Covering Fire while engaged?

[captainspud]

Can an engaged Cyclone use its Covering Fire *Action while engaged? Intuitively it doesn't seem like it should be able to, but the power doesn't specify "not while engaged", and I can't find anything like that in the *Action rules. My thinking is it might be disallowed based on the *Action being attached to a ranged weapon, which can't be used in melee, but I can only find rules that prevent that weapon from ATTACKING in melee, not from using its other abilities.

This is one of those weird situations where I and everybody else I've spoken to are almost positive of what the ruling's supposed to be ("no"), but we can't find any rules that say it's thus.

[vintersbastard]

Covering Fire works fine while engaged. Has been that way for Suppressing Fire (Long Gunner UA) for years, too.

Confirmation by an Infernal.

[Khador_Rage]

Keep in mind that LOS rules apply for the placement of the template(s).

[captainspud]

Keep in mind that LOS rules apply for the placement of the template(s).

Do they, though? From what I've been able to interpret, models only block LOS to other models; you can't say a line of small-based models blocks my line of sight, because I could see a medium- or large-based model if it was standing behind them. They only block line of sight to certain models, not all line-of-sight in general.

Or am I reading that wrong?

[PG_Dino-Czar]

Covering and Suppressing Fire both ignore models for LoS. It says so right on the cards.

[Rosencrantz]

Isn't Dual Covering Fire fall under the catagory of a Ranged Weapon since it comes from the ranged weapon "Metal Storm"?

Aren't Ranged Weapons restricted on use while the model is engaged? Page 56 MKII, last sentence of 3rd paragraph under RANGED COMBAT "A model in melee cannot make ranged attacks."

By that same line of thinking it would seem like the Suppressing Fire Order wouldn't be able to be used by Long Gunners that are in melee.

Just wondering.
-Rosencrantz

[Weaselcreature]

Covering fire is not a ranged attack, however. Yes, it falls under the weapon, but it is a *Action, not a *Attack. That difference is what allows it.

[Rosencrantz]

Thanks, I see the hole in it now that I've gone back through that section of the book. I was confusing the part in the rules that say a special attack action is the same as whatever weapon generated it. But if it is just a special action then it isn't an attack, no matter how much it seems like an attack, considering it is still a bunch of bullets flying out of a weapon to kill targets.

I wonder if that was a mistake and the creators meant to make it a special attack or if the intent was to make it so it could spray bullets while engaged in melee.

Either way, until it is, if ever, errated it is clear that it can be done in melee.

Thanks,
-R