Asrai.org

The Skaven storm banner states...

"All nonmagical missile attacks that don’t use BS to hit their target need to roll a 4+ on a D6 before they can fire."

Is the pageant of shrikes magical, and would it need to roll a 4+ before it could shoot?

Judging from the fact that Spites use a character's Magic Items allowance and are chosen in the same manner as Magic Items, I would say that they are indeed magical.

Looking at it from another angle, each of the other direct damage Spites are all magical so it makes sense that the Pageant of Shrikes would also be magical.

I am inclined to agree, except the other two specifically say that their attacks are magical, while the shrike entry does not....

In the Wood Elves Errata and FAQs it is specified that spites are not magic items. Under the army rules the question is asked, on whether or not a standard bearer can take both a standard and spites. The answer being "Yes - Spites are not Magic items". So unless the Spite's rules say otherwise it's not counted as a magic item.

That is not what the question asks. Not being a magic item does not mean they cannot still be magical.


Perhaps you should err on the side of caution and assume the only spites which are magical are those where it is specifically stated in the spite entry that they are magical attacks, and any others are not magical.

Beithir Seun wrote:That is not what the question asks. Not being a magic item does not mean they cannot still be magical.

Well, it is a little more complicated. No existing rule states that magical weapons have magical attacks. In fact, some have not (like all our bows, or DE lifetaker, for example). The fact magical weapons (and all other magical damaging things, magic itself included) have them is not matter of rules, but matter of precedence and custom. And this things states that everything what you "buy" for the special points what is NOT mundane weapon (like the weapons and armors VC vampiric powers provides you with), is magical and so it have magical attacks... Unless GW states otherwise.

Shrikes are not magical items, but they may be magical.

Since other Spites have the magical nature specifically stated, and Shrikes does not, I would argue that it is not magical, even if on a character whose attacks are normally magical.

AMA wrote;

Since other Spites have the magical nature specifically stated, and Shrikes does not, I would argue that it is not magical, even if on a character whose attacks are normally magical.

I agree on the first part (non-magical) but with the second, what about if the Spite is on a Forest Spirit. AB p.18 in the Forest Spirit special rules states;

All attacks by Forest Spirits count as being magical. This includes any special or ranged attacks they may have.

Pageant would seem to fall into either the special or ranged description.

There is the FaQ which statest that Spites generally use their own profile and do not gain the benefits and special rules of their host, like KB if on a Wardancer. That would suggest that they gain no benefit from Forest Spirit either.

Rules of Pageant of Shrikes state that they confer additional shot. It doesn't say that this attack is a magical attack (like in Muster of Malevolents). My question is if we give PoS to Waywatcher Noble, do we get a sniper character with killing blow at 9''? If the attack is not magical because rules do not mention that we should be able to benefit from lethal shot rule as long as our WW noble is not using any magical bow.

Raw? It would seem so! Rai? Not as sure....

The PoS is no bow... obviously. And waywatcher entry says 'if shooting non-magical arrows nor magical bow' where do you see an exploit for a sniper lethal shot there

I stand corrected, lethal shot says "All non magical ARROWS fired by..." thusly, a sprite is not an arrow