Spell Hollow is on a friendly unit. Is it mandatory to create a Void Spirit from the first model killed during a turn or can you wait to use it for more advantageous position?
It just says once per turn, so feel free to choose.
For full rules quotes and explanation:
Hollow’s rule triggers on “disabled by an enemy attack.” So, it triggers each and every time a Hollowed model is disabled by an enemy attack.
However, it also specifies that the model replacement happens “once per turn”. So, once per turn, whenever the trigger conditions are met, you can replace the Hollowed model with a Void Spirit.
(Friendly, but still preemptive, strike against the rules-inclined out there:
Although the rule doesn’t specify “can”, it really has to be read as “can”, because otherwise “Once per turn” wouldn’t say “Once per turn.” It would say “The first time” or something similar. Reading “once per turn” as “this is mandatory” leads to nonsense conditions. For example: you don’t resolve it the first time an affected model is destroyed, you’re going to wait until they destroy the model in just the right place so you can get a devastating charge next turn. So you wait, and wait, and wait, and…they don’t destroy any more models in the unit! Or: maybe they destroy every model in the unit! Maybe, they destroy the very last model in the unit, which clears a landing position for charge lane, and kill your caster. And at some point somebody says “It was mandatory, you must have placed a Void Spirit.” What do you do? You can’t rewind in any sensible way if this is read as “must.”
“Once per turn” certainly doesn’t say “Once per turn, the first time a model is disabled. …”, so I don’t see any room to argue that it means “the first time.” )
Hi,
I believe the intention is clear, and your interpretation is the correct one.
But may be for new players writing could be improved. It does not say “you can replace” but “you replace” so per raw the interpretation you do not have the choice to wait is understandable.
Agree “must” is neither there, so we can guess the intention of the rule.
Just as a thought
There’s no need to guess. From the rules, under Rule Priority:>
Treat rules directing or describing actions or circumstances as if they use “must.” Examples include “Gain an additional die,” “Knocked down models stand up,” and “This model gains cover.”
So the use of the imperative “replace it with a friendly Void spirit” should read as “you must replace it”. But there are precedents where the rule should be interpreted as optional even if the wording itself is descriptive or imperative. I assume this to be one of those cases. As Michael explained, the “once per turn” clause suggests that you can choose because otherwise it would’ve been worded differently.