It's exactly the other way round (and a bit like you said

).
All models behave exactly the same, doesn't matter if it's a unit
or a created special effect. Destroying a special effect works the same
way like killing a unit with the desired model.
The birth animation is always played, don't think that you can change this.
If the effect stays, the stand animation is used.
Whenever you destroy it, the death animation will be played,
queued after the birth animation if it's still played.
The effect he is using is an item effect afaik, one of those that
doesn't have a stand and only a birth animation.
The only possibility for an effect not to show up is when it
only has a stand animation, neither birth nor death.
I think it's a reference problem,
since all wc3 units have the origin attachment point
and I think nearly all at hive too
(could think that they get rejected without, dunno).