T5S2 10th Edition Rules Judgements & FAQ (up. 6.12.25)

(NOTE) Rulings in this document marked (FAQ) describe how common rules interactions function together, but do not add new interpretation or information.  Rulings marked (JUDGEMENT) are rules judgements to resolve ambiguous or novel interactions and may represent new or uncommon interpretations of rules that may be played differently in other communities.  Entries marked (NOTE) are just explanatory and don't represent any rules implications.
Related rulings are grouped together where possible.


++CORE RULES++
CORE CONCEPTS
- (FAQ) Abilities that require a model to be on the battlefield to be used... cannot be used when the model is not on the battlefield. (duh)

- (FAQ) A player with no remaining units in play can still complete their turns.

(NOTE) The base of base-measuring models, and the hull of hull-measuring models, will collectively be referred to as the measurement surface of that model.
- (FAQ) The measurement surface of models may not intersect that of other models or terrain.  While a model is moving, only its measurement surface is considered for the purpose of moving over or intersecting terrain features, however in order to end a movement or be set up, miniatures (regardless of their measurement surface) may never intersect other models or terrain.

- (JUDGEMENT) When measuring any distance to or from a model that base measures, ignore any parts of that model that are not its base.  Models are wholly within an area if all parts of their measurement surface are within that area.

- (FAQ) If a rule or effect applies a keyword to a unit (such as the Phantasm Grenade Launcher wargear option), that keyword is applied to each model in that unit.


EFFECT TIMING
- (FAQ) If a player has multiple rules they use to use at exactly the same time (such as multiple effects that take place at "the start of the shooting phase"); all of these must be decisions must be made simultaneously before any are resolved (in the order in which simultaneously effects are declared as described in the rules commentary).  The active player then chooses the order in which they resolve as normal.

- (JUDGEMENT) If an effect that explicitly occurs "at any time" can be used simultaneously with effects that occur at the start of a phase.  In such cases it must be sequenced and resolved as described in the FAQ above.
(NOTE) This is not the case for effects used during a phase but not "at any time"; those effects must be resolved after any that occur at the start of that phase as normal.
(NOTE) I don't think anything in the game currently has this timing but you never know.

- (FAQ) Effects that occur when a unit was "just destroyed" (such as the Reinforcements! Stratagem) do so immediately after it is removed from the battlefield.

- (JUDGEMENT) Effects with the "When" timing occur before effects with the "immediately", "after", or "just after" timing (which are considered synonymous as per the Rules Commentary).

- (FAQ) Out-of-phase movements that are used in response to the movement of another unit and specifically allow a unit to make a Normal Move are NOT Surge moves (per the Aeldari FAQ).


PRE-GAME EFFECTS
- (JUDGEMENT) During Step 11 (Resolve Pre-Battle Abilities) of the Game Sequence, the player taking the first turn must resolve *all* of their pre-battle abilities first.

- (JUDGEMENT) Effects that occur at the 'start of the battle' do so at the beginning of Step 12 (Begin the Battle) of the Game Sequence.  Resolve effects not controlled by either player first, then resolve *all* of the first player's abilities.


MOVEMENT PHASE
- (FAQ) The height of a terrain feature (for the purposes of ignoring it for movement) is measured from a highest point of that terrain feature, regardless of the dimensions of the specific component of the terrain feature model being moved over.
(NOTE) Keep in mind that measurement Through The Air is still based on the actual movement of moving model, so the height of the specific component of the terrain feature model being moved over is taken into account, and that some abilties (such as Titanic Walker) check the height of the specific sections of a terrain feature being moved through.
(NOTE) The T5S2 map pool specifies the intended height of each terrain feature at their highest points.

- (FAQ) Effects that allow models to be added or returned to a unit cannot be used in the same phase the unit was set up on the battlefield from reserves (because such a model cannot be set up in coherency with a model from their unit that was on the battlefield at the beginning of that phase).

- (FAQ) Models can move through other friendly models (provided that they are not both MONSTERs or VEHICLEs) when executing moves in ANY phase.

- (JUDGEMENT) When resolving Surge moves that require that the unit end the move as close as possible to the closest enemy unit; after determining the distance of the move its controlling player can choose whether or not to execute the move.  If they choose not to, the move is considered to have been performed to a distance of 0" (per the Rules Commentary).  If they choose to do so, choose the distance the unit wishes to move up to the maximum allowed distance.  The closest model in the unit to the nearest enemy unit must move as close as possible to that unit; then each other model in the unit may move up to the determined distance in any direction (following all other movement rules as normal).


REINFORCEMENTS
- (JUDGEMENT) Units being selected to arrive and subsequently set up on the battlefield are independently resolved one at a time (i.e. one unit is selected to arrive, then setup, then the next unit is selected to arrive and is then set up, etc.).
- (FAQ) In order for a Strategic Reserve unit to be selected to arrive during the first battle round, it must already have a method to arrive (such as the Deep Strike ability).
- (FAQ) Stratagems used on a unit in Stratagic Reserve that is arriving on the battlefield that allow a unit arriving from Strategic Reserve to use a new method of setting up (such as Cosmic Precicision or Twisted Mirage) do not make such a unit eligible to arrive in the first Battle Round (since they are not eligible to be selected to arrive as described above).


MAKING ATTACKS
- (FAQ) Fast dice rolling may be used in the following circumstances:
		-When resolving hit and wound rolls for weapons with identical profiles, abilities, targetting the same unit.
		-When resolving saving throws for non-random damage attacks with identical target numbers.
(NOTE) Per the Fast Dice Rolling rules, saving throws and damage for random damage weapons MUST be resolved individually for dice manipulation to be used.

- (FAQ) Effects that trigger or are used when a unit is selected to shoot or fight (such as Dark Pacts or Unparalelled Foresight) are not in effect when making attacks at other times (such as fighting on death).
(NOTE) Per the June 2024 FAQ, a unit targeted by Fire Overwatch is immediately considered to be 'selected to shoot'.
(NOTE) Per the June 2024 FAQ, a unit that is fighting outside of the Fight Phase is NOT considered to be 'selected to fight'.

- (FAQ) A unit must be eligible to shoot in order to make use of effects that allow it 'shoot as if it were the shooting phase.'

- (JUDGEMENT) If an attached unit is composed of only CHARACTER models, attacks may be assigned to those CHARACTER models despite the Leader ability normally preventing it.


STRATAGEMS
- (JUDGEMENT) If a bodyguard unit is destroyed by Fire Overwatch at the beginning of a move, each character that was attached to the unit will still resolve that move independently, based on any restrictions or rolls made for unit while it was attached.


TRANSPORTS
- (FAQ) A unit cannot be targeted or selected by *any* rules or abilities while they are embarked in a transport.
- (FAQ) Embarked units may not resolve abilities that specify that they are "used" (such as Logan Grimnar's High King of Fenris).  Other abilities that have a passive effect still continue to apply (where applicable).
(NOTE) Such units are still embarked and are not on the the battlefield.
- (FAQ) Enhancements that improve the characteristics of an equipped weapon do not apply when that weapon is used to attack using Firing Deck.


AIRCRAFT
- (JUDGEMENT) Aircraft models using the Hover ability still use their base to measure between models (instead of their hull), even though they are not AIRCRAFT.  They will still interact with terrain features as normal.
(NOTE) This is not technically correct, but ruled so to streamline gameplay because of the difficulties measuring to colliderless vertical models on the TTS platform.


MUSTERING AN ARMY
- (JUDGEMENT) An army cannot include two instances of EPIC HERO units with identical datasheet names (such as the LEGIONES DAEMONICA Shalaxi Helbane and the LEGION OF EXCESS Shalaxi Hellbane).


++FACTION RULES++
ADEPTA SORORITAS
- (FAQ) Miracle dice gained from Saintly Example are added to the miracle dice gained due to Acts of Faith when that unit is destroyed, and so can be manipulated by effects such as the Imagifier's Litany of Deeds.


ADEPTUS CUSTODES
- (JUDGEMENT) A unit targeted by Unleash the Lions is considered to have been removed and replaced by a number of units equal to the remaining models.  This will effect the resolution of some Secondary objectives (such as Marked for Death) and the use of the unit's From Golden Light, but does not change the model's remaining wounds or affect abilities possessed by attached characters.


AELDARI
- (FAQ) Models in Ynnari units (including those that gained the keyword via the Devoted of Ynnead Detachment Ability) may not embark in Transports that exclude Ynnari units (such as the Falcon or Wave Serpent) unless otherwise specified (i.e. Yvraine or the Visarch, assuming they aren't leading a unit).


ASTRA MILITARUM
- (FAQ) The Order issued by Kasrkin's Warrior Elite ability only applies alongside *other* orders issued by OFFICERS, and as such cannot be used to apply the same order twice.


DEATH GUARD
- (JUDGEMENT) The Infused with the Blessings of Nurgle ability allows a Plague Marine unit to inflict the Afflicted status onto an enemy regardless of whether or not they benefit from the Nurgle's Gift ability.  In such cases, their controlling player should still choose a Plague that Afflicted units will be affected by during the Declare Battle Formations step.


IMPERIAL KNIGHTS
- (JUDGEMENT) Any effects that occur when a *model* is destroyed do so when Canis Rex is destroyed.  Any effects that occur when a *unit* is destroyed do not resolve when Canis Rex is destroyed until its controlling player's Sir Hektur is also destroyed.
(NOTE) This is not the case for other occurances of single-model units; for which model and unit are used synonymously.


NECRONS
- (JUDGEMENT) The Cosmic Precision stratagem can be used to affect units arriving from Strategic Reserve provided that unit was last placed into Strategic Reserve by the Hyperphasing ability.
- (JUDGEMENT) A unit placed into Strategic Reserves using the Hyperphasing ability is not eligible to be selected to arrive from reserves during the first battle round unless it has the Deep Strike ability (or another similar method to arrive from Strategic Reserve); and thus cannot be targeted by Cosmic Precision.


SPACE MARINES
- (FAQ) The Sanguinor cannot be set up on the battlefield during the first Battle Round using Miraculous Saviour.


THOUSAND SONS
- (JUDGEMENT) Cabal of Sorcerers is considered to be a single rule used at the start of the shooting phase.  During the resolution of this rule, its controlling player chooses models to attempt rituals and fully resolves those rituals one at a time, and in the order they choose, however all rituals are to be fully resolved before moving on to any other rules that would take effect at the start of the Thousand Sons player's Shooting phase.
NOTE: this also means that the resolution of Cabal of Sorcerers may be sequenced by the active player at the start of the shooting phase before other abilities that would take effect at that time.
- (FAQ) Rolls for the resolution of the Doombolt Cabalistic Ritual do not constitute hit, wound, or damage rolls.


TYRANIDS
- (FAQ) Shadow In The Warp MUST be used before the end of the Command Step of a Command Phase, but can be used any time before the end of that step.
- (JUDGEMENT) The Swarmlord replaces their Malign Presence ability with "Lord of Deceit" only if they are the army's Warlord.
- (FAQ) Tunnel Markers present on the battlefield (from the Subterranean Assault detachment) enable units in Strategic Reserves that were placed there from the battlefield to be selected to arrive during the first Battle Round, since they are currently providing a method for those units to arrive from reserve.
- (FAQ) A Mawloc arriving from reserves using any other method than that outlined in their Deep Strike ability (such as Surprise Assault in the Subterranean Assault detachment) do not benefit from the Terror from the Deep ability.