8th Ed. Salamanders shooting at the same time?

[Little Wolf]

This must have been asked before but the stupid search function here doesn't let me find it .

When there are multiple salamanders in a unit, I always shoot them at the same time (so doing the template for all of them) and then roll for wounds.

At a tournament today however, someone said you were supposed to do one, remove the slain models, than shoot the other.

Which one is correct?

 

[Stonecutter]

The sallies shoot one at a time, not all at once as per the rules on page 56 of the codex.[2nd last line of the para under the "spout flames" table].

This rule has two major impacts on sallies shooting:

1) the unit can be depleted early, leading to fewer template hits. Accordingly, if skinks will also be shooting at the same unit, save their shots for last to maximize sallie hits.

2) the first template hit, if it causes a casualty (i.e. at least one model is removed), results in an immediate panic check. This means that the unit can end up fleeing away and out of range before the other shots are resolved. However, the remaining sallies still have to attempt to fire (they cannot change targets) and may eat a couple skinks in the process but heh, that's what the handlers are for anyhow

 

[Hinds]

The sallies shoot one at a time, not all at once as per the rules on page 56 of the codex.[2nd last line of the para under the "spout flames" table].

This rule has two major impacts on sallies shooting:

1) the unit can be depleted early, leading to fewer template hits. Accordingly, if skinks will also be shooting at the same unit, save their shots for last to maximize sallie hits.

2) the first template hit, if it causes a casualty (i.e. at least one model is removed), results in an immediate panic check. This means that the unit can end up fleeing away and out of range before the other shots are resolved. However, the remaining sallies still have to attempt to fire (they cannot change targets) and may eat a couple skinks in the process but heh, that's what the handlers are for anyhow

uhh.. I never played it like that.. hmm is it that way for all kinds of such panic checks? When I play with my friends we often only check when the phase is done (shooting or magic). It does makes sense this way though

 

[Stonecutter]

The sally rules are quite explicit about firing one template at a time. The issue of an "immediate" panic check is based on the wording on page 62 under "Heavy Casualties", which obviously includes the word, "immediately". For quite some time when 8th ed first came out, my group missed this little nuance and we continued doing panic checks the way we had always done them - at the end of the phase. However, we have interpreted immediately to mean exactly that and do the panic checks as they occur (the same "immediately" also applies to other types of panic checks). Having played in a number of tournies outside the local area, I have found many other players have also missed this "immediately" aspect of panic checks. That being the case, I now discuss it before play starts so that we both use either immediate or end of phase panic checks for the game.

In addition to the shooting phase, using immediate panic checks is quite significant during the declare charges phase if you are using bait and flee units. When the bait unit flees through a 2nd friendly unit, a panic check ensues and can cause that unit to also flee - from the nearest enemy unit. Scouts can be positioned to exploit such situations by directing the now fleeing 2nd unit to cause havoc in the enemy line or even to run them off the board. In addition, the 2nd fleeing unit can be forced to flee yet again multiple times by subsequent charge declarations, again providing ample opportunity to direct them exactly where you want them. Unfortunately, it also works against you sometimes - my slaan and saurus star decided to roll dice for a DnD character recently when a few skinks ran through them and ended up going right off the board since it was turn 2. On the bright side, I got in an extra game that night

 

[forlustria]

quick question similar to this. say 1 of the sallys shoots causes a wound and the unit passes their panic check. now the other sally shoots and causes a wound.does the unit test again or is it ok as it already passed a panic that phase.

 

[Stonecutter]

Only one panic check per phase so once the unit has passed one that phase it is good to go (pg 62, right hand column, 3rd bullet point).

 

[n810]

One other nuance: It's cause a Causality, not cause a wound.
so you have to kill a whole model.