After the Volcano In Paris where I was the referee, it appears that players had many questions (before, during and after the event) about the Snap Fire special rule. I had to do some choices on "how to handle it" to solve some cases for this event and french players are very interested in your opinions. We'd like to game to be the same everywhere and not having to create a french NetEpic rule book.
Sometimes the "raw" Read As Written method is OK but sometimes you ask yourself, what the writter meant or how is it supposed/intented to be played ? Also, is the term "snap fire" really referring to the Snap Fire Rule ?
So I've checked the whole rulebook and "Snap Fire" appeared 18 times:
p17: Order Table reaction, first row, last column
p17: Command (Special Ability)
p18: Movement sequence, 2) Activating Units
p19: 3)Enemy Response, 1)Firing at a moving unit
p19: 3)Enemy Response, 2) Firing at a charging unit
p19:
Snap Fire (Special Rule)p19: Quick-draw (Special Ability)
p19: Fire on the fly (Special Ability)
p20: Point Defense (X) (Special Ability)
p22: Pop-up Attacks (Special Rule)
p28: Forest
p32: The Combat phase introduction
p33: 1) First Fire Segment, last table row "Snap Fire"
p34: Anti-Aircraft (Special Ability)
p34: To-Hit Roll Greater than 6 (Special Rule)p47: Titans/Firing (Special Rule)
p50: Fire on the Fly (Appendix B Special Abilities)
p58: Glossary (Snap Fire)According to the overall text from page 18 to "Special Rule: Snap Fire" on page 19, if a "standard" unit (not a titan or a command to make things easier to understand) wants to do a
"Snap Fire" action, I need to activate it when an enemy unit do a movement.
Q1: does it means that I have not already revealed my unit order ? As the term "activated" is used on page 19 at 3)1), if I have already shown a unit first fire order, this means that I have already activated it.
Q2: if I have already revealed my first fire order on my unit, am I allowed to do a "Snap Fire" action against a unit this is moving to engage it in close combat ?
Q3: according to "Snap Fire special Rule p19", my whole detachment that have performed a snap fire (in reaction to a distant move or a direct charge) counts as having fired this turn: even if it was charged by a single enemy stand whereas I had 10 stands in my detachment ?
Q4: can I perform a "Snap Fire" against a unit performing a "pop-up" attack if I have revealed my first fire order ?
Q5.1: titans can do some "Snap Fire" with each weapon and the titan does not count has having been activated (p19 "Snap Fire Special Rule) ?
Q5.2: Or is it only for their AA weapon (p47: Titans/Firing) that can be activated to snap fire at flyers/floaters/[skimmer performing a pop-up attack] even if the titan has already moved in advance or has already shown its order as it's indicated by "the weapons are considered independent from each other"
Q5.3: p47: Titans/Firing, about "the weapons are considered independent from each other", does it mean all titan weapons or only AA weapons are considered independent from titan other weapons ?
Q6.1: p20 Point Defense (X) Special Ability: I am allowed to snap fire at a moving unit (charging me or not) with my point defense even if my unit has already moved ? PD rule let me understand that the reply is YES but it's just to be 100% sure "Point Defense systems always act as though they were on First Fire Orders no matter what the unit’s actual orders are, and may be thought of as a separate unit."
Q6.2: If 6.1 is YES, if a perform a charge move and engaged a stand in close combat, am I allowed to shoot at it during First Fire Segment ?
Q6.3: if Q6.2 is no, am I allowed to use my PD to snap fire a unit that is engaging in close-combat even if I have already engaged a close combat against another unit ?
Q6.4: if I have engaged or have been engaged in a close combat with my stand/vehicle equipped with PD(s) and have not used them before close combat and my stand/unit have survived close combat, am I allowed to fire them in advance fire segment ?
Q7.1: when declaring a "snap fire" against a moving enemy unit, do I have to declare all my detachments that will perform it ?
Q7.2: If Yes, when my "declared snap firing" detachment have various weapon range or do not see the enemy before a "line of sight" point can I declare another Snap Fire with them ?
Sorry for this big question list, my intention is to understand better how "Snap Fire" should be played, not how each group play it.
According to your replies, there will surely be another question list...