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Something came up though that would be helpful to clarify. Can guided missiles be shot from Overwatch at a formation that is marker-lit when it moves if the formation is not in line of sight of the Overwatching formation
Yes, I think it can, and play it that way. Although I could easily imagine room for debate. The Markerlight unit has line of fire and is within range (30cm) of the target formation. Being on Overwatch allows you to fire. I also think that it is very fluffy. Patient Hunter, setting fire traps and all that.
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1.6.1. Overwatch: The formation may not move, but instead enters overwatch. Being on overwatch allows the formation to interrupt an enemy formation’s action to shoot at it. You may not choose this action if the formation has any units that are out of formation.
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1.10. Also note that formations on overwatch may only react when a formation moves or unloads troops. They may not to choose to shoot at a formation that does anything else in their line of fire, such as shooting without moving or regrouping.
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11.1.9. Q: When are units that are armed with a weapon that does not require a line of fire
suppressed?
A: Only when they are within range of a unit from the target formation.
The clarification on indirect fire weapons say they can take suppression BMs without the need for "line of fire". The situation seems the same as for Guided Missile fire. The Guide Missile rule says that GMs can fire without Line of Fire:
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Third Phase Tau v 6.8. Guided Missiles may only be fired at a target formation that is marked, but Guided Missiles may be fired without LOF if the target is marked.
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2.1.13 A skimmer may declare that it is popping up at the start of any action that it takes, including when the skimmer goes into overwatch. A skimmer may not pop up as part of a sustained fire action or a marshal action, but may pop-up when it goes onto overwatch. Popping up counts as movement for the purposes of triggering firing by enemy units on overwatch.
Since most Guided Missile platforms are skimmers you would need to define that they would not popping up. I think the default would be that they were.
A parallel issue also occurs with Crossfire. Can you claim that without line of sight? Whether or not it is from Overwatch fire.
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1.11. The friendly unit that the crossfire line is drawn to must have a line of fire to a unit from the target formation, but does not have to be in range with any of its weapons. You may not use units that are in broken or marching formations to claim the crossfire bonus.
AND IN CLARIFICATIONS
Q: Does the friendly unit need to have a weapon that can affect the target formation in order to be used to catch it in a crossfire?
A: No, it doesn’t need weapons at all or even a Firefight value.
Q: Does the shooting formation need to have a line of fire to the friendly unit?
A: No, both the shooting formation and the friendly unit only need a line of fire to
the target formation.
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Markerlights are soo annoying... all my spotting formations would just get obliterated every time I tried to mark something. I didn't get to fire even one guided missile! maybe I didn't build a very good list (entirely possible). Probably lists that have more success with markerlights have higher activation counts and don't bother with the massive blimp (manta).
It is exactly this challenge that I think nicely balances the advantages of being able to fire guided missiles indirect. The presence of the Markerlight unit is a highly vulnerable risk. I generally try to use coordinated fire to ensure the support formation with guided missiles gets to fire. That does require a certain level of pop-corn. My recon formations frequently get broken/wiped out, by engage actions and die due to BMs on follow up fire.
Finally. my last game with a Manta suffered exactly the same fate with its planetfall. Too aggressive in its landing. Having said that it would have been hard to hide from the plethora of long range TK fire from the Greater and Lesser Gargants.
Battle Report Here:
Epic 4K: Gargant Big Mob vs Vior'la Tau