texts: How to use Chapel card to its fullest potential?

texts:
I've seen mentioned over and over that Chapel is a phenomenal card. But I have not seen detailed instructions as to how best to use it. As a relatively new Dominion player (<30 games, ~5 with Chapel card), I've experimented with it by trashing estates at earliest opportunity and after acquiring 2 or more silvers/golds, trashing coppers. However, I haven't managed to decisively win games with it yet against opponents who aren't using it.

Chapel is a terminal action so if it shows up with another action card that can get me a silver or gold (like Militia, Smithy, Council Room, etc.) I'm more inclined to get the silver or gold, and use the Chapel later. So Chapel can actually be dead weight in the beginning which slows getting the silver or gold I need to make it useful.

There seems to be near unanimity among highly skilled Dominion players that when this card is in the game, you use it early and use it often if you want to maximize your chance of winning.

So, in detail, how does one use the Chapel card to its fullest potential?

A good answer would discuss the decision-making process when Chapel and a silver-gathering action card come up in the same 5 card hand early in the game.


texts: Does creating colored tokens affect a card's color identity?

texts:
God-Eternal Oketra is a white creature that creates black creature tokens.

Is God-Eternal Oketra's color identity [White] or [White,Black]?


texts: If a card has gold on both morning and evening action, do you have to put them in separate holds or can you combine them into one?


texts: Looking for rules to a card game called "Wild Cards"

texts:
This game is played with several tables of four in which winning partners in one round move to new table.  Wild cards/rules change with each round.  It's great for getting to know people.

I lost my set of rules


texts: Scoring when two triple word squares are covered in one play

texts:
The word QUAGMIRE is on the board vertically, with the Q on the top row, second column. The next player creates SQUEEZED horizontally, landing the S on the triple word square in the top row, first column, and remaining UEEZED landing to the right of the existing Q, ending with the D on the triple word square in the eighth column. Since two triple word squares are covered in this one placement, how would it be scored?

Letters:

S: 1
Q: 10
U: 1
E: 1 x 2 (double letter)
E: 1
Z: 10
E: 1
D: 1

27 Total for letters. Do you then multiply by 3 for the first triple word square, and then multiply that result by 3?

27 X 3 = 81,
81 X 3 = 243

Bonus for all 7 tiles placed:

243 + 50 = 293


texts: What's the name of this board game about a Middle East oil war?

texts:
I'm trying to find a board game which I knew when I was a kid. Nobody let me play it.

It's played in the Middle East. It has oil pipelines to link territories, oil tanker ships, perhaps an oil drill, dictator (a hand), artillery (tank), a head piece (sorry I don't remember what it is), and if I'm not wrong it has a king and a warrior or spy too. I don't remember if it had money, dice, etc.

The objective, if I remember correctly, was to gain power, economy control, etc. It has some similarities to Risk and Diplomacy.


texts: Interpretation of the word "immediately" in Phase 3 or Phase 4

texts: My opponent pulled the Trade Master card during phase 3.  Because the card has the word "immediately" on it, she believed that she could play it.  Yet the rules say that in phase 3 you cannot play it.  Can she play this card during phase 3 or phase 4?


texts: Switching Cards Around in Monopoly Deal 2

texts:
Firstly, I know that there is a question on switching cards after charging rent on them. However, the case I did is a bit more extreme.

I had 2 green, 2 red, 2 light blue, 1 yellow, and a multi-colour wild property card.

Firstly, I moved the wild card from its original position, with the yellow, to the green and make it a full set. (This counts as 0/3 of my moves.)

Then, I charged everyone 7M each. (1/3)

After receiving the money, I moved the wild card to the red set, and charged everyone 6M each. (2/3)

After receiving the money, I moved the wild card to the light blue set, and charged everyone 3M each. (3/3)

Then, I moved the wild card back with the yellow card.

Is any part of my moves out of the Monopoly Deal rules? Although I don't think so, people are saying that I might have cheated.


texts:
"Any player (even those not involved in the battle) may discard
Missile(s) after dice are rolled, but before troops are removed.
For each Missile discarded in this way, the player can change
one die in the combat roll to an unmodifiable 6. A player may
discard multiple Missiles to change multiple dice per battle.

Players may discard Missiles in any order and may respond to
another player using a Missile by using a second (or more). If
two or more players are trying to play a Missile at the same time,
priority goes to the current player (attacker), then the defender,
then each player clockwise around the table from the attacker."

A few questions here really first, "unmodifiable 6" (1)does that mean it can only be a 6? and(2) does that prevent another missile from "modifying" it to something else?

I play with a group who has routinely messed this up either way. For instance a single die was changed from 6 to 1 and back again several times just last week. If it gets changed to a 6 it can't change back according to the rule I read. But I am only one at a table of 5. Any help in this would be appreciated.


texts: You may destroy target base - can this destroy outposts before combat damage is done?

texts:
Some cards have an ability - 'you may destroy target base'. The rules say that a ships primary ability is triggered immediately when it is played. If I use a ship with that ability and combat points, can I destroy an opponent's outpost using this ability, before using my combat points to damage my opponent's authority or another base, or are the combat points immediately used on the outpost?

My understanding is that both the combat points and the text ability are used effectively simultaneously, so I can choose to do either first.

If that is correct, what about the case of the Blob Destroyer, where the base-destroying ability is only activated when the second Blob ship/base is out? Do I have to play the Blob Destroyer after another blob to take advantage of this ability on the outpost, leaving myself in the situation of deciding which Blob's combat points to waste on the outpost before it is destroyed?


texts: Honors point count for holding all four aces in one hand?

texts:
Recently, I had a friend say that the rules for points accrued for holding all four aces in one hand have changed. I have always understood that the player received 150 points only if the contract is in no-trump.

She says that the rules have changed so that the points are awarded in any contract, even a trump contract.

Is that a recent change?


texts: What if the queen is pocketed along with all remaining carrommen?

texts:
Whilst playing carrom, if only one piece is remaining of each player, e.g. one white and one black and a queen, and I pot a queen, what happens in the following scenario:

While covering the queen with my piece, mistakenly I cover both the remaining pieces, and now there are no pieces on board.

In such a case, who wins the game?


texts: Can I use a creature's ability on my opponent's turn?

texts:
If I were to have a card on the battlefield such as Archers' Parapet and it was my opponents turn could I play the ability of Parapet if I had player priority?

  {1}{B}, {T}: Each opponent loses 1 life.

I am wondering if it is possible to play the ability during my opponents end step?


texts:
Just a small clarification regarding the use of the aformentioned card. I know that you can use it during others players' round. What confuses me is its use.

Let's say I'm the one holding this card. Can I use it to move another player's pawn and not mine, even if he's not on the same tile as my pawn?


texts:
If a creature has both a sacrifice and tap ability can you tap it for the tap benefit and then sacrifice it for the sacrifice ability?

(Example: Gemhide Sliver taps for mana, Basal Sliver gives mana on sacrifice. So can I tap then sacrifice a sliver?


texts: Does anyone remember how to play a card game called "Wreck Your Neighbor's House"?

texts: The card game was a little similar to Solitare but the set up of the cards was different.  My family and I used to play this game 20-30yrs ago with my grandmother but we have all forgotten how to play it, but would love to play it again!


texts: How does Chains of Mephistopheles interact with Dredge

texts: If Chains of Mephistopheles is on the battlefield, and I would use my a draw other than my first for the turn to trigger a dredge effect like Dakmor Salvage. What happens?


texts: Why do some board games have long-lasting appeal?

texts: Often, one plays a computer game through once and then is done with it. "Replay-ability" is something that is a great plus with a game, but not every successful one has it. But with board games, being able to play again and again is a basic necessity for its success. And some games are still loved (e.g., Monopoly and Risk) generations after they were first invented. The ultimate in replayability. Why is it that some games continue to hold lasting appeal even when society, culture, and the people themselves have changed so much since they were invented?


texts: How is Inventor's Apprentice affected by multiple artifacts?

texts: If I have 3 artifacts and 1 Inventor's Apprentice. Does my apprentice get +1/+1 or +3/+3?


texts: Does entering a fight prevent use of cards with effects during movement phase afterwards?

texts:
According to the rules, entering a fight during movement phase ends movement. But as the fight itself is part of the movement phase, this does not mean, that the whole phase ends.

We interpreted "movement ends" as "all remaining movement points expire", so you cannot read books after fighting. But it is not clear, if using cards, that can be used during movement phase without requiring movement points, is still allowed.

The question came up, because we wondered if the following steps we did in a recent game were legal:

walk to Nightgaunt and sneak past, intentionally failing (by having a too low sneak value)
Nightgaunt deals combat damage immediately, causing investigator to get drawn into nearest gate
Use Key of Tawil At Umr, usable during movement phase, to instantly return to Arkham
End movement phase, close and seal gate during same round the gate was entered

Is using Key of Tawil At Umr after a fight or any other of the above actions against the rules?


texts:
I just bought the "Dominion Empires" expansion (German edition) and have a question about the debt mechanics.

According to the rules, when I buy a card with a certain debt value, I need to take the corresponding number of debt markers. The rules then state, that I can repay my debts at any time, including "right away".

How do I repay my debts "right away" after taking the debt markers? Since I had to take the debt markers as part of my buying phase, I can no longer play cards from my hand.

So as far as I understand the repayment of debts "right away" would need to be done with money cards I already played but which I did not use to buy something (so to say the "change left over" from my buy).

Is that assumption correct?


texts: How to count non fully walled territory?

texts:
I just started to learn Go. I still have some problems to properly understand how to count territory when the game has finished (by both players passing). For example, if the game ends in the following situation, what part of the upper area would count towards black's territory?

$$c13
$$ -------------
$$|...........X.
$$|...........XX
$$|..XXXXX....X.
$$|..X.X.XXXXWXX
$$|XXXXXXX...O..
$$|..........OOO
$$|..........OO.
$$|OOOOOOOOOOO.O
$$|..........OOO

I know, usually black would just place a stone at L11 befor finally passing but what happens if black forgets to do so? (and white also misses the opportunity to exploit this)

The resources I read about counting did not answer this question for me.


texts: How do Nexus of Fate decks like Simic Nexus win? I see plenty of them but I see absolutely no creatures or win conditions in the main board. The entire deck is based off getting lands to Nexus of Fate. It seems like the way these decks work are based off getting your opponent to concede, is this correct?


texts: Using Commander Abilities from the Command Zone

texts: So I have Horde of Notions and I am wondering if I can use it's mana cost ability from the commander zone. The ability which by paying one of each color, I can bring a Elemental from the graveyard to the battlefield.


texts:
Can Crypt Rats be activated while in the graveyard?  There is no tap, which is why it seems possible.

If not, then why can cards like Rot Farm Skeleton have activated abilities that are usable only while they are in the graveyard, yet do not explicitly say that "use this ability only when XXX is in your graveyard"?


texts: Choosing early round paintings to auction in Modern Art

texts:
One game that still leaves me stumped for good strategy is Reiner Knizia's auction game Modern Art.  The last time it hit our table, I noticed that when it was my turn to auction a painting early in the round, I had no clue which of my paintings to select first.

Do you play cards of an artist that you have fewer of (hoping someone will buy it because they have some to sell as well), or one you have a lot of (and run the risk that nobody else is interested in it)?
How much is the artist tiebreak worth thinking about?  If all else is equal, sure, play a Lite Metal over a Krypto, but is it more important than that?
What kind of auction do you play?  I would think that an open auction would generate the most interest, but is that the case, and is it worth worrying about?
Do you play a double painting to saturate the market, or do you hold out and try to cash the double in later, hopefully as the third and fourth painting of the round?
In later rounds, how much do the carryover values from the previous rounds matter?  Sure, they are worth more, but conversely there are less of them left to sell and people may not be interested anymore?

Does anyone have a better feel for this game, and can provide some insight?  I'd love to have a couple rules of thumb ready for when I play this game next.


texts: Converted mana costs of tokens and manlands

texts: So let's say I have a Pernicious Deed that lets you "destroy each artifact, creature, and enchantment with converted mana cost X or less". Do tokens (e.g. those produced by Sliver Queen) get destroyed? What about lands that are creatures thanks to, for example, Ambush Commander?


texts:
Other questions have asserted that many people don't actually auction properties as instructed in the rules.  Monopoly doesn't specify any rules to control the auction.  I have seen auctions stretch on with many +$1 bids, making the process painfully slow.

Seems to me some combination of eBay bid increments and/or Poker raise rules would be appropriate.

What minimum bid increment rule(s) are recommended?
Do these rule(s) lead to faster auctions?


texts: Interaction between Vilis, Broker of Blood and Phyrexian Delver

texts: I resolve a Phyrexian Delver etb targeting Vilis, Broker of Blood. My question is whether the life lost as a part of the Phyrexian Delver etb will then cause Vilis's "Whenever you lose life, draw that many cards" effect to trigger. In a broad sense, because the return to battlefield and lose life effects are part of the same effect, do they happen at the same time? Or because they are written in an order, that they happen in an order?


texts: Does a Junta during the Cuban Missile Crisis end the game?

texts:
In Twilight Struggle, if the Cuban Missile Crisis is in effect and the targeted player takes a free coup using the Junta event, does that trigger the end of the game clause on the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The card texts are:

Cuban Missile Crisis*

  Set Defcon to Level 2. Any further Coup attempt by your opponent,
  anywhere on the board, will result in Global Thermonuclear War. Your
  opponent will lose the game. This event may be canceled at any time if
  the USSR player removes two Influence from Cuba or the US player
  removes 2 Influence from either West Germany or Turkey.

Junta

  Place 2 Influence in any one Central or South American country. Then
  you may make a free Coup attempt or Realignment roll in one of these
  regions (using this card's Operations Value). [2 Ops]

I guess the question boils down to what does "free Coup" mean.


texts: If, for any reason, the card remains unused till the end of the game, when scoring the toolmakers, do we take into account the value of "one-time" tools or just the permanent value of tools on our board?


texts: Can a reverse follow a 2-over-1 response?

texts:
This question is related to What Is a “Reverse” In Bridge?, but covers a different case.

I understand that reverses (17+ HCP, longer in first suit than second) apply to a 1-level response:

S    W    N    E
1D   pass 1S   pass
2H

But suppose the bidding has a 2-over-1 response from responder showing 11+ points (but not game-forcing):

S    W    N    E
1D   pass 2C   pass
2H

Is the 2H bid normally interpreted as a reverse? Or is this partner convention?


texts: Treefolk Mystic and destruction effect timing

texts:
This is a fairly basic question, but there's some underlying rule or principle I think I'm missing.
What happens if Treefolk Mystic blocks an attack from a land enchanted with Living Terrain?
I think that since the land counts as a creature, the Living Terrain card is simply destroyed and therefore the land is removed from combat.  So that if Treefolk Mystic were given trample, it couldn't be blocked by Living Terrain (or rather, it could be blocked, but the damage would end up being dealt to the player anyway).  Would Treefolk Mystic live through the combat?
How about if Treefolk Mystic entered combat with Grizzly Bears enchanted with Armor of Thorns (so it was 4/4 at start of combat)?  Would they both die, or just one?  Which one?
I'm pretty sure a buffed up creature (e.g. with Armor of Thorns) works differently from a creature enchanted with Venom, since the latter sets up a delayed trigger effect which takes effect even if Venom itself is destroyed.  But how does this interaction work, anyway?
I'd love to get a clear blow-by-blow layout of the sequence in which everything would happen in these examples.  Again, I know this is a basic question, but I appreciate the clarity on this site.  :)


texts: Is the Talisman Upgrade Pack worthwhile?

texts:
I own the Talisman 4th edition game published by Black Industries. Talisman revised 4th edition is now published by Fantasy Flight Games. I have seen an upgrade pack that is supposed to make the 4th edition game compatible with the revised 4th edition and its expansion packs.

The upgrade pack contains:

Rulesheet
Over 160 Cards
14 Character Cards and Figures
4 Plastic Toad Figures
36 Fate Tokens

My questions are:

Is this upgrade pack worth purchasing? Retail is  approx. $20 USD and that seems like it could be a bit much for no new content.
Does the new rulesheet address all the typos and misprints in the 4th edition rules and board?
Can someone with the 4th edition use the revised 4th edition expansions without this upgrade? I know Fantasy Flight would say, "No way," but I want to know what things have changed that would make the expansions not work right.


texts: Does software for optimizing the train route in 18xx systems exist?

texts:
While playing the 18xx games (create routes for trains and try to get the most money with your trains), it sometimes takes a lot of time to find the optimal route for the trains.

Does anybody know if there is any software available to help with this problem?


texts: Can you Clone a creature with protection or shroud?

texts:
So, Clone doesn't say the word "target" anywhere in its text:

  You may have Clone enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield.

Does this mean that it isn't targeting the creature it's cloning, and could therefore be used to copy a creature with shroud (or hexproof) or a creature with protection (like Emrakul, the Aeons Torn)?


texts:
Question in spoiler tags below

   Searching Delhi reveals a companion, the Vector Control Technician. With that card in your hand, you do not get an exposure if you begin your turn in an infested city.
 What if, with that companion in your hand, you begin your turn in an infested city that also has a plague cube?


texts: Which adventure should I start in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Card Game?

texts:
I've heard I should start with Adventure B, but it's a really hard adventure! Is this really true? Or should I start with the seemingly easier Adventure 1?

To clarify: What is the "official" starting adventure in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous? Or is there an official one?


texts: Who does the Warlord pay to -- the bank or the player who had their buildings destroyed?

texts: In our family, we've always interpreted the rules as paying to the bank. We had friends over who had played by Warlord paying to the player whose buildings they got destroyed. To us, it seems like the latter weakened the Warlord special ability quite significantly. I could not find an FAQ that would explain where the money goes.


texts:
My friends and I have recently gotten very interested in this game, and have been playing it more and more frequently. However, the group has noticed that some roles seem to have it much easier than others.

For example:

When we were just starting out, it seemed as though the thief had a very easy role, then as we played more we found out ways to counter it. We also felt like the cave had an easy role until we realized that everyone playing the dragon was revealing too many spaces.

My question to you is this, what strategies do you have for each role (early, mid, and late game)? How do you play that role aggressively and defensively? What are some key movements you can't ignore or forget in the early phases?


texts: MTG Does "Emerging" cause summoning sickness?

texts: If I emerge a card like Mockery of Nature, does it get summoning sickness?


texts: What happens if a player exiles Wurmcoil Engine when it dies with Mimic Vat?

texts: My guess is that the player who controlled Wurmcoil Engine doesn't get the tokens because Mimic Vat's exile resolves first and the creature doesn't land in the graveyard. Am I correct?


texts: Is it possible to go from a Backgammon opening position to a Nackgammon opening position in 6 moves? And if not, how many turns would it take?


texts: Can the Ronin use its ability when defending?

texts:
The Ronin, included in the Vagabond Pack, has an ability that reads:

  After rolling in battle, you may exhaust a sword to deal an extra hit.

Can this ability be used when the Ronin is defending? Or only when it is attacking?

The "rolling" phrasing opposed to "a roll" seems to imply agency and thus that it is the latter, but I couldn't find any rules to back it up.


texts:
I have a timing question: Is it possible to attack with "Bloodthrone Vampire" and let's say 10 other creatures at the same time, while using BOTH abilities of "Brutal Hordechief" and therefore cause 30 damage with only 1 creature actually causing damage?

In Detail:

My opponent has 15 creatures on the battlefield.
I attack with Bloodthrone Vampire and 10 other creatures. Since Brutal Hordechief is on the field, I cause 11 damage to my opponent due to Hordechief's first ability.
Then I want to sacrifice 9 of my 10 other attacking creatures in order to give Bloodthrone Vampire +18/+18, causing another 19 damage to my opponent.
Since I have used Hordechief's 2nd ability (spent 5 mana), all my opponent's creatures should have blocked the last of my 10 attacking creatures (the one I didn't sacrifice with my Vampire's ability).

Therefore I caused 30 damage using Bloodthrone Vampire and Brutal Hordechief's first ability, right?

Or is there a timing error somewhere along the way?


texts:
Are there any online resources for studying gomoku? I am a beginner and I'd be interested to learn the fundamentals.

A google search on terms such as "gomoku strategy" or "gomoku tutorial" didn't return any relevant answer.


texts: How do encounter card vampires work in combat?

texts:
(third edition question)

Do you also draw 5 cards from the Dracula Combat Cards pack and continue with combat as you would with Dracula?

If so, what is the point of the Escape and Flee cards for a non-Dracula vampire?


texts: What are the strength and firepower of Ivory X bombardments?

texts:
The 2nd Infantry Division online briefing for Flames of War has a special rule called Ivory X that lets you fire anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns like a normal artillery bombardment.  The briefing lists the strength, anti-tank, and firepower values of these bombardments as '-'.

Does this mean that they use the normal direct fire stats (seems overpowered)?  Or do they fire with essentially 0's, meaning they can't hurt armor or dug-in infantry outside of causing pinning?


texts: Bottom card drawn during epidemic: What happens if there is already more than one disease cube in the city?

texts:
How do you handle a situation where the bottom card drawn in an epidemic is for a city with 2 or 3 cubes (of the same color) on it already?

For example, if Mumbai has 2 black cubes on it due to prior outbreaks in Chennai and Delhi, what happens if Mumbai is then drawn as the bottom card in the epidemic?  The first cube placed would put the total number of cubes up to three, the next would cause an outbreak, but would the third cube cause a second outbreak?

While a literal reading of the rules would seem to imply as much, it seems almost guaranteed to cause cascading outbreaks and almost certain loss.  Is my literal reading accurate?


texts: When "an opponent" has to do something in a multiplayer game, who does it?

texts: In a multiplayer game of Magic: The Gathering, if a card requires an opponent to make a choice — like Fact or Fiction, which states an opponent separates the piles into two piles — who gets to pick which opponent makes that choice, e.g. which opponent separates them? Because in a tournament where four people play against each other and two of the people are friends it just seems unfair that the player can choose anyone to do it.


texts:
I just thought about the fact that you can deal as much damage to one creature when multiple blocked

So lets say I have an 8/8 with trample
I attack with it

Im blocked by a 1/1 a 2/2 and a 3/3
(Maybe they wanted to stop 6 of the 8 damage but don't have the creatures to kill my 8/8 or maybe they have a card to play or something, thats not really important but maybe thats why they multi blocked without enough to kill the 8/8)

Could I assign 8 damage to the 1/1 and 0 to the 2/2 and 3/3?
If so, would the trample damage go to the player?


texts: Can a Counterspell basically counter more than one spell?

texts:
I'm on my main phase.

I cast a 2/2 creature, and want to enchant it in the same phase.

I cast the creature - no counterspell.

I then want to cast a +3/+3 Aura enchantment on that creature, and then a second +2+2 enchantment on it.

My opponent then casts Counterspell on my creature as his spell goes on the stack.  Are the enchantments also gone to the graveyard or were they not able to be cast in the first place?

My way of seeing it was they couldn't have been cast because there was no creature to cast them on.  Otherwise, a counterspell basically counters three spells.  I sense I'm probably wrong but this seems broken.


texts: Carcassonne Bazaars and other expansions after the bid

texts:
When you play a Bazaar and bid though the pieces do the pieces still cause their stuff?

To be more specific, lets start with Wheel of fortune, if one of the Bazaar pieces has a Fortune mark to move the pig, does that happen when the piece came from a winning bazaar bid?  I know extra Bazaars do not cause another.

and the Builder, I put my won piece on a feature with the builder, I get another turn right?  and when does that happen, immediately?

I guess this question is looking more like "Once the bidding is done for a Bazaar does play act like each placement is a normal turn (except for any won bazaars)?  And if so what happens if on a 'second' turn another Bazaar shows up before all the others are played?  Still ignore it until all original bazaar wins have been played and play goes back to normal?


texts: In Chicago Express, how important are strategies of tight share bidding and inducing others to develop railroads toward your shares?

texts:
Chicago Express appears to be a game with no luck in that there are no dice, no cards drawn. There are minimal random elements such as player seating. My interpretation of the game has been that in order to maximize your cash (to win the game), you generally aim to:

buy shares as cheaply and at as sound an investment price as possible
induce others to build/expand/upgrade rail roads that you own shares in
build/expand/upgrade rail roads that help others as little as possible

Because shares are auctioned and dividends paid proportionately to the point value (akin to the market cap) of the railroad and the shares sold, the game seems very tightly bound to how efficiently you spend your efforts on yourself and how much you get others to dilute their efforts into your shares.  So, If I have a monopoly on a certain railroad, it sounds like I should always build/expand that one (when building and expanding), and when I see a player with only one railroad or an overwhelming interest in expanding that one railroad, I should seek to gain shares in that railroad.

Since your choices and ability to bid (and thus your ability to position your relative railroad ownership versus the other players) diminish immensely once you have no cash, it seems you have to be extremely careful about early bids and should be very willing to pass on expensive auction in order to maintain cash flow and avoid getting, well, railroaded (had to say it).

Other aspects of the game don't seem as crucial to me. Are there elements of how one expands their railroad across the board or builds extra value into their railroads' income track scores that become more prevalent, or is it more that you simply are building/expanding a certain railroad that matters rather than how you're doing it? Do other considerations such as how many potential turns remain for auction, development, or route construction matter much?


texts: Does shooting the second ship in the alert queue still cause an alert to take its place?

texts:
This is the description of shooting ships in the alert queue, on page 12:

  While the External Scanners are online, you may shoot ships that are in the visible alert queue. If you shoot the first ship in the queue (the one that will be revealed at the end of your turn) then you do not need to draw an alert card at the end of turn. If you shoot the second ship in the queue, replace it at the end of your turn when you resolve the alert for your turn.

Shooting the first in the queue just brings the next ones forward, skipping the appearance of an alert this turn, as you could expect a conveyor belt of alerts to be handled, but the rules imply shooting the second alert does not behave that way but simply moves all the alerts behind it up a step.  It results in an alert still appearing every turn.  My guess is this design is to make it all the more 'expensive' to consider blasting an alert that is further away from the ship.  Do I have the interpretation of the rules here right (not the reason behind it, just how they are to be followed)?


texts: Progenitor Mimic destroyed in response of its triggered ability

texts:
What happens if Progenitor Mimic is destroyed in response of its triggered ability? Does it still generate the token?

This questions is not a duplicate of Does an ability resolve if the source of the ability leaves the battlefield? because I am not asking if the ability will resolve. I am asking what happen when the ability resolves in this particular scenario when an object that was part of the ability is not longer in the game.

Thanks to Hackworth for his excelent answer.


texts: Can Morbid be triggered after the Morbid creature is cast?

texts:
I have a Deranged Outcast and no other creatures in play, and I have an Ulvenwald Bear in hand. I would like to:

Cast the Bear and put the Morbid trigger on the stack
Have the Deranged Outcast sacrifice himself while the Morbid trigger is on the stack
Put 4 +1/+1 counters on the Bear

Is this play possible/legal? Is there some other order of play that could achieve the same effect?


texts: Does first strike damage occur before normal damage?

texts:
When I attack with a first strike creature, does it deal combat damage before normal combat damage is dealt?

Specifically, if I attack with Drana, Liberator of Malakir (has first strike and "Whenever Drana, Liberator of Malakir deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on each attacking creature you control.") and 5 other creatures with no counters on them, do I deal damage equal to the creatures' total power or damage equal to the creatures' total power + 5?


texts: Do you collect $200 in Monopoly if you don't ask for it?

texts: If a player passes Go but doesn't ask for their money and the next player plays, does the first player still get their money if they ask only after the next round is played? I could not find this in the Monopoly rules.


texts: I was the first to lose in a commander game, does Vorinclex ability still happen?

texts: It's a 3-man commander game and I have out Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, and my opponent had two flyers which dealt me enough damage to the point I was down to 2 life, and then he cast an Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and dealt me the remaining damage while tapping out. Since I was still in the game when he tapped his mana (and Vorinclex was still alive), would his mana stay tapped on his next untap step, or since I left the game entirely would he be able to untap it. This question is relevant for the other two players.


texts: Does a runner lose a click when encountering Enigma with no clicks left?

texts:
The Corp has Seidr Laboratories: Destiny Defined ID: „The first time each turn the Runner loses or spends click during a run, you may add 1 card from Archives to the top of R&D“.

A runner performs a run spending her last click and encounters Enigma. Then the first Enigma's subroutine triggers: „The Runner loses click, if able“.

Does the corp add one card from archives to the top of R&D?


texts: Hibernation Sliver states all slivers have "Pay 2 life: Return this permanent to its owner's hand". So what if you have a sliver like Necrotic Sliver that gives all slivers "3, Sacrifice this permanent: Destroy target permanent."? Can you sacrifice a sliver and then return it to your owners hand before it goes into the graveyard?


texts: Will using Nephalia Smuggler save a creature targeted by a destruction spell?

texts: If an opponent targets one of my creatures with a destroy spell, and in response I tap Nephalia Smuggler to exile that creature and return it to the battlefield, does the destroy spell fizzle due to its target having vanished? Or is the target considered still valid, since it's still on the battlefield after the effect of Nephalia Smuggler has been resolved?


texts:
I have played Blokus enough times to get a feel for the game and one thing that always bugs me is how to play the first few moves.  There seem to be a couple of competing aims:

Get rid of big, awkwardly shaped pieces;
Create plenty of corners to leave lots of future moves open.

Assuming this is the case, which pieces are the 'most awkward', and does playing these achieve the goal of creating lots of corners?

Also, how many moves can you have before you have to start worrying about what other players are doing?

To help with answering this question here's a link to a picture showing a Blokus naming convention.


texts: dominion adventures, using tokens on duration piles

texts:
If a token from Dominion Adventures is placed on a duration pile, is the token applied only when you initially play (lay down) the duration card or both when you lay it down AND when you play the duration effects at the start of the next turn? The directions say "when a player... plays a card".  For duration cards, is the second use "playing" it again?
Makes a difference on whether I'd ever put a token on Hireling or not!


texts: Can non basic lands be tapped for colorless mana?

texts:
For example, Evolving Wilds has a mana fixing ability, but it doesn't say you can tap it for mana. Other non-basic lands have a mana ability listed on the card. Should I assume that Evolving Winds cannot be tapped for mana?

Basic lands don't have mana tapping abilities listed, but are assumed you can tap them for mana of the color they represent.


texts: Are there any bridge systems where cards played convey deeper information in a manner similar to bidding systems?

texts: Such a system might be too complex for a human to consistently/safely implement, but I am curious if they exist. I am imagining a system where your choice of suit or rank to lead or follow with could convey additional information mid-hand.


texts: Is the Arena default deck "Line of Fire" bad or is it just me?

texts:
I'm new to Magic. One of the default decks you can unlock when you start playing Arena is called "Line of Fire". It consists of:

1 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
1 Liliana's Standard Bearer
1 Temple of Malice
4 Bloodfell Caves
9 Mountain
10 Swamp
2 Serrated Scorpion
3 Careless Celebrant
3 Slaughter-Priest of Mogis
3 Discordant Piper
2 Blood Aspirant
3 Dire Fleet Warmonger
1 Elite Headhunter
1 Woe Strider
1 Tectonic Giant
2 Forbidden Friendship
2 Infuriate
3 Fire Prophecy
2 Heartless Act
1 Eat to Extinction
1 Goremand
1 Piper of the Swarm
2 Village Rites
1 Alchemist's Gift

The description you get when you first unlock it advises that sacrificing creatures may be necessary for progress. However, I've never won a game with this deck nor lost a game against it. Even when I do sacrifice the token creatures my cards create, my creatures aren't powerful enough to stand against late-game finishers or numerous enough to close out the game early. Is this just a bad deck, or are my opponents and I simply too new to understand its subtleties?


texts: Is it mandatory to draw more Destination Tickets when they are completed?

texts:
In TTR USA, does a player have to draw more Destination Tickets when they run out?
(Meaning they've completed all the ones they started with.)

Or can they simply continue to play by extending their longest route or blocking other players?


texts:
I was surprised to see that the wording on Volrath Shapeshifter is not just old card text, but the actual oracle wording. I am curious, why does it not simply copy the the other creature, and have that ability added?

Instead of

  As long as the top card of your graveyard is a creature card, Volrath's Shapeshifter has the full text of that card and has the text "2: Discard a card." (Volrath's Shapeshifter has that card's name, mana cost, color, types, abilities, power, and toughness.)

why isn't it

  As long as the top card of your graveyard is a creature card, Volrath's Shapeshifter is a copy of that card except it gains "2: Discard a card."

The latter wording is used by lots of cards such as Evil Twin or Progenitor Mimic. Is there a functional difference between the 2?

In fact, I just now noticed that older version of the card DO use the "copy" wording. So there must be a good reason for the change!

Related question, what exactly happens when the top card of the graveyard changes? The wording "As long as the top card of your graveyard is a creature card..." was part of the original Shapeshifter, but it card no longer has that text once it takes the text of another creature. So what rules or text is there in the game that would cause it to change to another creature, or to change back to a 0/1 blue creature?

For example, if you discard Grizzly Bears, then the card on the battlefield is now simply a Grizzly Bears with the discard ability. No where in that card's new text does it say anything about changing to a different creature if the graveyard changes, so how does it work?

The rulings specifically say "A copy of a Volrath's Shapeshifter will have the shapeshifting ability", but why?


texts: Poltergeist haunt (#17) - do item tokens count for the poltergeist's damage track?

texts:
In the poltergeist haunt, heroes are collecting item tokens (candles) to defeat the poltergeist. The Poltergeist wants to accumulate items to get stronger (move the damage track).

In our game, a hero died who was carrying two candles. I was the traitor. I had my poltergeist pick up the dropped candles and thought I should move the track forward but there was some disagreement since the candle item tokens weren't item cards.

In the rulebook it pretty clearly says that item tokens should be treated as any other item. Should I have moved the damage track forward for each item I picked up from dead heroes?


texts: What counts as an ability for the purposes of Muraganda Petroglyphs?

texts:
Say I control both Muraganda Petroglyphs and Life and Limb - am I correct in assuming that my Forest Saprolings do not get +2/+2 from the Muraganda Petroglyphs, because they have a mana ability?

For reference, they are forests, and rule 305.6 states the following:

  305.6. The basic land types are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. If an object uses the words "basic land type," it's referring to one of these subtypes. A land with a basic land type has the intrinsic ability "{T}: Add [mana symbol] to your mana pool," even if the text box doesn't actually contain that text or the object has no text box. For Plains, [mana symbol] is {W}; for Islands, {U}; for Swamps, {B}; for Mountains, {R}; and for Forests, {G}. See rule 107.4a. Also see rule 605, "Mana Abilities."


texts: Can I use Oko's ability targetting a creature with protection from green?

texts: I'm going to play a deck with a Oko, Thief of Crowns. And my question is: can I use his abilities targeting a creature with protection from green? I know that normally I couldn't do that, because I can't even target creatures with protection from green with green spells, but for example Oko's abilities? He is blue and green, but his abilities aren't.


texts:
Inspired by all the great answers to the similar question about Power Grid, I'd love to hear some suggestions for Brass. I picked it up a little over a month ago, and we've only gotten it onto the table once. We pretty much struggled through it (ultimately, only finishing the Canal phase). I now feel like we have a basic grasp of the game mechanics, but basically no clue about strategy.

I know the rules have a whole page devoted to this, but I like bullet points!  ;)


texts:
Here's what I can remember about this game:

There are different resources in the form of different coloured (wooden?) cubes

You can buy cards that give you the ability to convert the cubes, i.e. 1 red to 4 brown, or 1 brown and 3 grey to 1 yellow

This conversion is shown vertically on the side of the card in this manner (I think) :

[red cube]
[red cube]
[grey cube]
[up/down arrow]
[yellow cube]

Cards that are available to be bought have a bonus resource placed on them in order, which you gain when you buy that card, i.e. the first/left-most card gives you bonus 3 cubes if you buy it, the next gives you 2 cubes, etc.

I can't remember what the goal was supposed to be. Any help or questions to jog my memory of this game would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


texts: What the difference between +x/+x on some Cards, and how does it effect the ability "Undying"

texts:
What is the difference between cards that say

Card A: "Put a +1/+1 "Counter" on each Creature you control."
Card B: that say "Each creature you control gets +1/+1 and gains Flying"

Does card B also has a counter? Card A states that it has a "+1/+1 Counter" Does the +1/+1 in Card B still count as a counter or not?

If the cards are different between +1/+1 Counters and +1/+1 abilities are different.

Will the +1/+1 ability cause Undying not to trigger, or will it still trigger.


texts:
Do I understand the rules correctly in that all center cards are replaced when defeated/bought?

So I can if I have good power cards spend some runes on replacing cheap cards in order to hope something stronger with a better reward will come up to replace them cards, or is the turn played with the cards at the center and then replaced when your turn finishes?

The rules as I read them seems to suggest that they are replaced when fought/bought but that made the game feel very strange. This might simply be a feeling based on playing a lot of Dominion lately with its restrictions.


texts:
I am building a cube and was wondering how much mana fixing is necessary to build a fun cube?

Is it necessary to have all the fetch lands and revised duals or shock lands to make sure that the players have the right manabase or is ok to forgo those cards for something simple (and less expensive) like evolving wilds and M10 lands + Innistrad lands?


texts: In Sorry! if I have the fire token, and I advance to the next corner fire slot before drawing my card, do you bump somebody else back to start who is on the fire slot before drawing the card?  My thought is no, but I wanted to get another opinion.  My wife and I argued for about an hour on this.  We need a mediator...


texts: What techniques should I use to teach my 5-year old to play chess?

texts:
The other night while playing checkers with my 5 year old, he told me that he wanted to make up a game using the checkerboard which had different pieces that could do different things. I told him that there was a game already like that called chess. So I got out the pieces and we went through them and talked about what their names were and how they move and he seemed to enjoy it.

My question is, are there any techniques or simplified rules or setups that can help teach the game of chess?

I was thinking of setting the board with only pawns and kings and playing a game. Then adding in the rooks and playing, add the knights and play until we have all the pieces. What do you think?

Any other ideas or suggestions?


texts: Why are some decks (i.e. Meandeck Tendrils) not playable in tournaments?

texts:
I have been working with Meandeck Tendrils lately.  In the linked article, Stephen Menendian indicated that while the decklist was tournament legal (at the time), it was not possible to play it in a tournament, as:

  The primary reason it's unviable is because you have to compress all of the numerous decisions of a typical Vintage game into the space of one turn - and do that in a reasonable amount of time."

Can someone explain this reasoning?  I am unfamiliar with tournament timing rules, and don't even know where to begin to understand his claim.  Note, in case it's important, the card list for his deck is below.

Clarification:

This paragraph is added after many comments were made on the original question.  I'm not so interested in a detailed analysis of this deck per se (My version of this deck differs considerably from Stephan's).  I'm interested in why would a deck that's a 66% first turn kill be slow to play?  That said, Stephan's decklist is hard to play.  My best guess, is that his deck takes at least 5 hard decisions on average, (8 worst case) to play through it's various lines of play.  That is just goldfish play, I have no experience playing against Force Of Will, or other disrupters.  So, it appears Stephan's argument is,

  You just can't play this deck enough to automatically know how to make
  all those hard decisions.  Moreover, those hard decisions take a lot
  of time, and you will be too slow for a real tournament.

I can buy that.  The dude has experience (as pointed out in the answers or comments below).  I have none.  If I'm missing something about tournament rules, and how slow play works in tournament rules, I'd like to know it.  The answers below do an excellent job of capturing that.

1 Bayou
1 Polluted Delta
1 Tropical Island
1 Black Lotus
4 Chromatic Sphere
1 Chrome Mox
4 Darkwater Egg
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Brainstorm
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Dark Ritual
1 Demonic Consultation
4 Repeal
4 Spoils of the Vault
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
4 Land Grant
3 Night's Whisper
4 Tendrils of Agony
1 Yawgmoth's Will


texts: What are the differences between combat damage, direct damage, and loss of life?

texts:
From reading the rules it would appear there are two kinds of damage and then straight loss of life:

  118.3 If an effect causes a player to gain or lose life, that player's life total is adjusted accordingly.

From reading that I would guess that effects like Extort are not sources of damage. You simply lose the life.

  119.2a Damage may be dealt as a result of combat. Each attacking and blocking creature deals combat damage equal to its power during the combat damage step.

So damage from creatures during combat is combat damage.

  119.2b Damage may be dealt as an effect of a spell or ability. The spell or ability will specify which object deals that damage.

And that is direct damage from an object.

So the arguments are these:

Does loss of life as outlined by rule 118.3 (at top) count as being dealt damage? Do triggered abilities that redirect or reduce damage effect loss of life?

My second related question: You put Arcane teachings on a Blinding Angel and tap her to deal one damage to your opponent. Am I right in saying that because the damage was direct damage (not dealt during combat) then the triggered ability of preventing the combat phase of the damaged player is not triggered?


texts: Are there cases where an Enchantment Aura effect remains on a creature when it is returned to owners hand?

texts:
I had Lorescale Coatl on the battlefield, which has the ability:

Whenever you draw a card, put a +1/+1 counter on Lorescale Coatl.

In response to this threat, my opponent used the Enchantment Aura Frogify on Lorescale Coatl:

Enchanted creature loses all abilities and is a blue Frog creature with base power and toughness 1/1. (It loses all other card types and creature types.)

On my next turn, I cast the creature Roaming Ghostlight with its ability:

When Roaming Ghostlight enters the battlefield, return up to one target non-Spirit creature to its owner's hand.

I used this ability to return Lorescale Coatl to my hand.
This however created a discussion around which creature returned to my hand.  Should it be Lorescale Coatl with all its abilities or a blue Frog Creature?
What is correct in this situation?  Your advice is as always highly appreciated.


texts: Great Orcs - how to tally terrain superiority?

texts:
In the 2014 game published by Ares Games, The Great Orc's ability says

  Any terrain type is considered to be favored when Great Orcs are attacking.

Who counts as having favorable terrain when the Great Orcs' ability is used? Does that ability apply to each individual Great Orc or does it automatically give the army as a whole terrain superiority?


texts:
So I have a 5 color deck and  I was wondering how Necropotence and Phyrexian Unlife interact in certain circumstances. I understand that once my life becomes 0 or less I cannot pay life to draw cards, but if I were to have 1 life left, would I only be able to pay one life or would I be able to pay  more than that and draw more cards dropping my life total into the negatives, like an attack when you have 1 life left for 5 damage would leave you with -4 life and 0 poison counters. The way I currently see it is I would only be able to pay 1 life exile a card then my life total is 0 and I can no longer exile anymore cards. Normally in this deck I'd be using Necropotence with Venser's Journal and Elixir of Immortality,but I was wondering if Necropotence might benefit from Phyrexian Unlife as well.

Also somewhat of an aside to this question but I also use Death's Shadow in this deck, am I correct in assuming that if my life total is -4 death's shadow would get +4/+4 making it a 17/17.


texts:
Whenever you break a subroutine on a piece of ice, you may pay 1 cred to break 1 additional subroutine on that ice.

When would I need this card? With most icebreakers, it's 1 cred to break a subroutine.


texts: Building a live group on a quarter board where two sides are already black

texts:
This exercise is kind of go club folklore: Given a quarter go board where two sides are already occupied by black (and unconditionally alive), white starts playing. White wins when she is able to create a living group in the quarter board.

$$ | X X X X X X X X X X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ ---------------------

It is also part of go club folklore that with correct play this task is impossible for white and black kills any white group.

What is known (or published) about this special fun exercise? Is the best solution already known?

For clarification: Here is an example of white trying to live (and fail):

$$ | X X X X X X X X X X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . . . . . . . . . X
$$ | . 1 3 . . . . . . X
$$ | . 2 4 W . . . . . X
$$ | . . . 6 5 . . . . X
$$ | . 7 . . . . . . . X
$$ ---------------------

White starts on the (3,4) point but black counters at (4,2). After the enclosure, the corner has only one eye, and Black's outer stones cannot be captured because of the outer walls helping them. Note that in this setup all ladders are favouring Black.


texts: How is 6-player Diplomacy (no Italy) different from 7-player?

texts: The most common way to play 6-player Diplomacy seems to be by having Italy's units hold every round and disband instead of retreating. How will this affect the balance and feel from the 7-player game? Which countries will be most affected? In general, how should each country change its strategy?


texts: When discarding the card in the Love Letter, is it mandatory to show the card you had?

texts:
I need a claryfication of the rules:

Let's say another player uses Baron and compares his card with mine, mine being the lower valued one. I know that I'm out of this round at that point, but what happens to my card? Is it discarded face up (everyone learns what I had) and or face down (only the comparison-winning player gets that information)?
Let's say someone uses the Prince on me. I have to discard a card and draw another one. Do I discard my card face up or face down, keeping the information what I had to myself?


texts: At the end of the game, can you play a route that is longer than your number of trains?

texts: A recent quandary came up with some friends in a game of Ticket to Ride.  If, in the last turn, you have the cards to play a route longer than the number of trains that you have left, can you do so?  Or are you limited by your number of trains?


texts: MTG: Arena. Is there any way to use packs other than open them?

texts:
I was expecting there to be someway to Draft with the packs I have, but I can't find anyway to do that.

Is there ANYTHING that I can do with packs other than open them and claim the cards.

If not, is there ever any advantage to delaying opening packs? (Any times when packs are more 'efficient' to open? Any advantage to having a surplus of packs etc.)


texts: Magic: the Gathering, EDH/Commander - Official Rules List?

texts:
Where are the official rules for playing EDH/Commander, including the banlist? An EDH-specific rules question recently arose in my play group, and I couldn't find a definitive answer (the question has since been answered).

There's this question that specifically refers to the banlist, but how do I find the official rules list? Specifically, this is for regular Commander, not 1v1/duel Commander.


texts: Can you raise a one bid with only two "filler" honors in a suit?

texts:
Suppose partner bids one of a (five card) major. Normally you need three of the suit to raise.

But expert Marty Bergen has opined that if your suit has four honors, you can bid it as if were one card longer. Mr. Bergen also wrote, "When partner promises a six-card suit, you can support him with a singleton honor."

So if I have KJ (or KT or QJ) of my partner's suit, I'a going to play him for a suit with two more honors: AQxxx, ATxxx, or even QTxxx. In that case, partner and I would have four (possibly five) honors between us. And in the worst case (partner has xxxxx, we'd have two honors). So I'd raise to two with the aforementioned trump holding plus a side king, because I've "borrowed" an extra (small) trump for my bid, based on my interpretation of Bergen.

Is this a reasonable interpretation of Marty Bergen's dictums? Is this a reasonable move to make even if you don't always agree with Marty Bergen?


texts:
BACKGROUND:
I played a Saga Rite of Belzenlok.  When the saga fully resolves you end up with four 0/1 Cleric creature tokens and a 6/6 black Demon creature with flying and trample.  At the beginning of my next upkeep I have to sacrifice a creature or the Demon token creature deals 6 damage to me. “At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice another creature.  If you can’t, this creature deals 6 damage to you.”

At the beginning of my up keep I specified that I was sacrificing one of the 0/1 Cleric token creatures.  My opponent played an instant spell (Shock) killing the 0/1 Cleric token.  He then claimed that I revived 6 damage from the token Demon since I did not sacrifice a creature.

QUESTION:
Can an Instant spell be played during upkeep to interrupt a triggered ability?

If so, in the situation described above, do I receive the 6 damage as my opponent claims?


texts: What is timing for Global Conflicts Variant in through the ages?

texts:
When playing the Global Conflicts Variant (in the Handbook) points are awarded at the end of Ages 1,2 and 3 for relative military strength.  However what is the timing of this.

Does this happen as soon as age ends or do we go through all the other stuff such as leaders dying which may affect military strength.


texts: Can't understand the meaning of 'heart finesse'

texts:
What does the phrase heart finesse mean? It appears to be a card term:
From "The Logic of Women" by Bernard Marcoux, Montreal:

Think about it a little: if the heart finesse was necessary to the
success of this contract, then the King has to be with West.

From Dictionary.com:

He could try the heart finesse or, if the spirit so moved him, play
for a major-suit squeeze.


texts: Is there a way to approximate Hold'em blind increases to time a game?

texts:
At a poker night I organise with friends, we're currently ratifying a set of rules.

For the blind structure, at the moment, we start with blinds of 5/10 and increase the blinds every 15 minutes.

If we want a game to last for say, 2 hours (obviously, loose or aggressive play can influence this) is there a blind increase structure or schedule that can make a game last roughly 2 hours?

The number of players varies for each game, anywhere between 4 and 8.


texts: When to buy cards costing 1 "Rune" in Ascension?

texts:
I rarely purchase 1-Rune cards. Their effects are pretty poor, and I feel that these cards lower my deck strength (Note: I'm a recovering Dominion addict, and a strong believer in "trash early; trash often" strategies).

I might buy a 1-Rune card if:

I won't get through my deck before the game is over, or
There are quite a few on the board and I have a bunch to spend (here I'm
hoping that a higher cost card will come up).

When, if ever, is it a good idea to buy 1-Rune cards?

(Edit - I had confused "Rune" with "Honor". I mean the Resource that the Apprentice provides, and which is the COST of adding a card to your deck)


texts: Why are beginning to intermediate bridge players told to delay learning how to bid certain types of unusual hands?

texts:
When learning modern bidding (Standard American 5 card majors in my case), I noticed that the system's bidding techniques and common conventions described good ways of getting to a reasonable contract for most common types of hands very well, but seemed to miss with certain types of hands*. I also misbid a number of hands that experienced players at the table said were likely to end up in the wrong contract using my bidding system, and that that was okay.

Why do experienced bridge players think it is okay for a bidding system to generally result in poor contracts for certain types of hands*, urging beginning to intermediate players to delay learning how to bid these types of hands until they have much more experience?

Examples of "certain types of hands" include strong hands such as very long suits (9+ cards), 2 voids, seeming slam potential despite missing an Ace, etc. But also weak hands that intuitively seem to have potentially good pre-emptive value despite not falling into traditional weak 2 or weak 3 types of hands.


texts: When do static bonuses go away relative to damage dealt?

texts:
I use Radiant Archangel in a deck full of flying creatures. It is a 3/3 flyer with +1/+1 for each other flying creature in play. During a game, I had seven other flying creatures, making it a 10/10. My opponent cast a spell (and I'm sorry I don't recall the spell) that did 6 damage to all my creatures.

He contends that this kills Radiant Archangel as well because the static bonus of +1/+1 for all the flying creatures in play goes away once they are dead and the damage sticks around until the end of turn. Thus, after the spell resolves, the other flying creatures are gone so Radiant Archangel is only a 3/3, and it has 6 damage so it's dead.

I contend that when the damage was dealt, it was a 10/10 and survived the attack, and that the 6 damage can come out of the +1/+1 bonuses that the other flying creatures provided and that it lost once they were gone.

Does anybody have any official rulings on this?


texts: Does sliding/shifting have to happen in a straight line, or can it be curved?

texts:
I've started playing Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Command and had a question regarding sliding/shifting.

Does the sliding/shifting have to happen in a straight line? In one case, the other player slid two spaces forward then one space to the right. Is this okay?

The rules do not specify one way or the other.


texts: Does Claustrophobia prevent triggered abilities?

texts: If I have a Blightcaster and my opponent enchants it with Claustrophobia will my Blightcasters ability still work when I cast an enchantment?


texts: How do I beat U/R control with Affinity?

texts:
I play affinity and seriously struggle with control players and can't seem to find a way to win.

Blue Moon has become popular recently, and while  Blood Moon does not cripple my deck the constant counters to anything I do just stagnate the game.

Kolaghan's Command kills 2 artifacts at once, normally a  Mox Opal and creature.

My damage cards ( Arcbound Ravager,  Etched Champion,  Cranial Plating) are countered with spells like  Mana Leak.

My creatures are constantly hit with  Lightning Bolt, and  Jace, Telepath Unbound and  Snapcaster Mage lets them replay them. My land are also destroyed this way if I try to use them as creatures.

What strategy's can be used against a deck that mainboards more removal than I have playable cards and after the first round can add in specific artifact hate ?

  Decklist

  2x master of etherium
  3x signal pest
  3x etched champion
  4x arcbound ravager
  4x ornithopter
  4x memnite
  4x vault skirge

  4x galvanic blast
  4x thoughtcast
  4x mox opal
  4x spring-leaf drum
  4x cranial plating

  4x darksteel citadel
  4x inkmoth nexus
  4x blinkmoth nexus
  3x glimmervoid
  1x island

  Sideboard

  4x spellskite
  1x steel overseer
  1x torpor orb
  1x tormod's crypt
  2x gitaxian probe
  4x shrapnel blast
  1x blood moon
  1x glimmervoid


texts: Does the ability from Sorcerer's Wand deal combat damage?

texts: If I were to equip Virtus the Veiled with Sorcerer's Wand and used the Sorcerers Wand's ability, would that be considered combat damage allowing Virtus's ability to trigger?


texts: Omnispell Adept and Alternative/Additional costs of Sorceries/Instants

texts:
Can I use Omnispell Adept's ability to cast spells with alternative or kicker cost?

Can I cast Roil Spout for its Awaken 4 - 4WU cost?
Can I cast Saproling Migration and paying its kicker cost?

Or can I only use the default mode when casting spells with Omnispell Adept?


texts: Bridge: Holding both 5 card majors which should I bid first in Jacoby transfers

texts: In SAYC my partner bid 1 NT showing 15-17 HCP (no void, no singleton and only one doubleton).  I was holding a hand of 10 HCP with 5S, 5H, 2D and 1C.  Using Jacoby transfers should I have responded 2D (showing 5H) or 2H (showing 5S)


texts: Erasable yet bold crayon for Empire Builder Games (e.g. Eurorails)?

texts:
We have kids, so we have lots of types of crayons in the house.  Everything from airline freebie to crayola.  None of them are very satisfactory for Eurorails (and related games).  Either they are too light to see or they won't erase easily.  The original factory crayons are long since gone/lost.

What crayon do people recommend for Eurorails?


texts: Why Does Magic Use The "Paris Mulligan" Rule?

texts:
In the early days, Magic had crazy, subpar mulligan rules: you could shuffle up and draw a new 7 if your hand had no lands or all lands, otherwise you were out of luck.  A long time ago the Paris Mulligan rule was introduced and it seems to have stuck.  If you don't like your hand, throw it back and draw 6.  If you don't like that one, try again drawing 5, and so on.

This seems like a pretty good rule and I didn't question it, but recently I've been playing "Duels of the Planeswalkers" on XBox (incidentally, if anyone else has that and wants to challenge me, let me know!).  The mulligan rule there is a little different.  You can throw your hand back and draw a new 7 once for free.  After that Paris rules are in force: every subsequent time you mulligan your hand size goes down by one.

It seems to me that this "lenient mulligan" rule is really good for the game.  Magic is a game with a large element of randomness from the shuffle.  Quite often players will draw a 7-card hand that's basically unplayable and have to throw it back, unless they're crazy gamblers with nothing left to lose.  If your opponent keeps and you mulligan to 6, you're at a significant disadvantage already.  If you have to mulligan to 5 or fewer, you'd better hope somebody up there likes you.

Does anyone know (or have an informed idea) why Magic retains a mulligan rule that allows unbalanced games to happen as often as they do?  It just feels like the XBox mulligan would allow players to play their decks "as they were meant to work" more often, and have to battle against long odds much less often.  What is the defence for the continued predominance in the Magic world of the Paris mulligan rule?


texts: Can I put more than one Master Builder in the King's Court?

texts:
I played my first game of The Pillars of the Earth today with 3 other people. I had a question about the King's Court which was not specifically addressed in the rules. If I have already placed a Master Builder there, may I place a second (or even third?) there in order to potentially "force" other players to have to pay taxes? Doing say may result in them losing victory points if they can't pay, so I thought it was an interesting strategic possibility. The owner of the game has only played a couple times, and also only with 2 players, so he hadn't come across the situation before.

I know that often, there are likely better opportunities to take which will result in a greater net gain for yourself than that loss for your opponents, but I was wondering if it was at least possible. The decision we came to was that it wasn't explicitly stated in the rules that you couldn't so we allowed it as a possibility, though no one took it in the game. Is this allowed?


texts: What Talisman expansions give a PvE end goal?

texts: I picked up Talisman awhile ago and am enjoying it as are my friends. However we aren't much of ones for the "PvP" (player versus player) encounters which works fine until the end game and reaching the Crown of Command. We of course finish the game but it's just not as enjoyable for us. I tried looking up information on the expansions and possibilities of alternate non-PvP endings, where we do not have to kill each other in order to win, but descriptions on the expansions don't give many specifics on alternate endings. The only one that really seemed like it had a PvE (player versus environment) ending was the Dragon expansion. My question basically is, what Talisman expansions offer a PvE end goal and what are they?


texts: Scoring clarification for end of campaign/day of rest

texts:
In Libertalia, the last paragraph of page 9 in the rulebook states:

  The players then move their score token a number of spaces equal to their total fortune (in doubloons) on the score track.  Their final score will be the sum of all doubloons won during the three campaigns.

Since you start each campaign with 10 doubloons, I can see this interpreted two ways:

Total fortune method: count all doubloons at end of campaign; this is your score for that campaign
Doubloons won method: count all doubloons then subtract the 10 starting doubloons (meaning you only score your 'winnings' or profit from the campaign)

As long as you keep the scoring method consistent, both seem to work fine.

My question is: are there any other references in the rules that would indicate one method should be used over the other?


texts: Where can I find an exhaustive inventory of cards in Ticket to Ride?

texts:
I have fallen quite in love with Ticket to Ride on my iPad, but don't have the physical board game. As I attempt to master the game, I'm finding one difficulty, however- I don't have an exhaustive inventory of the destination cards in particular, nor do I know the odds of drawing any one color after a certain number have already been drawn.

Knowing, for example, the number of color cards would give me a better handle on the odds of drawing say, a 6th, 7th, or 8th white. As the game progresses, that is the kind of information that would allow me to plan a route.

Additionally, knowing all the destinations helps me know the best routes to take to maximize my ability to be able to draw a destination card I've already connected. (Even in the classic game, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and
Calgary, for example, appear to be far more common then, say, St. Louis.)

So, is there either a published list of all the destination cards, or else is somebody interested in posting the odds for them?


texts:
Having only been playing for a bit over a year I am not very knowledgeable on cards outside of standard. I recently got smashed at FNM by a Zada deck which prompted me to look into this for modern (and commander?)

I was thinking this may involve something like Arcbond

What is the one-turn win combination, using Zada, Hedron Grinder, that requires the least number of cards and external effects, in Modern?


texts: What are these Strange Pattern Yugioh Cards

texts:
I came across these bizarre looking Yugioh cards in my collection. They look nothing like my other cards. They clearly say Yugioh cards...are they knockoffs? If so, why do they look so bad.

Thanks!


texts: Can I get infinite turns with this combination?

texts: I have a Wormfang Manta on battlefield and a Worldgorger Dragon in graveyard. Would targeting the Worldgorger Dragon with Animate Dead create infinite turns, or would the two triggers cancel out?


texts: Once the last mythos card is flipped, is there no point to continuing the game?

texts:
Since most (or all) mysteries require waiting until the end of the mythos phase to officially complete them, is there no point to continuing the game once you flip the final mythos card and still haven't solved the first 3 mysteries? The exception to giving up the moment the final mythos is flipped seems to be when the ancient one awakens and you stand a chance to defeat him in that final round after the last mythos is flipped (since defeating the ancient one appears to end the game immediately in the investigators' favor).
Do I have this all correct?
Edit: from the Eldritch faq under Ancient Ones & Mysteries

Q. Do effects that “advance the active Mystery” or “solve the active Mystery” affect the Final Mystery?
A. No. The Final Mystery is not a Mystery card nor is it considered the active Mystery. As such, effects that advance or solve the active Mystery do not affect the Final Mystery.

This seems to support the treatment of Final Mysteries as a different entity as normal Mysteries.


texts:
I've heard a lot of good things about Glory to Rome, but I've heard many people classify it as extremely complex. I asked around at my FLGS and they said it was more complex than Race For The Galaxy and Puerto Rico, both of which my family and I have enjoyed. How bad is it really? I don't mind reading and explaining a 20 page rulebook as long as its well written, and its also fine if we don't really grasp some of the strategy until 7 or 8 plays. However, if it truly is much worse than that, I should probably think twice before buying it.

How prohibitive is Glory to Rome's complexity to new players? Approximately how long will it take to learn the rules and have a general conception of the strategy? As an aside, how well does it play well with 2 players?


texts: Who gets magic if the Fallen Kingdom Ghoul destroys itself?

texts:
The card states:

  if the Ghoul did not destroy a Unit during that Attack Phase, place 1
  Wound Marker on this card

In the scenario that the Ghoul is destroyed as a result of having a wound placed on it in this manner, who gets the magic?


texts: In Settlers of Catan, what seat position is the best for odds of recieving any resource?

texts:
If you use the standard rules, where the number tokens are laid out on the board in a pattern (small letters are below the pips), which seating position has the greatest odds of receiving the most goods?

Assume all players are trying to receive the most goods, with no consideration of good type.
Assume you are using the normal rules for the first two rounds, I.E. The first player places a settlement, followed by the second player clockwise until all players have placed a settlement. Then the last player places a settlement, and the second settlement placement continues counterclockwise.

Assume a 4 player game.
Assume the predetermined board setup for beginners which is supposed to be well balanced (extra points if you solve this for a random resource placement).


texts: For one who likes trading games like monopoly what's the closest 2-player game with similar dynamics?

texts:
I've recently kindled my spouse's joy in board games but she has always enjoyed Monopoly as a child and tends to have that bias when selecting games.

We've played Carcassone and she genuinely enjoys it but is still looking for that trading like game mechanic but mostly in a two player setting. Are there any games that can be considered as such?

Monopoly is purely a chance-based game that involves trading and making money by earning rent and selling property. The main mechanic she tends to favor is the trading and money making. I'm not aware of two player trading games which involve some kind of score (like amount of money) to determine the winner. I would like to know if something like this exists and is worth buying/playing especially for two players.


texts: Damage using Professor Kukui in Pokemon TCG

texts: Professor Kukui adds 20 damage to the Active Pokemon during an attack. Does this still occur if you attack a benched Pokemon? I know it shouldn't be added on if you poison the Active Pokemon as this is an effect of an attack.


texts: How does Perplexing Chimera work with multiple triggers on the stack?

texts:
Perplexing Chimera is a new card in Born of the Gods. It reads as follows

  Enchantment Creature - Chimera

  Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may exchange control of Perplexing Chimera and that spell. If you do, you may choose new targets for the spell. (If the spell becomes a permanent, you control that permanent.)

  3/3

As I understand it, the following can happen if I have a Chimera on the battlefield:

My opponent casts some spell (say Shock), and it goes on the stack.
The Chimera's ability triggers. It is put on the stack.
My opponent really wants his Shock to resolve, so in response he casts Lightning Strike on my Chimera to kill it before its ability resolves. This is put on the stack.
The Chimera's (which is still under my control) ability triggers again. It is put on the stack.

At this point, nothing else happens and we start resolving the stack.

The Chimera's ability resolves. I choose to perform the swap. I choose my opponent as the target of the Lightning Strike. My opponent gets control of the Chimera.
Lightning Strike resolves. My opponent takes 3 damage
??????

What happens next? Does the ability on the stack fail to resolve? Who (if anyone) gets to choose to use the Chimera's ability on the stack?


texts:
I have so far purchased all major expansions except expansions 7 (Catapult) and 8 (Bazaar), which I have not found anywhere (in any language).

Is the reason I can't find them because they are out of print?


texts: In Poker, what happens if paying a blind puts a player all-in?

texts:
I have a question regarding increasing blinds in Texas Hold-em poker. I am developing a poker website. During tournaments players are not allowed to buy chips. Each player starts with 1000 chips to play. We always keep all amounts on the table (player pot, player bet, table pot etc.), in multiples of the smallest denomination, i.e. small blind.

But when blinds are increasing automatically, what should I do in the case when a player is left with a chip smaller than the small blind? Should that player be able to continue the game, or are they busted immediately (and lose the tournament)?

Example : In a tournament of four players, all players begin with 1000 chips to play. After some time, one of the four players remains with 10 chips in the pot, and blinds reach to 500/1000 (SM/BB). What should I do with that player?


texts: Self-Referencing Effects when a Monster is Destroyed

texts: Keep the general implications in mind but, in particular, consider "Banisher of the Radiance".  Its effect reads, "Any card sent to the Graveyard is removed from play instead."   So does this monster go to the Graveyard or is it Removed from Play instead?  As another example, suppose a monsters' effects read "If a monster on your side of the field is destroyed, you may pick a monster on the field and add DEF to it equal to the ATK of your destroyed monster."  If this monster was destroyed, could you add its (non-zero) ATK to another monster's DEF?


texts: When Vesuvan Shapeshifter copies turn face up replacement effects, why do they work?

texts:
Vesuvan Shapeshifter says:

As Vesuvan Shapeshifter (...) is turned face up, you may choose another creature on the battlefield. If you do, until Vesuvan Shapeshifter is turned face down, it becomes a copy of that creature (...)

My understanding is that due to the word "as", this is a replacement effect. There is a ruling for Vesuvan Shapeshifter on gatherer that says:

(...) any “[when/as] [this creature] is turned face up” abilities of the chosen creature will work if Vesuvan Shapeshifter is turned face up.

For triggered abilities such as "when this creature is turned face up..." this makes sense to me. The Shapeshifter is turned face up as a copy of the creature so the triggered ability sees that, due to 614.6.
I don't understand why replacement effects such as "as this creature is turned face up..." would also work. My understanding is that once an event has been replaced the game moves forward, and replacement effects cannot effect past events per rule 614.4.
So from my understanding, the Shapeshifter is turned face up as a special action, its controller chooses another creature, the "turn Vesuvan Shapeshifter face up" special action is replaced with a "turn Copied Creature face up except it has Vesuvan Shapeshifter's upkeep triggered ability" special action and the special action finishes. Vesuvan Shapeshifter would then have the replacement effect of the copied card, but the effect would never have had a chance to do anything because the game had already moved on.
Could someone explain why that is incorrect?


texts: Handicapping an experienced Agricola player.

texts:
One of my friends and I often play Agricola, and he's considerably better than me at it - I'm getting better, but he seems to be advancing at a faster rate, and it's getting to the point that although I like playing the game I'm finding it less fun to be constantly losing.

Are there any good ways of creating some custom/'house' rules to disadvantage him slightly, so that we're a little more even? I don't want to make it impossible for him to win, or to make it too easy for me.

(I know the purists out there will think this abhorrent, but hey, the goal is to have fun right?)


texts: Winning avalanche with all pebbles on avalanche mode?

texts:
Is it possible to win avalanche mode with all 48 pebbles able to only use your side? IE the game pidgeon version?

If so, how?


texts: How to make a small slam in bridge with only 25 high card points between the partnership?

texts:
This follows my recent question about how to bid a small slam in clubs with <30 HCP; but this time the partnership only had 25 HCP in toto (board 15 TCG). The optimal contract was 6 diamonds by West; but even fewer couples bid and made that compared with the 6 club slam in my previous question. In fact, only 1 of 1807 partnerships bid and made the small slam in diamonds.

My partner and I bid 3 diamonds; but in fact ended up making a total of 12 tricks. East opened the bidding with 1 club and West responded with 1 diamond. East responded with 3 diamonds, which jump raise by Opener is usually forcing in our partnership. West chose not to be forced and ended up playing 3 diamonds. There were no intervening bids by our N-S opponents.

My question to you, gentle reader, is how would you bid this hand in order to end up in a small slam contract of 6 diamonds by West. Should East have shown his strength (17 HCP + 2 shortness points for the singleton heart) more forcefully ?   Should he have indicated an interest in slam investigation with a control-showing cuebid bid during the second round of the auction.  I look forward, as usual, to reading your comments, criticisms and words of wisdom.


texts: Does completing "Establish a Temple to Ibrundul" count as taking Piety quests?

texts:
I came across a situation while playing Lords of Waterdeep with the Scoundrels of Skullport expansion.
I had completed the Sanctify a Desecrated Temple plot quest, which provides a white cube whenever I take a Piety quest. Later in the game I completed the Establish a Temple to Ibrandul quest, which as the reward has me take all quests from Cliffwatch Inn.
If any of those quests are Piety quests, do I get a white cube for each of them as a result of the plot quest?
I don't have images, but I imagine there are similar plot quests for when you take the other quest types and this same situation would apply.
My thought is that since both cards use the word take, then the plot quest reward would be triggered and I'd get white cubes for each Piety quest present, but is this the case?


texts: In Shadows Over Camelot, when does a knight die if his life points drop to zero on another player's turn?

texts:
Rules as written, p. 12, emphasis mine:

  If your Life points fall to zero (as a result of this voluntary sacrifice, or at any other point during the game, regardless of the reason for it), you die and disappear from the game at the end of your game turn.

Suppose I have one life point remaining. The player to my left begins their turn and plays a black Morgan card, "Each Knight immediately loses 1 Life Point." Barring being saved by the Grail, what happens? Am I immediately dead and out of the game? Or does play go all the way around the table back to me, where I can take a full turn at zero life points, and then die at the end of my turn? The latter seems to be what the rules indicate, but that seems rather... wrong... for this otherwise unforgiving game.


texts: Can the New Angeles Sol prevent a current from being trashed if an agenda was stolen?

texts:
The corp's id is the New Angeles Sol: Your News and some current is on the table.

Say runner steals an agenda. What is the order of abilities triggered? The current is trashed and then corp's id can bring it back, or not?


texts: Can a sacrifice be used to pay for more than one effect?

texts:
Someone tried to play the following combo in a game I was in. I think it is an illegal play, so I wanted some help to clarify the rules.

The cards were:

1) Launch Party - "As an additional cost to cast Launch Party, sacrifice a creature."

2) Mogg Fanatic - "Sacrifice Mogg Fanatic: Mogg Fanatic deals 1 damage to target creature or player."

The other player played Launch Party and wanted to sacrifice Mogg Fanatic to pay Launch Party's cost. However, they also wanted to benefit from Mogg Fanatic's own ability.

This doesn't seem legitimate, because it would be a "two for one" (pay one cost, get two spells). Am I correct?


texts: Checkers only repetitive moves left to opponent

texts: If opponent only can move between the two diagonal squares in the "open" corner, does he lose? How many times can he makes these fruitless moves?


texts: When would you ever want to buy this instead of just buying a Silver for the same price?


texts: How many submarines do I need to take down an aircraft carrier?

texts: In Axis and Allies, how many submarines do I need to have a greater than 60% chance to take down a lone aircraft carrier?


texts: Should you ever deploy your blank at a position other than an edge in Epigo?

texts:
During the deployment step, should you ever place your Blank Epigon at any location other than an edge?

Ultimately, in this game you want to push off 3 of your opponents pieces and prevent your opponent from doing the same. Keeping your pieces off the edge just seems to be prudent. Is there ever a reason to place your Blank in the center of the board?


texts:
We in childhood played game called Bead 12 and a smaller version with 3 Beads. It is called in our local language Bara Tehni or Teen Tehni. A Bangladesh version of this game also called Baroguti and with 16 beads it is called Shologuti.
My main question is, Is there any variant of this game presented in literature? I know Achi is something similar to this game but Achi is more like tic tac toe, But in case of 3 Beads game main focus is to remove opponents bead from the board instead of making a row of our own beads. There is an Application on Google Playstore called Bead 12 which is the same game we use to play which says this game is played in South East Asia. So if other countries also play this game then what they call it? Why no information over internet? Am I missing the right keyword to search with?
Thanks


texts: vedalken orrery, aura of silence in reponse to opponents enchantment

texts: If I have a Vedalken Orrery in play, and my opponent attempts to cast an enchantment, can I flash in Aura of Silence in response and force them to either pay 2 more mana or have their spell fizzle?


texts: What are good tips for playing the endgame in Scrabble?

texts:
Toward the end of the game, you want to get rid of as many tiles as you can so that they don't count against you. Or do you?

Yesterday, with less than 20 tiles to go, I got a few points for extending "RE" (considered a word in our group) to "rein" by adding "IN." That seemed like a bad move, because this opened up two columns for my two opponents who each got a multiple of the points that I did. Given the chance to play this again, I would exchanged tiles, or even passed.

Does there come a point toward the endgame where you "play not to lose" rather than "play to win?" That is, should you refrain from making moves that help you if you suspect that they will help your opponents more? Should you sometimes "burn" tiles and turns and let your opponents make moves that help you?

I'm assuming that you can't immediately end the game in your favor by using up all your tiles, and thereby preventing your opponents from responding.


texts: I control the following two enchantments: Bottomless Pit and Necrogen Mists. At the beginning of my opponent's upkeep do I get to choose which one of the triggered abilities that goes on the stack first or will my opponent make that choice?


texts:
The card Master Transmuter reads:

  {U}, {T}, Return an artifact you control to its owner’s hand: You may put an artifact card from your hand onto the battlefield.

Can Master Transmuter return a token artifact to your hand (which causes it to cease to exist) and then put an artifact card from hand to the battlefield (like Metalwork Colossus)


texts:
In Blood on the Clocktower, the Professor can only target dead players with their ability:

Once per game, at night, choose a dead player: if they are a Townsfolk, they are resurrected.

The rules for Bad Moon Rising go so far as to say that the Storyteller will indicate when someone is not dead:

Unbeknownst to the Professor, that player was regurgitated by the Shabaloth and is now alive. The Storyteller shakes their head no, because the Professor must choose a dead player.

Does this imply that the Professor can know who just died, earlier in the same night?
We ran into a case where in the first day, nobody was executed, then that night the Grandmother died to the Demon. The Professor woke to potentially resurrect someone, but because nobody had been executed the first day and the night's deaths had not been announced, the Professor wasn't aware the Grandmother had died.
Should the Professor have been informed about the fresh corpse, to potentially resurrect them?


texts: Interaction between Nivmagus Elemental and Rune Snag

texts:
Recently the following situation popped up in a casual game and it was a bit confusing. I was wondering if someone here could help out.

Player T has 4 mana open and plays a 2 mana spell in his main phase
Player G has a Nivmagus Elemental out and plays a Rune Snag to counter T's 2 mana spell; Player G has no Rune Snags in his graveyard
T decides to pay the 2 mana required to not have his spell countered.
At this point G exiles his rune snag using Nivmagus Elemental to obtain two +1/+1 counters

It seemed to me that this cannot happen, since either Rune Snag resolves and T pays two mana, or Nivmagus Elemental eats Rune Snag and T does not need to pay 2 mana since it never resolves.

Does player T need to pay two additional mana to play his spell even if Nivmagus Elemental eats it?


texts: Am I at legal risk if I use a mechanism from another game in my own design?

texts:
I'm juggling with a card game idea based on a popular fantasy universe. The game still has a long way to go yet.

But before I really invest in developing the card game I want to make sure I'm not wasting time and want to verify if I'll be able to develop the card game at all.

The game will use a tree of influence mechanism, where each player can acquire cards and can have those cards control other cards. They can even try to steal cards controlled by other players. The scope of the game is base on the nature of characters of a fantasy universe where there is a lot of back-stabbing, short-term alliances and power mongering.

After thinking about that mechanic I remember playing Illuminati by Steve Jackson. I just want to know if that mechanism is patented.


texts: What happens to an Inkmoth Nexus that has had Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas' -1 ability used on it?

texts:
From my initial expectations I'd expect otherwise, but I was recently told at a tournament that an activated Inkmoth Nexus that had been the target of Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas' -1 ability ("Target artifact becomes a 5/5 artifact creature.") would cease being a vanilla 5/5 artifact at the end of the turn when Inkmoth Nexus' ability ends. I was planning on using Revoke Existence, but my plans were quashed.

Was this correct? Without looking at layers or anything, I'd assume appears Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas' ability (which is persistent) would remain active after Inkmoth Nexus' ends, and that on the next turn it would remain a vanilla 5/5 artifact creature.


texts: What was the game with a plastic Bigfoot that left footprint counters?

texts:
When I was a child in the late 1970s, I had a Bigfoot-themed game in which you moved around a track in spaces around the board. The setting was Alaska, and the track went up and down a mountain, and I recall that there was a saloon with trapper and prospector type characters.
The main thing I remember was a plastic Bigfoot piece into which you loaded round cardboard tokens and when the Bigfoot moved, you would press it down on certain spaces and leave usually a footprint counter, but I think there were other things the Bigfoot would leave.
While the game is explicitly set in North America, it may have referred to Bigfoot as an “abominable snowman,” and the playing piece and game art may have shown him with white fur.
Can anyone help me identify the game?


texts: Can Mushin No Shin be played on any card?

texts:
Thanks for reading:
Mushin No shin can be used to advance cards; I assume that that these
cards are only assets, upgrades or agendas that can be advanced. Does this mean that I can place advancement tokens on assets or upgrades that cannot be advanced, to trick the runner? Or is this move not legal?

Thank you,
Suman


texts: When can I take additional actions in Grand Austria Hotel?

texts:
The rules for Grand Austria Hotel contain this section:

On your turn, you take the following actions:

Take a guest from the game board. (optional)
Take a die and carry out the corresponding action. (mandatory)

You can also take additional actions (see “Additional Actions”).

It does not seem clear whether additional actions have to be taken after step 2, as part of step 2, or if they can be taken at any point during the turn.
For example is it possible to pay a krone to move dishes onto a guest and then move the guest to a free room, so that you have a table free to take a new guest (step 1)?


texts: What happens when opponent draws Exodia and Deck Out in the same turn?

texts: I've dueled with an opponent that had an Exodia deck draw-based. It happens that he managed to draw Exodia, but in the same time that he decked out. Which win condition has priority? Exodia "effect" or deck out?


texts: Does Cabal Paladin's ability trigger when playing an artifact land?

texts: If I have a Cabal Paladin onto the battlefield, and I play an artifact land, such as Seat of the Synod, does the Cabal Paladin's ability trigger?


texts: In Game of Thrones, is it possible to moving back units after winning a combat following March Order?

texts:
May I move back some of the units after winning a combat? I mean, if there is time for defeated troops to retreat there will definitely be time for winning troops to move back as well. Does that not make sense?

I couldn't find any mention in the rulebook specifying that the winning units all have to stay in the conquered territory, that some (or even all) cannot move back after winning. I don't see why you can move back if you lose but you can't move back if you win? It should be even easier for winners to move back as they should be in better shape.


texts: Why are all changelings Shapeshifter creature type?

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I noticed a few days ago that all creatures with Changeling key word have Shapeshifter as their type (e.g. https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?text=+%5BChangeling%5D). This seems superfluous as they will already be that type (and every other).

Is there any functional reason for this? Would the rules of the me be any different in any way? Or is it just a convenience thing?


texts: When is it advisable to take Blue cards in the first age in Seven Wonders?

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I've played several games of Seven Wonders now, and I'm still figuring out a lot of the strategy. I've learned that every card has its place and advantages, but the one group of cards that seems most useless is the blue cards in age 1.

It's not that the blue cards in Age 1 are bad, it's just that the other alternatives seem better. If you can take almost any brown, gray, or yellow card instead it seems like it's almost always a good idea to do so because the will help you get more points for every single turn in the future instead of just being worth 2 or 3 at the end of the game. If I can take a green card instead of a blue I'll usually do it unless I'm really short on money and have to pay my last coins for it. I'll also usually prefer red over blue in the first round because they usually give you close to the same point value at the end of the round as well as help you win future wars.

If you don't need the extra 3 coins from discarding or are planning on using them to get some Age 2 blue cards I can see them being valuable. But won't you usually be able to use the money to get something much better? And isn't it usually a better idea to focus on getting resources so you won't need to use the free-construction benefit? When is it a good idea to pick the Civilian Structures in the first Age?


texts: Let say I play Leaden Fists on Leech Bonder, can I pay my 1 blue mana and untap, or does Leaden Fist overide this?


texts: Do you have to choose a target for a spell, or can you just cast it with no target and let it fizzle?

texts: Let's say I have Lightning Bolt and my one opponent has a Leyline of Sanctity and no creatures in play. I might still want to cast Lightning Bolt to delve it later or to buff up my Tarmogoyf or whatever. My question is...  can I cast Lightning Bolt without targeting anyone? Can I just decline to name a target and let the spell fizzle? Or if either I or my creatures are the only valid targets do I have to target myself?