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I've noticed many people complain about various auto-hit attacks. Things like skaven ratling guns, the old salamanders, magic spells and others. My question is instead of using the target's BS (which more often than not is a terrible gimp), why not consider these weapons to hit on a 1+? Then when you apply negatives to them it reduces your chances to hit. For example, assume my ratling gun rolls 6 hits. As is currently, I get 6 strength 4 armor piercing hits. (w00t! for me.. CHEESE! for my opponent). With the new rule, the following would happen:
Against chaos warriors at close range: auto-hit
Against dryads at close range: hit on a 2+
Against dwarven thunderers at long range with light cover: hit on a 3+
Against waywatchers in light cover: hit on 4+
Against harpies in heavy cover and long range: hit on a 5+
Against chameleon skinks in heavy cover and long range: hit on a 6+

And so on. Sooo, what do folks think? Is this an alright approach to a house rule or something to balance over powered "auto-hit" attacks?

They are already moving away from that.

Next version of the Ratling Gun will almost certainly need to roll to hit.

But, yeah, otherwise your system is a fairly decent way to whittle it down in the meantime.

the problem I've seen is that, with the example of the salamander, they gave it's rules to the razordon, added 10 pts to it's cost and reduced it's effective firepower from auto-hit (100% accuracy) to it's BS (50%, barring negatives). The rumored revisions to skaven ratling guns have them costing 75 pts and potentially doing the same. In my opinion, that's a pendulum move.. To "fix" the problem, you need to nudge things back an inch, and GW is smacking them back a yard.

i like the way you have worked it out, allthough at close range it is just as deadly.
and lets face it, rattlings are never used at range

they screwed over sallies ;(
ruined them, now they arent really worth taking.
i used to be happy with taking 6 or so instead of steggies, but now its not even worth it.

Personally, I never took Sallies, although I did understand their effectiveness, especially against skirmishers. Mostly I focused my army on powerful characters, maneuverability and flexibility. To provide that where and how I wanted, I could never squeeze them into a 2000 pt list and I rarely play games larger than that, so I didn't see the point in buying them..

I have faced sallies 3 times since the new book came out and I can attest that they are NOT crap, they are an absolutely devastating unit that can mess with an entire flank all by themselves. Sure only str3 but -3AS!! that 1+ save aint lookin so hot now, and the templates make them even more effective than the artillery dice did. No sallies are gross and the hurt when they hit you.

PapaSmurf

PapaSmurf wrote:I have faced sallies 3 times since the new book came out and I can attest that they are NOT crap, they are an absolutely devastating unit that can mess with an entire flank all by themselves. Sure only str3 but -3AS!! that 1+ save aint lookin so hot now, and the templates make them even more effective than the artillery dice did. No sallies are gross and the hurt when they hit you.

PapaSmurf

I understand what you mean. Personally, I would side with Razordons as there's no random range to throw a wrench in the works of whatever battleplan I may have. Lastly, don't take this the wrong way, but what does this have to do with the rule suggestion?

Usually Sallies just get charged and then they are out of the game. Their decent in combat, but have no derrent to just charging them. razadons on the other hand have thier insane Stand and shoot reaction that will help deter any chargers thus allowing them to continue shooting.

I always that the best thing to do with ratling guns was to divide their hits by 2 against skirmishers. They really don't aim their weapon, more just spray shots at a target. It should be particularly devestating against rank and file troops, yet not so bad against skirmishers who aren't in a tight formation.