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Okay, looking at using the orbital strike relay (OSR from now on), and it just seems to be one of those weird little weapons that throw up a load of strange rules questions.

Ok so, the OSR is fired from space right? but it doesn't have the barrage rule, so I'm guessing the firer needs Los, and the things so inaccurate that it'll always miss but...

Question 1# Can a model take a cover save from an orbital strike, due to intervening terrain between it and the firer?
Question 2# What facing is vehicle armour hit when stuck by an orbital strike relay?

Its established in the FAQ that servo skulls don't help the relays accuracy, that's a pain but OK. It always scatters,
Does anyone want to mathhammer the odds of whether its best to aim for the edge of a unit and scatter in, or aim for the middle and hope you don't scatter out.

The FAQ also clarifies that a pskyer only has to be under the template of a pskout bomb to be affected, nice.

Okay mixing things up a bit and adding a jokaero or two to the unit with the OSR.. brings out this oddity..
Question 3# Does the jokaero customisation 4# Penetrating ammunition, make the OSR rending?
(I won't ask about increasing the maximum range by 12")

Okay to finally mess up rules sanity, we'll talk about Karamazov. Its already established that he can't use his relentless to move and fire his OSR, which is sad but never mind.
Karamazov can fire at his own units without missing, even into combat, by placing the centre of the template on a friednly model. this allows you to make the OSR relaible, but riskes your own guys. Now the lance stikre is a small blast, so if the centre of the small blast is on a models base, for far does it extend? Inch and a half, bjust enought to get one enemy model by my reckoning (as you shoud be an inch away out of combat) In combat of course its a free for all. Okay, one oddity that needs answering..
Question 4# If a unit is locked in combat at the start of the shooting phase, but due to friendly fire is not in combat at the end of the shooting phase, can it: Shoot? Consolidate? Assault? Be force to take morale checks from shooting?

I'm sure karamazov throws up more oddities but thats all I can think of for now. Have at you

I *think* you're right that you don't need LOS; you do get a cover save from the intervening terrain (presumably the guy firing can't quite make out where to land the shot...); as per p. 60 of the BRB it's side armour if the hole is over the centre and the armour facing the centre of the blast marker if it's off target; I don't know about the chances of hitting, but I think you can master craft an ORS if you've taken the correct character, so that'll help; I don't think you can take a Jokaero in a unit with ORS as the Jokaero only affects the henchmen unit, not Independent Characters attacked to it (that, at least, was my reading of the rules); with regards to blasting your own men, I assume you'd only use lance strike when you're trying to take out a vehicle, so an inch and a half should be enough; as for Question #4 I've no idea - I'm really intrigued as to what the answer is now.

Captyn_Bob wrote:Ok so, the OSR is fired from space right? but it doesn't have the barrage rule, so I'm guessing the firer needs Los, and the things so inaccurate that it'll always miss but...

The "from space" bit is fluff. For game purposes it is fired from the bearer of the OSR. So LOS is needed.

Captyn_Bob wrote:Question 1# Can a model take a cover save from an orbital strike, due to intervening terrain between it and the firer?

Yes

Captyn_Bob wrote:Question 2# What facing is vehicle armour hit when stuck by an orbital strike relay?

The armor facing the firer as always. The firer being the bearer of the OSR.

Captyn_Bob wrote:Question 3# Does the jokaero customisation 4# Penetrating ammunition, make the OSR rending?

I believe so. I'm sure there was a thread about a captain/grand master master crafting his OSR. Silly from a fluff perspective, but works fine from a game rules perspective.

Captyn_Bob wrote:Question 4# If a unit is locked in combat at the start of the shooting phase, but due to friendly fire is not in combat at the end of the shooting phase, can it: Shoot? Consolidate? Assault? Be force to take morale checks from shooting?

Good question! I believe that RAW is the only place you evaluate "locked in combat" is during the assault phase. So even though the enemy you were locked in combat is gone, you won't be able to become "not locked in combat" until the end of your assault phase. (Of course, if I were playing against you I would happily let your unit who had its opponent blown away shoot & assault. But I don't think that is raw.)