Fanatics: Castles release cf Buildings

[Jerubaal]

I am not an O&G player, but face them regularly.

I understand that when a unit is in a building, the edge of the building becomes the edge of the unit, thus fanatics can exit from the edge without destroying themselves.
Following on from that, if the NG(Fanatic) unit is inside a Fortress Tower, does the same apply? It is a building, but a special building without sufficient rules. To treat the Tower as a common building seems too simplified as not even Magic can penetrate the walls.

Suppose the unit is not in the Tower, but in the courtyard. If the unit IS in contact with the walls, would the fanatic release from outside the fortress, as in the simplfiied abstraction of the building rules? I suppose 'no'.

However, if the answer is yes, what about if the unit is not in contact with the walls? I suppose a resounding 'no', as they would shortly come into contact with the walls aka terrain.

For completeness, what about a unit on the battlements? They could perhaps spin off the top of the battlements, but Logic is banned from GW rulings.

If the fanatics are not released from outside the fortress tower/walls, would they still be triggered from outside the walls? Or would they wait until there was no barrier, ie the gate was opened?

To summarise these options for releasing a fanatic:

1. Inside a common building: rules treat building as edge of unit
2. Inside a fortress

a) Tower
b) courtyard (touching walls)
c) courtyard
d) battlements

I guess a lot of these would be answered by the following question: are castle walls impassable terrain?

[adhesivespatula]

I think you are going to have 2 vastly, vastly different sets of opinions on this. Let me get the basic question answered before delving into RAW and RAI - castle walls are impassable terrain (unless you have a siege tower or ladders, but that is handled in the General's Compendium.)

RAW (rules as written) would dictate that a castle is a terrain feature, ergo any fanatic released in such is immediately slain due to the rules of their own book. Further, if you determine a castle is not such a feature, a unit of NG on one side of the wall would release the Fanatics if an enemy unit was on the other side, at least within the 8". This seems silly, but that is exactly like it is written. While this is the simplest method, I think many times this kind of interpretation is silly and completely detracts from the game.

RAI (rules as intended) allows the gray area I think this inquiry deserves. I would say that fanatics would not be released until within 8 inches on the same plane as the approaching model/unit. That being said, if a unit is climbing up a building via a siege tower and lands on top of the battlements, fanatics would be released, bouncing through the unit. If they would bounce through and then over the edge, I would call that a casualty of gravity .

It really all depends upon placement - if the NG are on the third story of the tower, they should be released at the unit charging up, when at the third story - then more than likely be removed afterwards. There is no clear cut on this, it seems to me that you will have to make a house rule for it. For clarification, here are my suggestions -

1) Fanatics are released at enemy models when encroaching the 8" required.
2) Fanatics are only released if on the same plane as the encroaching model.

I think those 2 rules should help in your determination of a solution, coupled with the basic rules for the fanatics themselves. I hope I helped a little!

[Digger]

If you decide on using special terrain, make sure you make some house rules before you start.Either you decide together the tower is a building or if it has its own rules.
Stuff like a fortress has no answers in the normal rules.

theres allways the "lets roll on it" way to fix it

[Akaroth]

yea, I would say RAI, you wouldn't release a fanatic if you were on the 3rd floor, or if they were in a courtyard and teh enemy was on the otherside of a fortress wall, not sure night goblins are that stupid?

[Byjugo]

they can't even see the opponent! (not just in front arc, but in a goblin way of 360-view). so why the heck would they let a comrade get killed by pushing him into a wall? yeah they might think it's funny, but that's all

i say: release when they can see each other if they would have 360 view.

[Pixie]

While it wouldn't make sense to fling a fanatic at the castle walls futilely, you have to admit it would be a pretty goblin thing to try out... at least once, and probably only once, after the dazed goblin spinning his ball and chain staggers right back at them. :b

[Digger]

hmmm i dunno.. being goblins i think they would try again. maybe first go was just bad luck

Heck if they do it with all fanatics they have perhaps one will get through!

[Jerubaal]

Well, we had the siege and decided the Fanatics could not go through castle walls, so would not be released unless the NG unit entered the courtyard or battlements.
[Oh and wrong forum, but Grimgor got pinned to the wall by a few Eternal Guard and Wild Riders (after 4 turns of combat and 3 lucky rerolled break tests!)]