Suppose a Grenzer with Missile Launcher is shooting through Smoke Template, eventually affects the Main Target Zhanshi A and Zhanshi B. There's no terrain between them, only the Smoke Template. In this case, it is obvious that Zhanshi A can declare BS Attack against Grenzer thanks to Zero Visibility rules('Any Trooper who is the target of a BS Attack into, through, or out of a Zero Visibility Zone may respond to the attacker, provided the Trooper is facing the attacker.'). But how about Zhanshi B? Is B a Target of the BS Attack through Zero Visibility Zone? The Area of Effect rules say: "..if you declare an Attack using a Template Weapon, all Troopers or targets in Silhouette contact or inside the Area of Effect of the Template are affected by the Attack." What does "targets" mean? #1. Anything affected by Area of Effect of the Template, is the Target of the Attack. or #2. The term 'Targets' is used just to designate any other game elements than Trooper, such as Markers, Equipments, etc. So only the Main Target of the Template Attack is the Target, and others are just affected by the Attack. If #1 is true, then, what happens when Uxia McNeil(who has an MSV) throws a Smoke Grenade through an already existing Smoke Template, and affects enemy Troopers? Also in this case, no terrain but the already existing Smoke Template is between them. #1. Since the Smoke Grenade has Targetless trait, enemy Troopers affected by the Template is not the Target of an attack, so they can only declare Dodge(since they are affected by Template) but no BS Attack. #2. Even though the Smoke Grenade has Targetless trait, since the BS Attack has the Attack Label. Therefore, enemy Troopers are the Target of the Attack, enemies can declare BS Attacks as ARO.
It really depends if the Active model is the Grenzer or the Zhanshi... ANY model under the template is a target of the attack. There is a MAIN target, the one you take MODs from (range, cover, mimetism...) and who suffer the eventual critical effect, and n other targets. If the Grenzer is the Active model, then any Zhanshi under the template is granted an ARO, depending on the situation of the single Zhanshi it could be Dodge, Dodge -3, BS Attack and so on. If the Zhanshis were the Active models due to Coordinated Order, then they can all declare the same skill and eventualy FtF against the BS Attack. If the Zhanshis were the Active models due to Fireteam, then they can Dodge to FtF both, or using olny the Team Leader to do other things and try to tank the hit. If only one Zhanshi is the Active model and the other one is simply in the way, the Active one is free to do whatever he wants, the other one is free to (probably) die. What is a Target? This: https://infinitythewiki.com/Terminology#Target Game element capable of being targeted by Attacks, and effects from Skills or Equipment. To answer the last example, the only exception to Smoke Grenades and similar are: 1) Targetless. Means simply that the template does not need to be centered on an enemy model but can be put on the ground 2) This line in the Template rules: "The Area of Effect of a Template can affect Allied Troopers as long as the Template has no Damage Attribute and does not inflict any State." that allows the ZVZ to be placed over allied models. In the end, YES, the enemy model can even respond with BS Attack. In the previously placed ZVZ was not there, what would happen? Whenever a model shots through a ZVZ, you have to NOT consider its existence, for the models involved.
