We had a question come up in a game last night regarding movement through difficult terrain, and whether a model placed in cohesion actually moves , or is placed for the purposes of difficult terrain definitions. Unfortunately the RAW are ambiguous in regards to difficult terrain. I apologize if this has been clarified elsewhere, but the last reference to a similar question that we could find seems to be from about two years ago and from what we can see, fizzled out without ever getting a developer response after the thread broke down in disagreement.

The scenario in question can be visualized below:

Rebel Player chooses to move his unit in an attempt to get into cover. To move his units into cover his leader makes a speed two move to the edge of the cover as visualized below.

Where the confusion comes in is the interaction between the following rules:

Difficult Terrain:

A unit that begins a move, moves through, or ends a move with any of its minis in difficult terrain has its maximum speed reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.

Cohesion:

When placing a mini in cohesion with its unit leader, that mini must be placed such that the distance between the mini and its unit leader could be made as a legal speed-1 move from the final position of the unit leader.

This means that when placing a mini in cohesion with its unit leader it cannot be placed on the other side of impassable terrain from its unit leader.

Our understanding of the rules is that the only model that actually "moves" is the leader while all other models are "placed"

The wording in cohesion "... must be placed such that the distance between the mini and its unit leader could be made as a legal speed-1 move from the final position of the unit leader." implies that they must be placed in such a way as to be able to make a legal speed one move, however it never states that the models actually move. Only that they need to be able to move.

In the above scenario, the models could make a speed one move, but nothing we can see states that they actually make a move. Rather, they are placed in cohesion. That said; movement according to the rules reference includes the step "Establish Cohesion" as part of the movement definition, implying that placing models is technically movement.

What we're looking for clarification the diagram is a legal move or not based on the RAW. If there is an official developer ruling, even better.

3 hours ago, Drinkman said:

We had a question come up in a game last night regarding movement through difficult terrain, and whether a model placed in cohesion actually moves , or is placed for the purposes of difficult terrain definitions. Unfortunately the RAW are ambiguous in regards to difficult terrain. I apologize if this has been clarified elsewhere, but the last reference to a similar question that we could find seems to be from about two years ago and from what we can see, fizzled out without ever getting a developer response after the thread broke down in disagreement.

The scenario in question can be visualized below:

Rebel Player chooses to move his unit in an attempt to get into cover. To move his units into cover his leader makes a speed two move to the edge of the cover as visualized below.

Where the confusion comes in is the interaction between the following rules:

Difficult Terrain:

A unit that begins a move, moves through, or ends a move with any of its minis in difficult terrain has its maximum speed reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.

Cohesion:

When placing a mini in cohesion with its unit leader, that mini must be placed such that the distance between the mini and its unit leader could be made as a legal speed-1 move from the final position of the unit leader.

This means that when placing a mini in cohesion with its unit leader it cannot be placed on the other side of impassable terrain from its unit leader.

Our understanding of the rules is that the only model that actually "moves" is the leader while all other models are "placed"

The wording in cohesion "... must be placed such that the distance between the mini and its unit leader could be made as a legal speed-1 move from the final position of the unit leader." implies that they must be placed in such a way as to be able to make a legal speed one move, however it never states that the models actually move. Only that they need to be able to move.

In the above scenario, the models could make a speed one move, but nothing we can see states that they actually make a move. Rather, they are placed in cohesion. That said; movement according to the rules reference includes the step "Establish Cohesion" as part of the movement definition, implying that placing models is technically movement.

What we're looking for clarification the diagram is a legal move or not based on the RAW. If there is an official developer ruling, even better.

I think you're really reaching here. The difficult terrain rules specify that if any of the unit's minis end up in difficult terrain the speed is reduced. You place models in cohesion at the end of a move, which is what the difficult terrain rules refer to.

Another way to think about it is: the entire unit (every miniature) performs the move, the leader is just used for measuring it.

So based on that, this movement in the diagram is not a legal move as the speed of the unit would have been reduced to move-1 ?

1 hour ago, Drinkman said:

So based on that, this movement in the diagram is not a legal move as the speed of the unit would have been reduced to move-1 ?

Yes.

It's not an illegal move as it doesn't pass through impassable terrain , however the units next move would have its movement reduced by 1.

The rule about impassable terrain , is such that if you have something like a wall in the way you need to use the actual movement tool to calculate if you can cohere with the leader.

2 hours ago, syrath said:

It's not an illegal move as it doesn't pass through impassable terrain , however the units next move would have its movement reduced by 1.

The rule about impassable terrain , is such that if you have something like a wall in the way you need to use the actual movement tool to calculate if you can cohere with the leader.

No, it's not legal because he ended his move with minis on the difficult terrain and did not reduce his speed. Can you back up that it's a legal move with a reference to the RRG?

4 hours ago, syrath said:

It's not an illegal move as it doesn't pass through impassable terrain , however the units next move would have its movement reduced by 1.

No it's definitely illegal. From page 36:

"While performing a standard move, a unit that would move
through or enter difficult terrain with any of its minis has its
maximum speed reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1."

23 hours ago, nashjaee said:

No it's definitely illegal. From page 36:

"While performing a standard move, a unit that would move
through or enter difficult terrain with any of its minis has its
maximum speed reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1."

Sorry my bad, misread it somewhere along the line, I only read it as moving out. Makes sense though

I made that mistake when starting out as well!

The one that still kinda bugs me is that it is only for area terrain. If it's a barricade, for example, you are only slowed down in the template itself crosses the terrain (or the model's base along the template). If the leader is on one side and moving away, the troops can be placed on the other side no problem, and do not slow down the movement next turn either.