I'm just typing this from memory, so I might get this wrong, but if your Slann is within the Temple Guards, then he could do that, because in essence, the Slann himself is not in Close Combat, the Temple Guards are. Temple Guards basically take the Slann out of Close combat, eventhough the entire unit is still in Combat. - If your Slann is on it's own in CC, then no, he can't cast Magic Missile because he's in Close Combat. I know that for certain. Once again; I am not 100% certain of the first statement, that the slann may cast when the Templeguards are in CC...
If he's in a temple guard unit, then yes, 100%. the Lizardmen book states that "so long as the Slann has no enemy models in base to base contact, it may still cast magic missiles." This is to indicate his palanquin floating up above the combat to cast the spells, then floating back down after the spell is done (he's not stuck up there to be shot at). In terms of if a slann can cast a spell through a priest while in CC seems like it might be something found in a faq. Since the spell is CAST BY the slann and magic missiles cannot be cast while in CC, then i'd say no, even though the skink priest isn't in combat since he isn't the caster of the spell. That's just my 2 pence
Thx guys for respond. I was thinking on "solo" Slann , cause in Temple Guard , rule is pretty much clear that he can cast anything while is no one in base contact with him. But Vassal rule is quite roughly written. A Mage-priest has the ability to take over the mind of a Skink Priest in order to cast a spell through its minion. The Slann can channel magic missile spell through any Skink Priest that is within 24". The spell is cast as if the Slann model was where the Skink Priest model is. Any miscast affect Slann... Now i think this is only for purposes of geting LOS and eventually range of MM, but if the spell is "cast where the Skink Priest model is." then that's out of combat. so it is allowed? What do you think?
I don't know how many times I read that rule and missed that sentence. This muddies the water slightly more than if he just cast it from where he was. This makes it sound as if you should "in rough game terms" remove the Slann from combat, put him where the skink priest is, cast the magic missile, then return him to his starting position back in combat. Which would mean that, yes, he could cast that magic missile. Though the BRB states explicitly that they cannot be cast at all if the Wizard (or his unit) is engaged in close combat so... he's still engaged in close combat, but not really??? /pulls out a dice, 1-2-3 he can, 4-5-6 he cannot? ----------------------------------------------- Edit Bleh, re-reading that last post of mine. Even though it's cast as if he was elsewhere on the board he IS in close combat. So, no, IMO, he cannot do it.
Im going to agree with forgottenknight. Looking at the rulebook now, if the slann is in base to base then no casting (unless otherwise specified). However if the skink is in base to base he can still be used (unless this has been FAQed). Ether situation is not desirable as both units are terrible in CC.
Yeah the Slann can cast magic missiles when his TG are in combat... But he cannot target the unit he is in combat with, correct? Because you can't shoot a MM at a unit in combat. I imagine that, and LoS would somewhat restrict his likely viable targets.
Right, the regular rules for a MM still are in effect. So you can't target a unit in close combat. However, if he's using the vassal rule, his line of sight is now the line of sight from the skink priest. So he can see another unit that he's not in combat with. If he floats up above the combat while in a TG unit, he now uses true line of sight (what a horrible rule.. oh look I can see between the branches of that tree indicating a forest) and can shoot over the TG and the unit he's in combat with to a unit in his front arc.