I actually don't know specifically what you are referring to. I was also not trying to be combative by calling it a "polite fiction". My entire point is that the FAQ question does not address what happens when some of the weapons are in range. Everything you have said is a reasonable ad hoc ruling, the problem is an ad hoc ruling is required....which of course is the fault of GW, not you.
Does it need to? In order to fire, a weapon has to be in range of at least model in the target unit. That has not changed.
So if I've 8 men in a squad with las guns and 2 manning an auto cannon. I shoot at a squad of marines, 1 of the las guns is 25 inches away from the nearest model in the target unit. That means I'm only rolling to hit with the auto cannon and 7 las guns.
From this point on range ceases to matter... The unit is hit and models are removed starting closest....
Well, ok, but I think the situation that everyone is wondering about is when all the lasguns are within range of 1 model, and the rest of the target unit is only in range of the autocannon.
You've definitely lost me. How is this unclear? We had a functional shooting and wound allocation procedure, which we both know how to resolve. Yes? You shoot your stormbolters at the blob, do x hits, which result in y wounds, which are allocated to the unit, closest model to next closest model, and so on, right? Now, take the existing procedure we've been using, and modify it JUST so that the answer to the question of "Hey, I've killed all the guys who are in range of at least one of my firing models; can I keep allocating wounds to the rest of the unit, if they're outside the range of all of my guns?" is "No."
It's one, simple, discrete change. What other possible meanings do you think it could have?
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I dunno, man, I've run out of ways to say it. That's why I didn't understand what you were asking that I hadn't answered.
One more try.
1) We know what happens when all the weapons are in range of a particular model. (we can allocate wounds to it)
2) We know what happens when No weapons have range to a model (we cannot allocate wounds to it, as per FAQ)
3) We
do not know what happens when only some of the weapons can reach a model. (we are given no instructions, either in the BRB or FAQ)
Just like the rulebook tells us that if a given model is not in LOS of any of the firers, it cannot have a wound allocated to it.
That's....actually not relavant, kinda my point.
THe LOS rules are a fine template if you want to make a house rule for the range rules, but we are given no direction to do so. The range rules and LOS rules idffer in lots, of little, annoying ways, and will continue to do so, you can't use one as a precedent for the other. I would enjoy it immensely if GW started using precedent and a logical format for all their rules, but they show no signs of doing so.