Auspex + Jink

Here's one that came up last night. Space Marine Auspex allows a model to forgo its shooting in order to give a nearby unit -1 to all cover saves. However, what happens if, at that point, the model has no cover save or a low cover save, but then gains one later - is it still reduced?

Three step process as follows:
1) solo captain declares he is targeting a raider (with stealth) with his auspex, -1 to it's 6+ cover save, meaning no cover.
2) different squad declares the raider as a target of a shooting attack
3) raider declares that it will jink, giving it a 4+ cover save, improved by stealth to 3+

3+ or 4+ cover save?

Obviously if the raider has declared that it will jink before the auspex gets activated then its cover save will be reduced from a 4+ to a 5+, but the order of operations in the above scenario makes it a slight grey area (the 4+ cover save 'overwriting' the original 6+ cover save that was reduced by the auspex).

I'd say you work out what the normal cover save for the target would be and then reduce it by 1.

I believe it would be 4+. The key being "all" cover saves, not just ones against shooting from his unit.

I see it as the auspex lighting up those guys for all to see, like a markerlight that's "always on" but with fewer functions.

The specific wording of the rule is that the targeted unit's cover saves are reduced by 1 till the end of the phase.

That means you would figure out its cover save by applying all modifiers - one of which is a -1.

It doesn't matter whether or not it has a cover save at any given point, it will have a -1 modifier to its cover saves for the remainder of the phase.

With what thor said i would say the jink (cover save) will be +4, as the +1 from stealth will nullify the -1 from auspex,

That is correct.
Also, if there was no stealth, then the jink save would be 5+

The order is you figure out your cover save due to intervening models/objects.
You have the option to jink, which gives you a cover save if you do.
You then apply modifiers to the cover save (from stealth, or auspex - as examples)

Also, per the wording on auspex, it specifically has nothing to do with the unit's cover save at that moment, take the following example;


AAA----xxx----BBB-----CCC

A, B, and C are units.
x is terrain providing cover.

If B is targeted with an auspex by C (a situation wherein B has no cover) and is then fired upon by A (a situation where B now has cover) the auspex effect would still be applied, reducing the cover save from x.

A could also target B with an auspex, and fire on B, reducing B's cover. C could then fire on B, who would have no cover but a -1 effect to a cover save they couldn't take since they have no cover, but even if B then went to ground (getting +1) they would still have the -1 and still be denied the ability to get a cover save.