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Playing a chap Monday and discovered a houserule I had used for ages with other players he had no idea about. In essence there are no restrictions on Nova Cannon in lists (some people do 1 per 500 points etc), but the 'cannon nearly always scatters.
So no shot within minimum range.
Short range 'Hit' hits, 'miss' scatter 1D6
Medium range 'Hit' scatters 1D6, 'miss' scatters 2D6
Long range 'Hit' scatters 2D6, 'miss' scatters 3D6

(There is an arrow on the 'hit' scatter dice you know...)

Turns it into an anti fleet weapon not a long range sniper rifle. I thought this was common and had encountered it in different places, but for the life of me can't remember where the idea comes from?

No friggin idea.

Maybe on an old forum?

It's a big big nerf and doesn't make the nova cannon useful at all.

I've never heard of that house rule either, maybe its more of a local/regional thing rather than something that was formally codified somewhere online?

Sounds like a house rule

Thanks for the answers. I disagree it makes it a big nerf, but then again we rarely have clear lines of sight from one side of table to the other. Where I have seen this I tend to also encounter rules like no more than 1 nova cannon per X points.

We are still taking them, and they still cause great disruption and damage.

I should add we also only have the option to brace when targeted, not after the template has settled in place.

Well, brace when template is placed is how it should be played official as well. Not when it has settled.

As for line of sight: yeah, true. Though on long range your minimum scatter is 2cm. With bases of 32mm it is almost impossible to get a HIT. Like really impossible.

And the 1 per 500 points is pretty much a gentleman's agreement.

Most places I have played have when it has settled. I guess the double wammy of having target ship brace, then it hit somewhere else it too much for many.

But yes, on the rare occasion you can get a clear LOS from one side of table to the other it worries fleets and squadrons, not individual cruisers.

And something many forget, originally it was a guess range weapon assuming middling ability to guess. So extremely inaccurate at long range. And points didn't really change with it changed to the 1 in 3 sniper it becomes at extreme range with the 'hit/miss only' method.

Removing the guess range was a blessing.. My Imperial Navy opponent, and many others, just where so good at this and have been accurate at 150cm.... Guessing 4 out of 5 times a hit.

The scatter made it far less reliable. And I rather use Torpedoes than pay 20prs for a weapon that is not reliable.
As a one of weapon in the fleet testing psychology it is fun. But it isn't good as the main weapon.

Yes there is a definite new/confident player curve, regardless of rules. As players get more confident they treat them a bit differently (though it is always dangerous - pretty much nothing else can cripple a healthy 2 shield cruiser in one luck shot).

One rule I never tried was the old warp rift? (not sure where it was published) idea of having only direct hits cause d6, if it scattered it was 1 for glancing and d3 for the hole being under your base.


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Note as we often GM games if someone ever turned up with a fleet of nova cannon you can bet the scenario or terrain would mysteriously ruin his sight lines....