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Just got my 5th ed. rule book. One thing that struck me was the rules for blast weapons. I like the new mechanic for how they work, but it seems at short range there is the possibility for very unusual results. It is possible for the blast template to land behind the firing unit.

I would suggest that if the target unit is 12 inches or less from the firer, then 2 X BS be used when modifying the distance of scatter.

CE

That certainly would be more realistic and a good house rule.

I never quite understood why the GW Design Studio insisted on going with the Blast marker system they chose for 5th edition.

I would have preferred that they go with my suggestion (shocking, isn't it?), that all shooting with Blast weaponry roll to hit as normal, and upon failure to hit scattered by result in a random direction, doubled for indirect fire.

E.g.: With a BS3 you place the Blast marker, roll to hit, and if it turns up a 3, then you roll the scatter dice and move the template 3" in that direction.

@ nurglitch that means it would scatter less for rolling a 1. thats not how the system works 1 is supposed to be the worst result

it adds a sense of stupidity
wats wrong with your fex thinking its ok to fire at a unit infront of him, miss and smoke the gaunts behind him?

youbedead:

If that's a problem then it's a simple matter to take the difference. You roll a 1 when you need a 4+, it scatters 3". You roll a 3 when you need a 4+, it scatters 1".

Unless you're fetishizing the 1|6 rule, it's easier just to leave the extraneous arithmetic out of it.

My SAG doesn't mind it he can just suck up his Ammo Runtz

Not really. Ammo runts are for rolls to hit, not to scatter.

How come the blast markers never scatter up?

The new Blast mechanic is based on the revised BFG Nova Cannon mechanic: place and scatter. It's a simple mechanic that works well enough. I'm not sure I see the benefit of making it a 2-step process.