Shooting from buildings question.

[Kar98k]

You would think shooting from buildings is easy, yes? But this question came up in a game. “At what angle can models fire from windows?”

The rules for shooting does say that only models that can draw a clear line of fire to their target can actually shoot. But tracing a line of fire for models in a building firing through a window to a target outside can be very limiting.

Here was the situation: The target models were right up against the wall of the building, and several inches away from the window the models inside were firing out from. Can they target those models hugging the wall of the building? We couldn’t find any official FAQ for this question.

We looked through the rules carefully and there is no mention of angle of fire from windows other than fixed weapons. However, this spawned another question. “Is the arc of fire for a fixed weapon straight out the window? Or can this be pointed left or right – down the wall of a building for example?

[Stuart Harrison]

FAQ response:

“What angle of fire should infantry squads, snipers and similar units get when firing from windows and doors, 180° or something else? Do fixed weapons like MMGs get their usual 45° on each side of the barrel?

As inside a building we cannot see the model and its position is abstract, we suggest using 180° for all weapons, including fixed ones”

[Kar98k]

Thanks Stuart, we were wondering where you got that information. We then checked for a new Errata and FAQ, and there is a new one, which answered our question above.

[Tim Haslam]

Bolt Action is an abstract game,
As such shooting from windows is basically the same as in the open.
Small arms can shoot all round, fixed weapons are restricted.
So small arms can see and shoot from wherever the facing of the house can see. I imagine they are hanging out of the window if necessary.

It’s just a very simplistic way of looking at it.
That’s the beauty of BA, but sometimes it’s also it can be frustrating.
Still my WWII game of choice.

[Tim Haslam]

Foot note,

If you start the game deployed in a building, you are allowed to get your troops to make an opening in said building if one isn’t available.
That’s tucked well away in the rules!

[invisible officer]

On first glimpse it seems strange that you can shoot 180° out of a building.

But BA has no rules for Hand grenades. So just assume that the “Shooting” soldier uses one to fight men near the wall.

[Kar98k]

But BA has no rules for Hand grenades. So just assume that the “Shooting” soldier uses one to fight men near the wall.

Since certain aspects of the rules are abstract, this makes more sense than not.

[Tim Haslam]

It’s mentioned in the new faq funnily enough!

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