06Battlefield and Line of Sight

What each model can see, when terrain covers it, how height changes everything, when two Units are locked in melee and how tokens, markers and destroyed Units work.

Line of Sight: seen from above§7.1

The game uses a 2D, top-down Line of Sight. Trace an imaginary straight line from any part of the acting model’s base to any part of the target’s base.

• If the trace crosses no Blocking Terrain (terrain with Effective Size 1 or more), the target is Visible. Nothing else to check.
• If it crosses Blocking Terrain, the target is not automatically hidden: apply the Cover rules (below). If neither Full Cover nor Direct Cover applies, it is still Visible.
• A terrain piece’s footprint is its physical base or, if it has none, the outer edge of its solid structure seen from above. Gaps, windows, doorways and open interiors inside that footprint do block, unless you agree otherwise at set-up.
• An opening may be passable for movement and still block sight. Agree on each piece’s footprint and which openings are passable.
• Line of Sight is mutual: if A sees B, B sees A through the same trace.

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Cover: Full Cover and Direct Cover§7.1.1

• Full Cover: the piece blocks LoS if its Effective Size is equal to or greater than the Effective Size of both the attacker and the target. Neither can see over it.
• Direct Cover: if the trace crosses the piece and either the attacker or the target is Within 1" of it, LoS is blocked as long as the terrain’s Effective Size is equal to or greater than that of the model Within 1".
• Each piece is assessed on its own. Pieces never combine Size or proximity. If no single piece meets Full or Direct Cover, LoS is not blocked, however many pieces the trace crosses.

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Elevation Dead Zone

If a model on HIGH GROUND (Size 3+ terrain) traces LoS to a GROUND LEVEL model that is Within 1" of the base of that same piece, LoS is blocked. It works both ways.

Close Quarters

If both models are Within 1" of the same terrain piece and Within 3" of each other, Direct Cover and the Elevation Dead Zone do not apply: resolve LoS normally.

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Height and Effective Size§7.1.2

When a model stands on terrain, its Effective Size = its Size + the terrain’s Size. At GROUND LEVEL it is just its own Size.

• A Marine (Size 2) on Size 4 HIGH GROUND has Effective Size 6: it sees over Size 5 walls that would blind it on the ground.
• Only pieces rising between the two models (seen from above) can block. The surface you stand on does not obstruct your trace.
• Terrain placed on other terrain stacks too: a Size 2 wall on Size 3 HIGH GROUND has Effective Size 5.
• Height never counts for range: distances are always horizontal.

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High Ground Cover: Evade from above§7.1.3

If every model of a Unit stands on HIGH GROUND (Size 3+ terrain) with any part of its base, the Unit may roll Evade against every Ranged Attack from a lower elevation. An attack comes “from below” if at least one attacking model is not standing on HIGH GROUND.

Flying Units and Cover§7.1.4

• When checking LoS to or from a Flying model, ignore Full Cover. Direct Cover and the Elevation Dead Zone still apply.
• For Cover, a Flying model counts as taller than any terrain on the table: it is never hidden by Full Cover and never gets Direct Cover itself.
• But the Flying model still respects any Direct Cover or Dead Zone that applies to the other model.

Engagement§7.2

Engagement Range is 1" horizontally from a base. When two enemy models are Within 1" of each other they are Engaged. If any model of a Unit is Engaged with any model of an enemy Unit, both entire Units are Engaged.

Unless stated otherwise, a Unit cannot end any move or be PLACEd within the Engagement Range of an enemy model (that is what Charges are for).

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Models are only Engaged if all of this is true

• Matching tags: Ground models only Engage Ground models. Flying models cannot be Engaged by anything.
• Size 0–1 terrain: Engagement is possible across it.
• Size 2+ terrain: no Engagement through it, even Within 1".
• HIGH GROUND vs GROUND LEVEL: they can never Engage each other.
• MID GROUND: may Engage HIGH GROUND or GROUND LEVEL only if both models are next to the same ACCESS POINT linking their elevations.

An Engaged Unit cannot make a normal Move: only Disengage or Hold. It also cannot shoot anyone except what it is Engaged with (chapter 09).

Tokens and markers§7.3

Tokens (Creep Tumors, Corrosive Bile, Shades…) are physical: treat them as Size 0 terrain with their own base. Models may move through them but not end overlapping them (unless specified). They are removed at the end of the Round unless stated otherwise, and you always measure to their closest edge.

Markers only track states: they have no physical presence and block neither LoS nor movement.

Destroyed Units§7.4

• When the last model falls, the Unit is Destroyed.
• Every effect and condition on it ends immediately, and its tokens are removed (unless STAY IN PLAY).
• Effects it applied to other Units stay on them unless they say otherwise.
• A Destroyed Unit cannot return unless a rule (or the mission) specifically allows it.

In plain wordsLook from above: if a wall is as tall as both, they cannot see each other. If only one hugs the wall (within 1") and the wall is its size, that one is covered. Both hugging the same wall up close see each other normally. Being up high lets you see more, but you are seen more too.