In todays game example, we look at Renegade Scout and how hidden troops work in the game (and why).

Renegade Scout inherits the option for troops to hide behind cover from its ancestors: A unit moving at the normal movement rate and ending its move within or right behind terrain can Shelter. This lets troops keep their heads down, but comes at the cost of not firing weapons or moving above the cautious movement rate. As a player you will need to prioritise when speed is of the essence compared to safety.

Sheltering troops can be fired on if you have a clear line of sight, for example by moving around the terrain they are hiding behind. 

Alternatively you can make a spotting check. This is a roll of 2D6 + the Observation score. Figures can shoot at any sheltering enemy within this range in inches. So if you roll a 7 with Observation 4, you can fire at sheltering troops within 11 inches. 

Units roll once but each figure applies its own Observation score, so it is possible that some firers will be able to shoot and others will not. Gun crews benefit from better fire control, so they always use the single best Observation score in the crew. 

Personality figures get a small advantage in that you have a -1 penalty to spot them. In the above example a Personality figure would have to be within 10 inches to be spotted. 

So what changed?

Compared to Rogue Trader and 40K 2e, Renegade Scout makes hidden troops a bit easier to attack. If you are at "firefight" ranges you can generally fire on them, making it an option more suited to middle range encounters. This also helps promote more aggressive play. 

A notable change is that in the original rules, once you were spotted the status was removed. In Renegade Scout this only happens if you are charged. Otherwise only the spotting figure is able to shoot. This was needed to balance out the higher chance of spotting and prevent defensive positions from being plastered with heavy weapon fire right away.