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I believe some of the Maelstrom of War cards award victory points for successfully manifesting psychic powers? The low warp charge value of smite could be useful for this purpose even in circumstances where there are no enemy models within 18 inches.

The Space Wolf 'Cloaked by the Storm' strategem also relies on successfully manifesting a psychic power to use. Does anything prevent manifesting psychic powers without a valid target in this way?

In general, if the psychic power says to choose a target, it must have a valid target. If it says it effects the closest valid unit, you can cast it even if there are no valid units.

listylist88 wrote:
I believe some of the Maelstrom of War cards award victory points for successfully manifesting psychic powers? The low warp charge value of smite could be useful for this purpose even in circumstances where there are no enemy models within 18 inches.

The Space Wolf 'Cloaked by the Storm' strategem also relies on successfully manifesting a psychic power to use. Does anything prevent manifesting psychic powers without a valid target in this way?

While Smite doesn't need to be targeted, most other powers do. Smite is always usable and will simply do nothing if no units are within 18".

Looking a the ASTRA MILITARUM powers, many of them have the text: "if manifested, select an enemy unit within X" " Which implies that I can manifest the power, before choosing a target, and if there are not targets in range, the power was still 'manifested'.

(At least with these powers) you roll to manifest, before choosing a target, so you can still try if there are no valid targets within range; it will just do nothing. I'm not certain of other powers, that's the only Codex I have.

The rulebook does not specify that you have to choose a target before manifesting (though I suspect many players play it that way).

Standard rule is that you roll to manifest a power, your opponent attempt to Deny the Witch, and only then do you resolve the power. You don't select a target until you successfully manifest the power.