Ranged Weapons

Core Rule

A ranged weapon provides the characteristics used when a rule allows a unit to make a ranged attack.

Weapon Profile

A ranged weapon profile may include any relevant combination of:

• Type
• Range
• Rate of Fire
• Force
• Traits
• Extensions
• Special rules

Ranged Weapon Types

• Light weapons are standard ranged weapons with no additional type restriction.
• Heavy weapons cannot be used while moving, including during Advance.
• Grenade weapons are short-range weapons, often with Explosive, and are resolved as a unit.
• Special weapons follow their own weapon profile or faction-specific rules.

Range

• A weapon cannot target enemies beyond its listed range.
• Measure range from the closest part of the attacking model to the target.

Rate Of Fire

Rate of Fire, or RoF, determines the number of dice rolled for each weapon during Target Lock.

RoF may be listed as two values for full RoF and Snap Fire RoF, such as 3/1.

When RoF is shown as two values, the first number is the weapon's full shooting RoF and the second number is its Snap Fire RoF.

RoF may also be variable, such as D3, or modified by a weapon trait.

Force

Force is the number of damage dice rolled per successful Target Lock.

Force is used during the damage step to determine final damage results.

Weapon Use

• A unit uses the relevant ranged weapon profile when resolving a legal shooting attack.
• Weapon-specific behavior modifies the normal shooting engine where the weapon rules say so.

Grenades

A grenade weapon profile shows the total dice rolled per unit, not per model.

Grenades may be used at the same time as other ranged weapons.

Grenade results are resolved together with the unit's other ranged weapon results during the same damage step.

Alternate Firing Modes

Some weapons offer multiple profiles or firing modes.

Each model may choose one available weapon profile or firing mode per activation.

Different models in the same unit may choose different available profiles or firing modes.

Weapon Traits

Reusable weapon trait vocabulary is owned by core/weapon_traits.md.

Assault remains defined here for now as the current ranged weapon trait exception for shooting while engaged and for close-combat weapon selection.

Assault

Assault is a ranged weapon trait.

A ranged weapon with Assault may be used by a model while that model is within 1 inch of an enemy model.

Assault only overrides the normal restriction that prevents a model within 1 inch of an enemy model from using ranged weapons. The attack must still satisfy target legality, range, Line of Sight where required, Cover, Target Lock, damage, and any other shooting restrictions unless another rule explicitly states otherwise.

Close-Combat Weapon Use

When a model with an Assault ranged weapon resolves close combat or melee, that model may use one eligible Assault ranged weapon as its close-combat weapon instead of using a melee weapon.

For this close-combat use, the Assault ranged weapon has a range of 1 inch and may be used against an enemy model or unit within 1 inch of the attacking model.

This close-combat use is not a shooting attack and does not roll Target Lock.

Use the Assault ranged weapon's full RoF as its Att value for this close-combat use unless the weapon says otherwise. If RoF is shown as two values, such as 3/1, use the first value.

Resolve the Assault ranged weapon through the melee attack and melee damage process, using the Assault ranged weapon's Force and any Assault-specific close-combat rules.

If a model has more than one eligible Assault ranged weapon, its controlling player chooses one to use.

Notes

• This file defines ranged weapon properties and ranged-weapon-specific rules, not the full shooting engine.
• Use core/weapon_traits.md for reusable weapon trait vocabulary and extensions.
• Use core/shooting.md for target legality and shooting resolution.
• Use core/melee.md for close-combat use of Assault ranged weapons.
• The Assault weapon trait is separate from the Assault command in core/commands/command_assault.md.