From the "Important" Box on the right side of Page 21: All details and choices related to the execution of a Short Skill, Short Movement Skill, Entire Order Skill or ARO must be specified when it is declared. For instance, if you declare a movement, specify the entire route; if you declare a BS Attack, specify which Weapon will be used, who the targets are, where the Trooper shoots from, how the Burst is divided, etc. EDIT: What I'd like to see is specific language on when to check requirements (unless I'm just not seeing it). From what I can gather, it should say something like this: Requirements are checked at the earliest point in the order after declaration possible. Some requirements (like LoF) can be checked right away, while others must wait for the Resolution Step to be checked (like measuring ranges, ZoC, etc.). If, during the resolution step, it is found that the requirements are not met, the skill becomes an idle.
I see that. But that just says you have to specify who the target is, and how much burst you’re using. If the validity of an ARO isn’t relevant until step 5, then specifying in step 2 isn’t a problem. This explanation of the rules just appears to open more holes than it closes. The ruling (in my opinion) should be either you need to meet ARO requirements when you declare the ARO or you don’t. In any event, this isn’t clear RAW.
Agreed, it wasn't clear RAW. A possible interpretation would have been that you can declare your burst against any acting trooper, and check at Resolution whether you had LoF to them at any point during the order. But ijw has ruled on it, so now we have the clarity we need.
Hello, I sincerely hope that despite of this interpretation, one cannot legally declare BS attack as an ARO for someone being in ZoC but out of lOf, because ZoC rules specifically say you can only react with dodge, reset or no lof skills. Because otherwise it would lead to "okay, I hear you, I don't see you, so I declare BS attack just in case you walk into my lof on the second skill". And that is very counter intuitive, and makes the game interactions more weird (which is opposite of the N4 essence). So, what do you think about declaring ARO in ZoC?
I'm not sure what's weird about "hey, I hear something around the corner! I will fire at it as soon as it emerges!" and then when it doesn't, you just turn out to have done nothing as you only waited (Idled). It's effectively the concept of "Overwatch" and what ARO seem to explicitly have been introduced to allow. If the enemy had Stealth, I wouldn't have heard and expected them, I couldn't ARO and therefore I couldn't hear them, react to them approaching. Then they Dodge out of the corner into Engaged with me and I'm surprised! IT'S A NINJA! :o
Hi, Weird not in terms of IRL reference, but in terms of general rules interactions. Declaring BS attack without lof to the target is...weird ? Lof is something clearly determined at any point of the game. Regardless, there is ZoC rule on page 25 that says you cannot effectively do that, but I would like to get a confirmation, because some of our local group players firmly believe they can :-)
This was answered a few posts above. Referring ijw's ruling in another thread that BS Attack is an exception to the ability to declare AROs before they become valid. See above for the reasons.
It's not more weird than declaring Discover + Shoot at an unrevealed Marker where you can't target the Marker and yet you declare shooting it. That's general rules vs specific rules. Generally you can't, in this instance you can.
I apologize, but despite looking at last ijw replies I haven't noticed any rulings on this. What's the specific rule you refer to? Sorry, I don't mean to rant, or argue for the purpose of arguing, but what specific rule gives you the ability to declare BS attack without having the lof?
Then, should I create a separate thread about BS attack as an ARO in ZoC? Sorry for tagging you personally, but it seems you know how to address it, and what my opponent says contradicts to the ZoC rule on page 25 (which explicitly says you can react with dodge, reset or no lof only)
No, what I just said, you _can't_ declare BS attack without LoF. Per ijw's ruling in another thread, for the reasons I already repeated earlier in this thread.
