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With the recent addition of Barrage as a USR for the Thunderfire Cannon, people have been raving about how incredible it is. Often they cite how powerful it is for sniping away characters or special weapon models.
However... if you're using barrage, doesn't it miss your intended target a third of the time (scattering an average of 7 inches)? If the first blast misses, the next THREE also miss if it has scattered completely. Furthermore, even if the first barrage hits your intended target, an average of only one of the next three barrages are going to stay on target, not having to flip over in the direction indicated. So, this leaves us with 2 hits on that model you're so desperate to kill (assuming your initial barrage blast even landed...). The model still has armor or cover saves to make. Also, if it is a character (especially an IC), it will attempt to LoS the wound away anyway.
In terms of raw killing power, any competent opponent is gonna spread out his models in a way that mitigates your blasts anyway, leaving you with very few hits likely.

People have mentioned how it can be used to kill the Ethereal in a Tau gunline... when it seems like the probability of:
1. Landing the initial hit
2. Sticking another hit on the model with the barrage scatters
3. Wounding
4. The Ethereal failing Look out sir!
5. The Ethereal failing its save
...is pretty freaking low.
So, thoughts? Did I miss a key feature of barrage?

The biggest thing is that you still subtract the firer's ballistic skill from the scatter if you can see it, but since it is barrage, the wounds are still allocated from the center of blast even if you are subtracting your BS.

barrage weapons only scatter the full distance if you are shooting a target out of LoS, so the average scatter for an in sight target is only 3 inches.

Ah, that is one thing I was not aware of. Thanks! That makes the Thunderfire look a whole lot more appealing.

Don't forget barrage sniping too!

Don't forget Hitting vehicle side armor too!

If its from the centre of the blast will it ignore cover saves from intervening cover if they aren't in area terrain? Eg if on the other side of an agis but the centre of the blast is on the side the model is on?

It's a multiple blast... so you scatter off the template after the first one is placed.

It's just hard to keep track of because each new 'center' is where the wounds are allocated from each shot pool.

Plus, if you roll arrows you can't control where each shot goes. Sure, 1/3 of your shots hit where you want (even subsequent shots can be placed ANYWHERE as long as it touches the template... even if it overlaps). However, if you scatter the full 9" away ALL of your shots are that far away.

Str 6 shots on side armor is nice too... didn't think of that.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ultimately, I would have liked to keep the multiple blast rules. I feel like those rules generate more wounds.

Plus, side armor only matters on battle wagons, piranhas, ravagers, predators and vindicators.... maybe some others

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
Plus, side armor only matters on battle wagons, piranhas, ravagers, predators and vindicators.... maybe some others

Every Chimera chassis vehicle.

 Kingsley wrote:

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
Plus, side armor only matters on battle wagons, piranhas, ravagers, predators and vindicators.... maybe some others

Every Chimera chassis vehicle.

Predator and Vindicators too.

Its not unfeasable to kill every other model within 6" of that IC, which means that they can only LoS for so long. Rarely do people plant their models in a perfect circle, so there will not be as many other models to remove as you might think.

The TFC also benifits greatly from prescience.

 Kain wrote:

 Kingsley wrote:

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
Plus, side armor only matters on battle wagons, piranhas, ravagers, predators and vindicators.... maybe some others

Every Chimera chassis vehicle.

Predator and Vindicators too.

Also Hammer Heads

 labmouse42 wrote:
Its not unfeasable to kill every other model within 6" of that IC, which means that they can only LoS for so long. Rarely do people plant their models in a perfect circle, so there will not be as many other models to remove as you might think.

The TFC also benifits greatly from prescience.

Isn't LoS limited to 2"?

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
Ultimately, I would have liked to keep the multiple blast rules. I feel like those rules generate more wounds.

Potentially... but the benefits of Barrage are potentially much higher. You can shoot out of LOS if you want to, it ignores intervening cover, it can snipe models, if it hits then more shots will probably hit targets, etc. The drawbacks are that the TFC can potentially miss all of its shots, but the potential to cause more damage is probably worth it... especially if you are running pairs of them.

 labmouse42 wrote:
Its not unfeasable to kill every other model within 6" of that IC, which means that they can only LoS for so long. Rarely do people plant their models in a perfect circle, so there will not be as many other models to remove as you might think.

The TFC also benifits greatly from prescience.

The issue with Prescience is that you're only gonna have Tigurius rocking that particular spell if you're playing SM. Most people are talking about running three (some even say four!!!) of these things.

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:

 labmouse42 wrote:
Its not unfeasable to kill every other model within 6" of that IC, which means that they can only LoS for so long. Rarely do people plant their models in a perfect circle, so there will not be as many other models to remove as you might think.

The TFC also benifits greatly from prescience.

Isn't LoS limited to 2"?

Nope. it was 6" I believe +
Page 16 – Shooting Phase, Look Out, Sir
Change the second sentence of the second bullet point to:
“Determine which model in the unit is closest to the character,
and resolve the Wound against that model instead.”
from the faq changed it so you can eat your entire squad to protect the character.

Edit: actually sorry its still 6" from the character. its just you can no longer pull whatever model but in order.