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It seems to be the general consensus that you can use Auspex Scan on response to a unit arriving using Strike From The Shadows. I would agree with this interpretation, as Auspex Scan does not specify a phase or any other timing, and units set up on the battlefield using Strike From The Shadows are arriving from reserve.

There is an implication of this I haven't seen discussed however, which I would like opinions on.

As this is not taking part in a phase (Strike From The Shadows explicitly says the unit arrives at the start of the first battle round, before the first turn), surely this means you can use Auspex Scan any number of times, so long as it is paid for? Indeed, it could make the same unit fire repeatedly even.

As an example, if an enemy Assault Squad was deployed using Strike From The Shadows within 12" of my Hellblaster squad and I had 6 CP, if I wished I could use Auspex Scan 3 times to shoot three full times with that Hellblaster squad.

Is that correct?

You are mistaken in thinking you can use Auspex Scan on a unit that arrives via Strike in the Shadows.

Auspex Scan wrote:Use this Stratagem immediately after your opponent sets up a unit that is arriving on the battlefield as reinforcements

BRB Page 177 wrote:Reinforcements: Many units have the ability to be set up on the battlefield mid-turn [...] Typically, this happens at the end of the Movement phase, but it can also happen during other phases.

Strike from the Shadows wrote:At the beginning of the first battle round but before the first turn begins [...] set them up

By definition the unit that are set up via Strike from the Shadows are not reinforcements, therefore Auspex Scan cannot be used as it only is usable on units "arriving arriving on the battlefield as reinforcements".

Why would anyone think that it would be possible for a unit to start shooting before the game even begins?

Because it gives them an advantage and some people just dotn want to play fair?

Brass eye wrote:
Because it gives them an advantage and some people just dotn want to play fair?

There is a difference between being "unfair" and "flagrantly breaking the rules".

 BaconCatBug wrote:

Brass eye wrote:
Because it gives them an advantage and some people just dotn want to play fair?

There is a difference between being "unfair" and "flagrantly breaking the rules".

I was trying to being polite!

Well actually I searched this forum and found a post where the consensus did indeed seem to be that you can use Auspex Scan against this stratagem. But oh well.

I think there's some wiggle room in it needing to be in a phase, it just says it CAN be in any phase, not that it has to. But that's irrelevant, given the far more damning bit before that where it explicitly defines reinforcements as something that happens 'mid-turn'. Strike From The Shadows clearly happens outside of turns, but in Battle Rounds.

So yes, I agree with the responses above, this is all not possible.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Brass eye wrote:
Because it gives them an advantage and some people just dotn want to play fair?

I think that's a bit unfair. The Raven Guard and Alpha Legion strats are incredibly powerful, so searching for a counter to it isn't exactly not playing fair, it's just trying to level the playing field slightly.

Thinking back, there was one high elf army list in WFHB back in 5th edition, in the campaing book Storm of Chaos (good times, good times). So that army list was called Sea Guard or something, and they had a special rule allowing them to do one free round of shooting after the setup but before the game begun. So there has been precedent in units shooting outside the game.

But this one is pretty clear, I will have to agree with Bacon on this one. (And honestly, who wound ever disagree with bacon?)

Stux wrote:
Well actually I searched this forum and found a post where the consensus did indeed seem to be that you can use Auspex Scan against this stratagem. But oh well.

I think there's some wiggle room in it needing to be in a phase, it just says it CAN be in any phase, not that it has to. But that's irrelevant, given the far more damning bit before that where it explicitly defines reinforcements as something that happens 'mid-turn'. Strike From The Shadows clearly happens outside of turns, but in Battle Rounds.

So yes, I agree with the responses above, this is all not possible..

It says it can be during other phases (phases other than movement). It does not say at all that reinforcements arrive before phases start, or outside of when there are phases. You'd need to have that stipulation to be trying to claim reinforcements pre-game.

For that matter, why stop at Strike from Shadows? Why not claim that every unit the opponent places during deployment is a reinforcement, and try to shoot them? (This is, of course, assuming you managed to get your unit on the board during deployment to shoot the units deploying after). If you're trying to claim the one type are reinforcements, why not go whole hog and try to bust some caps in his entire army before he gets to do anything with them? There's the same level of justification for claiming units being deployed pre-game normally are coming from reserve as there is for claiming units deploying from Strike From the Shadows are reinforcements (i.e. no justification at all).

No need for the ire, it's a simple mix up between mid-turn and mid-battle round, which I've already been corrected on. It's all resolved

Wait does this mean I can use the Adeptus Mechanicus stratagem scyrer skull as many times as i want because I can use use it at any time and just keep spamming it to shoot!

It says nothing of phases.

Right guys? Right?

It's still once a phase for using any psychic power, so if you use it once during a phase you don't get to use it again the rest of that phase.

THE_GODLYNESS wrote:
Wait does this mean I can use the Adeptus Mechanicus stratagem scyrer skull as many times as i want because I can use use it at any time and just keep spamming it to shoot!

It says nothing of phases.

Right guys? Right?

Well, there's two ways to interpret it. Either it's saying you get a free round of shooting any time as you suggest OR it's saying that when you shoot normally you simply ignore some penalties.

The former interpretation is absolutely bonkers even without adding what you're suggesting to the mix. It says 'any time', so you could use it during deployment until you ran out of CP. In practice you could only do this once though, because your opponent won't play you again.

I don't think it should be taken that way anyway. Firstly because of the ridiculous results it creates, but also because the strat doesn't use the templating of any other strat that grants an extra shooting phase to a unit. Ultimately it's poorly worded, and therefore open to abuse.