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I feel like 8 in 10 times I am shooting I say the words "focus fire"

Anyone come up with any cool tactics with it?

I've used it to eliminate some aura effects on units and the like.



I also consistently use the "cannot wound a model you cannot see" rule in conjunction with this to get past guys out front who like to tank wounds (stupid gorgons chain and shield eternal bikers)

As a Emperors children player I do not really use the rule as I have so much in my army that can ignore cover. I think it could be used to great effect for those armies that don't have access to cover ignoring weapons such as DE, Necrons, but now we can all ally I don't really see it as much use.

I've used it mostly when it presents the opportunity to put an enemy unit out of cohesion.

 GimlisonofGloin wrote:
As a Emperors children player I do not really use the rule as I have so much in my army that can ignore cover. I think it could be used to great effect for those armies that don't have access to cover ignoring weapons such as DE, Necrons, but now we can all ally I don't really see it as much use.

Still incredibly useful when you ignore cover. It lets you choose which models you're going to kill, it's one of the most powerful tools in the game.

All the time. I run a flamer-heavy army, so in certain circumstances the Focus Fire rules allow me to wipe an entire unit with no saves. Since flamer wounds are allocated normally, regardless of focus fire, you can use focus fire so that your bolter shots will resolve against the guys with their butts in the breeze, and the flamer wounds will polish off the guys in cover. It's particularly useful against Boyz, Dark Eldar troops, and basic guardsmen.

Here's an example of when you could do such a thing.

 ductvader wrote:
I feel like 8 in 10 times I am shooting I say the words "focus fire"

Anyone come up with any cool tactics with it?

I've used it to eliminate some aura effects on units and the like.



I also consistently use the "cannot wound a model you cannot see" rule in conjunction with this to get past guys out front who like to tank wounds (stupid gorgons chain and shield eternal bikers)

You can Always limit FOV by angling vehicles infront of your squad, so you only see the special characters.

Tyranid and Necron shooting usually has lackluster AP anyway so I'm mostly concerned about armor, not cover saves.

For my other armies? Sure.

On more than one occasion, I've used it to snipe warlords out of units. But on the whole I don't tend to use it. Armor is usually the deciding factor.

 Jimsolo wrote:
All the time. I run a flamer-heavy army, so in certain circumstances the Focus Fire rules allow me to wipe an entire unit with no saves. Since flamer wounds are allocated normally, regardless of focus fire, you can use focus fire so that your bolter shots will resolve against the guys with their butts in the breeze, and the flamer wounds will polish off the guys in cover. It's particularly useful against Boyz, Dark Eldar troops, and basic guardsmen.

Here's an example of when you could do such a thing.

Spoiler:

This thread was worthwhile if only for this.

I don't so much use it as manoeuvre to avoid it. squishy Xenos need cover saves.

I am getting used to using it. But I dont play enough and I dont have a table at home to practice setting up shots to be time efficient in my movement phase. I want to get better though!!

 Kain wrote:
Tyranid and Necron shooting usually has lackluster AP anyway so I'm mostly concerned about armor, not cover saves.

For my other armies? Sure.

I thought you could only focus fire different cover saves. You can't ff the tactical squad with artificer armor libby in it if they are all in the open or all in area terrain.

You can put some interviening models inbetween you and them, to give them different cover saves and then FF though.

I often use it against low armour units that are partially hidden behind or in terrain, especially Kroot.

It just seems to me like I rarely get a chance to use it.

Or I'm allowing armor saves. Now I know I could, technically, call shots to models in the open even when they're all getting their armor saves to try to snipe out certain models.

But that, to me, seems cheesy as hell and a gross abuse of the rule.

I would like to use an intervening model to keep tanking models from soaking wounds, but my chief method of shooting is usually blasts, which hit models out of LOS and still go to the closest model (when not barrage), so I can't.

I've just never seen much opportunity in the ability. Each time you use it, you forgo saves, but the unit that remains just is almost never going to leave a valuable model in such a position where he isn't getting the maximum cover save.

 Fenris Frost wrote:
I've just never seen much opportunity in the ability. Each time you use it, you forgo saves, but the unit that remains just is almost never going to leave a valuable model in such a position where he isn't getting the maximum cover save.

Its less about denying his save and more on focusing on his kind of save.

Sometimes I do it just to kill half a unit without cover saves...but let's say that your opponent managed to stick just the toes of their two meltagunners (or whatever) into a ruin. Now you say "focus fire 4+" and all your shots just go into the meltagunners...sure, the rest of the unit is safe, but you just neutered the unit.

 Jimsolo wrote:
All the time. I run a flamer-heavy army, so in certain circumstances the Focus Fire rules allow me to wipe an entire unit with no saves. Since flamer wounds are allocated normally, regardless of focus fire, you can use focus fire so that your bolter shots will resolve against the guys with their butts in the breeze, and the flamer wounds will polish off the guys in cover. It's particularly useful against Boyz, Dark Eldar troops, and basic guardsmen.

Here's an example of when you could do such a thing.

Spoiler:

That's a really great tip.

 ductvader wrote:

 Fenris Frost wrote:
I've just never seen much opportunity in the ability. Each time you use it, you forgo saves, but the unit that remains just is almost never going to leave a valuable model in such a position where he isn't getting the maximum cover save.

Its less about denying his save and more on focusing on his kind of save.

Sometimes I do it just to kill half a unit without cover saves...but let's say that your opponent managed to stick just the toes of their two meltagunners (or whatever) into a ruin. Now you say "focus fire 4+" and all your shots just go into the meltagunners...sure, the rest of the unit is safe, but you just neutered the unit.

That's not true. Focus Fire can be allocated to the stated cover save or worse.
So if the rest of the unit had worse than a 4+ cover save (likely) you can't snip anything.

p18 wrote:Your opponent can only allocate Wounds to models with a cover save equal to or worse (i.e a higher value) than the value stated.

Thanks, I didn't realize that, I've never actualy tried using it like that, I was theorycrafting.

I snipe using LoS tactics, Wound Pool allocation, and Focus Fire.

 ductvader wrote:

 Fenris Frost wrote:
I've just never seen much opportunity in the ability. Each time you use it, you forgo saves, but the unit that remains just is almost never going to leave a valuable model in such a position where he isn't getting the maximum cover save.

Its less about denying his save and more on focusing on his kind of save.

Sometimes I do it just to kill half a unit without cover saves...but let's say that your opponent managed to stick just the toes of their two meltagunners (or whatever) into a ruin. Now you say "focus fire 4+" and all your shots just go into the meltagunners...sure, the rest of the unit is safe, but you just neutered the unit.

No, if you say 'focus fire 4+' then your shots go on any model with a 4+ save or worse. So, this would work if the meltagunners are the only ones OUT of cover, but not the other way around.

 ArbitorIan wrote:

 ductvader wrote:

 Fenris Frost wrote:
I've just never seen much opportunity in the ability. Each time you use it, you forgo saves, but the unit that remains just is almost never going to leave a valuable model in such a position where he isn't getting the maximum cover save.

Its less about denying his save and more on focusing on his kind of save.

Sometimes I do it just to kill half a unit without cover saves...but let's say that your opponent managed to stick just the toes of their two meltagunners (or whatever) into a ruin. Now you say "focus fire 4+" and all your shots just go into the meltagunners...sure, the rest of the unit is safe, but you just neutered the unit.

No, if you say 'focus fire 4+' then your shots go on any model with a 4+ save or worse. So, this would work if the meltagunners are the only ones OUT of cover, but not the other way around.

Rigeld already Deathleaper'd you...ish.

I only realised the power(?) of focus fire when I played scars/wolves against an eldar friend. He was shooting into my command squad, and said focus fire, 5+. Turns out, the wolf priest only has a 5+ cover save, where as everyone else has a 4+ from the chapter tactics... That jammy git

Also, a friend was telling me how to parked a single model infront of a lord (forget what kind, I think necron) who was tanking everything. He agreed with his oponent that the lord will get a cover, then used focus fire to annhilate his unit.

I, however, have never used focus fire effectively.

I am still getting used to it, but the feature itself is very handy to have, especially when you get a chance to shoot an enemy out of unit cohesion and thus force him to recover and thus possibly slow his advance.

 Sigvatr wrote:
I am still getting used to it, but the feature itself is very handy to have, especially when you get a chance to shoot an enemy out of unit cohesion and thus force him to recover and thus possibly slow his advance.

Good hadnt thought of that

Focus Fire is indeed a way to limit the abuses of some powers and abilities. Abuyses is probably a loaded word, but lets face it, Cover has become the new black.

I play tau and daemons, so no.

When I start getting into guard, I may say it more and more.

Zambro wrote:
Also, a friend was telling me how to parked a single model infront of a lord (forget what kind, I think necron) who was tanking everything. He agreed with his oponent that the lord will get a cover, then used focus fire to annhilate his unit.

This is ruthless, but absolutely brilliant. Can't wait to use it :p

I think the big one along those lines is Space Marine Chapter Masters with shields and bikes tanking for non-bike units. Because of the bike he'll have a 5+ jink save wherever, while his charges will not. Not a very good tank now, are you Mr. Chapter Master?

I like to use focus fire on termies or other units with 2+ Armor saves... LOLZ!!!

I like to use my higher commander to look out sir a lowly champion.

I like to use called shots by my champs to snipe the model in the very front!

My regular opponent and I are quite anal about line of site and cover. We spend half the games crouched over the table trying to see what our units can see exactly and if we can see anyone outside a cover item to focus on.

From our perspective it makes the games tighter and feel more 'real'. We seem to use a lot more 'look out sirs' when we play together than when I play anyone else as we make a point of setting out squads up in formations that give them the maximum tip of barrel LOS onto what they intend to shoot at.

Frankly I like to play like that but can see why some people would feel it slows the game down too much.