An Often Overlooked Cover Save Trick

 

I was sitting around in my thinking room reading the 40k rule book and noticed a funny thing about cover saves. It would seem that people should be getting less cover saves than they have been getting...

I the rule book there is a picture similar to this one with some space marines firing at some orks. According to the rule book caption, the orks would receive a cover save.

The book states that since a majority of the marines do not have clear line of sight to majority of the orks, the orks would be granted the cover save.

However, to add to that basic layer of rules you should be able to deny the orks cover. In the section of cover it says specifically, that you check line of site from each of the firing models. This is the key stone to my argument in denying the cover save to the orks.

Earlier in the book it states that you can chose to not fire with any models in a unit. If you combine these two rules, I can choose to not fire with the two models behind the rock. (Marked with the X) If I do this, suddenly my majority is 2 and that majority has clear line of site to the majority of the orks.

This is important because if your plasma gunner (the one marked with P) is outside the rocks like in this example. There is no reason to throw 2 more bolter shots (4 if rapid) if you're firing on the orks when it'll allow them to take 4+ saves vs your plasma an bolter shots that would otherwise AP them.

Also, if you're firring 10 marines at wyches, or something with a similarly bad armor save, it'll be worth losing a few shots to avoid them getting a 4+ cover save. The number of shots you're willing to lose is a matter to be handled by your mathhammer, but I'd figure it out and just keep it as a formula in the back of your mind. My gut response is that you'd better be able to do twice as many wounds allowing them cover as you can not allowing them to have cover.

So, for those of you that play against people who constantly pull cover, start using this trick to mow them down with fire and for you fellow guard players rejoice in a way to deny cover and become even more of a pain in the ass army to play against!

Lastly, any one who has a reason this wouldn't work please let me know in the comments. I know that whenever I find a rule that seems to be game changing for me I usually have read it wrong. However, following my typical steps of; step 1. run it by a close friend who won't lolz at you for being an idiot. Step 2. run it by the game shop population to see if we missed a rule somewhere. Step 3 run it by the shops premier rules expert. Step 4. Internet