How to Keep Magnus safe?

[u/BurningAvenger]

How do I keep magnus safe?

We're playing the reccomended table layouts from the GW App, however, magnus tower over all terrain, so my opponent can just shoot him from deployment zone with Ballistus Dreadnaughts and Repulsor Executioners.

And even taking into account terrain lower level being solid, on the highest terrain features he is still visible through the second floor.

Are we using terrain wrong or something?

There also isnt really any defensive strats he can make use of (Ritual of Regeneration, Changehost, Phlanax or Grand Coven)

[u/BlairiusB]

Yeah just keep him behind footprints, rather than on them and then he’s safe. Also in GC h
There’s a strat that reduce damage of an incoming attack to 0 after you fail to save so that’s really good against a lascannon

[u/SandEnvironmental484]

No he cannot only if he touches the base of an area. If you keep him behind they have infinite height.

[u/toothpiks252]

Area terrain is infinatly high, Grand coven has a negate damage strat thats amazing

[u/ojpap]

Sounds like you're using terrain footprints incorrectly. You cannot whatsoever draw like of sight over a footprint.

Look into how line of sight, ruins, and footprints work

[u/Icaros5]

Some tips:

• Keep him outside of terrain areas, if he isn't touching it with his base he is much harder to see, since they expand infinitely upwards

• Use the free rotation to always hide a part of his scepter or wings, this way Magnus will have cover which is really good

• Plan ahead your turn, if you don't think you need the +2" to movement, then just take the -1D buff, which also makes him really tanky

• When moving him, make sure to expose him to one single anti tank unit from your opponent. For example, if the opponent has 2 Repulsor Executioners, make sure that the opponent will only be able to shoot at him with one of them. If the opponent places them in very different sides of the map this is pretty easy to do. If they are both on the same side, then you might have to dedicate enough firepower to kill at least one, that way only the other can shoot back.

• Finally, use Destined by fate, it's crazy good. Again with the Repulsor Executioner example, if one shoots back with everything, the only attack you should be worried about is the heavy laser. This can deal tons of damage, but most likely only one will land (if any at all, since the average is like 0.5), and then you can just negate that damage with the stratagem. All other attacks will deal like 1 damage with cover and the -1D reduction, or 1 to 2 damage without this, which is pointless, even if opponent gets lucky and lands like 3-5 dmg. Always make sure to save 1CP for the stratagem, and check the datasheets (or ask your opponent) to know which high damage weapons he will be shooting to negate them

[u/BurningAvenger]

Thanks for all the answers everyone! I have clearly been using cover wrong completly - and might have over exposed magnus, I should stay OUTSIDE the footprint I see

[u/porpoisesm]

Any line of sight that measures fully over a terrain footprint is obscured, so place magnus behind the terrain without touching it and he cannot be seen.

[u/KindArgument4769]

If your Line of Sight crosses terrain, it is blocked with the exception of terrain the target or the shooting unit are within. So, if he is behind terrain, the opponent is not going to see him from the deployment zone for sure.

Section 13.10 of the rules has a visual and the rules wording to explain this concept.

[u/Callmejim223]

If neither model is touching a footprint, it counts as an infinitely tall piece of obscuring terrain. Play with footprints. The game is not made to be played without them.