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as indirect fire does not need LoS to target a unit can it target a character at the back of the field

i.e a HQ unit well behind the enemy lines, not the closest unit and less than 10 wounds?

No, it cant.

Q: If I have a weapon that can target enemy units that are not
visible to the firer (such as a mortar), can I shoot at an enemy
Character that has a Wounds characteristic of less than 10 if
it is not the closest enemy model?
A: No.

a. Indirect fire can, however, target a closest enemy model that is a character and lacks line of sight.
b. Space marine eliminators have a wierdo power to snipe (ignore character protection) while firing indirect with a certain weapon loadout of ammo. (even in shooting phase)
c. Overwatch permits indirect fire against the not-closest character that is out of line of sight if it is charging you. (There are slightly different rules for who is a valid target during overwatch, althuogh that overwatch may resolve just as normal shooting would.) To be clear, you need to be ABLE to fire indirect, to do this, but a basilisk could fire its main gun (if not its heavy bolter or flamer) in such a case.

I say all this because people have tried at one point or another to pull them as their personal autowin strategy, I remember one fellow moving all his demon princes up the board behind cover and claiming "you can't shoot them with your basilisks because those can't see them and they are characters." It was quite a frustrating early experience in how much people will bend the truth to win, when I was quite new. Later he claimed "I knew perfectly well that I was making the rule up, but I thought you use indirect fire too much so I wanted to show you how bad imperial gaurd are at countercharge against characters."

I was not in any way amused.

Dukeofstuff wrote:

c. Overwatch permits indirect fire against the not-closest character that is out of line of sight if it is charging you. (There are slightly different rules for who is a valid target during overwatch, althuogh that overwatch may resolve just as normal shooting would.) To be clear, you need to be ABLE to fire indirect, to do this, but a basilisk could fire its main gun (if not its heavy bolter or flamer) in such a case.

You can always fire overwatch, directly and indirectly, against a character with less than 10 wounds. The character protection rule is only in effect during the shooting phase, or "as if its the shooting phase". Overwatch happens in the enemys charge phase, characters arent protected.

Q: Can a unit fire Overwatch at a Character if, when it
declares its charge at them, there are other visible enemy models
that are closer?
A: Yes.

Great thanks, i assume any other unit is fair game though? i.e. troops / elites / heavy support

There are stratagems that let certain units get character protection too. The Alpha Legion can use conceal to prevent an alpha legion infantry unit from being targeted unless it’s the closest enemy model.

Normally the only units covered are characters under 10 wounds though. Some characters are in the elites section now so it’s not attached to a unit role now.