Indirect spells are like Hi-Ex Shells, not something you use against a hardened target. Direct Spells are like AP rounds, something you use primarily on hardened targets.

Priority of Targets (Infantry) for Tankers:

Target One: Magicians.

Target Two: The Troll with the Assault Cannon/Anti-Tank Weapon.

Target Three: The Big Ork with the Big Gun.

Target Four: The idiot with the Anti-Tank Mine on a stick.

Target Five: Everyone Else.

Powerbolt isn't really that overpower against a tank, as explained above.
But what about simply sending a random ghost, to materialise inside the tank, and kill the crew or whatever is inside there? Preferably a fire spirit. I would fear that much more from a mage than a powerbolt.
Is there any defense against that? Can you put a ward on a moving object like a tank?

Can a Possession Spirit take over a tank?

Because if you got one of J.E.B. Stuart, that would rock five kinds of awesome! (Let's see who gets the reference.).

...and this is why I elected to stay with 3rd ed.

By 3rd ed RAW:

Armoured vehicles received body and 1/2 armour added to the object resistance TN (8 for vehicles). Furthermore if the Armour rating exceeded the spell's force (which would be very common in the case of heavily armoured vehicles like tanks) the spell would have no effect. So trying to tag even a light tank like a Rhurmetall Frettichen (Body 10 Armour 22 - 3ed ed stats) would require a powerbolt cast at a force of 23 to hit on a base TN of 21 (subject to visibility/cover modifiers/other sustained spells) to cause any damage.

Were I a spellslinger in that situation, I'd defer to the chap with the ATGM or call in air support (and then cast my armour 6 spell and look for a good place to hide).

About the only ones who could wield that kind of spell power would be a GD and in that case, I'd have no argument.

actually p. 24 in running wild states following :



i think its easily transferable to drones. at least we use it at our table for drones too.

In my games: absolutely. (And i guess it is RAW, as long as the walls don't move in relation and you can make a simple form with the ward) I always asked myself if one coul have a ward on the OUTSIDE of a room, though. That would help against spells.

Also mana-static is a area effect spell... i wonder if one could allow the use of a different spell with the same effect to be centered on a moving sustaining focus. Have to look that up. But that would be an AWESOME defense against magic, even in low levels.

Oh, and also in my game i allow materializing of spirits only if they are (in the physical world) faster than the moving vehicle, AND can find a spot big enough to contain them... if they can't do it right: Ramming rules.

Hmm, Quickened Mana Static on expensive vehicles? Doable?

No. Mana Static is an Area effect. It will not move as the vehicle moves.

I did however design a targeted version of Mana Static. It is essentially identical, with the difference being affecting one target instead of an area, and allowing a Willpower + Counterspelling resistance test. Drain was the same as Mana Static (+2 [not Environmental] & -2 [not Area]).

The version my magician always used was an additional -2 Drain (Sustained, not Permanent), for a total of (F÷2)+2.

Not really that different from the effects of RL anti-tank weapons, that are more likely to make puree of the crew then make the tank go boom!

Except that Critters and Technology are not the same thing... If it works for you, then great, but Technology does not work that way...

Given the power level mages need to defeat tanks, I´d shoot the troll first. Consider what heavy weapons used with 7 hits can do, compared to a force 7 spell. Most mages in the world will find it impossible to touch tanks reliably, while AT weapons do their job. Target One: gauss rifle crew. On the high end it is easier to have massive dp´s for using guns than for spells.

Due to the nature of combined arms, with tanks being supported by mechanized infantry as they're supposed to be, the first rules of combat still applies: Geek the mage first!