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How would this work? My friend claims the only access points are the hatches, but I claim that moving onto the pad is "just like moving onto difficult terrain" and thus there are no access points.

It's basically a big hill. There are no access points.

Indeed, it's not like a vehicle that you have to embark on. So it wouldn't have any access points.

To move on/off counts as moving through difficult terrain p115. Assaulting through difficult terrain rules apply.

Rulebook FAQ

Page 115 – Fortifications, Skyshield Landing Pad.
Ignore the reference to Access Points & Fire Points.

It's a big hunk of metal that counts as difficult terrain to shinny up or down, like a big steep hill with a flat top.

 MasterSlowPoke wrote:
It's basically a big hill. There are no access points.

But is it really?
Moving over hills I don't measure vertical movement, because its pretty negligible and I'd lose a bit here and there just trying to get people to stand on it.
On a skyshield I play it as needing at least 3" of movement to drop down 1 level.
Otherwise I could roll double 1s, have some kind of -1" movement penalty take me down to 0, and still drop straight down.

Or are people honestly using WMS to have a few mm of a model on the platform and then next movement instantly on the ground?

DSing onto a pad, and having a few models out over the edge using WMS seems a bit BS to me.

Here's the problem though guys, ruins have rules for fudging how combat works when you can't get base to base, I don't believe the skyshield has any of those rules. It's one of the many problems with skyshield landing pads, I'd avoid using them in tournaments like the plague.

As for how to fight combat I would suggest having a detailed conversation about all the terrain before the game starts to make sure both you and your opponent are on the same page. Unless you allow models to melt through the floor you should probably dictate a method and path models must take.

Exactly Crab.
I generally treat any model near the edge as able to drop straight down. Otherwise my bloodcrushers would need to be right next to the edge AND roll a 6 to get over the edge and drop down.

Hang on.. perhaps.. it can't consume movement to get down off it.
Here's why:
Trygon is on the pad. It cannot roll enough movement to get it over the edge AND down 3".
Unless WMS is how you're expected to play it. Which seems like a completely horrible idea to me.
You run into the same problem when you have models on the edges then decide to furl them up. Where do they go?

So yes.. some sensible house rules are probably best, and don't take one to a tourney. There are basically 0 rules for 'walking' off of it besides you roll dice, which in turn you don't know what to do with the result.

 Crablezworth wrote:
Here's the problem though guys, ruins have rules for fudging how combat works when you can't get base to base, I don't believe the skyshield has any of those rules. It's one of the many problems with skyshield landing pads, I'd avoid using them in tournaments like the plague.

And why do them not having the rules for ruins mean you don't use them? Just play them exactly as they are; a piece of difficult terrain with addition rules for activating the shields. It's a simple equation; if it's not a ruin, don't use the ruin rules.

 Godless-Mimicry wrote:
And why do them not having the rules for ruins mean you don't use them?

Because in ruins, you don't have to get into base to base to fight close combat to account for situations where you're assaulting a unit above you but there's not enough room to get even one of your models in base to base on the floor above.


Consider the following, lets say for example you have a mob of 30 ork boys encircled entirely around the edges of the pad, By the rules GW gives you for the pad you basically can't assault them. The top counts as open and moving on to or off of counts as difficult terrain, however enemy units are impassable, you'd have to move through the orks to be on the pad, and thus in base, however you can't do that and as such you can't assault. Short of models levitating there's no way for it to work.

Note: I'm not advocating being a rules lawyer or that guy or just divisive but it's an issue. GW has never been good with climbing mechanics or rules that fit well with tables with built in topography (think cliffs, steep surfaces). Hell, only recently (6th ed) did they fudge the base to base requirement when fighting close combat across a barricade. I'm sure plenty of people in 5th had no problem overlooking the base to base requirements when fighting across barricades (low cover) but it underlines how important it is to discuss beforehand rather than fall back on terrain rules that are at best a guide on how to define any number of terrain pieces, gw or other.


I myself take issue with the skyshield because of all the potential issue that can come up, that and the idea that a tank can just drive up onto one or off of one seems silly. I've seen shots of like 3 manticores on one and it just left me shaking my head.

If GW had gone further with the furled and unfurled stuff they could have fleshed it out more. Per haps furled (4+ inv) you can't move up onto ir or off of it unless you're a skimmer/jetbike/jump infantry and unfurled you can move up and down as it describes. And of course they could keep the reserve benefit for unfurled. The problem in my limited experience is that everytime I see one used in a batrep it's taken as a firebase and not as a landing pad.