A Firing Arc defines the spatial area in which a Unit determines whether it can legally Nominate a Target for Ranged Attacks, or is susceptible to being Flanked. For standard Units, the two Firing Arcs consists of a 180-degree hemisphere extending from both sides of the designated front edge of the Base. The front facing arc is called the Front Arc and the rearward facing arc is called the Flanking Arc. To resolve a Shoot Action, the Attacker must establish a valid Line Of Sight to a portion of the Target Unit’s Base that resides within the Front Arc. If the entirety of a potential Target’s Base is positioned behind the plane established by the Front Arc and resides within the Flanking Arc, the Target cannot be engaged unless another rule overrides this.
- Determining the applicable Firing Arcs for the attacker and defender is a mandatory step during the Declare Target stage of Attack Resolution. Boundaries are traced from the front corners or the leading edge of the Base footprint.
- Proper Unit orientation is vital, as a Unit's ability to Shoot is restricted by its facing and can leave a Unit exposed to more dangerous Flanking attacks.
- In Close Combat, Firing Arcs are abstracted for the purpose of engagement and establishing Base Contact. However, the relative facing of the participants is still evaluated to determine if a Unit suffers a Flanking penalty to its Melee Attack Pool.