A question came up in a game today. If a character has phasing, they ignore blocking terrain when given a move action to activate phasing/teleport. If a character picks up Kuurth's hammer, they can use Improved Movement [Ignores blocking and destroys it as they move through it].

The question is, can this phaser move through blocking without breaking it? Further, assuming they could, could they move through some blocking and not break it, then choose to break other blocking that they do move through during the same movement?

I want to say that a character with the Improved Movement [Ignores blocking and destroys it as they move through it] would not have a choice and would be forced to destroy the blocking. Maybe I am wrong? That's why I am asking here.

So what say you, rules forum? What happens when a single character has both Improved Movement abilities?

Sounds like you have to destroy the blocking

I disagree, the hammer starts, "this character can use", meaning, doesn't have to.

thanks, Rob

In heroclix "can use" means they have to use it. Only "may use" allows you the option of not using it.

Actually, havok_24, "can use" translates to "has the ability to use." But that's beside the point the point is Phasing/Teleport lets you use IM: Ignores blocking terrain, not Ignores blocking terrain and destroys blocking terrain as the character moves through it. So, unless there is a rule that forces one to override the other, the activating player should get to choose which one they use for that action. I don't think you would be able to pick and choose which blocking terrain you destroy though.

theres more than one ability giving improved movement the P/T ignores the terrain and charcters and the hammer allows for destroying blocking: all activate when the character moves.

Improved movement activates any time the character moves, so the blocking terrain would be destroyed whether you want it to or not.

but if they ignore the terrain that means it is not there during movement, if it is not there then how can it be destroyed?

From the description of IM: blocking burst:

Ignores blocking terrain and destroys blocking terrain as the character moves through it.


Notice it does not specify how exactly your character might go about ignoring that blocking terrain. It does not say, "... and destroyed blocking terrain as the character moves through it WITH THIS ABILITY."

Thus anything that would ignore blocking terrain while moving could activate blocking burst.

Just for the sake of the exercise, how would the Improved Movement abilities interact if they were switched around? Let's say a character had a power that said, "Give this character a move action and it can used Improved movement [blocking terrain burst]" and then gained Improved Movement [ignores blocking] from another source. Could I give that character a move action, choosing not to activate their power, and then still ignore blocking (but not destroy it) because the character has Improved Movement from that other source?

I guess I'm just trying to pinpoint the interaction here. It seems what Quebbster is saying is that the hammer gives full on Improved Movement, so it doesn't matter what other improved movement abilities are there, the destroying blocking terrain with happen as long as the character has the hammer.

It would depend on exactly how the special effect is worded. In general, if you have to give an action to activate X, then you only use X when you give the character an action specifically to do so. And if X was 'use Improved Movement blocking burst'.

'Character can use IM blocking burst' would not be exactly equivalent to 'Give character a move action and, when you do, it can use blocking IM burst.'

The former would activate when the character moves, period. Use L/C, Charge, just a quick scoot around the map... whatever. IM would be used. The latter would only activate when the character is given a move action specifically to use that effect. A move action assigned for another purpose would not activate it.