Concept: Wound Allocation With Templates

Battle Banner, V. Safonov

Sandwyrm here. I'll be spending most of the day finishing up some fluff for the game, but I wanted to kick out a crazy idea that I have for wound allocation and see what folks think of it as a mechanic.

Dust Tactics/Warfare models ©Fantasy Flight Games

We've talked before about how template weapons will force players to break up their formations into fire teams, and how leaders/specials will need bodyguards. But what if a particular faction doesn't have access to blast weapons? Wouldn't the need to break up your formation go away?

Warhammer 40,000 Tau, Imperial Guard, and Space Hulk models ©Games Workshop

There's also the issue of wound allocation for direct-fire weapons. Who gets hit first? Closest model? Models within X inches of the firing unit? This is going to matter if units are trying to shoot up an advancing enemy before they move.

So here's my crazy solution. We use templates to let a shooting unit dictate their opponent's wound allocation. Here's my 40K/Flames collection. The really big ones are 40K Apocalypse templates.

The general idea is that you put the template down on the closest model that you can draw LOS to and then those models must have any direct-fire shooting hits allocated to them first.

You still have to roll to hit and wound as normal based on ROF, BS, and Evasion. The template doesn't let you roll for every model under it like a blast would, nor does it limit you to only killing those models. It just dictates which models must take wounds first.

Particularly indiscriminate weapons like heavy assault cannons could use a larger template to convery their lack of accuracy. As could vehicle mounted weapons on models like a Forge World Hydra. 

 

While some units could tighten the template down with a Ld roll or something; allowing them to select their targets more reliably, but perhaps in return they would have to give up any extra hits that would have to be allocated outside of the template.  No model would be able to be hit more than once in this system. So the results for direct-fire would be no worse than a blast weapon.

For a standard shooting attack though, I actually prefer the teardrop template. As it better represents the falloff in effectiveness from direct fire.

You'd fire it by centering the large end around the closest visible model and then rotating it anyway you like to control who else gets preferred allocation. So you could maybe catch an enemy leader...

Or just sweep the flank that you intend to run away from (assuming shooting comes before moving).

Again, vehicles and airstrikes would use a larger template that's more difficult to game the target with. Giving you more reasons to take infantry. :)

Against non-assault, non-horde infantry, you enemy is still encouraged to group up tactically as they move.

 Only 3 kills? The Knights are now freer to move, but the IA squad lost a flamer. Choices choices...

 Thoughts?