Deep striking on turn one - Leviathan missions

[Rogue]

The Leviathan Missions rules (section 8 - declare battle formations) says this: 

 

Reserves units cannot arrive during the first battle round, and any Strategic Reserves or Reserves units that have not arrived on the battlefield by the end of the third battle round count as having been destroyed, as do any units embarked within them (this does not apply to units that are placed into Strategic Reserves after the first battle round has started).

 

The GSC have a stratagem (Return to the Shadows) that allows one or two Cult units to leave the battlefield (at the end of the opponent's turn) and go into Strategic Reserves. Because those units must also have Deep Strike, and because being in strategic reserves means you're also in Reserves, those units can deep strike back onto the battlefield when they return.

 

Normally, you can't do this in round one (as per the first clause in the rule above). However, if I start those units on the table, and my opponent goes first, and I then move them into strategic reserves using the stratagem, the restriction no longer applies (the bracketed section of the rule), and they can deep strike in my turn one.

 

So the question is: Is that the correct interpretation of the rules here?

 

[Rogue]

So, absolute stumper, or I've inadvertently gone full rules-lawyer and no-one cares?

[Metzombie]

My gut says this 

Quote

(this does not apply to units that are placed into Strategic Reserves after the first battle round has started)

 should only applie to the part about beign destroy if not on the on the battlefield after the third battleround. But they way it is written seems to indicat that it also applies to the arriving in the first turn.

[Rogue]

Thanks, Metzombie. That's pretty much where I am too - what I think it says, and what I think it might be supposed to say are different.

 

My problem is that the main sentence comes in three parts, divided by commas (plus the brackets): can't arrive turn one; reserves destroyed; embarked units. 

 

Reading it, I want the brackets to apply either to the third part only (which doesn't make much sense, exempting embarked units from destruction if they moved into reserves after the start of the game, but not their transport), or to the whole thing. There's no logical reason to apply the brackets to parts two and three whilst leaving out part one.

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Rogue
Typo-hunting

[Metzombie]

1 hour ago, Rogue said:

There's no logical reason to apply the brackets to parts two and three whilst leaving out part one.

You could argue part 2 and 3 belong together, because part 3 on its own makes no sense. But I would say "Raw" the part in the brackets applies to the whole sentence.

[Xenith]

I'd say the opposite:

 

On 9/2/2023 at 3:01 PM, Rogue said:

Reserves units cannot arrive during the first battle round, and any Strategic Reserves or Reserves units that have not arrived on the battlefield by the end of the third battle round count as having been destroyed, as do any units embarked within them (this does not apply to units that are placed into Strategic Reserves after the first battle round has started).

 

The red part is a single sentence, and the bracketed section in yellow mean that the bracketed exception applies to the whole idea in red before it. 

 

If it was written in sentences, 

 

Quote

Reserves units cannot arrive during the first battle round. Any Strategic Reserves or Reserves units that have not arrived on the battlefield by the end of the third battle round count as having been destroyed, as do any units embarked within them (this does not apply to units that are placed into Strategic Reserves after the first battle round has started).

 

Then the green brackets would only apply to the concept in yellow. 

[Rogue]

Hmm. You say that you'd say the opposite, and then appear to say exactly the same thing... :)

 

I think we're all saying that the exception (in the brackets) applies to the whole preceding sentence. This means that we all agree that units which start on the table and then leave can return in turn one.

 

But please correct me if I've misunderstood.

[Xenith]

Oh yea, so I think the same then, missed the last line of Metzombies first post and was responding to 

On 9/4/2023 at 10:45 AM, Metzombie said:

My gut says this 

 should only applie to the part about beign destroy if not on the on the battlefield after the third battleround. 

 

 

[Rogue]

The World Championships FAQ confirms that a unit starting on the table can go into reserves and then back onto the battlefield during battle round one.

 

So we got this one right :)

[BluejayJunior]

While that is useful and lots of places will likely use that FAQ, it should be noted that that document is specifically for that event. It was done by the Events team, not the Rules team. It is an FAQ for a specific event and not a general FAQ for the rules themselves. Probably a good indication of how things will probably shake out, but still worth noting that it's not an official game-wide FAQ.