presto15
09-22-2011, 02:57 PM
This came up in a game as some troops were within 5 inches of a stormraven. Page 59 of the black reach rulebook states that weapons have a vertical movement of 45 degrees. Vertical movement means "up and down" movement not "up OR down" movement. Meaning that the guns can shoot 22.5 degrees down and 22.5 degress up. Otherwise they would have described a 90 degrees as a vertical swivel. This is also reference in hull mounted weapons fir arc. So they can shoot 22.5 degrees up or down. The guardsmen therefore are not within the firing arc as they are too far underneath the stormraven and not within the vertical fire arc... therefore they can not be hit?
Taking this a bit further, if the multi melta on a storm raven is 8 inches high and using the 22.5 degress that the rulebook states, that minimum distance the stormraven can shoot is 19 inches (trigonometry), as anything closer is not within the vertical fire arc.
Now lets say the 8 inch high multi melta shoots at a vehicle that is 3 inches high (a land raider) this effectively means that the multa gun is 5 inches higher than the land raider. Using basic trigonometry the minimum distance the multi melta can shoot is 12.07 inches, meaning that a multi melta can't even get within range to use its melta rule.
This also applies to a lesser extent of all flying vehicles (Dark Eldar, Valks, Vendettas etc.) I just used the stormraven in this specific example.
I know that RAI is not RAW, but I am curious if anyone knows of and FAQ or wording on this.
If this post is unclear, please let me know and I will try and attach pictures somehow.
Taking this a bit further, if the multi melta on a storm raven is 8 inches high and using the 22.5 degress that the rulebook states, that minimum distance the stormraven can shoot is 19 inches (trigonometry), as anything closer is not within the vertical fire arc.
Now lets say the 8 inch high multi melta shoots at a vehicle that is 3 inches high (a land raider) this effectively means that the multa gun is 5 inches higher than the land raider. Using basic trigonometry the minimum distance the multi melta can shoot is 12.07 inches, meaning that a multi melta can't even get within range to use its melta rule.
This also applies to a lesser extent of all flying vehicles (Dark Eldar, Valks, Vendettas etc.) I just used the stormraven in this specific example.
I know that RAI is not RAW, but I am curious if anyone knows of and FAQ or wording on this.
If this post is unclear, please let me know and I will try and attach pictures somehow.