40k: Vehicles and Cover Saves in 6th Edition
4+ cover saves in ruins for vehicles is now given for 25% hidden of the vehicle facing. Learn more on how this can help the survivability of vehicles now that hull points have been introduced.
Ender here, saying hello to everybody! Here are the key points that are important to understand to get the most out of your vehicles and cover in 6th Edition. For even more on this topic check out Crazy Dave’s blog.
25% hidden = 4+ cover save in ruins or other applicable cover save listed on page 18.
That’s right! No more 51% arguments! But what exactly is 25%? Surprisingly little. A Rhino is just shy of 2 inches tall and 3 inches wide. Here is a quick look at a rhino and its front facing measurements by overlaying the 2×3 measurements over a photo for reference.
At first look you can see that getting a 4+ cover save for vehicles in ruins is very easy and only requires covering the treads and a bit of the hull.
You might ask why I threw up the percentages and did not include the gap under the rhino. The reason is the following picture.
With the inclusion of the Aegis Defence Lines we see that rhinos will almost always get a 4+ cover from the defence line sections.
But it isn’t that easy…
25% hidden of the FACING of the vehicle = 4+ cover save in ruins or other applicable cover save listed on page 18.
So in 5th the facing only mattered for what armor value you were hitting, not for cover. But in 6th the facing the firing weapon is in determines both the cover and the armor value. Why is that important? Check this out:
In 5th Edition this would not get cover, but in 6th Edition this gets a 4+ cover save. Why? Because of the new wording of cover and vehicles on pages 74 and 75. The firer in this picture is in the FRONT facing and therefore only considers the hidden portions of the FRONT of the vehicle, not the SIDE. If the firer in this picture was a few inches to the right he would be in the SIDE facing and the vehicle would get no cover save. Positioning matters!
But wait, there’s more!
Flyers! The rules state that it the percentage hidden is determined from the point of view of the firer. So you would think that the Flyers would be able to see over the defence lines, but it turns out they dont. But most importantly, the top of any vehicle is never considered in determining hidden percentages for cover!
From the Flyers’ point of view the hidden area does decrease, but not below 25%, to about 26% from about 31%. While Land Raiders and other larger vehicles may not benefit as much from defence lines, it is important to understand what has changed in 6th Edition for vehicles and cover.
25% hidden of the FACING of the vehicle from the FIRER = 4+ cover save in ruins or other applicable cover save listed on page 18.
Does this seem too beneficial for vehicles?
– Ender
