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If your vehicle has a searchlight, and you attempt to spot an enemy unit to fire at, does your vehicle count as being illuminated in your enemy's next shooting phase regardless of whether you succeed in spotting the enemy unit?

Looking at the wording I'd say if you don't acquire a target you don't fire up the searchlight and thus won't illuminate yourself. Especially given that if you fail to acquire while firing an ordinary weapon you don't fire and so aren't subject to Gets Hot! or Limited Ammo restrictions.

I would be inclined to disagree.

To me, it reads that you declare you are using the searchlight, roll for your spotting distance, and if successful, the target is illuminated. But successful or not, you are using the searchlight when you try to illuminate the target.

And the rule allowing enemy units to shoot back applies to vehicles that 'used' a searchlight, rather than vehicles that specifically successfully used the searchlight.

I could see it being argued either way, but that's how I would play it myself.

insaniak wrote:I would be inclined to disagree.

To me, it reads that you declare you are using the searchlight, roll for your spotting distance, and if successful, the target is illuminated. But successful or not, you are using the searchlight when you try to illuminate the target.

And the rule allowing enemy units to shoot back applies to vehicles that 'used' a searchlight, rather than vehicles that specifically successfully used the searchlight.

I could see it being argued either way, but that's how I would play it myself.

If you were to do it that way; yes.

But if you have a searchlight-equipped vehicle first fire at the target(acquiring the target) then declare use of the searchlight you never have to worry about missing with the searchlight and getting freely targeted(you will still be freely targeted but at least so will that unit).

Insaniak is also correct; it just makes for a better Idea to make sure you spot your target before turning your searchlight on.

From the four posts so far, it might be interesting to run a poll question "Do you declare spot light use before rolling for spotting?"

There is no "declaring" a searchlight. All vehicles that have them must use them.

C:SM - "If a vehicle has a searchlight"..."having acquired a target, will illuminate it with the searchlight".

I'm not seeing anything in that language that makes it optional.

C:SM - "If a vehicle has a searchlight"..."having acquired a target, will illuminate it with the searchlight".

But they only illuminate the target after having acquired it.

In the night fighting rules, if they fail the check then "they search the darkness for a target that never appears."

I would say you don't get a choice to not illuminate a target, but if a target never appears then you can't acquire it.

The way I read it is and have always played it is as Acidwraine suggests.

1. The searchlight use is compulsory, because it says that the vehicle WILL use it.
2. The searchlight requires acquiring a target, so you have to roll nightfight.
3. I would go one step further and say even if you don't manage to hit with any weapons, you've still illuminated the target at number 2 above, because your vehicle acquired a target to begin with.

3. I would go one step further and say even if you don't manage to hit with any weapons, you've still illuminated the target at number 2 above, because your vehicle acquired a target to begin with.

I don't know about those silly space marines, but the Imperial Guard never miss! Plenty of training with smaller scale flashlights prepares us for the use of the more powerful (and probably more damaging) searchlight.

But I agree, if you can see it, then you light it up.

daedalus wrote:The way I read it is and have always played it is as Acidwraine suggests.

1. The searchlight use is compulsory, because it says that the vehicle WILL use it.
2. The searchlight requires acquiring a target, so you have to roll nightfight.
3. I would go one step further and say even if you don't manage to hit with any weapons, you've still illuminated the target at number 2 above, because your vehicle acquired a target to begin with.

1 is correct in both the SM, and IG codex. you will use it if you have it.
2 this is explicitly defined in the search light rule
3 this is not correct, if you do not acquire a target you do not turn on the searchlight, thus you do not illuminate the target.

This is a good catch that i never paid attention to and a big reason to go second in night fight rounds vs imperial. they get to roll to see you and you dont.

3 this is not correct, if you do not acquire a target you do not turn on the searchlight, thus you do not illuminate the target.

I would imagine that "acquiring a target" means having a target to shoot at, not necessarily hitting it.

But that also opens up lighting up a target that is out of range of weapons, as you can still shoot at them all you want, but automatically miss.

lixulana wrote:
3 this is not correct, if you do not acquire a target you do not turn on the searchlight, thus you do not illuminate the target.

Ah, but are you not still targeting the unit? The first step in shooting is (and I quote): "Check line of sight and pick a target." This is done before you even roll to hit. Ergo, I'd say that regardless of hitting, you've still acquired a target. Or, if you'd rather use a real-worldism, I have a bullseye over there, I just suck at firing a bow.

The really tricky part is that you check nightfight per page 95 AFTER you pick a target, so technically, you might have acquired the target before seeing if you could see it. I reconcile this by the phrase "If...the unit cannot fire at all during this Shooting Phase," which seems to me as though it retroactively revokes permission to actually target and makes you unable to fire at all during the shooting phase, ergo, unable to target, ergo, the searchlight fails. At least, I assume that they didn't intend for the searchlight to work regardless of the nightfight rules, and yes, that is presumptuous of me.

The really tricky part is that you check nightfight per page 95 AFTER you pick a target, so technically, you might have acquired the target before seeing if you could see it. I reconcile this by the phrase "If...the unit cannot fire at all during this Shooting Phase,"

In the searchlight section it says "It must still use the night fighting rules to pick a target"

Would subsequent vehicles with searchlights use them?

They use them when "the night fighting rule is in effect", but after one is used a "unit does not use the night fighting rule."

If it is still in effect then subsequent vehicles "must still use the night fighting rules to pick a target", and roll to see even though it is already lit up.

If it not, because they don't use the rule, then the searchlight is not used.