Cover and model hight

[SEV]

Hi,

I'm a new player and this puzzled me : a size 4 model behind a 1-inch wall will receive cover because he is in its shadow... Am I wrong ? Does the shadow also extend vertically (that would make sense, but this is not what I understood from the rulebook)?

Conceptually that makes no sense to me (how something 4 times bigger than the object can hide itself behind it). 

Thank. 

[santaclaws01]

Correct. The height of the terrain only matters for blocking LoS and the size of the shadow.

[Maniacal_cackle]

2 hours ago, SEV said:

 

Conceptually that makes no sense to me (how something 4 times bigger than the object can hide itself behind it). 

Thank. 

If it helps, cover's primary effect is to lessen the damage you're taking. So if Lord Chompy Bits hides his face behind a fence, he's a bit safer, but his butt still gets shot.

[Ogid]

3 hours ago, SEV said:

Conceptually that makes no sense to me (how something 4 times bigger than the object can hide itself behind it). 

It's defending his Achilles' heel  (LCB's heel in this case)

[solkan]

3 hours ago, SEV said:

Conceptually that makes no sense to me (how something 4 times bigger than the object can hide itself behind it). 

Keep in mind that it's only cover--the model is visible, but partially obscured so it has defensive advantage.

It's also a matter of reasonable abstraction.  Unless the rules are going to require judgements concerning how much of a model has to be obscured (which can be time consuming and their own source of bafflement), this sort of things typically comes down to one question:  Is there something in the way preventing you from seeing all of the model?

Disclaimer:  The same situation occurred in the previous edition (the relative height of the terrain and the model didn't matter), and a similar situation happen in Warmachine/Hordes (it doesn't matter how much of the model is obscured, it only matters that some portion of the model is obscured from view).

[SEV]

Well, the good news is that I understood the rules well enough... 

Not coming from wargaming, I do thing it's a poor design (as I said, we could just extend the shadow vertically), but at least it's straightforward.

 

Thank for your answers 

[Ogid]

1 hour ago, SEV said:

Not coming from wargaming, I do thing it's a poor design (as I said, we could just extend the shadow vertically), but at least it's straightforward.

The straightforward part is the key; more realistic rules add an extra layer of complexity and balance. In this case, they would need to take it in count to give bigger models better stats to compensate their will benefice from less Cover and also especify how many pieces of terrain of each height that provide Cover is needed, so everything works as intended.

There are other systems with more complex cover rules (taking in count % of the model cover and things like that); but that has their own set of dissadvantages too 🙈