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.

Dakka Dakka Dakka my brothers and sister!!

Had a few questions about Tau markerlights:

1. Does the Tau player have to roll for a markerlight to hit a target or does the player simply need say "This drone is marking this unit"? If the player needs to roll, what do they need to roll?
2. If a markerlight DOES infact "paint" an airborne vehicle (say a Dakka Jet) how does that affect the shooting of anything firing at the jet? Do they still need to roll snapshots if they dont have skyfire?
3. I have heard that a unit "shooting" a markerlight cannot paint a target AND shoot a weapon at the same time. Any truth in this?

May your Waaaghs be rewarded with blood and victory!!

The markerlight is fired as a normal weapon, using the models Ballistic Skill. However, once it hits, it doesn't roll to wound; just rolling to hit is enough.

However, markerlights can only fire snapshots at fliers. Even once they hit, they cannot be used to improve BS of units shooting at that flier (check the forum for details - it doesn't matter how much you increase your BS, you still resolve the shot at BS1)

Since firing a markerlight is exactly the same as firing a weapon, and a model can only fire one per turn, you need some specialised wargear like a multi-tracker to shoot both. For instance, a stealth team leader can have a burst cannon, a markerlight and a multi-tracker, and fire both the markerlight and the burst cannon in a single shooting phase.

Hope this helps!

As the question go - can a unit take cover savs against markerlights as they are shot like ordinary weapons?

Thanks for the help!

A buddy of mine was saying that if a Tau "Seeker missle" is being shot from a vehicle at a flying unit and that airborne vehicle has been "marker lighted" then the vehicle shooting the missle gets a Ballistic skill of 5 in "all regards". When he read what the codex said, it didnt say anything about flying units- it just says "in all regards" if something has been painted AND a seeker missle is being fired, the vehicle gets BS 5. The whole "skyfire" rule is whats throwing us off- or rather me- because neither his codex or his FAQ says specifically that it CAN get an upgrade in BS against an aerial target.

 Vexler wrote:
As the question go - can a unit take cover savs against markerlights as they are shot like ordinary weapons?

No, you can only take any kind of save against wounds, to prevent them from becoming unsaved wounds, anything which doesn't wound, cannot be saved against.

Al2ies wrote:
Thanks for the help!

A buddy of mine was saying that if a Tau "Seeker missle" is being shot from a vehicle at a flying unit and that airborne vehicle has been "marker lighted" then the vehicle shooting the missle gets a Ballistic skill of 5 in "all regards". When he read what the codex said, it didnt say anything about flying units- it just says "in all regards" if something has been painted AND a seeker missle is being fired, the vehicle gets BS 5. The whole "skyfire" rule is whats throwing us off- or rather me- because neither his codex or his FAQ says specifically that it CAN get an upgrade in BS against an aerial target.

This had been argued back and forth for about 30 pages with no consensus. Wait for a FAQ or discuss with your opponent.

And to clarify on the OP's point 3, normal markerlights cannot be used to help with the shooting of the unit that contains the markerlight. This is because all firing fromthe unit happens simultaneously. Networked markerlights, however, can be used to assist the unit they are fired from as is specifically stated in their rules. They cost quite a bit more as well.

Happyjew wrote:

Al2ies wrote:
Thanks for the help!

A buddy of mine was saying that if a Tau "Seeker missle" is being shot from a vehicle at a flying unit and that airborne vehicle has been "marker lighted" then the vehicle shooting the missle gets a Ballistic skill of 5 in "all regards". When he read what the codex said, it didnt say anything about flying units- it just says "in all regards" if something has been painted AND a seeker missle is being fired, the vehicle gets BS 5. The whole "skyfire" rule is whats throwing us off- or rather me- because neither his codex or his FAQ says specifically that it CAN get an upgrade in BS against an aerial target.

This had been argued back and forth for about 30 pages with no consensus. Wait for a FAQ or discuss with your opponent.

How do you link it? It might help to point them to the discussion so they can weigh any arguments either way and come to their own decision on how it works. As well as curbing any discussion here that may begin about a well beaten subject.




Note: I don't think they are going to put this in the FAQ as I think that they believe it has already been answered.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/487121.page

For the link on seeker missiles and Flyers.

Yea that thread hit a wall soon after it started.

Markerlights need to roll to hit

The markerlight against fliers can do little more than remove cover saves by a point per markerlight and fire a seeker missile at BS 5

A pathfinder can fire it's markerlight or pulse carbine, but not both. However if the pathfinder team leader has a multi-tracker, then he can fire both.

Furthermore only networked markerlights can boost at unit that just fired it, otherwise normal markerlights must be used after the unit that fired it has resolved their shots.

And finally, you can't take saves against things that don't cause wounds.