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How does etheral storm of fire work? Are the units affected only the ones that are within 12" range at the start of the turn? Or during the shooting phase? Basically i want to know how to correctly use his abilities when can the benefits be claimed

Does the wording of the rule make you think it takes place at any other time than the beginning of the Move phase?

I think the question is more along the lines of:
Does it create a bubble centred on the Ethereal, or can the Unit move away and still retain the ability?

Jinx dragon has the correct interpretation of what im asking. So does the units near the etheral at the start of movement retain the special rule? Or is this an ongoing bubble effect that kicks in to the unita in range at the respective time when it calls upon to be used?

Can units move away and still benefit or do they need to stay within his range to fire the additional shots during the shooting phase??

Etheral invokes power at the start of the movement phase.
All units within 12" benefit from the power "until the start of the Ethereal's next movement phase".

So yes, the unit could move away and still benefit as they retain the ability until their next movement phase. The only thing that stops it is if the Etheral dies (say, friendly fire from a blast or something before the buffed unit shoots).
Likewise though a unit that moved to within 12" of the Ethereal after the power is invoked would not gain the benefit from my reading of it.
In the case of Storm of Fire it would also apply to overwatch shots during the enemy turn so long as they haven't killed the Ethereal by that point..

Storm of Fire can only affect a unit "once per turn, regardless of how many Etherals invoke it". I read that as they can't get the extra shots twice in the same turn if they could somehow fire twice in one turn. Do note however that turn means player turn unless specifically stated as game turn so you can get the extra shots once in your turn and once in your enemies turn if firing overwatch.

*edit*
I suppose my interpretation of this is hinged on the power being "invoked" as being a one time thing that adds the buff to all units within range at that instant. Something being "invoked" is not defined in the rule book. I would treat it like a buffing psyker power even though it doesn't say it is (it doesn't say anything about what it is). One could interpret it as a sustained bubble of influence instead of a one-time application in which case the unit would have to be within 12" when it wants to use the benefit. Moving out would cause the unit to lose it. It does say that all units within 12" benefit from the power until the start of the Ethereal's next movement phase and not that all units within 12" benefit from the power and the power itself lasts until the start of the Ethereal's next movement phase.

I treat it as a bubble effect. So only people standing within 12" of the Ethereal would receive it - if you go away, you do not get it. So FWs inside a transport can use it when they disembark in the turn the Ethereal activates the power.

 Akaiyou wrote:
Jinx dragon has the correct interpretation of what im asking. So does the units near the etheral at the start of movement retain the special rule? Or is this an ongoing bubble effect that kicks in to the unita in range at the respective time when it calls upon to be used?

Can units move away and still benefit or do they need to stay within his range to fire the additional shots during the shooting phase??

Think of it as a pulse effect, the ethereal activates the power, all units within range now gain the benefits listed in the power. whether they move away or other units move to within the range of the power only the models that gained the benefits will have them.

It is detailed this way in the first paragraph of Invocation of the Elements.

Also think of Zephyrs Grace, you are fairly likely to move out of range while running, so the benefit would have to remain for the ability to work.

On a side note, some suggest putting your Ethereal inside a Devilfish so he is tougher and the aura is bigger (measured from the hull of the Devilfish).

 LUTNIT wrote:
Etheral invokes power at the start of the movement phase.
All units within 12" benefit from the power "until the start of the Ethereal's next movement phase". .

I've not got the rules in front of me, but if one were cause the ethereal to "have a fall" (say, off a bastion), as farsight might put it, and the ethereal never got his "next movement phase", could the power he invoked last for the rest of the game?

There is a clause that nullifies the power at the moment of the ethereal's death, no longer is there any benefit of a suicidal ethereal....

Think of it this way:

Ethereal chooses a buff at the beginning of the movement phase. Draw an imaginary 12" bubble around him (as in radius, so 24" circle with him in the center) that affect anyone within it regardless of the time it happens. If theyre shooting, as long as they are currently in that bubble then they gain the shooting bonus (assuming you took it/they have the proper gun and situation). If they get hurt and you have FNP, they get it long as the Ethereal is still around. Etc etc.

Its not a buff like psyker spells are. Its more of an aura effect. Most of the time the entire unit will be effected because its so wide or only 1 needs to be affected anyway, but in the case of shooting or FNP its a model by model basis.

 Vineheart01 wrote:
Think of it this way:

Ethereal chooses a buff at the beginning of the movement phase. Draw an imaginary 12" bubble around him (as in radius, so 24" circle with him in the center) that affect anyone within it regardless of the time it happens. If theyre shooting, as long as they are currently in that bubble then they gain the shooting bonus (assuming you took it/they have the proper gun and situation). If they get hurt and you have FNP, they get it long as the Ethereal is still around. Etc etc.

Its not a buff like psyker spells are. Its more of an aura effect. Most of the time the entire unit will be effected because its so wide or only 1 needs to be affected anyway, but in the case of shooting or FNP its a model by model basis.

It absolutely does not work the way you describe it.

You should re-read the Invocation of the elements rule: they invoke, you draw your imaginary circle(25" diameter, you forgot the base of the ethereal) all units within that cicle gain the rules until the ethereals next movement phase. You then forget about the circle, nothing moving into it will gain the rules(the time for that has passed) and nothing moving out of that circle will lose the effects(they have gained the rules until the beginning of the ethereal's next movement phase or death).

Based on the following (and similar FAQs which have all been answered the same):

Q: At what point does a model need to be in range of a Blood Chalice or The Red Grail in order to gain the bonuses of Furious Charge? (p48, 49, 52)
A: When you put the bonuses to use, i.e. when the model makes its close combat attacks.

I would say that when a unit goes to make an action that could be buffed by the Ethereal, you would check at that time.

 Happyjew wrote:
Based on the following (and similar FAQs which have all been answered the same):

Q: At what point does a model need to be in range of a Blood Chalice or The Red Grail in order to gain the bonuses of Furious Charge? (p48, 49, 52)
A: When you put the bonuses to use, i.e. when the model makes its close combat attacks.

I would say that when a unit goes to make an action that could be buffed by the Ethereal, you would check at that time.

That's unsound. You're saying a=b so c=b.

 Scipio Africanus wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:
Based on the following (and similar FAQs which have all been answered the same):

Q: At what point does a model need to be in range of a Blood Chalice or The Red Grail in order to gain the bonuses of Furious Charge? (p48, 49, 52)
A: When you put the bonuses to use, i.e. when the model makes its close combat attacks.

I would say that when a unit goes to make an action that could be buffed by the Ethereal, you would check at that time.

That's unsound. You're saying a=b so c=b.

No, I'm saying that GW has consistently ruled this way. BA Blood Chalice, Tervigon Brood Progenitor, etc. As such it shows a consistent precident that when you have a bubble effect, such as the Ethereal ability, you would determine when you put the bonuses to use.

 Happyjew wrote:
Based on the following (and similar FAQs which have all been answered the same):

Q: At what point does a model need to be in range of a Blood Chalice or The Red Grail in order to gain the bonuses of Furious Charge? (p48, 49, 52)
A: When you put the bonuses to use, i.e. when the model makes its close combat attacks.

I would say that when a unit goes to make an action that could be buffed by the Ethereal, you would check at that time.

Red grail/Blood chalice are worded entirely differently.

Seriously read the codex.

 Kommissar Kel wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:
Based on the following (and similar FAQs which have all been answered the same):

Q: At what point does a model need to be in range of a Blood Chalice or The Red Grail in order to gain the bonuses of Furious Charge? (p48, 49, 52)
A: When you put the bonuses to use, i.e. when the model makes its close combat attacks.

I would say that when a unit goes to make an action that could be buffed by the Ethereal, you would check at that time.

Red grail/Blood chalice are worded entirely differently.

Seriously read the codex.

What would be the point of reading the codex, when the FAQ amended it?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
KK, upon getting home and reading the Tau codex, I am afraid I must respectfully decline any further attempts to disagree with you. As the rule was not quoted here (which is fine) I thought it created a bubble effect around the Ethereal.

 Kommissar Kel wrote:

 Vineheart01 wrote:
Think of it this way:

Ethereal chooses a buff at the beginning of the movement phase. Draw an imaginary 12" bubble around him (as in radius, so 24" circle with him in the center) that affect anyone within it regardless of the time it happens. If theyre shooting, as long as they are currently in that bubble then they gain the shooting bonus (assuming you took it/they have the proper gun and situation). If they get hurt and you have FNP, they get it long as the Ethereal is still around. Etc etc.

Its not a buff like psyker spells are. Its more of an aura effect. Most of the time the entire unit will be effected because its so wide or only 1 needs to be affected anyway, but in the case of shooting or FNP its a model by model basis.

It absolutely does not work the way you describe it.

You should re-read the Invocation of the elements rule: they invoke, you draw your imaginary circle(25" diameter, you forgot the base of the ethereal) all units within that cicle gain the rules until the ethereals next movement phase. You then forget about the circle, nothing moving into it will gain the rules(the time for that has passed) and nothing moving out of that circle will lose the effects(they have gained the rules until the beginning of the ethereal's next movement phase or death).

Would it work with units inside transports when the Ethereal uses this ability?

 Vector Strike wrote:
Would it work with units inside transports when the Ethereal uses this ability?

Do models inside transports count as being on the table? Last I checked it was a no but I believe the last time I checked was 5th so I could be wrong (don't have my book handy).
How RAW looks to me is if they are in transports they are not technically on the table so they cannot be within 12" of anything so they cannot get the buff.

HIWPI: they get the buff if they are in the same transport as the Ethereal. They do not get the buff if they are in another transport.

Lutnit,
There is a Rule within the Transport section, page 78, which grants permission to use the Vehicle for all measurements to Embarked Units. It is often the Line of Sight requirements in many Special Rules or Powers which prevent them from being used in a transport, as those are a separate set of requirements. As the Rule in question only requires measurement to the Ethereal, nothing is preventing page 78 from being evoked to measure to an Ethereal that is Embarked on a Devilfish, and thanks to the Hull being a good deal larger then a single model it can boost the range of the effect quite a deal.

An Ethereal inside a transport can invoke and use the hull to measure the 12", I'm not arguing against that. I was referring to a unit inside a transport apart from the Ethereal being buffed. That is what I assumed Vector Strike's question was about.

If an Ethereal invokes a power, whether outside or inside a transport, and an occupied transport is within 12", does the buff apply to those models inside the transport?

I'd say no as they are not physically on the table so cannot be within 12".

Page 78 grants special permission for the Ethereal to use his power but not special permission for that power to apply to a second, separate, transported unit.

 LUTNIT wrote:
An Ethereal inside a transport can invoke and use the hull to measure the 12", I'm not arguing against that. I was referring to a unit inside a transport apart from the Ethereal being buffed. That is what I assumed Vector Strike's question was about.

If an Ethereal invokes a power, whether outside or inside a transport, and an occupied transport is within 12", does the buff apply to those models inside the transport?

I'd say no as they are not physically on the table so cannot be within 12".

Page 78 grants special permission for the Ethereal to use his power but not special permission for that power to apply to a second, separate, transported unit.

The transport rule applies to the unit as well; If you have to measure distance to the occupants you measure to the hull.It says nothing about only for giving out abilities.

The transport is within 12" so the unit is considered to be within 12"

I did read that incorrectly, but this creates a curious discussion as I will have to disagree with your assessment.

Page 78 does not contain any Restriction stating that the Rule goes one way, that it can only be evoked by Embarked Units to measure outwards to something on the table top. It gives us instructions to measure a range, and without a restriction that means any range, involving the Embarked Unit to the Hull of the Vehicle. As the only permitted way to determine if a unit is within the 12 inch radius of the Etheral at time of evocation requires measuring between the two closest models, Page 78 requires us to use the Hull of the Vehicle for these measurements before we can proceed. Now of course, that is Rule progression and I await to see if there is a Frequently Asked Question that simply creates an additional restriction out of thin air.