cody.d. wrote:Problem with anti-X is unintended interactions. Some character buff that gives devastating and you get a problematic unit.
Being in half range giving +1 or even +2 to wound would be pretty solid. Most infantry are already wounded by melta on 2s so the rule only affects things like terminators and tanks.
The solution to that is simple. Remove the critical hit part of Anti-X. Just change it to "when making a wound roll against a unit with keyword Y, an unmodified roll of X+ is always successful."
Having Anti-X trigger mortals easier was one of the worst decisions
GW made, especially when they decided to throw it onto guns with large damage values. If you wanted weapons that triggered crits on easier numbers, that should have been it's own special rule so you had maximum flexibility in your design space for each weapon.
For example, there are only two weapons in the Tau arsenal that have both Anti-X and devastating wounds. They are both Anti-vehicle 4+ and have a damage characteristic of 1. Each weapon can only be accessed by a single unit entry (Pathfinders for one, Kroot stalkers for the other). In fact, those two weapons are the only weapons in the entire tau arsenal that have Anti-X of any kind at all.
Conversely, the Space Marines have access to the Hunter, whose anti-flying missile launcher has Anti-Fly 3+ and Devastating Wounds. It always hits vehicles and monsters on an unmodified 2+, has 2+
BS anyway, has heavy so if it isn't moving it is also getting a +1 to hit on that 2+ so cover is feth all help, and does
D6+2 damage.