Hello everybody !

Yesterday we had our first DW, Final Sanction, and we’ve noticed that some points are unclear for us. Maybe you can share some of your experience…
My group is composed by 1 Librarian (melee focused), 1 Assault Marine and 1 Devastator.

1) How do you deal with firing on a target which is in melee? Example: The Devastator wants to bolt a Genestealer in melee with the Assault Marine. How to deal with such situation? And what if he fires full-auto?

2) Can a Devastator fire his Heavy Bolter if he is in melee, at point-blank? I think I read somewhere that only pistols can be used in melee, but can’t find it.

3) Push a Psy power. It adds +3 to Psy Rating. Does that mean that a Librarian Psy 3 using and Pushing Smite deals (3+3)*1D10 dmg with Penetration 3+3? Isn’t that… enormous?

Thank you very much for your feedbacks!

1. This is discussed in the combat section specifically.

2. No. Only pistols can be fired in melee combat, and only single-shot (and get no range bonus).

3. The math is right. 6d10 Pen 6 is not enormous, Smite can get up to 13d10 Pen 13.

Ritalbringer said:

Hi,

1 - When firing in melee substract 20 to your BS skill. additiionnaly you can as a house rule make random hit when the shooter is using a burst or full auto weapon for each bullet who doesn't hit the target.

2-Only pistol can be used in melee but you can still use your heavy bolter as a club.

3-Yes you are right, psyker can be devastating, just remember to use the rules for pushing power, there's always a risk of catastrophy.

Great thank you!

And is it possible to use a Psy power while being in melee? Like Smite or something else?

Thanks!

Yes you can use psychic power when in melee but for those needing a BS roll don't forget to apply malus/bonus.

Just a comment: any Librarian that uses Smite in melee is basically screwing himself over, since he's going to take damage from his own power.

Ritalbringer said:

1. As stated the penalties and suggested rules are in the core book. We take an "equal share" approach. For full/semi, all hits are divided equally to every character in 1m radius of target. For single shots a DoS of 2 or less hits a randomly selected character/target within 1m of the main target (but not the main target).

2. No. Only attacks with the melee subtype can be used when engaged in melee. Single shots with pistols with no BS mods for range or size is a melee subtype attack. To be engage another character a character need only be "adjacent". A genestealer can use a Run move, ending next to your devastator, make no attacks, but it would still be engaging your devastator (meaning the Dev can only use melee subtype attacks). Big things or characters with really long arms have can be "adjacent" another character at longer ranges, this will engage the smaller character, even though that character isn't close enough to attack himself.

3. Yes you are correct, except, when you see PR X 1d10 what they really mean is: (PR=6) 6D10 NOT 6 X 1D10, this is covered in the errata.

Your second question: (crappy code)

And is it possible to use a Psy power while being in melee? Like Smite or something else?

Answer:

Any psychic power which deals damage is considered an attack, therefore any psychic power which deals damage and does not have the melee subtype can not be used in melee, unless the power specifically states it can be used in melee. Iron Arm and Might of Heroes are examples of powers which are NOT attacks and may therefore be used when engaged in melee. Smite deals damage and therefore is an attack, as it lacks the melee subtype or any wording specifically stating it can be used in melee, it may not be used when engaged in melee.

Things are getting clear. Thanks for your help guys!

Ritalbringer said:

Right

1) This is in fact in the rulebook - there's a -20 penalty to shoot into melee. Moreover, any full auto burst there are additional rules that I use that any miss within one degree of failure can hit folks nearby (so up to two additional shots, though occasionally I've used three cause hey). So if you want, you can then allocate these to the AM to emphasise the risk of blasting at some dude next to your buddy, but only if he gets a roll such that some of his full auto would miss, which is likely with a heavy bolter, less so with a standard one.

2) No. It's a cool idea, and maybe after a couple of ranks and some awesome training and deeds you can give him a deed that allows him to once per combat do so, but no. Pistols only in melee.

3) Yes. Psy powers are enormously good. There's a thread somewhere out there about the power of Compel.