S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The Board Game · Board game rules
How do Enemies and human enemies placed on anomalies at setup interact?
Quick answer
Enemies placed on Anomalies during setup do not trigger Anomaly activation at setup. They remain on the Anomaly space without immediate effect, and the Anomaly activates only when an Entity moves into, through, or out of the space during gameplay.
Details
When setting up the Mission, Enemies (including human enemies like Bandits) are placed on specific spaces marked with ●, which may include Anomaly spaces [p.10 — Map Setup]. However, Anomaly activation occurs only after an Entity finishes Movement through a space with Anomaly symbols, requiring a dice roll to determine if the Anomaly triggers [p.36 — Anomalies]. Since setup placement is not part of the Movement phase, Enemies placed on Anomalies at the start of the game do not automatically activate the Anomaly.
The Anomaly remains active, and any subsequent Movement (by these Enemies or others) into, through, or out of the Anomaly space will trigger the standard activation roll. Enemies on Anomaly spaces at setup are treated as "placed" rather than "moved," so they do not cover Anomaly symbols or block activation unless they later move or perform an Action that explicitly allows symbol coverage [p.37 — Retrieving Artifacts from Anomalies].
Watch out:
If an Enemy placed on an Anomaly space during setup later Moves (e.g., due to Enemy Activation), their Movement could trigger the Anomaly. Additionally, if the Anomaly has a "special rule" (e.g., Bubble, which moves each Round), the Enemy’s position relative to the Anomaly may change dynamically.