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Is there a reason why a stone thower can't target a unit more than 2" deep in a forest? What about a bolt thrower?

Yes there's a reason.

The reason is that no unit is able to see through more than 2" of forest. So your warmachines can't fire at a target more than 2" inside a forest because they can't see the target, which would mean that you can't target them.

Check out the UK GW site. They have a great run-down on how War Machines target.

Is there a reason why a stone thower can't target a unit more than 2" deep in a forest? What about a bolt thrower?

Until a mortar no longer requires direct line of sight (unlike stone throwers, who can use an indirect line of sight), I don't want to hear you complaining about what your machines can or cannot target...

That's one of the bizarre things about the UK guidelines. By my reading, that article states that a stone thrower does require line of sight. A Cannon requires line of sight to an enemy, even if the targetted enemy is not the one which is actually being shot at. Not sure about a Mortar, Dwarfs don't get 'em.

IIRC, the Annual 2002 expounded on how to target with War Machines. Unfortunately, that's sitting in the garage of the leader of my old gaming group's house. He no longer plays. None of them do. And to think that I bought the damn book!

Anyway, I believe Stone Throwers just had to have enemy troops behind troops it could see. But you still had to be able to see the troops in front. So if you are hiding a mage behind your gunline, and I can see the gunline, I can fire over it to nail your mage (well, if I think I'm that good of a guess-ranger). Conversely, if you have loads of troops behind a forest, but I can't see anything in the forest, and I can't see anything in front of the forest, then I can't shoot at anything behind it.

Now, if you're inside the forest, but there are troops between the forest and my machines? Never happened to me before. I'm not quite sure what I would do. Well, AFAIK, I'd be well within my rights, so I'd drop a rock on you.

EDIT: Would ya know they actually put up Chronicles on GWUK?  Oh, and I'm right too.   Good deal.

http://uk.games-workshop.com/chronicles/commentary-war-machines/

And for the haters out there who demand the exact wording:

"Stone Thrower, Screaming Skull Catapult, Earthshaker Cannon, Death Rocket[:]

These must be able to see enemy models in the direction you shoot, although they may fire over these at a target beyond. This means that as long as there is an enemy unit along your line of fire you can attempt to target any [emphasis mine] enemy along that line"

So if you are hiding a mage behind your gunline, and I can see the gunline, I can fire over it to nail your mage (well, if I think I'm that good of a guess-ranger).

I did this, and my opponent said it was illegal, and the mage came back to life. Are you saying there's nothing stopping me from deliberately overguessing, other than sportsmanship marks?

I did this, and my opponent said it was illegal, and the mage came back to life. Are you saying there's nothing stopping me from deliberately overguessing, other than sportsmanship marks?

With Stone Throwers and Screaming Skull catapults, nope. Just make sure you are drawing LOS to that mage directly over another unit of his troops that you can see. And if he knocks you for sportsmanship, you should tank him, because you were playing 100% by the rules.

Posted By bigchris1313 on 01/09/2006 1:22 PM
And for the haters out there who demand the exact wording:

"Stone Thrower, Screaming Skull Catapult, Earthshaker Cannon, Death Rocket[:]

These must be able to see enemy models in the direction you shoot, although they may fire over these at a target beyond. This means that as long as there is an enemy unit along your line of fire you can attempt to target any [emphasis mine] enemy along that line"

And of course, the Mortar is left off that list. I don't mind the cannon requiring direct LOS, but the Mortar bugs me to no end...