Shooting Characters in The Old World |TheOldWarrior

In Warhammer: The Old World, shooting at characters has changed a lot compared to previous editions.

On a first read of the rulebook, most players don’t pick up on these changes or even realize them, so I decided to write this post to help you out.

As always, I really appreciate those of you who share posts you find useful on Reddit and other communities 😀

look out sir warhammer the old world theoldwarrior

Types of Characters in Warhammer: The Old World

Let’s start by talking about the different types of characters.

We can say there are two types of characters: those that are infantry or cavalry, and those that are not.

Characters that are infantry or cavalry, even if they are monstrous, if they are within 3 inches or less of a unit of the same type, cannot be targeted, as long as TWO conditions are met:

the unit has more than 5 models and the shooting unit is closer to the unit than to the character.

Can I shoot a character inside a unit?

It depends. Unlike previous editions, this is no longer a straight “no”.

If the character is inside a unit, you need to ask: is it a different troop type from the unit?

If it is a different troop type, then yes, it can be shot.

For example, a mounted character is cavalry, and if you place it inside an infantry unit, it can be shot. Or a chariot character inside a cavalry unit—which is allowed in Warhammer: The Old World—can also be shot.

Remember: only characters that are infantry or cavalry and are inside a unit of the same troop type (or within 3 inches) cannot be chosen as targets.

Can war machines hit characters inside units?

We go back to the same logic as in the previous section.

If the character is a different troop type from its unit, then yes, you can target it. If it is the same troop type, then you cannot.

Therefore, if a template hits it, it can make a Look Out, Sir! roll, so that on a 2+, the hit is allocated to another model in the unit instead.

Can you use Look Out, Sir! outside a unit?

No, never. This is another important change (those were the days when you could do it on a 4+ outside a unit).

In Warhammer: The Old World, you cannot use the Look Out, Sir! rule with a character outside a unit under any circumstances.

So, even if it cannot be declared as a target—either by normal shooting or by war machines with templates like a catapult—the shot can still scatter and hit them.

For example, this can happen with a catapult… and this can actually be used to kill characters quite easily.

How to kill characters outside units in Old World

In Warhammer: The Old World, there are tools such as the Goblin Doom Diver Catapult that make this much easier.

The Doom Diver, once it scatters, allows you to adjust the scatter. When resolving scatter, you can guide the shot in any direction you want.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be in the opposite direction of the scatter.

This means that if I shoot at a unit of Dwarf Longbeards with my Doom Diver, placing the template in the center and then it scatters—let’s say it scatters to the left of the unit—I can choose, thanks to the Doom Diver’s special rule, to move it not to the right to correct the shot, but even further to the left, to hit another unit (or character) or any other direction.

This is incredibly useful for killing enemy characters that are outside units, since, as we mentioned earlier, Look Out, Sir! cannot be used at all by characters outside units, regardless of troop type.

Chariot characters inside units HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?

Can chariot characters join units?

Yes, they can.

In Warhammer: The Old World, there is no rule that says a chariot character cannot join a unit.

What happens is that a chariot character is never a Loner, because Loner is a type of character that can only be infantry or cavalry.

Since it is not a Loner, it will never benefit from Look Out, Sir! nor from the rule that prevents the enemy from targeting it while inside a unit.

So, what’s the point of putting a chariot character inside a unit?

Well, for example, it allows it to charge together with the unit, or to protect it. There may be enemy units that would want to charge the chariot character if it were alone, but if it is inside an infantry unit—with rank bonuses, banner, etc., and maybe a unit champion—they’re very unlikely to charge it.

There are certain combinations that make this easier, but they are not the most common. In any case, it is possible.

Can characters with different base sizes be targeted?

Characters with the same troop type but different base sizes.

For example, an Orc on foot joining a unit of Night Goblins on foot. The Orc has a 30×30 base, and the Night Goblins have 25×25 bases.

Can it be targeted?

No.

Because it is an infantry character inside an infantry unit, and therefore, even if it is placed adjacent to the unit—meaning on either side of the front rank—it cannot be declared as a shooting target.

It works exactly the same as if it were properly ranked up within the unit.

Conclusion

Even though this is simple and short, the goal of this post is to help you remember how target selection works and to distinguish it from how it worked in other editions.

Many players don’t just play Warhammer: The Old World, but also Sixth Edition and others where all of this works differently.

So I think this can help you quickly review it at any time, without getting lost in the sea of rules and FAQs provided by Games Workshop between the rulebook and many other documents that often contradict each other.

That’s all for this one.

Below I’ll leave you other rules I’ve written about for similar reasons, which can help you a lot.

See you in the next one.

And thank you very much to everyone who shares the website with gaming communities, friends, and especially on Reddit if you can (my account is still too small and the automod keeps removing my posts). That’s what really helps me keep this alive: sharing it with your community and with players who might benefit from it.