Welcome to the first in a new series where we bounce around a topic that’s causing confusion in the community, underneath an unnecessarily-confrontational headline. 

This one came up in our Discord last week, and here’s a shoutout to Graal for raising the topic – it caused a flurry of discussion involving some very experienced players, and it seems like different communities around the world are playing it in completely different ways.  What am I on about?  I’m on about summoning Endless Spells that can move, and putting them straight into combat with others.

The idea behind this article is to take a close look at how the rules are telling us to play it – which may differ from how you’ve been playing it locally, even at high-end tournament play – and maybe give you some tools for discussing it with other players and TOs. 

Ready?  Let’s go.

What’s the issue?

Let’s take a look at the endless spring of delight and clarity that is Advanced Rules: Magic, section 7.0 Manifestations:

The precursor establishes that “Manifestations are not considered to be units, with the following exceptions”.  Then the first bullet point tells us that “They are treated as if they were units for the purposes of […] setting up other units”.  Further, the 6^th bullet point tells us that when it comes to “being in combat and setting up other units”, those Manifestations with a Move characteristic of zero “are only treated as if they were units in the combat phase”.

So it’s pretty clear that if there’s a Static Mani on the board, you can definitely set up another Mani straight into combat with it in the hero phase, because Static Manis are not treated as units for the purpose of setting up other units in that phase (only in the combat phase).

But what if the Manifestation that’s on the board is a Manifestation that can move?  Can you set up another mobile Manifestation right up in its grill? 

Perhaps surprisingly: Yes.  Yes you can.

Huh?

Rule 7.0 is telling you that Mobile Manis push away other units – but the crux of the matter is that Manifestations themselves (whether or not they can move) are not units. 

So although mobile Manifestations can (and do) push other units back 9” away when they are being set up, they do not push back other Manifestations in the same way, because those newly-summoned Manifestations do not, themselves, count as units.

I know, it’s about as clear as Ben Johnson’s testing sample.  It’s very easy to miss when you’re reading that first bullet point, but that rule is not telling us that the Mobile Manifestations themselves are treated as units for the purpose of being set up.  It’s telling us that they force other units to take them into account.  And other Manis are not other units – they do not meet any of the criteria in any of the bullet points, and therefore in they go.

So in other words, Manis that move do force actual units to set up away from them – but they do not do that to each other. 

How can I exploit benefit from this in games?

Well the big thing is that you can tie down your opponent’s mobile Manifestation with a timely Magical Intervention.  For instance if you can see that a Krondspine is about to move up and smack something, you can drop your own Mani straight into combat with it.  Then when the movement phase comes around, they have to take each other into account, and that Krondspine can’t move up the board towards you.

Graphic design is my passion

This is bullshit though

Agreed, it’s totally dumb.  I hate it.  But those are the rules of this game currently.

Is this intentional?

Who’d know?  It’s certainly passed through several FAQs at this stage, and I know for a fact it’s been sent in.  Maybe they’ve been too busy issuing repeated patches for the bent rules they wrote for Nighthaunt and Lumineth?  I dunno, you’d have to ask the devs to explain themselves there.  But the fact is that they have left it in there, so as much as I hate it – it’s part of the rules of the game.

AITA if I enforce this?

Nah, but be prepared to explain yourself.  A lot of people have got it into their head that because mobile Manis push back teleporting units 9” (true), that they themselves must also be pushed back 9” when setting up near each other (not actually true, when you read the rules carefully).

I’ve been told from a few people in various communities that “nobody is playing it that way”, but also from a couple of others that “oh yes we are”, so you’d want to make sure you’re all on the same page and in practical terms I’d suggest running this past your TO before you crack it out at an event.  Maybe link them this article too, because I have an endless thirst for clicks it might save you having to repeat the whole argument.

If the TO signs off on RAW, as a basic human decency I’d still suggest telling your opponent that this is a thing that you can and will do before the game starts.  I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable just banging a Mani right in there then telling my opponent to suck it up and git gud.  As long as you’ve pre-warned them though?  Game the hell on, imo.

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So that’s a wrap!  If you’re spluttering at the screen that this is nonsense, all I can say is that I myself have been through the Seven Stages of Grief on this one.  I’m not saying it’s a good idea or a good rule, but unfortunately it is a rule of the game right now.  Manis themselves are only treated as units in specifically-defined circumstances, and as best as I can tell: none of those apply here.  I’ve tried to find a way to argue that they do, but in good faith the best I can come up with is “Seems a bit dumb”, which is hardly a clinching argument in a game where Callis and Toll still cost 230 points. 

Looks like we’re stuck with this for a little while at least – add it to the long list of “Stuff That Should Be Removed From AOS4 Pronto”, maybe sandwiched somewhere inbetween Covering Fire costing 1CP and the continued existence of Lumineth.

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