Skyshield Landing Pad

[Mystery.Shadow]

The Skyshield Landing Platform in the BRB for 75 points: It's not a Fortification with Hull Points. It just says you treat it like Difficult Terrain even if the Shields are up. So here's a few questions about it. Let's say a Platoon of Guardsmen are bundled nice and tight on the Platform. Can they be assaulted? (I sure hope they can). If they can, how many models get into Base-to-Base contact and how do you determine that? Also it has obvious Access Points with ladders and hatches on the inside of the legs. But it's Terrain so it doesn't get 'access points'. Could one just climb up the front of the legs with a Difficult Terrain test?

If so, can you please let me know rule references for this. There's THAT GUY who is being a Richard Cranium.

[Wolfshade]

Can they be assaulted? Yes.

How many get into B2B? As many as possible, don't forget that the pile in move can potentially pull them out of cover (Why they would do this who knows).

How do you determine this? In the BRB it describes the process of climbing up/down levels, I don't recall how tall the Sky Sheild is off the top of my head, lets assume 6", now you roll a good result for the assault 10, then you have to use 6" to climb then have another 4" left to charge.

Could one just climb up the front of the legs with a Difficult Terrain test? Yup.

Don't forget jump troops wouldn't be effect by the height, but would need a dangerous terrain test on landing.

[Nabterayl]

The Skyshield Landing Platform in the BRB for 75 points: It's not a Fortification with Hull Points.

To my knowledge, there are no fortifications with hull points.

It just says you treat it like Difficult Terrain even if the Shields are up. So here's a few questions about it. Let's say a Platoon of Guardsmen are bundled nice and tight on the Platform. Can they be assaulted? (I sure hope they can). If they can, how many models get into Base-to-Base contact and how do you determine that?

The top pad is open terrain, as indicated by "The top surface of the Skyshield Landing Pad is open terrain" on page 115. Thus, models on top of the pad may be assaulted, and you resolve assaults just like normal. Open terrain is open terrain.

Also it has obvious Access Points with ladders and hatches on the inside of the legs. But it's Terrain so it doesn't get 'access points'. Could one just climb up the front of the legs with a Difficult Terrain test?

It does get access points. That's what is meant by "Access Points & Fire Points: As per model," also on page 115. Nothing says terrain doesn't get access points. Don't forget that Imperial Bastions and Fortresses of Redemption are also terrain. So you can only climb up the inside legs (a 4" climb if I recall, but whatever it measures is how far it is), as those are the access points - though as Wolfshade points out, jump troops, jetbikes, and skimmers could all land on the top of the pad without needing to climb, as long as they didn't start from directly beneath the pad.

[Gir]

though as Wolfshade points out, jump troops, jetbikes, and skimmers could all land on the top of the pad without needing to climb, as long as they didn't start from directly beneath the pad.

Pretty sure this is not a rule, and jump infantry and jump from underneath to be on top without rolling.

[Nabterayl]

I don't have my rulebook with me, but I thought the jump rule was that you ignore terrain you move over. Does anybody have a book handy for a quick quote?

[walrusman999]

When using its jump pack (whethermoving, charging or falling back, as we'll
discuss in a mornent) a model can move
over all other models and all terrain
freely. However, if the model begins or
ends its move in difficult terrain, it must
take a Dangerous Terrain test.
Jump models cannot end their move
on top of other models and can only
end their move on top of impassable
terrain if it is acrually possible to place
the rnodels on top of it. If they do this,
however, they treat the impassable
terrain as dangerous terrain.

That is the Skyborne rule for Jumpacks.

When using its jet pack (whethermoving, or making a Thrust move, as
we'll discuss in a moment) a model can
move over all other models and terrain
freely. However, if the model begins or
ends its move in difficult terrain, it must
take a Dangerous Terrain test.
Jet Pack models cannot end their move
on top of other models and can only
end their move on top of impassable
terrain if it is actually possible to place
the models on top of it. If they do this,
however, they reat the impassable
terrain as dangerous terrain.

Skyborne Rule for Jet Packs.

Jetbikes can always move over all other
models and all teffain freely. Flowever,
if a moving Jetbike begins or ends its
move in difficult terrain, it must take a
Dangerous Terrain test. Jetbikes cannot
end their move over other models or
impassable terrain, except that they can
end their move on top of impassable
terrain if it is acrually possible to place
the models on top of it. If they do that,
however, they ffeat the impassable
terrain as dangerous terrain.

Bike charge moves are not slowed down
by difficult terrain. However, each Bike
or Jetbike model that charges an enemy
model behind a barricade or Aegis
defence line, must take a Dangerous
Terrain test.

Terrain rule for Jetbikes.

[Warptiger]

if the shyshield is unfurled (sides folded down), then jump units, jet packs units, jetbikes and skimmers don't need to take a dangerous terrain test when moving on to or off the shyshield. If it's shielded (sides folded up) then yeah, they have to test.

As for foot troops, it says the top is open terrain, and a difficult terrain test is required to move on to or off it.

No where does it say the landing pad is a building though, and that the top is a second floor, so you don't have to lose distance moving vertically. Other fortifications (like the bastion) tell you they count as a building, how many buildings, and what size of building. Skyshield is described as "unique". That's all.

So reading that part, it looks like foot infantry just roll difficult terrain tests for horizontal movement, and the vertical height isn't even a factor. I would say they need to reach an "access point" on one of the legs, but the access points aren't really described. Just says "per model". Way to be unclear, games workshop.

[Nabterayl]

Did I miss something in the Shielded rule? Where does it say that the top becomes DT for movement purposes?

Thanks for the quotes, Walrus. Reading those, it looks to me like jump troops etc. can move over terrain but not through. Ordinarily that doesn't come up, but I don't think a jump pack magically lets you fly through a Skyshield if you start underneath it, according to those rules.

If people find the Skyshield rules ambiguous, you might turn to Planetstrike, where it was introduced. That supplement indicated that you move up the inside legs in the same manner as in a ruin - roll for Difficult Terrain and hope you rolled enough to make it up the ladder (4" if memory serves).

[Tynskel]

I think it is that the when the shields are up, the model loses the advantages for flying units. It reverts back to being a terrain piece.

[Nabterayl]

It loses the no-scatter characteristics, sure. But the top being open terrain isn't part of the Unfurled description. It's part of the Skyshield description generally.