Damage types, immunity, and shooting friendlies in the back

SteamAlchemist
Demo Gamer

Posts: 11

Damage types, immunity, and shooting friendlies in the back Nov 13, 2017 15:36:47 GMT

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Post by SteamAlchemist on Nov 13, 2017 15:36:47 GMT

(Copy and pasted from the official forums 'cause no one seems to be there anymore)

Hi all,

I know this question has been explained to death, but the rules on damage types and immunity still confuse me, no matter how many times I read them.

Immunity: fire = you can't suffer the fire continuous effect, nor be damaged by damage type: fire attacks. That I understand. The trouble I have it determining when that's happening. For example, Cygnar Firefly's gun Storm Blaster. It's damage type electricity. Is that referring to the gun itself, or the secondary effect from the Lightning Generator? Can a Firefly never damage anything with immunity: electrical? I've heard people say that no melee nor ranged attacks have a damage type other than Magical, and that it's only the secondary effects that have the damage types (electricity damage rolls on lightning arcs but not the gun "shot" itself, etc.) What about Arlan Strangeway's spray from his Voltaic Gauntlet? It seems to be only electrical damage.

Finally, how does shooting your own immunity: whatever models in the back work? If there's a non-elemental component to your ranged attack, wouldn't that part still kill them?

Thanks for the help,

~ SA

chillychinaman
Junior Strategist

Posts: 931

Damage types, immunity, and shooting friendlies in the back Nov 13, 2017 15:44:08 GMT via mobile

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Post by chillychinaman on Nov 13, 2017 15:44:08 GMT

Some guns do have elemental damage, otherwise Malekus and Nemo wouldn't have feats.

People shoot their own troops, hopefully with aligning elements, to enable attacks on hard to reach enemies. For example, running a model nearby and stopping an AoE or spraying troops in melee.

wishing
Junior Strategist

Posts: 353

Damage types, immunity, and shooting friendlies in the back Nov 13, 2017 17:36:13 GMT via mobile

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Post by wishing on Nov 13, 2017 17:36:13 GMT

The way it works is that yeah, some ranged attacks have an elemental damage type. That means that the attack has no solid kinetic component. Such as a flamethrower. Its attack is all heat.

If you hit a model that is immune to fire with a flamethrower, it will do no damage. Ever. No matter if it is a friendly or enemy model.

Some attacks can set models on fire without having the damage type though. Like a flaming mace. It will have a physical kinetic core and will do physical damage to any target. The fire is just a secondary effect.

SteamAlchemist
Demo Gamer

Posts: 11

Damage types, immunity, and shooting friendlies in the back Nov 13, 2017 19:58:23 GMT

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Post by SteamAlchemist on Nov 13, 2017 19:58:23 GMT

Thanks guys. I think the problem was I wasn't paying attention enough to the icons on the cards. Looking at those makes it pretty clear whether it's damage is elemental or not (no icon, fire icon, or continuous fire icon).

~ SA