Yet another bolt shooter question

[nikgaukroger]

No.

Per the definition of Shield Cover:

Files choose whether to use shield cover or not when shot at - so that applies to the whole file.

Bases that have used Shield Cover cannot shoot.

As the legionary base with Light Artillery capability has Shield Cover if the file it is in uses Shield Cover then it cannot shoot.

Oh, I've used exactly that ploy in competition and nobody said anything. I had three deep Dart and Shield cover and said the front rank was shield cover and the back two ranks are shooting. It was with the Syrian Byzantines I think, so hardly likely to bother the podium - but still my opponents were happy with me doing it. Ooops!!

Same here. It was only earlier this year (IIRC) I realised the rules didn't actually allow it 

On the bright side we have been playing as Simon intended even if not by the rules 

[badhabum]

OK now we have a tournament next week-end and 5 imperial armies and a discussion :

My reading is that if a FILE chooses to use shield cover ( front base ) the file cannot shoot unless it has the shield cover & shoot capacity !

Others ( IR players ) contest that !

Now 2 different cases :

Usual roman TUG all files have shield cover so the file cannot shoot

Other unit types : only the front rank has shield cover not the second and third rank can the front rank use shield cover and the 2nd and Third rank shoot .

If I compare with the nikephorian byzantine skutatoi whose front rank has shield cover@shoot to enable the second rank who has no shield cover to shoot if shield cover is used my reading is to enable shooting, you must have that capacity : "& shoot"

Can someone clarify it

[nikgaukroger]

OK now we have a tournament next week-end and 5 imperial armies and a discussion :

My reading is that if a FILE chooses to use shield cover ( front base ) the file cannot shoot unless it has the shield cover & shoot capacity !

Others ( IR players ) contest that !

As posted previously this is what the rules say:

Per the definition of Shield Cover:

Files choose whether to use shield cover or not when shot at - so that applies to the whole file.

Bases that have used Shield Cover cannot shoot.

For a Roman unit where a legionary base has Light Artillery shooting capability if the file it is in uses Shield Cover then it cannot shoot as the legionary base with Light Artillery capability has Shield Cover and all bases in the file use it if any do.

Now 2 different cases :

Usual roman TUG all files have shield cover so the file cannot shoot

Correct as noted above.

Other unit types : only the front rank has shield cover not the second and third rank can the front rank use shield cover and the 2nd and Third rank shoot .

Yes as only bases with Shield Cover are prohibited from shooting if the file uses Shield Cover - see the rules quote above.

If I compare with the nikephorian byzantine skutatoi whose front rank has shield cover@shoot to enable the second rank who has no shield cover to shoot if shield cover is used my reading is to enable shooting, you must have that capacity : "& shoot"

No. The "& Shoot" is what allows bases with Shield Cover to claim the benefit of Shield Cover and also shoot. It has no effect on bases which do not have Shield Cover in respect of whether they can shoot or not.

[badhabum]

Hy I think the problem comes from the rules pg 208 bullet2 of the definition of shield cover that stipulates that bases behind such a base ( having used shield cover ) may shoot and people just stick to that and forget the word file in point 1