Yeah, I wouldn't trust my actual answers to the questions: I'm fairly certain I screwed up some of the specifics. See above.
@inane.imp i'm not sure about your theory. See theories below. @QueensGambit gets it. I think that all of them are valid questions and should be addressed individually. Below are some theories that have been presented in this thread and how they relate to cases. Comments are welcome. THEORY1: DTW can never hit the shooter - CASE1-4: Attack isn't cancelled THEORY2: Engaged triggers at the end of order - CASE1-8: Attack isn't cancelled THEORY3: Engaged triggers when the trooper is actually b2b with enemy - CASE1-8: Attack isn't cancelled, because the template is placed when model wasn't in b2b with enemy THEORY4: Engaged triggers at the end of the 1st skill and template is placed after 1st skill - CASE1,3,4,5,7,8: Attack isn't cancelled - CASE 2,6: Attack is cancelled THEORY5: Engaged triggers at the end of any skill and template is hit is resolved after 2nd skill - CASE1-8: Attack is cancelled If I had to make a guess inane.imp thinks that the correct way to play is theory1+theory4? I could be wrong here.
The process is the same for all cases. When the ARO is declared, the reactive player places the template so that it touches the active trooper. The template stays on the table for the remainder of the order. At Resolution, if the template is touching any friendly trooper, or any enemy trooper who is touching any friendly trooper (with neither of them immobilized or null), then the template is cancelled. I believe that's the principle set out by inane.imp and ijw above. The specific examples got confused, but the basic principle can be used to answer any specific example.
Let's see if I can get the cases and answers correct and in a somewhat readable fashion; ONE A: Enemy E moves into contact with A. A templates E at a point where E doesn't touch A. Answer: Not cancelled. (1) ONE B: Enemy E moves into contact with B. A templates E at a point where E doesn't touch B. Answer: Not cancelled. (1) TWO A: Enemy E moves into contact with A. A templates E at a point where E touches A. Answer: Not cancelled. (2) TWO B: Enemy E moves into contact with B. A templates E at a point where E touches B. Answer: Cancelled! (3) THREE A: Enemy E Idles. A templates E. E moves into contact with A where template doesn't touch E. Answer: Not cancelled. (1) THREE B: Enemy E Idles. A templates E. E moves into contact with B where template doesn't touch E. Answer: Not cancelled. (1) FOUR A: Enemy E Idles. A templates E. E moves into contact with A where template touches E: Answer: Not cancelled. (2) FOUR B: Enemy E Idles. A templates E. E moves into contact with B where template touches E. Answer: Cancelled! (3) (1). Since the template isn't placed where it will affect a close combat (2). Since the trooper shooting the direct template weapon is immune to the weapon's template (3). Since the template is affecting a close combat where a different friendly trooper is involved
@Mahtamori so template placement in "Engaged" state refers Resolution (step 6), not the actual placement of template (during step 2 or 4)? "Template Weapons placed on a group of Troopers in Engaged state will always affect all participating Troopers, even if the placement of the Template would only affect one of them."
Yes, the template hits anyone it hits at Resolution. For example, I move a fireteam and you ARO placing a template which hits one of the fireteam members. I foolishly keep moving so that the rest of the fireteam walks into the template. At Resolution, they will all take a hit.
For greater clarity: at Resolution a moving model exists at all points of its movement, so anyone who left the template during the order will still take a hit as long as they moved through the template area.
There was a FAQ about that in N3, but this important ruling is missing from N4. I could make an argument that only troopers that were in the template area when it's placed during step 2 (or 4 in case that the ARO couldn't be declared earlier) are affected. But I'm probably nitpicking here. Everyone here agrees that template "hits" during resolution phase and "engage" state is triggered before that. Free huggs for everyone!
No it isn't. https://infinitythewiki.com/Template_Weapons_and_Equipment#Area_of_Effect&version=n4 See bullet 6: When several Troopers are activated at the same time (a Coordinated Order or Fireteam, for example), the Template affects every Trooper that was in Silhouette contact with its Area of Effect at any time during that Order, since everything happens simultaneously during the Order.
Thanks @ijw So to recap, ARO templates are placed during steps 2 and 4, but this is different from placing templates for the purposes of "engaged" state. "Engaged" state is triggered at the start of step 6. If during step 6, the template is still touching an engaged model, the attack is cancelled unless the only friendly engaged model is the attacker and the attack was made with direct template weapon. Same goes for mines. EDIT - Are mines troopers for the purpose of not cancelling direct template weapons? ;)
I think you're getting too hung up on Engaged State getting 'triggered' during a specific step of the Order Expenditure Sequence. The Resolution step is when you check if the template got cancelled due to Engaged State, but Engaged State is location-based, not time-based. Engaged State is not 'triggered' in the Resolution Step, in the same way that other location-based qualities like Line of Fire or Partial Cover are not 'triggered' in the Resolution Step.
Also, it's impossible for a unit to be Engaged at the ARO declaration stage, but no longer Engaged at the Resolution stage. There's no way for either Engaged unit to change its position between those two steps. So there's no scenario in which a template hits an Engaged model when declared, but then is not cancelled at Resolution because the model is no longer Engaged.
