Imotekh the Stomlord Lord of Storm ability vs. Flyers

[GoNecrons]

House rule required as no FAQ covers the storm lords effect on flyers. How should I play it? Spoils of war are letting him do it which is a result but could do with a house rule.

Necron extract for those that do not have the codex
Whilst the Night Fighting rules remain in play, roll a D6 for each unengaged enemy unit on the battlefield at the start of each Necron Shooting phase. On a roll of a 6, that unit is struck by a bolt of lightening and suffered D6 Strength 8, AP5 hits (Vehicles are hit on their side armour).

[Embolden]

Its a hard one, the FAQ specifically states weapons or powers than don't roll to hit, draw a line or cannot snap fire may not shoot at fires (IE Njals powers). Immotekh is technically not rolling to hit (as it's not against his BS skill or snap shooting), but you are rolling a d6....

I would say yes, but thats because I hate flyers, I'm not sure how others are interpreting the rules however.

[Sincilbanks]

It seems pretty clear to me from the BYB:

"Shots resolved at a Zooming Flyer can only be resolved as snap shots (unless you have skyfire etc, etc)"

And as for snap shots:

"It's important to note that any shooting attack that does not use a ballistic skill cannot be "fired" as a snap shot"

Your skill does not use a BS therefore it cannot snap shoot, therefore it can't engage a flyer...

Just because this ability hits on a 6 does not make it a snap shot. Snap shots are resolved at BS1, it's not using a BS to hit, ergo it can't hit flyers..

I fear the umpires at Spoils may be mixing up needing a 6 to hit, with a snap shot, 2 entirely different things in this case (imho)

My $0.02 anyway...

[jaqenhgar]

Problem is it's not a 'shot' so the rules for shooting at zooming flyers do not apply. It is rolled for at the start of the turn and not in the shooting phase.

It is also not a 'power' as in psychic power (if that's what the wording is in the Necron codex and the FAQ Rob mentioned).

It's an ability (to call down lightning). It makes perfect sense that a flyer CAN be hit by lmotekh's lightning - because why not? So i vote yes. i reckon when it's faq'd (probably in a couple of years time) they will allow it to hit flyers.

---

Having said all that, I still reckon you'd need to get your opponents agreement before the game. Mentioning it's a house rule (if people vote for it) might help sway them...

[Sincilbanks]

From the BYB FAQ:
Q: How do maelstroms, novas and beams – or indeed any weapon
that doesn’t need to roll To Hit or hits automatically – interact with
Zooming Flyers and Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures? (p13)
A: Only Snap Shots can hit Zooming Flyers and Swooping
Flying Monstrous Creatures. Therefore, any attacks that use
blast markers, templates, create a line of/area of effect or
otherwise don’t roll to hit cannot target them. This includes
weapons such as the Necron Doom Scythe’s death ray or the
Deathstrike missile of the Imperial Guard, and psychic
powers that follow the rule for maelstroms, beams, and
novas.

As I said, in my opinion, it's not a snap shot, so it can't hit flyers. The section after the comma expands on what some of the things which don't qualify are, but the first statement before the full stop seems pretty definitive to me. I agree with you though, GW could end up FAQ'ing this either way...

[jaqenhgar]

From the BYB FAQ:
Q: How do maelstroms, novas and beams – or indeed any weapon
that doesn’t need to roll To Hit or hits automatically – interact with
Zooming Flyers and Swooping Flying Monstrous Creatures? (p13)
A: Only Snap Shots can hit Zooming Flyers and Swooping
Flying Monstrous Creatures. Therefore, any attacks that use
blast markers, templates, create a line of/area of effect or
otherwise don’t roll to hit cannot target them. This includes
weapons such as the Necron Doom Scythe’s death ray or the
Deathstrike missile of the Imperial Guard, and psychic
powers that follow the rule for maelstroms, beams, and
novas.

As I said, in my opinion, it's not a snap shot, so it can't hit flyers. The section after the comma expands on what some of the things which don't qualify are, but the first statement before the full stop seems pretty definitive to me. I agree with you though, GW could end up FAQ'ing this either way...

Yet all those are weapons or psychic shooting attacks. Imotekh's rule does not occur in the shooting phase. I agree it's not a snap shot, but it's also not a 'shot' at all.

[Sincilbanks]

I agree they are, but I believe the answer is in the first part of the reply in the FAQ, "Only snap shots can hit zooming flyers and swooping monstrous creatures", I grant you they may not have considered Imotekh's powers when writing that phrase (and the second part seems to confirm they didn't) but right now it would appear (to me, and I'm a total rules lawyer as anyone who knows me will tell you, all that WWII wargaming with WRG 1925-1950 rules and the like! ) that's what the rules say, hence my statement that Spoils (once again, only my opinion) have mixed up "Rolling a 6 to hit" and "A snap shot"

Just to clarify, I really don't mind either way, I don't use flyers and probably won't, and I'm sure I've said enough on this thread already..over to some others to have their say...

[jjakaalbinoboy]

I agree with u both, yes Chris it's not a shot and because its not a shot, yes Ben it can't hit a flyer under the rules as they said. That said I believe this "ability" would classify as a good exception to the rule and it does make perfect sense that lightning (albeit artificially started) would randomly hit a flyer as likely, if not more so than a ground unit.

I'd be perfectly happy to allow it I think.

[manrogue]

Whole 16 page discussion on it here at Dakkadakka-
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/pos...80037.page

Rules lawyer in me says no due to the points already made by Ben, as rules as written specifically state only snap shots can target Flyers.
As it is a special ability, it is not a snap shot. You don't roll to hit, you roll to invoke the special ability.
But it could also be that i have 3 flyers.....

[Embolden]

I also have thought of a fun situation, the Warlord trait makes Immotekh scoring, he stands on a objective with skyfire, can he now "shoot" at a flyer with lightning attack?