (since Automatic), and enemy models under the template can Dodge. As you said it yourself, this interpretation breaks several established interactions, so both examples in question are likely outdated and not valid. Or we go RAW - according to which Explode isn't an attack, you can blast into oblivion anyone and anything in the blast zone and no one gets to Dodge. And Detonate will still go through no matter how you read the rules - this skill doesn't interact with anyone but Kuang Shis in controller's combat group and has no Attack label, so I have no idea how anyone thought this is controversial.
I think the 'Attack' is irrelevant and a distraction. Indiscriminate applies to weapons and equipment, not merely attacks. Which implies that it is necessary to use weapons and equipment to affect Camouflage and Hiding troopers without another 'valid target'. The issue then is 'area of effect'. You can argue that the area of effect of Detonate Kuang Shi is the Kuang Shi. But, you can also argue that the area of effect of Detonate Kuang Shi is anybody who gets hit by the Explode L1 template. I think the second is correct: the fact that a Trooper is affected by the Template is what gives them an ARO vs the CG declaring Detonate Kuang Shi irrespective of LOF or ZOC. Indiscriminate is poorly worded in that it says 'valid target' but is applied to things like 'Deployable Repeaters' (which don't have valid targets). General it's taken to mean enemy trooper/figure in a non-Camouflage and Hiding, non-Impersonator state. So this interpretation would mean that you can't use Detonate to only kill Camouflage and Hiding Markers (which is abusing player knowledge to get around Camouflage and Hiding Marker.states) but can use it to kill friendlies and Impersonation markers (which is just abusing human rights). It's also possible that you are always allowed to affect hostile Camouflage and Hiding Markers with skills and equipment that aren't attacks. But the rules are silent on this. If true, it would mean that the lack of Indiscriminate is irrelevant and you can always just Detonate your Kuang Shi. In this case Indiscriminate would only be necessary on Attacks (and should read "This attack is usable even if there is a Camouflage and Hiding Marker in its Area of Effect, and even if there is no enemy trooper or figure within the area of effect").
Note that both pieces of equipment using this trait (Sniffer and DepRep) are deployed by a skill which has the Attack label which Explode lacks. Actually, I'm not sure it is needed even on them - AFAIK, there is no general rule prohibiting placing a deployable within ZoC of a marker. Mines do have this limitation - but it is written in their own rules. Compare FastPandas - deploying it is also an Attack, and it doesn't have Indiscriminate. What is prohibiting me from running it into ZoC of a marker? But even if it is necessary, does Explode need this trait? Marker states specifically state that they do not affect Automatic equipment and skills in any way (which, for example, lets Camouflaged state affect Deploy Mine skill, but not the deployed mine itself), thus in Explode's case any effects these states have are irrelevant, so we can treat troopers in them as
While the main question doesn't have a clear answer, For the trooper in the state, so that things like No Wound Incapacitation, Repeaters etc. continue working. The way you're reading it, TO Camo would have no effect on enemy MSV1s and a whole bunch of other messy interactions.
Hm. Didn't think about that... The point about Indiscriminate trait not doing anything is still valid, though.
It allows you to deploy a Sniffer with a Camouflage marker in it's area of effect. But yeah, without it I think you still could so I do think it's a redundant rule. The whole thing is weird. Personally I think you can just Detonate Kuang Shi whenever you want.
If you go with “You can just Detonate them however you want”, that doesn’t contradict “And then you’ll have to check for cancellations of each Explode according to the attack rules” also being true. After all, if you’re sitting in a situation where a camo marker and other trooper might are each about a blast template radius away from a Kuang Shi, you don’t find out which is in range until you put the template down.
Sure, and since Explode L1 isn't an attack the only thing that cancels it is Civilians (afaict). But that "If you go with" is the crux of the question.
