Armor Rule Clarification

[NurglesRot]

Just wanted to verify a rule assumption.

I assume that if a character has the option for only light armor, that you cannot choose magic armor that is described as counting as heavy armor?

For example, a Witch Hunter is allowed to wear light armor and gets 50 points worth of magic items.
My assumption is the Witch Hunter cannot wear the Armor of Destiny as it is heavy armor. Or do magic items not work like that?

[Zaonite]

As long as the character has the inital option for armour he can then select any from the magic armour list.

So, yes, your Witch Hunter can wear the Armour of Destiny.

[Ben_S]

As long as the character has the inital option for armour

I don't recall that restriction, except for wizards. I thought any non-wizard character could take magic armour. I might be wrong though, since I only play WoC anyway.

[Zaonite]

WOC Wizards can take magical armour because they already wear Chaos Armour or have the option to take it (can't remember which now).

[Chronowraith]

Zaonite is 100% correct. If a character doesn't either come with armor/weapon base OR have the option to upgrade then they can't purchase the magic equivalent. I'd quote a page number but I don't have my book in front of me. It's in where the beginning of where they discuss magic items and the "rules" for taking them.

WOC wizards all have armor so they can wear magic armor. Most other wizards don't have that option.

[Ben_S]

Zaonite is 100% correct. If a character doesn't either come with armor/weapon base OR have the option to upgrade then they can't purchase the magic equivalent. I'd quote a page number but I don't have my book in front of me. It's in where the beginning of where they discuss magic items and the "rules" for taking them.

You've made me get my BRB out, but I'm still not seeing this restriction.

p. 172 has three restrictions:
Unique - only one of each item in your army
Balance of Power - each character can only have one of each type
Magical Interference - wizards cannot wear armour unless they have the option for normal armour (the exception that applies to WoC)

p. 174 (magic armour) notes that you can only have one suit of armour.

I don't see anything that says that a non-wizard character cannot take magic armour unless they are allowed mundane armour. But I might still be missing it - can you point to page and paragraph?

[Wildeybeast]

If you are allowed to take magic items, then you are allowed to take magic items, even if you don't normally have access to that type of armour/weapon. Unless your entry specifies otherwise e.g DE Death Hags can only take magic weapons.

[Ben_S]

Yes, I was quite prepared - given the way that GW write their rulebooks - to believe that I'd missed something somewhere. But, thinking about it, there would be no need for the restriction on wizards if the same restriction (i.e. you can't take magic armour unless you can take mundane armour) applies to everyone anyway.

Zaonite certainly answers the OP's original question about the witch hunter correctly, but it's actually irrelevant whether he can take mundane armour, since he's not a wizard.

[Theik]

Worth noting that one of the few armies where this rule actually becomes vague is Ogre Kingdoms.
Butchers can equip ironfists, which are shields, which are armor, and thus can they equip magical heavy armor, but this was not something GW originally intended.