8th Ed. Doomwheel vs Slann question

The Divine Plaque of Protection increases the Slann's ward save versus all ranged attacks. Would this provide protection against the Doomwheel's Zzzzap! attack if the Slann and Doomwheel are in close combat with each other? The Zzzzap! attack is 3 bolts of warp lightning fired against the closest target, even if engaged in close combat. So the attack is not exactly "ranged" if the Slann/Doomwheel are fighting each other. But the Zzzzap! does occur in the Shooting phase, so it could be argued that it is defined as ranged.

In my game, we did allow the improved ward save (it was actually the Skaven player's idea), but I'm not convinced that was correct. Any thoughts?

 

I didn't know you could even uses the Zzap attack in close combat...?

 

Yes, you can use it in cc, but I'd say it still is a ranged attack whatsoever. The rules are not clear about that (I just re-read it in the skaven army book) so I'd say we have to look at the fluff: even if engaged in melee with the old frog the lightning shoots wildly in all directions. If an archer stood a foot away from a slann the magical protection from the plaque would still work. It's not as if the doomwheel cuts the slann with his spikes and then unleashed some kind of lightning damage, it rather shoots in a very close range.
That's how I, as a Skaven and Lizardmen player, see it.

 

I would agree with applying the ward save, as the zzap is still the same weapon, no matter if fired from range or in CC.

 

Its an interesting question and I can definitely see how there would be two interpretations. I think I'd agree with the others that the lightning still counts as a ranged attack no matter where it is coming from, that is what the weapon is classified as so it should use the rules even when it is firing from close combat.

 

Thanks for the responses, everyone. We did play it like everyone suggests, but I wasn't sure. Thanks again.

 

The opposite of this case would be the Dwarfen Master Rune of Flight. It says "functions exactly as a thrown weapon... The target is automatically hit once as if the two models were in close combat".

Just thought this was interesting.