Searchlights:

So I was looking further into our searchlights discussion:

So there are 6 parts to a Shooting phase that you do per unit. The first part is the only important part:

Quote :

Check line of sight & pick a target.
Pick one of your units, check its line of sight
and choose a target for it. All models in the
unit that can see at least one enemy model in
the target unit may open fire.

Searchlights says:

Quote :

If the vehicle has a searchlight, it must still use the night fighting rules to pick a target ...

You don't have to fire to be able to pick a target. Notice that it says that you MAY open fire. But the ability to fire has no impact whatsoever on being able to check line of sight and choose a target.

Note: Abilities like smoke launchers and effects like crew stunned and shaken, prevent you from firing, but do not prevent you from picking a target. Being able to shoot is not a pre-requisite to being able to pick a target. The 1st part of the shooting rules supports this.

Conclusion: Searchlights are not a weapon, and the ability to fire a weapon has no bearing in the ability to use a searchlight. Searchlights may be used in the shooting phase, regardless of your ability to shoot.

Thoughts?

What we are also dealing with is multiple search light rules.
The new space marine and IG are the same

Quote :

searchlights are used when the night fighting rule is in affect. If a vehicle has a searchlight it must still use the night fighting rules to pick a target but, having acquired a target it will illuminate it with the searchlight.

The Chaos Marine book has

Quote :

if a vehicle has a searchlight it must still use the nightfight rules to pick a target but, having fired at that unit, will will illuminate it with the searchlight.

the blood angels have

Quote :

If this unit spots and fires on a target in a
night fight, then any other unit can ignore the night
fight rules when shooting at the same target unit

So for Blood Angels and Chaos Marines you have to actually shoot at a target. For IG and Space Marines you don't have to shoot at a target, just pick one.

My only question is:

How can you aquire a target if the vehicle is inelligable to shoot a weapon?

Saying that we can always pick targets, even if we can't do anything to them, moves into the realm of "it doesn't say I can't, so I will" territory.

Quote :

How can you aquire a target if the vehicle is inelligable to shoot a weapon?

Because the search lights are not a weapon.
Because they are not a weapon there are no restrictions on limiting your shooting with them.

Its called the shooting phase, not the turn on the lights phase.

You acquire a target as part of a valid shooting attempt, not as part of some other thing where you just roll dice then declare you used your lights really well.

Whats to stop a vehicle from searchlighting multiple units?? If it has line of sight to them its perfectly valid to check range and attempt to see them, why not just light up the whole army with a single rhino that moved 12 inches, or you got lucky and went 18 on a road to the middle of his army?

If valkyries have them, why not just rush 24 inches for cover saves AND light up the entire enemy army


In order to use the searchlights the vehicle must be able to acquire the target as part of a VALID SHOOTING ACTION, otherwise it has no pretext to check line of sight and range, and you'll be cheating by pre-measuring your shooting or moves for next turn.

David wrote:

Whats to stop a vehicle from searchlighting multiple units?? If it has line of sight to them its perfectly valid to check range and attempt to see them, why not just light up the whole army with a single rhino that moved 12 inches, or you got lucky and went 18 on a road to the middle of his army?

Because it says A unit, not multiple units so you can't light up more than a single one.

It isn't a shooting attack so why is it using the rules for shooting? It doesn't take a roll to hit.