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This ability takes place at the start of the shooting phase, but it isn't a shooting attack as far as targeting characters is concerned.

However, it's not a psychic attack either. So does this mean technically you could target a Culexus Assassin despite its immunity to psychic effects?

You are targeting the closest enemy unit and visible within 18”. It’s not a psychic power so then yes, if the Assassin is the closest and visible within 18”, he is targeted.

Yoyoyo wrote:
This ability takes place at the start of the shooting phase, but it isn't a shooting attack as far as targeting characters is concerned.

However, it's not a psychic attack either. So does this mean technically you could target a Culexus Assassin despite its immunity to psychic effects?

To flip the question around, why would the Culexus Assassin be immune? As you said, it's not a psychic attack so it's immunity is irrelevant.

I'm wondering why they made that choice from a lore and design perspective.

Yoyoyo wrote:
I'm wondering why they made that choice from a lore and design perspective.

It is not a daemon ether. It is a warp beast. It is just pure warp energy - there is no psychic interaction.

Does this also mean I can target characters when another unit is closer, but not visible?

The attack doesn't have a shooting profile -- it simply selects the closest visible enemy, then rolls to determine Mortal Wounds.

Yoyoyo wrote:
Does this also mean I can target characters when another unit is closer, but not visible?

The attack doesn't have a shooting profile -- it simply selects the closest visible enemy, then rolls to determine Mortal Wounds.

Only shooting attacks have to obey those character rules. Make sure it isn't treated like a shooting attack though - I don't recal the exact phrasing. Also - IDK if you have noticed the vortex beast has a 9 inch aura of mortal wounds (I pretty much always use that one and use the stratagem to do it again)

Right, and I think that one doesn't need LOS!

Think of it this way, a Cullexus \ Sister of Silence might be immune to psychic shenanigans but they aren't immune to the mountain being thrown at them with the psychic shenanigans, or the plasma from a far off star being ported into the battlefield by the psychic shenanigans.

The power is called 'Beam of Unreality', which I'd guess implies some kind of direct-fire warp attack. It also has the same damage potential and mechanics as Infernal Gaze and Tzeentch's Firestorm. Rules-wise it's not really a debate but being identical to your psychic abilities, it feels a little wrong that I can just light up a Culexus with a psychic shooting analogue.

The Mutalith's buff/debuff abilities are also stated as lasting 'until the end of the turn'. That deviates from other psychic abilities which typically last until the player's next psychic phase. I wonder if these were intentional choices or oversights, I think it's easy to play to the rules but I don't really get a sense of design consistency!

In reality the assassin would be immune to any type of psychic attack. But the beam uses unreality. So the opposite happens.

The game isn't a simulation. It's a game, albeit based on a setting. There's lots of stuff that doesn't make sense totally from a lore perspective, but is just a function of the fact that it is game, and there's a limit to how 'realistic' you can make it without rules getting too complex.

Basically, I think you're overthinking it a little bit.

 Stux wrote:
The game isn't a simulation. It's a game, albeit based on a setting. There's lots of stuff that doesn't make sense totally from a lore perspective, but is just a function of the fact that it is game, and there's a limit to how 'realistic' you can make it without rules getting too complex.

If we are trying to simulate the mechanics of unreality by making them more realistic then wouldn't that have the opposite effect?

I think Bilge Rat brings a valid point