Going to Ground

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Hellwolf**

When you go to ground, you lie flat on your stomach cowering in fear, correct?
But you get improved cover saves when doing this and also a 6+ cover save if your in the open.
But wouldn't staying still in open ground make you easier to shoot?
Anyone that will shoot at you will be shooting at a still, unmoving target, giving him time to take aim, line up the gun, and not be shooting in an instant, more like a minute.
This is just my opinion, it may be wrong but I want to know if anyone agrees.
Also if this is in the wrong topic, I apologise. YMDC didn't seem right... I'll be happy to relocate it if you tell me where.

**Vendetta 476**

I think its supposed to represent them noticing the enimies about to shoot them so they lie flat on the ground grabbing hold of any cover they can.

**Hellwolf**

What about when your pinned? The enemies have already noticed you so you jump to the ground, nice and still whilst theres snipers pointing right at you.

**Vendetta 476**

Yeah, you dont get your bonus cover save then

**Lightcavalier**

The idea behind going to ground is actually fairly simple. There is almost always something to hide behind/under or at least reduce your profile.
You would be surprised how easily you can disappear using the contours of the ground etc. Especially at range.

**Deadshot**

You do get +1 for going to ground. I'm positve.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Yes you do

Basically, and in shorthand, pinning weapons

When a unit is wounded by a weapon with the "pinning" rule, it must poass a Ld or go to ground.

Going to ground

Going to ground is done after hits and wounds are rolled, but before saves. The models in the ubnit gain +1 to their cover save (or a 6+ in the open), but may not do anything in their next turn.

**forruner_mercy**

I think this is more about why the OP thinks it does not make sense, not weather or not you get a save.

**rob-or-ross**

It makes perfect sense, it is three times harder to shoot a guy lying on the ground than a guy standing up.

Aim or not, not everyone is Tom Berrenger.

**Hellwolf**

So? If there is a guy running around your not going to be able to hit him as if you've seen him, and he goes to ground. You don't need to look for him, it's just a still, unmoving target.

**lunarman**

On flat ground perhaps...

But unless all your battles are taking place in school playgrounds and football pitches then even the slightest lump/hill can hide a man. With proper camo, and in the heat of battle, even footlength grass can be enough to make you very hard to hit.

**shrike**

^ what he said. GWS can't cover rules for the contours of the gaming board, and mostly the land is lumped or there's something at least partially blocking LOS to the model. Duck and cover is sometimes enough to hide a man, and you're assuming that it's if the enemy's been shooting at them already- they might just have anticipated enemy fire and hit the deck before it happened.

**Lightcavalier**

As well when someone is going to ground they arent just going to drop down in the same spot they just were. They are going to look around and drop down nearby, but not in the same spot.
Ranged combat is a whirl of speed, movement, and constant adjustment. Things pop up, things disappear...its perfectly normal.