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Super noob question here. I also never use them, but now that N3 has made them super deadly in close range, how do the shotguns and template placement work? I read the N3 news on them and went on the wiki and read about it, but I dont get it. Can anyone explain how the process works, like how you figure your bonus, and where the template goes. and its Burst 2 so you place it twice?

Shotgun templates are placed at point of impact if you're not using the AP rounds.

Basically, shoot at a target as per normal. Then, if you're using the normal rounds, place a template with the short end on the model hit, with the large end away from the shooter.

This is to represent a spray of flechette darts spraying all over the place.

What if it is special ammo? No template?

If they let you use the template with special ammo, no one would use the standard ammo

From the wiki.

Boarding and Heavy Shotguns allow the firing of Normal Ammunition with a Template, or the Special Ammunition stated in the Weapon Chart (Like AP, for example) as a standard shot with B value of 2 and without Template. All the shots in a burst must be of the same type of ammunition. The Boarding and Heavy Shotguns allow the firer to choose the type of ammunition shot in ARO.

Vulkan Shotgun - Short-medium range Ballistic Skill weapon that can choose to shoot AP Special Ammunition or just FIRE Special Ammunition with a Small Teardrop Template. This weapon works the same way as the Boarding Shotgun, with the sole exception that the Teardrop Template is composed of FIRE Special Ammunition. This weapon cannot be used in CC.

The Vulkan Shotgun works the same way, except the template from the standard shot does fire damage as well. AP rounds from the Vulkan still don't use a template.

Regular shotguns (light/heavy) ONLY fire the template rounds.

BOARDING shotguns and the vulcan shotgun get AP ammo in addition but lose the template (keeping the same B).

I've had noobs try to use AP ammo from a light shotgun because they were taught the game wrong.

In N2, one template gets placed for every shot that beats the initial target. All models under the template take a hit (however, in the case of the initial model, it doesn't take a double hit for both the initial shot and the template).

In N3, the template is always placed, but now it tells you which models CAN be hit, not which models are hit. The firing model rolls one set of dice, which are then individually compared to the rolls of the models under the template.
Basically, think of it as a lot like how a dodge or smoke grenade works in N2. We're used to how multiple FtFs work in these cases - the dodge/smoke beats anyone it rolls better than, and no one opposing model (regardless of how well they roll) can "block" the dodge/smoke roll from beating any other opposing model. (But any ARO dodge movement or smoke column only applies if it beats all models its opposing).

The only thing that's not completely clear for me regarding N3 shotguns is whether a crit applies to all models (at least, all models with the same number to be hit) under the template. My feeling is that it probably does (for reasons of simplicity), but some others think it'd be excessive and crits will only work against the initial target.
Still, in my mind, I can't see that you're ever going to get THAT many models under one template (particularly after people start getting used to N3), and the benefits of a good roll applying against three models at once are also matched by the risks of a bad roll (or complete miss) applying against three models at once.

 chromedog wrote:
Regular shotguns (light/heavy) ONLY fire the template rounds.

BOARDING shotguns and the vulcan shotgun get AP ammo in addition but lose the template (keeping the same B).

I've had noobs try to use AP ammo from a light shotgun because they were taught the game wrong.

Heavy shotguns can fire AP (as per the wiki).

We don't have any ariadna players in my area.

They all switched to haqq (for some reason) or tohaa. Probably the viral ammo - if they didn't stop playing the game at all*


Something about AROs being broken (don't expose your model to multiple AROs if you can avoid it) and don't engage MSV models one to one. If you must engage the MSV, do it from their blind spot.

so t2 boarding shotguns do they shoot t2 ammo with the choice of template or ap as well or do they have a choice of t2 ap or template ammo?

T2 BS shoot either Normal ammo template or T2 without template, no AP option.