Can Imperiex's DRILL markers go through terrain? Are they affected by elevation?

PLANETARY DESTRUCTION: When you reveal your force, you may place 3 "DRILL" special terrain markers on the map outside of starting areas. At the beginning of your turn, as a free action, you may deal 1 penetrating damage to each character occupying a square containing one of these markers. At the end of your turn as a free action you may place each of these markers into a square adjacent to its current square that doesn't contain another "DRILL" special terrain marker. When Imperiex is KO'd, remove these markers from the map.

Placing is not moving, so it is not affected by terrain like movement is.
Squares next to each other that are not on the same elevation are not considered adjacent, so a Drill could not be moved up/down an elevation except at the normal stair/ladder points.

SUMMON THE HOLLOWERS: Give Imperiex a double power action. You may place any of Imperiex's "DRILL" special terrain markers in different squares adjacent to Imperiex.

Now, if you are placing the Drill markers with SUMMON THE HOLLOWERS, you could take a Drill from a different elevation than Imperiex and place it adjacent to him just fine.

What kind of terrain? Blocking terrain? No... nothing can occupy blocking terrain. Water or hindering terrain? Sure, nothing says they can't be placed in those squares.

Please quote the game effect in question to avoid confusion.

Planetary Destruction: When you reveal your force, you may
place 3 "DRILL" special terrain markers on the map outside of
starting areas. At the beginning of your turn, as a free action you
may deal 1 penetrating damage to each character occupying a
square containing one of these markers. At the end of your turn, as
a free action you may place each of these markers into a square
adjacent to its current square that doesn't contain another
"DRILL" special terrain marker. When Imperiex is KO'd, remove
these markers from the map.

So, no, Drills can't change elevation. Squares on different levels of elevation are not adjacent to each other. However:

Summon the Hollowers: Give Imperiex a double power action.
You may place any of Imperiex's "DRILL" special terrain markers
in different squares adjacent to Imperiex.

You could always use this power (if it is currently on Imperiex's dial) to summon a Drill to Imperiex's current location, which could be on a different elevation.

Thanks for the fast reply

This is not correct. Page 14 of the rules:

Part of a stairway or ladder is on terrain of a
lower elevation and part is on terrain of a higher
elevation. A character must pass through the
two squares of different elevation to change
the character’s elevation. On some maps, the 2
squares of different elevations have numbered
triangles where the number indicates the level of
elevation of each side of the red boundary line.
Characters occupying the two squares through
which a character can change elevations can make
close combat attacks against each other as if they
were adjacent. Stairs and ladders are clear terrain,
unless there are map boundary lines indicating
otherwise.

Nothing there about ladders/stairs making the squares adjacent. All ladders/stairs do is provide a place that let characters move through different elevations. Drills are A) not characters and B) are placed in adjacent squares and do not move.


Drills can't change elevations short of using the Summon the Hollowers power.

Actually, I don't even think you can do that, because the top and bottom of a a ladder/elevation change still aren't considered adjacent (except for close combat purposes).

Hmm....to the Dep cave, I go.

EDIT: Nevermind...forgot that Drill markers were full-blooded terrain markers and not some other non-terrain form of marker, like Jokerfish or Doppelgangers.

I'd say this.. the short and fast of the drill objects. At least this is how I ruled it at my venue. Treat it as a pog with only 1 movement and with the boot symbol. So yes elevation and walls stop it. Because it specifically states that it can only move 1 square adjacent to the one its in. And as far as I know elevation and walls break up adjacentcy. Hope that helps! Obviously it doesn't need to break away from opponents.

If it was a bystander, it would have to do so. Luckily, it isn't

Where do you get the drill terrains? i got imperiex, but he didn't come with the drills.

There are no Drills. Use special tokens, pennies, beads, small cats, or whatever else you have on hand.

I use belly button lint!

I find small cats work just fine.

Got to a hobby model shop and see if they have small model drills to use as tokens.



(On an semi-related side note, I love my collection of orange M.U.S.C.L.E. figures which make conveniently to-scale Larfleeze constructs.)