Objective placement

Greetings fellow Archons, a question has come up about the placement of objectives and terrain features.

Side A: Places an Aegis Defense Line or Landing Pad like normal and places an objective behind the ADL or on pad to be held by the unit deployed there. Believes this is allowed because the ADL and Landing Pad is considered area terrain.

Side B: Believes objectives cannot be placed behind the ADL or Pad because it is a fortification and page 121 says objectives cannot be placed in fortifications...and because the Landing Pad and ADL is bought as part of the FOC for fortifications, they would be included in that restriction.

Help me understand the rules on this?

as per the FAQ;
Q: Can Objective markers be placed on the upper floors of ruins
and similar terrain? (p121)
A: Yes, but not a fortification.

So on the landing pad fortification, no. Aegis could be a difficult matter; if it is placed in a continous line then technically you couldnt place any objective behind it as per the brb.

I would say the rulebook is pretty clear, they are both classified as fortifications, so the rule stands as written whether or not they are treated as area terrain or as purple monkeys, they are fortifications. Their type is fortification, they are purchased as fortifications, and they come under the heading of "fortifications" in the brb.

My take on it anyway!

I'd say that you cannot place an objective on a Skyshield Pad or inside/on a Bastion/Fortress but there is nothing stopping you from placing it behind an Aegis Line. You are not placing it on a Fortification, you are placing it behind one. There similarly would be nothing stopping you from placing an objective behind, say, a Bastion, making the enemy come around the Bastion to get near it.

Thanks for the responses!

One of each really.

Count: I understand what you are saying, that an objective cannot be placed 'inside' a line, but behind it. However, the view is that because the Defence Line is brought as a fortification, it is not just a barricade or wall, it is also granted the bonus to cover save when going to ground. While a unit can be inside a fortress or bastion to gain its benefit, for the ADL being 'inside' is being behind.

Could also be part of configuration I suppose. If I placed a unit of Wracks behind an ADL in a three sided semi-circle, or even fully enclosed as shown on Pg. 114 BRB - I should be allowed to do so because it is 'behind' the ADL and not 'in', am I correct in understanding that to be what you are saying?

I just think it's hard to determine what is 'behind' an ADL as it depends on the position the viewer is in. It also prohibits a very significant portion of the battlefield from having any objectives. A model in the top left corner (yellow lines) has a different opinion of what is behind the ADL from the model in the top right (green lines).



A better option would be to say that they cannot be placed within 6" of any fortification.

Count Adhemar wrote:

...I just think it's hard to determine what is 'behind' an ADL as it depends on the position the viewer is in...A better option would be to say that they cannot be placed within 6" of any fortification.

I agree, a set distance behind makes more sense.

The rules for Aegis are the same as walls; behind the wall grants the save. Walls are (IIRC) not like area terrain in that if you can see the model(s) wholly beyond the wall, then they do not get the save. At least thats how its played round these parts.

Perhaps it should be the same for objectives? If you can see the objective completely beyond the Aegis (or a model would not get cover from the aegis whilst holding the objective) then it could be placed there. If thats too subjective, then as Count Adhemar suggests a set distance would make sense.