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This barbed hierdule has 2 Assault 6 Bio Cannons that he can choose to fire a different targets.

If I fire the first 6 shots at a FMC and they cause it to fail a grounding test, can I then choose to fire the next 6 at it with full BS? Or since it is actually the same target do all the shots happen at the same time (thus needing 6's to hit). Now it is a gargantuan creature so it has permission to fire the guns at different targets.

Thanks for any insight.

Different target but still silmutaneous

I might be mistaken, but I was under the assumption that you declared your what unit you were firing what weapons at before you rolled the dice (as it is all simo) to prevent just that sort of thing.

I would need to review the rule itself but assuming what you put forth is accurate there is one thing I would like to point out:
Choose to fire at a different target.

I bring those two words to the foreground because they are inform us of two very important things. The first informs us that we have a choice in the matter and the second inform us that evoking this rule requires us to choose a different target to resolve a second attack against. Should a player then decide to fire all weapons at a single target they have clearly chosen not to evoke a rule granting them permission to choose a different target. If they are not evoking a rule that changes the order of the sequences, not that I am saying that this rule changes the sequence, there is no reason to do anything outside of the normal sequence of events.

Different targets means just that DIFFERENT.

While I'd love to have a 3 page discussion on what constitutes different, I'll just assume you can tell two things apart.

Your getting odd easy if it's only 3 pages lol. Hopefully, the ones with an agenda to push will stay out of it.

The issue isn't about the word different; just whether or not the shots are simultaneous. According to the rulebook (on page 12 in the lower left corner box), you must nominate which unit or units you are shooting before rolling any dice. So the answer is no, you may not shoot the FMC and then see if it is grounded or not before shooting again.

Edit: I completely misunderstood the question. Sorry! I thought he meant that he would decide to shoot at a different unit! Not the same one! I'm not sure about using the full BS in that case! My bad!

The shots are simo. This makes a differnce and is why you call your targets before rolling the dice. For example, you are not allowed to say "I'm firing one of them at that squad of marines", see the results and then decide to fire the other one at them too or if the unit was wiped out, then say "well, now, I'll shot the other one at THAT squad of marines'. It is to prevent that sort of shenanigans.
In your case, all the shots (if you decide that one model is the target) hit it at the same time up in the air.

Nukes4You,
Actually, the word difference is a key element to the rule, one which shows the scenario is impossible to begin with.

This is not to point out that your incorrect or the likes, Shooting attacks are a cascading sequence that requires the previous step to be resolved first to function. Targeting is part of Step 1, I think, so any Targeting which occurs must be done at this Step before we move on the next. The cascading effect prevents a player from simply returning to a previous step in order to resolve the entire sequence from that point forward again without being given precise instructions/permissions to do so. From my understanding of the Rules as Written, without precise instructions to do otherwise, one would be forced to resolve all of Step 1 before moving on.

Now, with that said, this isn't to say the sequence can not be changed.

Special Rules are well known for their ability to do anything they want and this includes breaking the normal sequence of an event, cascading or otherwise. If a Special Rule is going to change the default sequence it does so by providing us with alternative instructions to follow. In the case of the Shooting Attack Sequence this could be as complicated as a entire new sequence, with more Steps then the original, or something a simple as informing us to Resolve the entire shooting attack for a single model before moving onto the rest of the unit. Such instructions would then grant permission to do what the original poster is suggesting but, to my knowledge, I think only one 'Additional/Different target' Special Rule comes close and I am away from my library to confirm if the count is even that high.

So I would need to review the exact wording behind this rule but I believe there is a good chance it simply states we can choose additional targets, which must happen during Step 1 before any dice are Rolled, like the vast majority of 'Additional/Different target' Special Rule.

JinxDragon wrote:
Nukes4You,

Shooting attacks are a cascading sequence that requires the previous step to be resolved first to function. Targeting is part of Step 1, I think, so any Targeting which occurs must be done at this Step before we move on the next. The cascading effect prevents a player from simply returning to a previous step in order to resolve the entire sequence from that point forward again without being given precise instructions/permissions to do so. From my understanding of the Rules as Written, without precise instructions to do otherwise, one would be forced to resolve all of Step 1 before moving on.

I agree with this bit! That is what I was attempting to say, yet you put it into words in a much more concise and understandable manner. Thanks!

That is a first... I often butcher what I am trying to say!

I have yet to be able to locate a copy of the barbed hierdule's Special Rules themselves, I do have some book sized holes in my library after all, so I can't say for sure about this particular case. I did review the one rule that I was thinking on, Split Fire page 42, and it can be used as an example of a Special Rule that changes the normal sequence of events. This special rule state you Resolve the Shooting Attack for a single model before resolving the Shooting Attack from the rest of the unit. The timing involved would require the rest of the unit to complete Step 1 again, allowing them to target at this point in time.

In this case it really doesn't matter so much thanks to this piece of errata, effectively making it so you might as well resolve them like other 'additional/different target' Special Rules:
“Once this shooting attack has been resolved, resolve the shooting attacks made by the rest of the unit. These must be at a different target and may not be a unit forced to disembark from any Transport that has been Wrecked or suffered an Explodes! result due to the Split Firing unit’s initial shooting attack.”