If you do a "snatch" move - where you run up to a character that is sitting on top of a heavy or light object and snatch it out from under them - do you have to roll break-away?

The judge at the tournament I just played in says that you don't have to roll break-away to snatch if the character has either HSS, Leap/Climb or Phasing (a power that isn't impeded by hindering terrain). Is that right?

Also, can the snatch be done only when you're attacking the character you're snatching from or can it be done when passing by a character during a move (like with HSS or charge)?

It does not have to be part of an attack.

Your Judge is correct that breakaway is not needed, but its not exactly for the reasons you wrote. You can NOT pick up an object in the same square as an opposing figure unless the snatcher is a flier, has HSS, Leap/Climb, or Phasing/SS TA. And Super Strength of course.

And right now I can't think of non-flying HSS figs w/ Super Strength...

You could perform this manuever only if you have the ability to ignore opposing characters during movement. Normally, your character would have to stop when becoming adjacent to an opposing character during movement. HSS, L/C, and Phasing all allow you to ignore that restriction, so if you also had SuperStrength, you could indeed "snatch" the object as you describe. No breakaway roll would be necessary, for two reasons: you didn't start your movement next to the character, and each of those powers remove the necessity of making a breakaway roll.
I believe that Flight also allows you to do this (as you don't have to stop when moving adjacent to opposing characters), as well as the Serpent Society team ability (which mimics Phasing).

You know, I went into this thread miss-reading the title as "Snatch" movie thread.
Do you know what nemesis means?

Actually, the first time I read the title, I wondered why he was asking about the movie on these forums as well.

I thought it was the movie thing too.

Do you have any thing to declare?

Yah don't go to ####ing England!

haha..it hought it was about the movie too...

:-D