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  This just came over on TWF, and it appears to me that they can.

 

http://warhammer.org.uk/PhP/viewtopic.php?t=25157

 

The passage about skimmers under the LOS rules says “skimmer vehicles only block LOS if immobilized or wrecked”.  That’s the rule. 

 

The cover rules (p 25) say that you can claim cover saves if the fire passes over anything the models can hide in or behind.  While “hide” is a little vague, a model directly behind a tank hull and just seen over corner of said tank sure seems equally concealed whether it’s the fender of a Rhino or the wing of a Falcon.  Cover is based on actual physical LOS, or standing within certain types of abstract features (craters, wrecks, area terrain). 

 

It seems to me that blocking LOS is not the same as partially obscuring LOS to a model, and I think the cover and LOS rules are pretty clear that these are different concepts.  If a firing model’s LOS to a given model is “blocked”, they can’t wound or damage that target model AT ALL.  If the LOS is partially obscured, the defender generally can be wounded but can claim a cover save.  Skimmer vehicles definitely don’t block LOS while mobile, but the skimmer exception to the LOS rules is completely silent on the subject of whether they are capable of obscuring models behind them.  Since the exception doesn’t say they CAN’T give cover saves, the base rule (vehicles do grant cover based on actual LOS if they obscure the target) would seem to control.

 

I’ve never played it this way, but it seems to fit.  Any thoughts or counter arguments?

If it says they don't block line of sight, they don't block line of sight one little bit.  The rules for obscurement and cover depend on a model's ability to block line of sight at some size or level.  So for example, some level 1 low brush won't even provide cover for a wraithlord, but it would hide a scarab.  The brush has the capacity to block line of sight, but it doesn't always.  It says on the skimmers rules that skimmers can't block line of sight unless they are immobilized or wrecked.  Therefore, I don't see how they have any capacity to obscure targeting from any size level to any other.

Look at the diagram on page 20. Its says its a skimmer so it does not block line of sight.

This also shows the angle with a chimera's fender poking out a little .

The rule seems clear, as I interpret "Skimmers do not block LOS" to mean that they can not obscure the target in any way as they are incapable of blocking LOS in any capacty! 

The skimmer LOS thing is all shades of slowed in my opinion.  Consider the following scenarios:

1.  You can shoot a target that you can draw LOS to.  Skimmers do not block LOS.  So, anyone else find it silly that you can draw LOS to a vehicle that can't block LOS. - So it is invisible for the purposes of targeting guys behind it, but it is visible for being targeted itself. 

Logic might dictate that the model can't be invisible and visible at the same time, so since the specific rules (does not block LOS) trumps the general ruleset, then one might reason that skimmers can not be shot!  Woo!

1a. Skimmers don't block LOS... so, can embarked passengers be shot?  There might be an arguement that the embarked passengers are "off the table", and therefore, can not be shot, even if the skimmer doesn't block LOS to them... however, at the same time, embarked passengers can use vehicle firepoints, so they must be on the table in some form.  Therefore, it stands to reason that embarked models on skimmers may be shot at, since their vehicle does not block LOS to them, but may not be targeted, since there is no rule for targeting an embarked unit...  This might cause further confusion, as this unit -may be seen-, and might be fired upon if a unit fails its target priority check to shoot at another, further away unit, and is therefore FORCED by the rules to target these jerks in the invisible flying taxi.

I fully do not endorse the above viewpoints, it is only there for comedic effect.

2.  Skimmers only block LOS if they are wrecked, or if they are immobilized.  This makes sense, since a destroyed vehicle is a wreck, and wrecks don't have subtype "skimmer".  The other line causes a problem though, since I don't have my Tau codex handy, IIRC, landed skimmers still don't block LOS because they aren't destroyed.

Mannahnin, I think you're right. This sounds like one of those things that would probably get you a really positive response in a store though. ...If by "positive" you mean "violent."

Blocking LOS and providing cover ARE two distinct things. Area terrain (GW's way of making us all go slowly insane) is a great example of how a single object can Block LOS, NOT block LOS, and provide cover. We can use this same reasoning to say that just because skimmers don't block LOS they might still provide an obscured picture of the target behind it. This sounds like a great place to rehash the magic cylinder debate! Everyone grab some snacks and have a seat while we watch this thread go to page 15!

Again, I think this can be argued to be true, but I have never met a player (myself included) that didn't take the rule about skimmers not blocking LOS to mean that they were just invisible for the purposes of engaging targets beyond them. I think that's the accepted convention, and it's probably the easiest way to play it.

I always tought that the anit grav field that pushes the veichle off the ground should provide cover saves [Even a 6+ or something] for units behind it. The visible disruption, I always imagined anyway, would look like a heat shimmer off of a hot footpath. The shimmer, coupled with the engine wash [which also dictates that units should not be allowed BEHIND a mobile skimmer because they'd get a massive of exaust "And Great Lift" - Philip Jay Fry] should provide enough of a distortion to interfere with some shooting.