From our army book, page 53:
Destroyer
Magic Weapon. <snip>
"...if Malekith scores one or more hits against a model with any magic items, roll a D6: on a 4+, one randomly determined magic item is immediately destroyed and cannot be used further in this game. Do not include magic items that are mounts, magic items that contain bound spells that miscast earlier in the game, or any magic items labelled as 'one use only' that have been used." <snip>
With that in mind, here are my questions. Ultimately, I believe the answers depend on the effect of the word "immediately" above, but would like to know what others think.
Short version: When does Destroyer trigger, and can this affect To Wound/armour save/ward save rolls?
Long version: Consider the following scenarios.
1. Malekith is fighting another opponent with ASF (or has lost ASF for some reason and is fighting at the same Initiative step as his opponent). His opponent is armed with a magic weapon - for argument's sake, let's say it's a High Elf Prince with the Ogre Blade. There are no additional modifiers in effect. Malekith hits his opponent at least once, and is struck at least once in return. Destroyer triggers and its effect destroys the Ogre Blade.
When the High Elf Prince rolls to wound, are the hits resolved at S6 or S4? Similarly, if/when at least one roll to wound is successful for the
2. Same scenario as above, but there is a standard bearer next to the Prince carrying the Banner of
Do the Prince or the standard bearer receive a 2++ ward against the wound(s) inflicted by Destroyer?
3. Same scenario as #1 above, but the weapon in question is the Sword of Anti-Heroes. The Prince gets an extra Attack for being in base contact with Malekith, and then the Sword of Anti-Heroes is destroyed. Does the Prince's hit resolve at +1 Strength?
4. Same scenario as #1 above, but the opponent is a Chaos Lord with the Filth Mace (Poisoned Attacks) and the Helm of Many Eyes. The Chaos Lord rolls one 6 on his rolls to hit. Destroyer takes out the Filth Mace. Is the hit still a Poisoned Attack which automatically causes a wound, subject to armour and ward saves?
My answers would be as follows:
#1 - Hits are Strength 4; 2++ save from Armour of Midnight works
#2 - No ward saves are allowed by Banner of the World Dragon
#3 - Hits are Strength 4 (the number of hits is unaffected); 2++ save from Armour of Midnight works
#4 - The Poisoned Attack automatically causes a wound; 2++ save from Armour of Midnight works
I believe this resolves differently to Kouran's armour - in that case, there's no question of the hit having already landed, and even if the Armour of Grief kills the attacking model, it doesn't affect the hit itself. However, depending on your interpretation of when Destroyer triggers, it potentially changes the situation between when a model rolls to hit, and when the model rolls to wound.
The way I see it, there are two possible interpretations - that Destroyer's effect is resolved immediately after Malekith scores at least one hit on a model carrying a magic item, or that you resolve Destroyer's effect after all rolls to wound and to save at that Initiative step have been completed (typically, the ASF stage).
The first interpretation seems to make more sense, at least from a RAW perspective (and, to be honest, it makes Malekith half-decent). Destroyer's effect occurs "if Malekith scores one or more hits against a model with any magic items". If a 4+ is rolled, "one randomly determined magic item is immediately destroyed". There are no words suggesting that this be delayed until after all of Malekith's attacks have been fully resolved. Indeed, the last effect of Destroyer triggers against wizards who suffer one or more unsaved wounds from Destroyer. Applying that ruling, Destroyer could affect the Strength (or other properties) of an incoming attack and Malekith's armour and ward saves, because Destroyer renders a magic item defunct before its bonuses are applied to resolve the roll to wound (and by extension, it is no longer a magic item and cannot confer a ward save or prevent the Armour of Midnight from granting a 2++ ward). I consider that scenario #4 is a different case - the Poisoned Attacks rule applied when the 6 to hit was rolled, and happened simultaneously with Malekith's attacks, so it does not matter that the Filth Mace no longer has any in-game effect, but Malekith will get a 2++ against that attack thanks to the Armour of Midnight because it's now a non-magical attack.
The alternate explanation is more of a RAI/conceptual approach. Attacks which have already been made, and which have already struck the opponent, should not be modified by an effect which triggers after the successful roll to hit has been made. Furthermore, they don't suddenly become non-magical attacks halfway through resolution. It does not matter that the item is "immediately destroyed" - it does not change the Strength of a hit, or allow/prevent saves to be taken against the attack which could not have been made beforehand. This interpretation is weaker because there's no rule (that I know of) which "locks in" the attributes of an attack before each step is taken in determining whether an attack causes a wound. Furthermore, the Blasted Standard in the WOC book modifies the Strength of incoming missile attacks after they have hit the unit carrying that banner. In fairness, that item does expressly state that you roll to affect the Strength of the hit "immediately before rolling To Wound", and could be argued that if Destroyer was intended to work as per the first interpretation, it would have said something similar, but it does not.
Any thoughts? Comments? Alternate interpretations on the above four scenarios?