Hi guys, we have an interaction question here in my local game group. Its about perimeter weapons and fireteams movement. We are used to simplify resolutions using the "simultaneous" nature of the game when we are dealing with fireteams, as we know all ft members are activated at once using just one order, so when they are facing a template weapon or an ARO defensive piece they need to deal with that at the same time, but when you are facing a perimeter weapon, the boost rule says that the weapon its triggered at declaration, and target the first troop to enter in his ZoC: So, in this case, who triggered the CrazyKoala? Some players said that is the team leader, others said that the crazy koala's user decide, and others (as myself) think that you act all at once, but you declare in steps, so the active player in this case can decide who enter first, since movement its part of the declaration step following the order expenditure sequence. What do you think about this?
Declaration of an Order is certainly simultaneous, since the whole fireteam declares a single order. The fireteam spends an order, the fireteam Declares the short skill Move, routes are measured and moved, then AROs. Arguably, a trooper Performs the Order inside the Koala's ZoC at the point where he moves into its ZoC, so you could potentially treat Performance sequentially in the above diagram, but that wouldn't work if both troopers were already inside the Koala's ZoC at the start of the order. In that scenario, because the Koala "is triggered when an enemy Model declares or performs an Order or ARO in its Zone of Control," the initial declaration will trigger the Koala before any of the active troopers have moved. So, I would rule out sequential declaration as a solution (also, it's contrary to the game's overall simultaneous approach). The rules don't specify how the Koala chooses between multiple targets. The only possible answers are active player chooses or reactive player chooses. I've only seen it played as reactive player chooses, presumably on the theory that it's your Koala so you get to tell it who to attack.
That's precisely the type of problems we are facing. As I understand, the sequential declaration its part of the order, same as individual movements and measurements. In the case above the active player its moving towards the triggering zone, and RAW, its the declaration that triggers the boost ability before defending player's ARO, so the question prevails... Understanding that finally in the order all resolve at the same time, but are a sequence of declaration and checks before, exist some kind of order to determine who triggers the weapon first?
You are right in that the koala will boost before the ARO of the second player, but it will not occur until you have finished the entirety of the first half of your order (or second, if the fireteam enters on the second move order) Activating a fireteam spends on order to activate all units within the fireteam, this isn't sequential and a perimeter weapon won't go off on only one unit at a time. You can take mines as another example, say you move a fireteam one at a time through the trigger area, the mine doesn't interrupt the order to explode only on the "first" fireteam member to cross it's path, any who cross into it's trigger area will be caught in the blast. Similarly, the koala will not interrupt your order to run up and hug the first member to enter it's perimeter. Once you have finished your the first half of the order you spent to move the entire fireteam, the koala will trigger followed by AROs to the entire move
All members of the Fireteam are treated as moving simultaneously, this is obviously impossible to do physically without growing a few extra limbs, so you move them one by one, but for game purposes it all happens at the same time.
There is no sequential order at all, that's just a limitation of your human body. You activate the team as a whole and perform the same skill with them. If there is stubbornness to this interpretation, show them the rule All At Once here: https://infinitythewiki.com/Trooper_Activation#All_at_Once "In Infinity, Orders and AROs are simultaneous regardless of the Skills declared."
RAW, it's the Declaration of an Order or its Performance that triggers Boost. The fireteam Declares a single skill, and each member Performs it individually: "All Fireteam members are activated with the Fireteam Order. By declaring Reset or any Skill with the Movement Tag (except Berserk), both the Fireteam Leader and the other Fireteam members perform that Skill. If any other Skill is declared, only the Fireteam Leader performs the declared Skill and the other Fireteam members perform an Idle." See also "If a Fireteam member has the NCO or Tactical Sense Special Skill and spends the Lieutenant Special Order or their extra Order, they are automatically nominated as the Fireteam Leader and the Fireteam is activated as if a Regular Order had been spent." for further confirmation that the fireteam as a whole is activated.
That makes sense to me. So the defending player choose any of the valid targets inside the fireteam isn't? (in the example above, the defending player could choose the team leader(2) after (1) and (2)moves and the rest go idle)
Yep! Since both the team leader (2) and another fireteam member (1) moved into the trigger area, the defending player has the option of choosing which of the valid targets to run up and detonate on
