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So I started running my Necron flyer wing list with two DS and three NS (that's all I currently own or I would run more). At some point it's going to come up in a game I'm sure so I figured I'd try and get some clarity on it now.

A unit is behind the ADL. Not everyone in the unit is covered 25% by the ADL can I focus fire on everyone not receiving a cover save? I'm thinking of the DS's death ray. Usually there's a back row of people and I practically have to be right on top of them for the death ray to work (12" starting point from the muzzle - probably shooting left-to-right/right-to-left).

Yes just call focus fire for the guys with no saves. Anything can focus fire I'm pretty sure. You can still hit units in the cover but the wounds can only be allocated on models with no save.

 necron99 wrote:
So I started running my Necron flyer wing list with two DS and three NS (that's all I currently own or I would run more). At some point it's going to come up in a game I'm sure so I figured I'd try and get some clarity on it now.

A unit is behind the ADL. Not everyone in the unit is covered 25% by the ADL can I focus fire on everyone not receiving a cover save? I'm thinking of the DS's death ray. Usually there's a back row of people and I practically have to be right on top of them for the death ray to work (12" starting point from the muzzle - probably shooting left-to-right/right-to-left).

12 inches from the muzzle is incorrect. you select a point within 12 inches of your arc and draw a line from that point.

 Goat wrote:
Yes just call focus fire for the guys with no saves. Anything can focus fire I'm pretty sure. You can still hit units in the cover but the wounds can only be allocated on models with no save.

Template weapons can not (not that they need to).

 GaussGuy wrote:

12 inches from the muzzle is incorrect. you select a point within 12 inches of your arc and draw a line from that point.

Oh, yeah, I know that...I just meant that usually people put a line of dudes along the ADL and then dutifully run a second row in a nice little line. So I could start a line at one end of the unit and run a 3d6" line right through them. Even if it's only three or four bodies it will probably be three or four dead bodies and then I can do damage to the rest of the unit with the destructors.

Just remember, all those models will have a cover save. If a model is 25% obscured, then it has it's covere save. So, if he is lining his men into ranks behind that ADL, then all his guys will easily be able to make that 25% obscurity.

 Unyielding Hunger wrote:
Just remember, all those models will have a cover save. If a model is 25% obscured, then it has it's covere save. So, if he is lining his men into ranks behind that ADL, then all his guys will easily be able to make that 25% obscurity.

I'll have to get my own ADL out and line some guys up behind it but my theory is that the guys right behind the line will get the cover but the dudes in the following row will not be able to get the cover save because of the angle the DS is flying in at. Like I said I think I'll need to see what the possibility is that would happen.

Whether models get a cover save or not is entirely situational and can only be accurately determined at the time of the situation. Just saying "I'm behind/in base contact with an ADL" is not sufficient to get a cover save.

I'm not sure you can actually focus fire with beam weapons, believe they are treated as templates which of course can't focus fire. Citation not handy, sorry.

I think you are going to be in for an argument though if you use this tactic. I can imagine a deployment where it is obvious the back rank isn't obscured but I think most are going to be pretty ambiguous. Good luck getting your eye beyond the gun to properly check TLOS. You'll have both your own model, the table, and bad ergonomics in the way unless you are like 8 ft tall and as flexible as a yoga master.

This is like arguing that an assault roll is 1mm to short. At some point analog games just don't have enough fidelity to have a clear answer about who is right about something.

I hear what your saying. It would have to be really obvious that the ADL isn't providing any sort of cover based on owning the high ground. I certainly wouldn't quibble over it unless it was obvious.

@jadedknight - Death ray's are listed as a heavy weapon. I'm not familiar with the beam weapons. I just looked it up in the BRB but the only beam weapon listed is under the psyker section.

I could easily be wrong on the template thing, I think in the early part of the rulebook it describes things that count as template which includes attacks that involve drawing a line. But again I wouldn't just take my word for it.

Focus Fire does not appear to be affected by weapon type as it even covers use of a Blast marker.

jadedknight:
The deathray is not a 'beam' type, but it was FAQ'ed that it behaves like a template (and thus can't hit flyers anymore even though it can be sky-fired).

 Texx wrote:
jadedknight:
The deathray is not a 'beam' type, but it was FAQ'ed that it behaves like a template (and thus can't hit flyers anymore even though it can be sky-fired).

Template weapons ignore cover.

It does not act as a template weapon, or a blast weapon, or a beam weapon. It is simply a heavy weapon with variable range and special wounding rules.

As far as the FAQ, it technically could "never" target/hit a flyer, the FAQ was a clarification not a rules change. It cannot target a flyer because of hard to hit.