Height advantage

[YorkNecromancer]

I've been playing a lot of 'XCOM: Enemy Within' recently, and aside from making me really reeeaaally want a 40K-themed XCOM game, it got me thinking.

One of the mechanics I personally really like is height advantage - that is, if you're higher than your target, you get bonuses to hit. I think this would be a nice little addition to 40K. Say +1 BS if you're one 'level' above the target (i.e.: on a hill, on the first level of a building) +2 BS if you're two 'levels' above, up to a maximum of +3. It would require players to agree how high each 'level' on the battlefield was prior to the game's start, but that's no different to anything else scenery-wise.

What do people think? Other than that a 40K-themed XCOM game would be the greatest game ever made. Which it would be.

[Tyrendian]

well XCOM 2 is supposed to get extreme modding support, so I highly doubt a 40k mod will be long in coming.

a buff to BS from height advantage is waaaay to powerful on armies like Guard or Orks that rely on bad odds to balance out their ridiculous amount of shots - or it can be downright meaningless if you're, say, an Eldar Aspect force that has BS5 naturally. So that's not a very good option in my opinion. An alternative that actually makes a lot more sense as well (being higher up doesn't magically make you the ultimate sniper after all) would be a modification to cover saves based on height - but I'd still make it just -1 to cover for a seriously significant amount of difference (say two stories of an average building).

[Charon]

Why not just bring back 2nd edition "to hit modifiers"?

[Denzark]

Yorkie - a couple of things. Firstly I have seen in other threads that you do not like save modifiers - but you would go for this - what's the difference?

Next, why a modifier to BS? To my knowledge firing from on high doesn't make the shot easier. Actually the bullet may go further - but that's sniper stuff where you are aiming so high above your target you can't see him in the sight picture - it doesn't transfer well to the close range firefights of 40K.

Finally, I always had it in my head that one edition - maybe RT and/or 2ed - gave a modifier in close combat if you were higher up than your opponent. I can get with that as assaulting uphill is a biatch and it reflects some reality.

[YorkNecromancer]

I'd still make it just -1 to cover for a seriously significant amount of difference (say two stories of an average building).

Ooooooh, that's a much better idea. Nice!

[Wolfshade]

I've been playing a lot of 'XCOM: Enemy Within' recently, and aside from making me really reeeaaally want a 40K-themed XCOM game, it got me thinking.

One of the mechanics I personally really like is height advantage - that is, if you're higher than your target, you get bonuses to hit. I think this would be a nice little addition to 40K. Say +1 BS if you're one 'level' above the target (i.e.: on a hill, on the first level of a building) +2 BS if you're two 'levels' above, up to a maximum of +3. It would require players to agree how high each 'level' on the battlefield was prior to the game's start, but that's no different to anything else scenery-wise.

What do people think? Other than that a 40K-themed XCOM game would be the greatest game ever made. Which it would be.

Why not just bring back 2nd edition "to hit modifiers"?

That was my thought when I read that.

[Mr Mystery]

Ooooooh, that's a much better idea. Nice!

I'd just make shots from higherer up than wot you are gain Pinning.

[mhelm01]

Finally, I always had it in my head that one edition - maybe RT and/or 2ed - gave a modifier in close combat if you were higher up than your opponent. I can get with that as assaulting uphill is a biatch and it reflects some reality.

I remember something like that too. I don't remember if it was in 2nd edition or fantasy.

[Charon]

In both.
40k gave you +1 WS, fantasy gave you +1 combat resolution.

[CoffeeGrunt]

I thought the idea was that your target is less likely to get a Cover Save due to intervening Cover if you're higher up and thus can see over it?