Each Template has a Blast Focus to determine if nearby scenery protects a trooper from the Template's effects. If LoF can be drawn from the Blast Focus to the trooper, then that trooper is affected by the Template. However, if the LoF cannot be drawn due to the presence of a piece of scenery, then the trooper is considered to be in Total Cover and is not affected by the Template. Like I said before... the language could use a nice good overhaul, but it's (mostly) clear from the underlined section that LoF can only be blocked by scenery (i.e. Total Cover). Smoke and other visibility zones are not scenery. Unfortunately, we have backtracked a bit and we are now arguing whether smoke "blocks" LoF from a blast focus...
Yeah I read that one too! You can't draw lof through a zero vis zone, which is a piece of scenery, in the scenery rules section and everything, therefore the secondary target can prevent lof with smoke and smoke dodge. I was thinking "do you need lof to the attacker to throw smoke" but it's not an attack or a dodge and doesn't appear to have lof restrictions itself which is, weird...
So, with the OP, it would be a ftf between the DD and the shooter, which you would not get hit with the template, just like any other ftf roll if you were using a different ballistic weapon. But since the K-9 doesn't have a ballistic weapon, it just idles and gets splattered by the lrl. That sound about right?
Yes it triggers special dodge. Theres no way to read what its written that isnt adding a whole bunch of "its only in your own head" garbage to it or other rules.
It's a BS Attack. So you need LOF to the Attacker. These are the four requirements for a valid Special Dodge: The Trooper has LoF to the attacker. The attack requires LoF. The Trooper is affected by the attack. The Smoke template blocks LOF between the attacker and the main target of the attack. We've been arguing point 4. But it now appears that you've been convinced? Note: the FAQ doesn't invalidate point 4, it just means that the Trooper performing a Special Dodge can only use it to protect themselves.
Regarding the issue of "can the DD block the LoF between him and the template with a smoke (and so fullfill smoke dodge requirement)". Let's think about it for a second. let's imagine that the DD already was in a smoke when the HRL hit, would the smoke protect him ? If the answer is no, then no amount of smoke dodge will have the slightest effect on an HRL template. Is there anyone here who think the answer is yes ?
Are you really saying that the DD cannot use Smoke to Special Dodge when it is the main target? Because that's what you just said. And no, we're arguing that the DD can block the LOF between the attacker and the main target and thereby avoid being affected by the attack. The LOF between the DD and attacker is irrelevant to the Special Dodge (except insofar as it is necessary for the DD's BS Attack with Smoke Grenades to be valid).
If the DD is the main target then it's ba standard BS attack with standard BS attack rule. Template rule are irrelevant for the main target (except oif the main target is shot in the back and ARM roll) How can there even be an issue with that ? The fact that you cannot block the LoF between the attacker and someone else with a smoke dodge is crystal clear. If you cannot prevent the K9 for taking a missile in the face by throwing a smoke between him and the shooter, how could you protect yourself doing it ?
The same way you can protect yourself from an explosion by shooting the dude who fired the missile. It's an abstraction. Also, even the primary target is only affected by an impact template because they're under a template, it's not a "normal" bs attack.
Yeah, just like I said a couple of pages before... Still doesn't make much sense to me, but that's the way it is...
Again, this is exactly what happens when the DD is the main target. He cannot prevent the K9 from being affected by the missile but can protect himself from it. The point we’re making is that there is no difference between the case where the K-9 is the main target and the case where the DD is the main target. In both cases the DD needs to block LOF between the attacker and the main target and the DD can only ever protect themselves.
I'm not so sure those two answers are the same. Saying that you can't block LoF from the blast focus with smoke is not the same as saying you cannot block LoF from the attacker to the main target with smoke if they are in the blast zone (as they must be!). Or am I reading both of you wrong?
That's not what the FAQ says though. "Can a miniature throw a Smoke Grenade to protect another figure from an attack? No. In a similar way to a Dodge, the Special Dodge provided by throwing a Smoke Grenade can only protect the throwing trooper." It doesn't say that it doesn't block LoF. Only that it only protects the thrower. Those are two very different things. In fact to protect the thrower, as it says you do, you do block LoF. That's how the Special Dodge trait works.
The point is that, if the relevant LOF is between the template and the affected Troopers, then regardless of whether the affected Trooper is the main target or not, nobody can block that LOF with Smoke, because templates ignore LOF. The only reason that the main target is affected by the attack is because they are affected by the template. Due to template placement rules the main target will always be affected by the template, but they don't take damage from the 'BS Attack' itself. The only reason this absurd distinction (between damage caused by the attack and damage caused by the template) is necessary is because we're accepting the premise (for the sake of argument)* that the 'attack' and the 'template' (which is also an attack) are different things and LOF to the Template is what is relevant for Special Dodge to function. Our conclusion is that either everyone affected by a template can Special Dodge by blocking LOF between the attacker and the main target, or nobody can Special Dodge vs Circular Impact Templates. * I think the premise is fundamentally flawed, but pointing out that "the rules implicitly say the LOF of the 'enemy's Attack' is the thing that must be blocked" hasn't been convincing.
