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Hey dakka I just had an idea and was wondering if this would be a good idea. I think that changing the rule in this way would add more strategy to the game and increase the viability of fast attack options. so here it is:

With Overwatch being extremely counter choppa would it make sense to change the rule that it only affects units that are charging from the front and if you "flank" your opponent and attack them from behind they won't be able to overwatch? Then the question of creating a circle of models so that the models are facing all directions, do you make it so only half the models are able to overwatch a unit? so if i made a hexagon with 6 tac marines, do only 3 of them shoot at the oncoming opponent and if I charge at a weird angle to the hexagon does a 4th model get involved?

Opinions and other ideas would be nice

Thanks,
-Barry

Sounds to difficult to determine that way. What about just having a rule that units in cover can't overwatch as the enemy uses the cover to their advantage. Makes it so both sides have a negative. Unit in cover can't shoot, unit charging still charges through cover.

 Savageconvoy wrote:
Sounds to difficult to determine that way. What about just having a rule that units in cover can't overwatch as the enemy uses the cover to their advantage. Makes it so both sides have a negative. Unit in cover can't shoot, unit charging still charges through cover.

I would like this idea. It would make sense as well

I'm a big fan of models facing certain directions.. I think it should apply to infantry as well! At least for Overwatch..

Facings are incredibly important in real-life overwatching because when the brain gets tired because of sleep deprivation and what-not, having to only pay attention to one direction cuts some brain power down a little bit. Of course there are downsides.. that's where the rule you're proposing makes sense a little.

But in reality charging into cover would be when the defenders have the easiest time mowing down the attackers since they would not have to worry about being shot at as much. And trying to determine which way a unit is facing in this game is impossible. Besides if even one man in a squad did see a enemy unit the whole squad would get over there and start shooting them up.

But then you have units facing multiple directions. And why is it only going to be those units that would get overwatch when they'd probably yell to their buddies "Hey! You guys! There is a thing over there!"

It's a very slippery area when you bring LOS on non vehicle models, i.e. can turn their head around to look over their shoulder.

Meh, that's why these sort of rules need to be applied to small games.

..but I guess at that point we should be playing Infinity huh

could "front" be considered as what direction they last moved in or shot towards? and how about a 240 degree arc from the centermost model counts as their view (allows for head turning), so that you have a 120 degree window to flank from, and the reason that the models wouldn't turn around was because they supposedly have the rest of the army coming up behind them or the models in the very back of your army is focusing on the enemy ahead of them.

Now if you were fighting daemons this would be another matter entirely since your troops would know that Daemons come out of the warp from anywhere so would this rule apply to only specific units or armies (not daemons), and possibly only Fast Attack Units?