Orbital Strike Relays, RAI Options

[Shadow Fox]

This came up in a game the other night.
In the Grey Knight codex there is a weapon option called a Orbital Strike Relay which fires inaccurate fire at infinite range. Yet while fluff wise the shot comes from a ship in low orbit none of the fire modes actually have barrage thus by RAW cover saves are taken from LoS from the firing model. The opponent I was playing against said this was 'BS'. I agree that the rule should probably be barrage but does this situation call for RAI?

[fofjunior]

Pg 58 of GK codex, "..treated as a ranged weapon that can be used provided that bearer did not move in the preceding movement phase..", "..note that orbital strikes always scatter the full 2 x D6..".

same pg - lance (heavy 1), barrage (ordnance), psyk-out (ordnance).

They do not have the barrage classification and as it states treat as ranged weapon LOS must be drawn from model with the weapon.

+1 cover saves are therefore taken as normal.

It may well should HAVE been classified as barrage but GW did not include this in the rule. They do not ignore cover saves as this also was not put in the rule (i.e. like the IG mortar vehicle which specifically states ignores cover saves).

[Krefey]

I think it just helps represent, even more so than the scatter, that firing from orbit is never going to be accurate.

[damnitsham]

Another way to argue it with RAI is that the guy calling in the bombardment won't be able to send accurate coordinates to the ship unless he has clear LOS to the target...

[Archon Eugenic]

I was thinking of more like a markerlight or lazer tagging device (see "Battlefield Los Angeles" for more info) so as the target is moving and there might be a tree getting "tagged" the scatter and cover do count.

Eugene