Where are all the Questions?

So first off, where are all the questions?  Everyone been studying their FAQ and just waiting for V2.0 to drop?

2ndly, I found the Faction FAQs on the mercs site.. so that was helpful!!!

My gaming group just finally got into MERCS and immediately both found it a great game and frustratingly contradictory rules & cards and had a really hard time finding answers consistently across FAQS...

so I know a lot of this is spread out on the internet.. but here are just a few questions we had:

1) Does the Assault Leaders' +1 to allies within 1 card length affect their Initiative roll as well?... says "everything" but doesn't list initiative?

2) Can the CCC Incinerator (Kat I believe, or any other short ranged or template ranged only weapon without unlimited range) go on Suppression even though she won't have range to the enemy in most cases?  How about Overwatch?  Since you can't pre-measure, could you go on Overwatch thinking a model might move into your Template Range and then be wrong and have no effect from the Overwatch?... FOUND THIS IN CCC FAQ... yes.. can do both but will only be effective if within range and LOS... got it....

3) Can the Kemvar Sniper go on Overwatch or Suppression using Repulsor Tags Alternative Firing Rule or because the Weapon has Load & Aim it's not an option?

4) Is a Courage Check = to or over the Courage Stat or only over the Courage Stat?  

5) if a model is killed by Overwatch fire, do they complete their turn before dying (clearly says they die right away in rules and then example contradicts this)?  

6) Do you HAVE TO move into base 2 base contact with cover when you "snap to cover".. seems to state that, but clearly most examples and demo games I see are much more relaxed about allowing models to "snap" "towards cover"... there is an example about having a model with broken armor in the open and moving an ally nearby to let the broken armor model "snap" to the ally as cover to slowly get out of the open.. but other people snap models out of melee and other situations where they aren't moving into B2B with cover.

7) Do models with Set & Rip have to Set before they can go on Overwatch or Suppression?  
7a) If they do Set and then go on Overwatch or Suppression and don't fire at all in their turn, can they stay on Overwatch or Suppression on their next activation or do they have to "re-Set"?

If the Texico Marshall dies after the Target of the Bounty is killed does Texico lose the +1 FN bonus?   Kind of like the House 4 Liason's Black Ops model losing Corporate Abilities when the Liason dies as well? FAQ seems to say +1 is permanent... which begs the question why the Liason's ability goes away when he dies...

9) If a model fails an Armor Check.. do they lose -1 to their Armor Stat (so CCC Heavy goes from 3 to 2) or does it drop to 1 regardless of the score it was?  Rulebook says -1 but a lot of demos seem to say it drops to 1.  (yes, demo videos can be wrong!).. Look like it's -1, not drops to 1.. got it...

10) How do you guys use "stairs" and ladders in your games?  Do models have to start in B2B wtih the bottom of the stairs or ladders or can they move more easily over terrain that is designed for them to move over?

11) Can the House 4 Grenade Launcher target the ground (like normally a thrown grenade can?) or does he have to target a model because it's a gun and not a thrown grenade? --> Found this in FAQ as well.. odd that model has to start the game with Frag Loaded... but yes, can target ground and sounds like that is actually a good option with a lot of grenades (doesn't work with Worm Grenade though)...

I am sure there are others.. sorry they aren't in much order.. just trying to replay the most recent games in my head and see where we got into discussions about stuff...

FAQs for each faction quite helpful!! I'd only found the general rulebook FAQ before that!

1) Not initiative! We can dream though.

3) Yep! if you can fire every round you can suppress and overwatch. That feature makes the Kemvar sniper rather useful.

4) MERCS always has you succeed when your roll matches or exceeds the listed number. So courage 7 succeeds on 7, 8, 9, and 10.

5) No. Overwatch occurs before the model takes its action. Like with suppression you must resolve the condition on your model before you can act.

6) Yes. Those people are wrong rules as written.

7) Yes they must set before they can suppress or overwatch. Remember you must be able to fire every turn to use either of those. But remember, once you're set you remain set until you move, so you don't need to reset.

Once the Marshal has his man he doesn't need to do anything to provide the bonus. As far as I know house 9 black ops guest don't lose their corporate abilities when the Liason dies. Where did you get that idea?

10) The way we use stairs is they are a "soft" elevation change since they facilitate changing elevation you don't need to be base to base with them, and instead treat them as a flat surface. Ladders are a "hard" elevation change and requires you to be base to base, and cost you a full move point to traverse.

Hope that helped.

Thanks Spellbound!!!

5) so for Overwatch.. this is where I get confused.. it states in the rule book that Overwatch is treated as a Simultaneous Action and that they are attacked and results are resolved before they start their movement (just like you said).. but then the exact next line on page 78 in the BRB is "the moving player moves his or herMERC half their movement, rounded down, and then check for Combat Actions. If they are a target of an attack, the target is considered to be Moving. If they are killed they die where they were shot."... so seems to contradict itself in 2 lines... I thought in Simultaneous actions, the first model (if moving) took half it's MP first.. then was fired upon, with +1 FN for Moving Target... the Target would have to have been in LOS to start... I guess the confusing thing is if they then move 1 MP out of LOS after having started in LOS.. how does that work... so I guess it makes sense to shoot at them where they are (as they are starting in LOS)... but even in the MOVE & MOVE section of Simultaneous Actions on page 78 it says "Shoot at the moving model first, but then it says apply LOS modifiers from the "new position on the battlefield".. and the example on page 77 clearly has the target moving 1/2 MP, then being shot at.. which contradicts the "Fire at them at the start of their Action before they move"...

lol... so yeah... just looking for a consensus.. I see it much easier to fire at the model at the start "before they move, but with +1 FN for Moving Penalty" but it is more realistic for them to move 1/2 their MP and apply cover & LOS at that time, but that also then opens up issues where you no longer can see them.. so I guess K.I.S.S. might apply here! * Also just waiting for V2.0 I guess, right?

7) For the FCC Liason I swear i saw a FAQ that talked about that.. but now I can't find it... hmm... it might have been in another factions FAQ talking about corporate abilities and what happens if they are lost... if i find it I'll post it...

Thanks again!!!

Oh, and #11), about Boomer from FCC... can he fire a grenade at the ground where he can't see? I know he can target the ground (always counting it as In the Open for -1 FN) but can he target the ground out of LOS? How about if the "ground" in in LOS of an ally? Also, same thing with an enemy model... can he fire the Launcher at targets that only allies can see but are out of his LOS (like a regular thrown grenade?)... I'm assuming he can only fire at targets that are legal for thrown grenades...

5) You're correct on moving. Overwatch plays like a simultaneous action in some ways but not in others. When shooting overwatch is resolved first (Because you can overwatch an overwatch). The reason you are allowed to move half your MP before you are shot is just a way to stealthily nerf overwatch. Apparently in playtesting for a while one of the main strategies was to sit on a side of the map with every model overwatching (the overwatchathon as we call it) which was pretty boring. Basically if you're moving you can duck behind cover to avoid procing the overwatch, but if you want to shoot before you can complete that action and fire you get shot by the person overwatching you. I actually had to go look this up because of how poorly written it is. In our group overwatching isn't particular common anymore as the meta doesn't favor holding position. But I'll ask for some other people to chime in.

11) He can fire at the ground if he can draw a line of sight to the spot and any MERC on your team can see a MERC within the blast range, like with thrown grenades. Basically it works like a thrown grenade in targetting.

Oh, and I found the Liason part.. it's in the BRB on page 142 of the 2 page Spread about the Liaison (which I couldn't figure out why I was spelling incorrectly.. 2 I's.. got it)...

the "On the Table" section specifically says "the minute the Liaison is killed in battle, the Black Ops lose their Corporate Advantage"... pretty harsh IMHO.. and doesn't make a lot of sense when compared to the Texico Marshall IMHO =p

So.. my only other question that was raised on the Southern New England MERCS Facebook group...

If we have Models A & B, with Simultaneous Initiative, and one declares Move, and the other declares "Go on Overwatch".. does the Overwatching model get a shot at the Moving model this turn?

I voted no.. the Suppression then Overwatch phases are over, you are left with simultaneous actions normal actions, and so the overwatching model would have to wait for another chance to fire ...

however, as you said, you can't actually Overwatch someone "going on Overwatch" but you can fire at someone on Overwatch who fires at someone on else... is that all resolved simultaneously? Model A is Moving on normal Initiative, Model B is Overwatching Model A and can see the model at the start of movement, and Model C is Overwatching Model B and can see eachother... but would Model B then get to fire at Model C basically exchanging Overwatch fire?

- ah... such a simple game on the surface... lol..

Haha! Never knew that. Thanks for the citation.

You made the right call on the overwatch. You have to be over watching at the start of the action for it to proc. Simultaneous actions means the overwatch wasn't in place when the action started.

To answer your other question, overwatching an overwatch doesn't process overwatch. It's an exception to the normal overwatch rules to avoid an infinite overwatch loop.