Template Weapons and Equipment
Combat Module Intro || Damage | Saving Rolls | Wounds and Structure | Unconscious | Dead | Guts Rolls || Ballistic Skills | BS Attack | Template Weapons and Equipment | Direct Template Weapons | Impact Template Weapons | Ranged Weapon Profile | Speculative Attack | Intuitive Attack || Close Combat | CC Attack | Engaged State | Melee Weapon Profile || Quantronic Combat (Hacking)
BS Weapons and Equipment that use a Template have an Area of Effect that affects not only the main target, but also an area of the game table determined by the size of the Template.
Update PDF 2.1, July 2023
The Main Target of a Template Weapon or Equipment is a Game Element that must be able designated as a valid target for the BS Attack, from which the MODs applied to the Roll are determined, if a Roll is required. This Roll will be opposed separately, one by one, by the rest of the Enemies affected by the template.
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The Main Target of a Template Weapon or Equipment is a Game Element that can be designated as a valid target for the BS Attack, from which the MODs applied to the Roll are determined, if a Roll is required. This Roll will be opposed separately, one by one, by the rest of the Enemies affected by the template.
There are two types of Weapon and Equipment Templates:
If the Main Target is outside the Area of Effect of the Template Weapon or Equipment, the BS Attack is automatically considered a failure and no Game Element will be affected by the Template.
Types of Templates
In this rulebook, there are three kinds of Templates used by Weapons and pieces of Equipment: the Circular Template, the Large Teardrop Template and the Small Teardrop Template.
The height of the Templates used by Template Weapons and Equipment is equal to their radius, or half their width (except for those Ammunitions whose Traits otherwise specify it).
Area of Effect
The Area of Effect of a Template is the area it covers with a single declaration of use. For example, if you declare an Attack using a Template Weapon, all Troopers or targets in Silhouette contact or inside the Area of Effect of the Template are affected by the Attack.
Area of Effect of Template Weapons and Equipment
- When using a Template Weapon or Equipment, any Trooper whose base or Silhouette Template is in contact with the Template, or is partially or fully inside it, is affected by the Weapon or Equipment.
- Any Trooper affected by a Template Weapon or Equipment can declare Dodge as their second Short Skill or ARO, even if they do not have LoF to the Trooper declaring the Attack.
- As a general rule, Dodging an Attack with a Template requires a successful PH Roll.
- As an exception to this, in the following cases the Dodge requires a PH-3 Roll to avoid an Attack with a Template Weapon: (See FAQs & Errata. This MOD is applied once, no matter how many cases apply.)
- If the Trooper affected by the Template Weapon Attack has no LoF to the attacker.
- If the Template Weapon Attack is from a Deployable Weapon (a Mine, for example).
Update 1.3, Nov 2022
- Once placed, the Template remains on the game table until the Resolution step of the Order.
- The Area of Effect of a Template can affect Allied Troopers as long as the Template has no Damage Attribute and does not inflict any State.
- When several Troopers are activated at the same time (a Coordinated Order or Fireteam, for example), the Template affects every Trooper that was in Silhouette contact with its Area of Effect at any time during that Order, since everything happens simultaneously during the Order.
- Critical Hits with Template Weapons:
- When a Critical is rolled when using a Template Weapon, it counts as a Critical against the Main Target of the attack, and only the Main Target. Against other targets affected by the Template, it is a successful Roll instead of a Critical.
- Responding to a Template Weapon Roll:
- Against an Attack with a Template Weapon that required a Roll to hit–whether it was an Impact Template Weapon or an Intuitive Attack, etc., each affected enemy may make a separate Face to Face Roll against the attacker.
Troopers affected by a Template Weapon do not benefit from the -3 Attack Damage MOD for Partial Cover.
Template Weapons, Scenery Elements and Total Cover
A Template's Area of Effect may be determined by the presence of scenery elements on the game board, as seen in the graphics.
In Infinity, different Templates have a Blast Focus, which is used to determine if a Trooper is affected by the Template, or if the Template's Area of Effect has been blocked by Total Cover from intervening scenery elements. For a Trooper to be affected by the Template, it must be possible to trace a LoF from the Template's Blast Focus to the Trooper, without being blocked by Total Cover.
The Blast Focus is the center of the Circular Template and the narrow end of the Teardrop Templates.
LoF from the Blast Focus to a Trooper may only be drawn within the Area of Effect of the Template itself.
Templates and Cover Examples
The Scenery element completely covers the enemy Trooper. Therefore, LoF cannot be traced from the Blast Focus so the Trooper is not affected by the Area of Effect.
The enemy Trooper is unaffected by the Template given that, being Prone, their Silhouette is X, and therefore has their base’s height. If the Trooper was not Prone they would be affected by the Template.
By performing an Attack with an Impact Template, the Circular Template is centered on the underside of the Main Target’s Base, regardless of the impact point on the target. Any Game Element in contact or within the Area of Effect of the Circular Template will also be affected by the Attack.
As we see in the picture, thanks to the scenery element, it is not possible to draw a LoF from the Blast Focus to Trooper 3, who is therefore unaffected.
Template Weapons, and Allied and Neutral Troopers
Declaring Attacks against Allied or Neutral Troopers is not allowed, nor is it allowed to perform Attacks that may affect them, unless the Template lacks a Damage Attribute value and does not inflict States. Therefore, if when declaring an Attack with a Template Weapon, an Allied or Neutral Trooper would be affected by the Template, that shot is cancelled (but not other shots of that same Burst that have no Allies or Neutrals within their Area of Effect). Any reactive Troopers within the Area of Effect of the cancelled shot can still declare AROs.
In this case of a cancelled shot, if a Weapon with the Disposable Trait was used, the initially declared use is still consumed.
Allied and Neutral Troopers Example
Trooper 1 has B2 with their Chain-colt, when declaring BS Attack against Troopers 2 and 3 it is checked that the B Template affects Trooper 4 (Allied or Neutral). Template B is therefore cancelled.
Troopers 2 and 3 may declare ARO normally.
Template Weapons Into Close Combat
Update 1.3, Nov 2022
Template Weapons placed on a group of Troopers who were engaged in Close Combat during the Activation phase of the current Order will always affect every Trooper involved, even if, due to the Template’s placement, it contacts only some of them. Players must take this into account, since Attacks cannot be performed against Allied Troopers.
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Template Weapons placed on a group of Troopers engaged in Close Combat will always affect every Trooper involved, even if, due to the Template’s placement, it contacts only some of them. Players must take this into account, since Attacks cannot be performed against Allied Troopers.
See Also
FAQs & Errata
[Errata] How do Dodge MODs stack for Deployable Weapons, Templates from outside LoF and AROs to Troopers inside ZoC but outside LoF?
The rules text in the Important box on p83 takes priority over the examples. In the Dodge and Deployable Weapon example, the Zhanshi is suffering a single -3 MOD, not -6.
Related Pages: Dodge, Template Weapons and Equipment
Combat Module Intro || Damage | Saving Rolls | Wounds and Structure | Unconscious | Dead | Guts Rolls || Ballistic Skills | BS Attack | Template Weapons and Equipment | Direct Template Weapons | Impact Template Weapons | Ranged Weapon Profile | Speculative Attack | Intuitive Attack || Close Combat | CC Attack | Engaged State | Melee Weapon Profile || Quantronic Combat (Hacking)