post for 16 January 2002

Rules Questions [JEFF, VAUGHN, ZEN, DAVE]

First, is the old Dave Williams ruling about "This Battle" in affect for the time being, or are we in limbo while Jeff is moving the issue to the "Front Burner?"

Go with the archive for now. I'll announce what the final answer is and make sure the result makes it into the Dark Allies rulebook.

Second, since the individual effects of an action are independent of the success of each other unless otherwise specified, I can use Bayushi Kwanchai's ability to move a Scorpion Clan personality Out of an Ambush, and then watch the effect that moves Kwanchai into the Ambush piddle out since Ambush says "you can come in here," correct?

Correct.

Questions ...

1) May Bayushi Hisa (exp. 3) use his ability when is about to be destroyed in a battle with a Deadly Ground?

No, because it's an action that does not destroy Deadly Ground and Deadly Ground stays in effect until the very end of battle resolution.

And may he use it if he's bowed?

No, because by card text, it's used "before" he's destroyed.

I'd like to know if the fact of a personality that is been destroyed is bowed changes anything.

Cards in the discard pile are not considered bowed, so he could use his Reaction regardless of whether he was bowed when he died IF it were used "after" he's destroyed.

May I use "A greater Destiny" or "Utter Defeat" in one of my own bowed personalities?

No and no. These are also used before the Personality dies.

2) Does Crane Tatoo returns with the personality to play?

All Tattoos printed so far are permanently gained by the Personality they're played on, so they'd still be possessed by a Personality upon dying and returning to play.

Rulings Clarification Please

1. What does the team tournament mean. Is it: a) Two players (team) are treated as one for pairing purposes. b) Before each turn the teams (pairs) are randomly selected, and paired against other random pair (team).

a)

2. If for example one of the players in the team is playing Crane, and the other Shadowland (not able to win by honor). How much honor should the Crane player collect to be able to win (honor victory) at the start of his or Shadowland player turn: a) 40, because "Do not count the Family Honor of players who cannot currently win by Honor or who have been eliminated." means the player does not increase the minimum to 80. b) 80, because "A team wins an Honor Victory when the team has a combined total of 80 Family Honor at the beginning of either of its member's turns."

b)

"Too Good for Gold, but in there anyway." - Top 10

The discussion at the moment is the top 10 cards in Gold Edition, the set, that simply don't belong there for balance reasons. It isn't meant to be an accusation or anything. I know I certainly don't want to pick on you, your design team, or the WotC design team. Hindsite is just 20/20, you know? We're just reflecting on the sources of imbalance in the format coming from the base set. Maybe something in the future can be done to address these problems. That's yours to decide.

I certainly don't want your feelings to be hurt by this discussion in any way.

My feelings aren't hurt at all. I just got the impression that some -- some, mind you -- participants in the thread were posting from the position of "Gold wasn't supposed to have any strong cards, so why does it have so many?"

Knowing which cards are strongest in an environment is always useful knowledge. So is knowing which cards players *believe* are strongest. So is knowing *why* they're strong (Imperial Gift, for instance, is strong in Gold for different reasons than Secrets on the Wind is). We'll take these cards into account the way we always have, which is primarily by designing the next set of cards around them, against them, or despite them, according to where they are on the power scale in relation to where we want them to be.

Please, oficial answer, I know this disturbs a lot of people.

I have a simple question. (but I hope it has a simple answer)

I have a 0F tactician in a battle. I use it trait and give him a 4 F bonus.

Then my oponnent plays "In search of future". Now my tactician has 0F.

Then I move to the adjacent province.

In the battle at that province:

1. my tactician has 4F, since ISoF says "for this battle", the one before, not this one.

2. My tactician has 0F, since ISoF last until the end of the turn.

#2. The "for this battle" specifies which bonuses ISotF affects, not its duration. Once applied, the reduction to 0 lasts until the end of the turn as the standard duration.

3. My tactician is dead, since ISoF is a damn´too good and cheap card.

Man, you must HATE Overconfidence.

Koku questions for AEG

I was wondering a few things about koku redemption...

1) Can you still send in for cards in Herald #1? If so, when will they stop being available?

Koku can only be redeemed for items in the current Herald.

2) What day is considered to be the end of the first 30 days for Herald #2?

February 1st.