Pre-Measuring Distance

[Drunkencorgimaster]

It struck me while playing a game last night that it seems odd that pre-measuring is not allowed in 40k but is in Fantasy. I'm sure I am not the first person to notice this...but fluffwise it does not make a lot of sense.


Drooling Idiot Centigor: "How far away would you say that Dwarf cannon is?"
Cow-Brained Minotaur: "Easy. 23.4 meters"

Futuristic Predator Gunner Looking Through Laser-Range Finder: "Yo! Anyone got a guess on the range to to that Carnifex?"
Super High-Tech Techmarine: "Frak if I know. Let's go with...too close!"

[Kawauso]

Pre-measuring wasn't in the last edition of Fantasy though, was it?

I think the general consensus is that pre-measuring will appear in 6th edition for 40k.

[Toaster36]

I prefer not having per-measuring in the game. Even when it works against my favor I like that both my opponents and I have to have the confidence to commit to an attack. That, and after years of playing I can easily eyeball anything less than 12" to the closest inch.

[Kawauso]

I prefer not having per-measuring in the game. Even when it works against my favor I like that both my opponents and I have to have the confidence to commit to an attack. That, and after years of playing I can easily eyeball anything less than 12" to the closest inch.

How would pre-measuring detract from your experience if you can eyeball distances that well? That's essentially pre-measuring, really.

Also, since I tend to play on Realm of Battle boards, the tiles alone offer a form of pre-measuring in that each tile is exactly 24".

I think it would make more sense just to add pre-measuring to the game. It won't make things any tactically less sound; I think it would actually have the opposite effect.

[Toaster36]

For me it feels like an element of skill added to the table top. It took me quite a few games to realize that the tables I play on are made up of three 24" x 48" sections. Once I became enlightened to that fact I used that knowledge as often as I could to better my position on the table. Taking that element of skill away would, IMO, dumb the game down a notch.

[Kawauso]

It's not dumbing the game down. Knowing the ranges would make movement even more crucial.

And spatial awareness isn't something that everyone can easily grasp, which slants the game in favour of those who are better at eyeballing distances.

[Wolfshade]

Fluff wise it also makes sense with range finders in SM helmets and stuff. Even our modern era scopes have range feedbacks so we can tell if something is in range.
I think the pre-measuring in fantasy was a strange thing, in fantasy the movement of units is vitally important and so is a skill in the game. Perhaps this move helps with the learning curve. I don't know if its in 40k as the manoeuvring isn't quite as important

[Tokolosh]

Hopefully premeasurements are allowed in 6th. It works well in Fantasy.

[Wildeybeast]

What you have to bear in mind is how premeasuring in fantasy works. For shooting and spell ranges, it makes sense that a comptent bowman can judge how far is bow will fire so it makes sense to say the same for troopers in 40k. It is stupid that you pick a tragte and fire, only to realise that it is out of range. It really doesn't make much of a significant difference in shooting (except for war machines). Where it did make a difference was in charges, but now they have the random element of how far you are going to move, so if you are going down that route in 40k I think assault moves need to be a random distance as well. I'm not sure whwther I prefer a skill judgement over a random roll, but I'm pretty sure we will see premeasuring in 40k.

[imperialsavant]

Yes I think pre-measuring for shooting is certainly in line with the Fluff of the technology of the 41st Millnm.
Would not like to see premeasuring for Assault etc.