diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Warheads/CreateEffectWarhead.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Warheads/CreateEffectWarhead.cs
index d39de8cd47..a69088caa6 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Warheads/CreateEffectWarhead.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Warheads/CreateEffectWarhead.cs
@@ -43,14 +43,65 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Warheads
 		[Desc("Chance of impact sound to play.")]
 		public readonly int ImpactSoundChance = 100;
 
-		[Desc("Explosions above this altitude that don't impact an actor will check target validity against the 'TargetTypeAir' target types.")]
+		[Desc("Consider explosion above this altitude an air explosion.",
+			"If that's the case, this warhead will consider the explosion position to have the 'Air' TargetType (in addition to any nearby actor's TargetTypes).")]
 		public readonly WDist AirThreshold = new WDist(128);
 
-		[Desc("Target types to use when the warhead detonated at an altitude greater than 'AirThreshold'.")]
+		[Desc("Whether to consider actors in determining whether the explosion should happen. If false, only terrain will be considered.")]
+		public readonly bool ImpactActors = true;
+
 		static readonly BitSet<TargetableType> TargetTypeAir = new BitSet<TargetableType>("Air");
 
-		[Desc("Check for direct hits against nearby actors for use in the target validity checks.")]
-		public readonly bool ImpactActors = true;
+		public ImpactType GetImpactType(World world, CPos cell, WPos pos, Actor firedBy)
+		{
+			// Matching target actor
+			if (ImpactActors)
+			{
+				var targetType = GetDirectHitTargetType(world, cell, pos, firedBy, true);
+				if (targetType == ImpactTargetType.ValidActor)
+					return ImpactType.TargetHit;
+				if (targetType == ImpactTargetType.InvalidActor)
+					return ImpactType.None;
+			}
+
+			var dat = world.Map.DistanceAboveTerrain(pos);
+			if (dat > AirThreshold)
+				return ImpactType.Air;
+
+			return ImpactType.Ground;
+		}
+
+		public ImpactTargetType GetDirectHitTargetType(World world, CPos cell, WPos pos, Actor firedBy, bool checkTargetValidity = false)
+		{
+			var victims = world.FindActorsOnCircle(pos, WDist.Zero);
+			var invalidHit = false;
+
+			foreach (var victim in victims)
+			{
+				if (!AffectsParent && victim == firedBy)
+					continue;
+
+				if (!victim.Info.HasTraitInfo<IHealthInfo>())
+					continue;
+
+				// If the impact position is within any HitShape, we have a direct hit
+				var activeShapes = victim.TraitsImplementing<HitShape>().Where(Exts.IsTraitEnabled);
+				var directHit = activeShapes.Any(i => i.Info.Type.DistanceFromEdge(pos, victim).Length <= 0);
+
+				// If the warhead landed outside the actor's hit-shape(s), we need to skip the rest so it won't be considered an invalidHit
+				if (!directHit)
+					continue;
+
+				if (!checkTargetValidity || IsValidAgainst(victim, firedBy))
+					return ImpactTargetType.ValidActor;
+
+				// If we got here, it must be an invalid target
+				invalidHit = true;
+			}
+
+			// If there was at least a single direct hit, but none on valid target(s), we return InvalidActor
+			return invalidHit ? ImpactTargetType.InvalidActor : ImpactTargetType.NoActor;
+		}
 
 		public override void DoImpact(Target target, Actor firedBy, IEnumerable<int> damageModifiers)
 		{
@@ -72,9 +123,11 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Warheads
 			var explosion = Explosions.RandomOrDefault(world.LocalRandom);
 			if (Image != null && explosion != null)
 			{
-				var dat = world.Map.DistanceAboveTerrain(pos);
 				if (ForceDisplayAtGroundLevel)
-					pos -= new WVec(0, 0, dat.Length);
+				{
+					var dat = world.Map.DistanceAboveTerrain(pos);
+					pos = new WPos(pos.X, pos.Y, pos.Z - dat.Length);
+				}
 
 				world.AddFrameEndTask(w => w.Add(new SpriteEffect(pos, w, Image, explosion, palette)));
 			}
@@ -87,32 +140,23 @@ namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Warheads
 		public bool IsValidImpact(WPos pos, Actor firedBy)
 		{
 			var world = firedBy.World;
-
-			if (ImpactActors)
-			{
-				// Check whether the explosion overlaps with an actor's hitshape
-				var potentialVictims = world.FindActorsOnCircle(pos, WDist.Zero);
-				foreach (var victim in potentialVictims)
-				{
-					if (!AffectsParent && victim == firedBy)
-						continue;
-
-					var activeShapes = victim.TraitsImplementing<HitShape>().Where(Exts.IsTraitEnabled);
-					if (!activeShapes.Any(i => i.Info.Type.DistanceFromEdge(pos, victim).Length <= 0))
-						continue;
-
-					if (IsValidAgainst(victim, firedBy))
-						return true;
-				}
-			}
-
 			var targetTile = world.Map.CellContaining(pos);
 			if (!world.Map.Contains(targetTile))
 				return false;
 
-			var dat = world.Map.DistanceAboveTerrain(pos);
-			var tileInfo = world.Map.GetTerrainInfo(targetTile);
-			return IsValidTarget(dat > AirThreshold ? TargetTypeAir : tileInfo.TargetTypes);
+			var impactType = GetImpactType(world, targetTile, pos, firedBy);
+			switch (impactType)
+			{
+				case ImpactType.TargetHit:
+					return true;
+				case ImpactType.Air:
+					return IsValidTarget(TargetTypeAir);
+				case ImpactType.Ground:
+					var tileInfo = world.Map.GetTerrainInfo(targetTile);
+					return IsValidTarget(tileInfo.TargetTypes);
+				default:
+					return false;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Warheads/Warhead.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Warheads/Warhead.cs
index fe672db9ad..5b60c3560a 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Warheads/Warhead.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Warheads/Warhead.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ using OpenRA.Traits;
 
 namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Warheads
 {
+	public enum ImpactType
+	{
+		None,
+		Ground,
+		Air,
+		TargetHit
+	}
+
 	public enum ImpactTargetType
 	{
 		NoActor,