Covering Fire

Declaration Trigger

Covering Fire may be declared when an enemy unit targets one of your units with a shooting attack.

The command is declared by a different eligible friendly unit.

Resolution Timing

Covering Fire resolves before the triggering unit completes its shooting attack.

Covering Fire and the triggering attack form the same shooting exchange. Use core/shooting_initiative.md for that exchange; Covering Fire has initiative over the triggering unit.

Targeting

The target of Covering Fire is the triggering enemy unit.

The declaring unit must be able to legally shoot that target when Covering Fire resolves.

Resolution

When Covering Fire resolves:

1. Resolve the Covering Fire attack against the triggering unit using the normal shooting rules.
2. For this exchange, Covering Fire has initiative over the triggering unit.
3. Resolve any immediate Critical Damage caused by Covering Fire before the triggering unit resolves its own attack.
4. If the triggering unit remains eligible to resolve its attack, resolve that attack as part of the same shooting exchange.
5. Resolve non-critical damage and delayed model removal after the full exchange, using the normal shooting and damage rules.

Restrictions Applied

After Covering Fire resolves, apply:

• Shoot
• Run
• Defend

Cannot Be Declared If

Covering Fire cannot be declared if:

• the declaring unit already has any restriction this command would apply
• the declaring unit has no legal target
• the declaring unit is otherwise ineligible to make a shooting attack

Notes

• Covering Fire follows normal targeting, range, line of sight, and command point rules unless another rule states otherwise.
• Covering Fire uses the normal shooting engine, but its timing is modified by this command.
• Initiative in this command determines the order of immediate Critical Damage resolution for this exchange only.