Ethereal Rule

[newt]

Hello, I have a question about the Ethereal rule;

Can any model with the Ethereal rule move through any enemy or friendly unit?

I know hexwraiths can due to their soulstrider ability, but recently a few players at my LGS argued they can move any ethereal unit through enemy units as they are obstacles. They attempted to move their saurus, who had Walk Between Worlds cast on it, through an enemy zombie unit.

Thanks!
Newt

 

[Bloody Maria]

According to the BRB, models never count as being impassable or difficult terrain (other than for fleeing through I think) and a rule specifically states that if a unit/models comes within 1 inch of another unit the model/unit in question is immediately halted.

So, going strictly by raw, no, you can't move an ethereal unit/model through either an enemy or friendly unit because ethereal only allows the unit/model to treat difficult or impassable terrain as open ground.

 

[newt]

According to the BRB, models never count as being impassable or difficult terrain (other than for fleeing through I think) and a rule specifically states that if a unit/models comes within 1 inch of another unit the model/unit in question is immediately halted.

So, going strictly by raw, no, you can't move an ethereal unit/model through either an enemy or friendly unit because ethereal only allows the unit/model to treat difficult or impassable terrain as open ground.

Thanks for the reply, I will have to point that rule relating to units not being terrain. I didn't think to check that part of the book, I only looked at the ethereal rule. I also forgot to point out the 1".

 

[Bloody Maria]

According to the BRB, models never count as being impassable or difficult terrain (other than for fleeing through I think) and a rule specifically states that if a unit/models comes within 1 inch of another unit the model/unit in question is immediately halted.

So, going strictly by raw, no, you can't move an ethereal unit/model through either an enemy or friendly unit because ethereal only allows the unit/model to treat difficult or impassable terrain as open ground.

Thanks for the reply, I will have to point that rule relating to units not being terrain. I didn't think to check that part of the book, I only looked at the ethereal rule. I also forgot to point out the 1".

No problem.

This was actually a pretty good question, got me thinking about it and I had to look it up for a bit.

 

[Smogg]

If you play Triumph and Tretchery neutral units counts as impassable terrain. So it may be due to the rise of that expansion that you have either seen it done in T&T games or that people have taken to do that in normal games even though there is no neutral units.

 

[Muaddib81]

If you play Triumph and Tretchery neutral units counts as impassable terrain. So it may be due to the rise of that expansion that you have either seen it done in T&T games or that people have taken to do that in normal games even though there is no neutral units.

Yeah, T&T got some weird rulings re: neutral units. Like being ignored for LOS (IIRC) and the impassable thingy might be interesting for ethereals... kind of a "gameplay before common sense" thing, not that there's anything wrong with that per se...

 

[Vinadir]

According to the BRB, models never count as being impassable or difficult terrain (other than for fleeing through I think) and a rule specifically states that if a unit/models comes within 1 inch of another unit the model/unit in question is immediately halted.

So, going strictly by raw, no, you can't move an ethereal unit/model through either an enemy or friendly unit because ethereal only allows the unit/model to treat difficult or impassable terrain as open ground.

Going by RAW wouldn't that in some way suggest that the soulstrider ability doesn't work? Because soulstrider states that when hexwraiths move through one or more enemy units in the remaining moves sub-phase they can use this ability. but if the rule book states that any unit must halt its move 1' away from an enemy or fiend... then how can the hex wraiths actually use their ability?

maybe im just not understanding something, but I guess by the way of etherial I was under the impression they could move through whatever they wanted so long as they did not end up within an inch of an enemy at the end of their move.

Edit* In the etherial section it does state that "they are also never slowed by and special rule, spell or item that would otherwise reduce their movement or stop them from moving completely"

I might take that to mean that the 1" rule would be a special rule stopping them from completing a move?

 

[Skittelz1981]

Well, we can bicker about this and try to find the one little word that changes the perception of the rule. Its not going to change the fact that:

-Ethereals cannot move through units, only terrain and obstacles, basically everything that is not alive or Undead.
-Hexwraiths are the only exception to this, they are the only unit in the entire list of WHFB armies that can move through unengaged units, friend or foe.

Dont think about 1" rules and RAW, this is what it is.