No worries on the questions, they show where the rules can use some clearing up - especially when multiple people keep asking the same questions.
Oh wow no. Just ... no. You never place more than one Barrage template per firing model unless the rules for that specific weapon say to do so. In addition, a weapon with the @ symbol only ever places one template per Detachment, not per model. Don't rely on just the stats for the model, always look at the description as well.
In the case of the Off-Board Barrages, one only ever places one standard size template (6cm) per instance and the listed BP rating determines the to-hit value of the attack. It does not have the @ symbol because you cannot combine multiple Detachments into the same attack, and each instance of an Off Board Barrage is basically it's own Detachment. The Off Board Barrage has a to-hit value of 4+ because it has 6BP.*
In the case of the Manticore, the @ symbol is not used in the Codex book (and should not be used on the army cards) because the Manticore has special rules. A detachment of Manticore may choose to combine or they may choose to fire independently in any specific game turn. See the description of the Manticore on page 20 of the "imperial_guard_with_errata_2.pdf" for more details.
*The only thing that the BP rating (the number before the BP) determines is the to-hit value of the attack. The To-Hit of a Barrage attack begins at 6+ for 1 or 2 BP, and goes up by +1 for every 2 BP. In other words: BP _ To-Hit 1-2 _ 6+ 3-4 _ 5+ 5-6 _ 4+ 7-8 _ 3+ _9+ _ 2+ Weapons that do not combine generally list their To-Hit value so that the chart need not be consulted. For weapons that do combine, add together all current models' BP ratings and use the entry for that total on the chart. That chart is in the core rules somewhere, I just don't recall where.
Note that weapons that do actually fire more than one Barrage template at a time must place the templates adjacent to at least one other template and may not overlap. Unless the description of the weapon says otherwise.
As a more in-depth example, let's say that a player is running an Imperial Guard army. He has an Artillery Company and a Manticore Support formation (along with other formations not relevant to this example).
During the first turn of the game, he activates the Manticore formation. He selects to have them not combine. Thus he places one 6cm template, scatters if needed, then places two more templates. All models at least half covered by any template take a hit on a 4+. [Note that no target model can be threatened more than once by the same attack, as it must be at least half under a template to qualify. Since templates cannot overlap, it is impossible to be more than half under more than one template.]
Next he activates the Bombards from the Company. He places one 6cm template on a building that contains an enemy Infantry formation. As all three Bombards are still in play, the total of this attack is 9BP (3BP from each Bombard) for a To-Hit value of 2+. First, the building is automatically hit (as per the 'Resistant to Damage' section on page 29 of the Cure Rules) and has to save. If it fails it's save, it is automatically destroyed regardless of remaining SP, as the Bombard does that. If it succeeds, all stands at least half under the template are hit on 2+.
Next he activates one of the Basilisk detachments. He places one 6cm template within range and sight. As all three Basilisk in that detachment are still in play, the BP total is 6 (2 from each model) for a To-Hit rating of 4+. He cannot add the Basilisk models from the other detachment to this total, as models in separate detachments never combine, even though they are all in the same formation. He then fires this detachment of Basilisk again, at the same target or a different one, as the Basilisk does that. [See description on page 19 of that Codex for details.]
On the next turn, he activates the Manticore again. By this time, they have lost one model. The player chooses to have them combine to try and take out a major target. Since each Manticore contributes 6BP, the total is 12BP, for a To-Hit value of 2+. [Note that 2+ is the best that the base To-Hit value can get just from combining BP ratings. Other factors may adjust this value though.]
As to your question about the "Separate Detachments" optional rule, well ... maybe, but probably not. Technically, that optional rule only specifically mentions that it affects coherency. It does not specifically say that it affects activations, thus my inclination would be to say that it does not. (As otherwise the activation discrepancy in the Marines' favor gets even worse.) In other words, even when using that rule, Space Marine stands and their dedicated Transports (IE, ones that are a part of the same formation) would be activated as one detachment rather than as two. Thus they would still work differently from detachments purchased as separate formations.
Due to you mentioning that, I can see how my first answer to A3 seemed like I was saying that they activate separately. That was not intentional ... at least, I think it wasn't.
It could be worth playing a couple of test games with them getting separate activations to see just how broken it might be. I have the feeling that it would give the Marine player too much of an activation advantage, at least if several formations of Mechanized Infantry are involved, especially Companies.
_________________ Net Epic Coordinator
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