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So I play Tau... Funny right? In all honesty though I do win my fair share. Which is cool. Because so far I've only played against Necrons. And they are terrifying. Yes.

So the only problem I have, other than constantly play erring my Pathfinders(DOH! ) , is when my friend brings out that horrendous 'Death Ray' Night Scythe or whatever the it's called. I can deal with everything else, but not that.

Being a good player, maybe, I so far haven't wasted my time trying to deal with it using my one Railgun on the Hammerhead, and have focused on playing around it to minimize its effectiveness. Which helps, but obviously I can never fully negate it. By the way, do flyer's weapons count as 'fixed mounts' and have 45 degree arcs? Silly clarification, but moving on.

Here's the beef:
1.) Can you fire Markerlights at flyers using snapshots? (Current understanding says yes)
2.) Can I then use Markerlights for +1 BS on snapshots fired at the flyer by other units, trading up to four Markerlight hits to get to a maximum of Ballistic Skill 5 Snap shot?

If so, I'm going to have to stop botching my Pathfinder tactics. Seriously, you should have seen the screw up last night they had. Did you know Tomb Wraiths are Jump Infantry? I didn't. Dag nabbit.

Any help would be apprecciated. Peace brothahs and sistahs!

You can fire a Markerlight at a Flyer, using Snap Spot. However, you cannot use the Markerlight to raise BS when firing a Snap Shot, due to Snap Shots being a set modifier.

You could fire a Seeker Missile, however, there is a disagreement on whether it fires at BS1 or 5 in this situation.

On your turn, you can still Snap Fire the Markerlights and should you get lucky and paint the model with one, your allowed to shoot the Seeker Missile at its normal BS as the FaQ outlines. The Seeker Missile is also a Set Modifier value, just like Snap Fire is. Since its your turn, you get to choose which sequence to apply the modifiers in due to Exceptions on page 9. Just apply the Snap Shot value before your Seeker Missile value and profit.

As far as the other question goes, Happy nailed it, Snap Shots are a Set Modifier Value and the Markerlights +1 gets over written by it per Multiple Modifiers on page two. :3

I play tau as well, Both happy and x are correct here.

Hit with marker light on 6 for snapshot, fire seeker missile with BS 5 as codex dictates.

Xzerios wrote:
On your turn, you can still Snap Fire the Markerlights and should you get lucky and paint the model with one, your allowed to shoot the Seeker Missile at its normal BS as the FaQ outlines. The Seeker Missile is also a Set Modifier value, just like Snap Fire is. Since its your turn, you get to choose which sequence to apply the modifiers in due to Exceptions on page 9. Just apply the Snap Shot value before your Seeker Missile value and profit.

And this is what I was hoping to avoid. I mention a disagreement. I mention what the 2 sides claim (though not how they get there). I was even kind enough not to post my view, which happens to be the opposite of yours, since this topic has nothing to do with the OP. If you want to argue it again start a new thread.

Whoah there fellas. Thats enough now. We got it.

So essentially there is a 'Stack Rule' effect like in Magic: The Gathering that determines on my turn when what 'Static/Trigger Effects' occur first. Awesome.

And not to start an argument, but let me float this one by you. FYI, I have the Core book on my left, codex on my right, FAQ 6th edition in another window, and you guys in front of me.

I move 4 of 8 man Pathfinders team, Shoot markerlights at Night Scythe, ALL at snapshot due to either/both restrictions of movement and flyer type target. Double triggers of Snap shot rule reduces the units BS to 1 stating:

BRB: Snap shots, pg 13
If a model is forced to make Snap Shots rather than shoot normally, then its Ballistic Skill is counted as being 1 for the purpose of those shots.

So the Pathfinders roll 8 dice and get and ! Placing two marker lights on the Night Scythe.
Check. Got it? Key words are "counted as being one", so it changes the model profile with a new static statistic, which resolves through. Right. Sorry for magic terminology but bear with me.

I then move on to say my Hammerhead with Railgun. Declare I'm targeting the Night scythe. Triggers Snap Shot rule adjustment, Hammerhead is counted as being BS 1 for firing at a flyer, which I let resolve.

BRB: Exceptions, pg 9
While playing Warhammer 40,000, you'll occasionally discover exceptions to the general turn sequence laid out here, when things are worked as they occur rather than in any strict order...When these things happen, the player whose turn it is decides the order in which they occur. Occasionally, the actions of one player will trigger the sudden appearance of a particular unit, or may activate some special rule or occurrence. When this happens, the exceptional rule will contain all the information you need to resolve it.

Then citing the Exceptions Rule, showing that codex is 'exceptional' to the BRB, that using markerlights count as "activating a special rule", place after the reduction but before I roll to hit, two individual +1 BS markerlight uses on to the Hammerhead, and remove the two marker tokens from the Night Scythe. Bringing the Hammerhead up to BS 3. And proceed to roll to hit, and the rest of my turn.

Or is there some illusionary little paragraph in the books that I don't know about. The same Exceptional Rule should work (redundantly, as it's been FAQd) with Seeker Missiles. As you first let 'Snap Shot' resolve, then 'exceptional rule' in the Markerlight rule (Tau codex, pg29) as "resolved normally at Ballistic Skill 5."

In your situation good sir, see Multiple Modifiers on page two from the BRB for the answer to your question. :3

Verry well Xzerios. As you pointed out in your earlier entry the 'Multiple modifiers' rule. The sequence is for those who are reading, but are not close to a book:

BRB: Multiple modifiers, pg 2
If a model has a combination of rules or wargear that modify a characteristic, first apply an multipliers, then apply any additions or subtractions, and finally apply any set values. For example, if a model with strength 4 has both '+1 Strength' and 'double strength', its final Strength is 9 (4x2=8, 8+1=9). If a model with Strength 4 has both '+1 Strength' and 'Strength 8', its final Strength is 8 (ignore +1 Strenght and set it at 8).

So the next question would therefore be: What is the timing mechanic? Can the stat resolve to a final score of 1 for snap shot at begining of phase, then the new stat modifiers start from 1 with no other modifiers? That would kind of negate a ton of instances of 'multiple modifiers' I realize. Does it always go back to the beginning of the phase and recalculate as new modifiers are added? So if there was an ability that said when you assault any unit with this unit, they fight at Strength 1, and you assault a unit with something that said your unit has Strength 10 or whatever, the stat keeps switching back and forth each turn as player priority changes right? Throw me a bone here guys! Lots of Firewarriors lives depend on it! And I don't want to house rule this so lets wrap it up nice and neat.

Otherwise I'm screwed into taking repetitive choices of Broadsides and Aegis lines. Neither of which do I own, or want to have to use and change my strategy, as I don't have the models to run another strategy anyway. Man, I hope they don't screw up the new Tau codex when it comes out...six months or so from now.

Well I'm probably screwed, but, oh well. Can't blame me for asking.

You only check the stat once the rule calls for it to be used. In this case, when rolling to hit. So, lets say you had a +4 modifier from x item, and another -2 from an enemy power, you would resolve your to hit stat like this:

BS4 + 4 - 2 = 6

The Set Modifier value happens at the very end, so no matter what math you have before it, it always gets set to x value as the rule applying it states.
BS4 + 4 - 2 (Set value to 8)= 8

In function, its like dividing by zero. Nothing messes with dividing by zero (Unless its a codex with its own dividing by zero rule). :|

Snap shots are a set value, so marker lights cannot increase your BS past 1 for shooting at flyers. Since snapshots are a set value.