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Something that has bothered me whenever I play is that a marine with a lascannon has the same probability of hitting an enemy model no matter the distance. Is it really just as difficult to shoot a model a couple inches away and a model that is half the board away? Does a Guardsman seriously have only a 50% chance of hitting a marine at point blank range and still have that same accuracy for shooting one 24" away?

Rolling to hit in 40k always seemed way too unrealistic and I think that there should be an increase in bs if the model you are shooting at is less than 12 or 6 inches away and a bs penalty for long range shooting. I feel like this would give a new fun aspect to the game.

What do you guys think about this?

So Pistols (and probably even Melters) always have +1 BS? Make it something like if you're in half range of the gun for heavy weapons and in a quarter of range for everything else and you should be fine.

Under half range: +1 BS
From maximum range up to half again: -1 BS
From that point to double maximum range: -2 BS
Etc

Whats this? BS 8 actually means something now?

My goodness would Tau love themselves with these rules though.

Exactly. Plus they already explain in the BRB's of past why you can't shoot beyond the range or why you're not more accurate at close range: realistically the firer is running across a smoking battlefield with giant robots the size of skyscrapers and tanks firing shells the size of a space marine. At long range the smoke and debris makes hitting targets difficult without computer aid, and at close range the chances are good that the firer is either panicking attmepting to keep a target from reaching him (tau, IG, etc) or else firing as a prelude to a charge into hand to hand (nids, space marines, orks, etc)

Actually, shooting something very close with a cumbersome weapon is very hard .... even more so if that thing is moving, you are shaking and sweating because it's a Land Raider full of raving mad Berzerkers and it has pointy stuff everywhere

While if you have a somewhat stable firing platform, it's quite easy to hit a target at long range, especially if you are firing a laser where the "projectile" obviously travels at the speed of light

IMO the simplest way to get more 'realistic' shooting is this.

The effective range is the range at which the unit WILL HIT the target , IF it can clearly see and identify the target and bring its weapon onto target.

And the TARGET set the basic chance of the shooter seeing and therefore hitting it.(Similar to FoW.)
This basic value if modified by cover , equipment and range etc.

We already have weapons which improve when in half range: Rapid Fire.

But anyhoo, I would be the first to jump on the realistic wagon, but experience has taught me that the less effort a game takes to play, the better. That way you get to focus on the "play" and not the "rules". And besides, 40k is deep enough as it is, and the depth comes from list building rather than shooting mechanics.

I always wanted more realism when my spacemen in concrete alloy armour fired miniature rapid fire grenade launchers at space fungus gorillas.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But I think the weapons ranges are there to reflect how far the weapon can be fired accurately.

Moving bikers get a cover save. Long range gets a cover save at night. I think the way it is now makes sense.

Personally instead of a bs raise you should get an extra shot
It not only makes it easier to play the game it makes sense if someone or something were to charge me I'd be firing as fast as possible

With my eldar I have my da use blade storm when there assaulted mostly because it makes sense and I know I'm going to be in cc my turn anyways

 Uial-Ras wrote:
Personally instead of a bs raise you should get an extra shot
It not only makes it easier to play the game it makes sense if someone or something were to charge me I'd be firing as fast as possible

With my eldar I have my da use blade storm when there assaulted mostly because it makes sense and I know I'm going to be in cc my turn anyways

You really want new Tau FWs pumping out 3 shots inside of 15 inchs without a Fireblade Cadre or Ethereal? Cause that will turn into 4 shots when one of those two buffs them up.

TanKoL wrote:
Actually, shooting something very close with a cumbersome weapon is very hard .... even more so if that thing is moving, you are shaking and sweating because it's a Land Raider full of raving mad Berzerkers and it has pointy stuff everywhere

While if you have a somewhat stable firing platform, it's quite easy to hit a target at long range, especially if you are firing a laser where the "projectile" obviously travels at the speed of light

This. Just because something is close doesn't mean it's easier to shoot. You are most likely panicking at that point since the thing that is close to you is most likely a giant Ork or Space Marine that wants to tear you limb from limb.

If anything, it should give you extra shots when super close as you will most likely be shooting everything you have to stop whatever is right in front of you. But, I think the current system doesn't really need changing...

 Miri wrote:

 Uial-Ras wrote:
Personally instead of a bs raise you should get an extra shot
It not only makes it easier to play the game it makes sense if someone or something were to charge me I'd be firing as fast as possible

With my eldar I have my da use blade storm when there assaulted mostly because it makes sense and I know I'm going to be in cc my turn anyways

You really want new Tau FWs pumping out 3 shots inside of 15 inchs without a Fireblade Cadre or Ethereal? Cause that will turn into 4 shots when one of those two buffs them up.

You will get tau players with space pope and fireblade pumping out 5 shots and with buffs to their snap shots