[The_One]

Can Sponson weapons on a tank shoot at different targets OTHER than what the tank shot at?

EX: Predator shoots Lascannon at a Chaos Rhino, blows it up, can the sponson Heavy Bolters shoot at another nearby tank or unit?

[IcyCool]

No, not unless the vehicle has a special rule allowing it to do so.

[GeekyGator]

Such as super-heavies.

[Vallessian]

kind of silly yes, considering how the sponsons are on either side so 90% of the time you can only fire one.

[Droids_Rule]

Really? I don't use tanks often, but judging by the diagram I saw in the 4th Ed book, if a vehicle is pivoted to look at it's target before it fires then both sponsons and the turret should be able to fire. Of course, there is more to it during a battle, like if turning the tank would expose a side or rear, but it's still very possible, and not as rare as 90%. :-\

[GeekyGator]

Yes, there is a point somewhere in front of the tank where both sponsons can be brought to bear. I've done the calculations sometime before, I think on a Leman Russ its a couple feet in front of it. Closer than that, you can only get one.

[The_One]

Well here's what doesn't make sense...each Sponson has a guy manning it...so why wouldn't they be able to shoot seperate from the rest of the tank.

Originally Posted by GeekyGator

Yes, there is a point somewhere in front of the tank where both sponsons can be brought to bear. I've done the calculations sometime before, I think on a Leman Russ its a couple feet in front of it. Closer than that, you can only get one.

How did you manage this? Because the sponsons range go out at angles from the front and rear corners of the tank and go OUTWARD...how could you bring them both to shoot one target...

also I thought that BOTH sponsons counted for ONE weapon...and if that's the case then why wouldn't each sponson be able to target seperate units???

[Darth_Fraggle]

In reality, there's no reason why they shouldn't, but rules-wise, the vehicle is one unit, and each unit can only shoot at one target.

The diagram in question showed a Predator, and there was an area shaped like a diamond with the tank at the center that the sponsons would be unable to fire in. I'm not sure about the russ, but I think that the sponsons can point slightly inward to the front, and meet somewhere in front of the tank.

[The_One]

So that makes Armoured Companies (and Tank-heavy Imperial Guard) even deadlier!!!

[Circus Freak]

This is why the swivelly bits of the sponsons are slightly further out, to allow them to point inward at a harsher angle.

For the Land Raider I believe the convergence point is 8". It might be slightly further on the thinner tanks. But it is much less than "a couple of feet."