There are three different kinds of stone thrower profiles, representing regular stone throwers, mortars and rocket launchers.
Stone Thrower
| Range | Strength | Special Rules |
|---|---|---|
| 12-48" | 4(8) | - |
Mortar
| Range | Strength | Special Rules |
|---|---|---|
| 12-48" | 3(6) | - |
Rocket Launcher
| Range | Strength | Special Rules |
|---|---|---|
| 12-48" | 4 | - |
Firing a Stone Thrower
Nominate a model or building within the stone thrower's line of sight (ignoring other models within the same unit), outside of its minimum range and within its maximum range. Then, take the small round template and place it with the centre directly over the target. Mortars use the large round template by default.
The template cannot be placed over friendly models, or enemy models from a unit that is engaged in combat, as the crew refuse to deliberately target their allies (although the shot might well go wide and hit friends by mistake as we will discover later).
Scatter
Once the template has been placed, roll for scatter using a scatter dice and an artillery dice. If a misfire is rolled on the artillery dice, roll on the Stone Thrower Misfire chart. Mortars and Rocket Launchers roll on the Black Powder Misfire chart instead. Regardless of the result rolled, the stone thrower does not shoot this turn.
Stone Thrower Misfire Chart
D6 | Result |
1 | Destroyed: The war machine is destroyed. |
2-3 | Disabled: The stone thrower suffers a wound, with no armour saves allowed. The stone thrower cannot fire this turn or in the controlling player's next turn. Either turn the war machine around or place a marker of some kind to indicate this. |
4-6 | May not Shoot: The stone thrower is unharmed and can shoot as normal again in the controlling player's next turn. |
Assuming that you did not roll a misfire on the artillery dice, it is now time to find out whether or not your shot was on target.
If a hit is rolled on the scatter dice, the shot has landed on target. In this case, we ignore the number shown on the artillery dice – the hit is all we need.
If an arrow is rolled, the shot has missed its original target and scatters off elsewhere. Move the template a distance in inches equal to the result of the artillery dice, in the direction shown on the scatter dice.
Damage
Regardless of whether or not your shot landed exactly where you intended, it's time to see who's been flattened by it.
The model (if there is one) under the template's central hole take an automatic hit at the higher of the stone thrower's two Strengths (if they have one listed). If the template has scattered, there's a good chance the centre hole will lie over two or more models. Nonetheless, only one can be hit by the higher Strength, so select one randomly.
Other models wholly or partially beneath the template are hit automatically at the stone thrower's lower Strength (normally 4).
The stone thrower's Multiple Wounds (D3) special rule applies only to the high-Strength hit caused against the model under the template's central hole – unsaved wounds from the low Strength hit are not multiplied.
Firing Indirectly
If you wish to fire indirectly, declare that you will do so before taking the stone thrower's shot. An indirect shot does not require line of sight but is otherwise treated as a normal shot and has the usual requirements (the target needs to be in range and outside the minimum range of the stone thrower).
If an arrow is rolled on the scatter dice, resolve the scatter as normal. If however, you roll a Hit! on the scatter dice, the shot does not land on target but merely scatters less – how much less depends greatly on the skill of the crew. The distance travelled is equal to the score shown on the artillery dice minus the crew's Ballistic Skill characteristic (to a minimum of zero!).
Other than the aforementioned inaccuracy of the scatter, an indirect shot from a stone thrower is treated exactly according to the rules given for normal shots given above.