texts: Do things on the stack or state-based effects resolve between first strike and normal combat damage?

texts:
I have two examples of different scenarios that are confusing to me.

First, if I have a 1/1 creature with first strike and deathtouch, and my opponent blocks it with a 2/2 creature, will my creature die? I can see two alternative ways this could play out and I'm not sure which is correct.

My creature deals his first strike damage, immediately killing the opponent's creature before he is able to deal combat damage as a state-based effect.
My creature deals his first strike damage, which would normally be lethal due to deathtouch, but state-based effects are not checked, and thus the opposing creature deals his damage and both die.

I'm almost positive in this case that it's the first option above.

What gets trickier is, for example, if a creature has first strike and a triggered ability "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a creature, return that creature to its owner's hand."

This is not a state-based effect, but rather uses the stack. Similar to above, there are two possibilities.

My creature deals his first strike damage, and his triggered ability is placed on the stack. The stack waits to resolve until after all combat damage is dealt, so the opposing creature still kills mine.
My creature deals his first strike damage, and his triggered ability is placed on the stack. Both players now gain priority between first strike and combat damage (which I don't think normally happens, thus my confusion). The stack finishes resolving, and the opponent's creature doesn't have a chance to deal damage.

Can someone clarify this area of the rules?


texts:
I'd like to ask two questions regarding bang!

Is bang! pocket sold elsewhere? Or just in Brazil? I could not find it in amazon.com, so I guess it only exists here.
Are there any expansions compatible with bang! pocket. I am thinking that card sizes would be incompatible between bang! pocket and the normal-sized edition.


texts:
Two very closely related questions:

If a card has two different "Sacrifice this creature for X" abilities on it, does sacrificing it give both benefits?

Likewise, if a card requires a creature to be sacrificed, but that creature has a "Sacrifice this creature for X" ability, do you get the sacrifice benefit when you sacrifice it for the other requirement?


texts:
In the game of Spades, if two players from opposites partnerships bid Nil[1], then the round plays very differently from a regular round.  This is because that each of the non-Nil players is trying to set their opponent Nil without setting their partner.
For the sake of the rest of the discussion, let's call the players A, B, C, and D, where B and C are the ones who made the nil bids, so A and D are leading rounds after the first (unless one of B or C takes a trick). Here are some specific considerations:
Advantages:

Player A (the cover-partner that plays before both Nilers), has a disadvantage, she don't know if she should play high card to cover her partner or she can play a low card to try setting her opponent's nil.
Player D (The cover-partner that plays after both Nilers), has an advantage since she can see if she needs to cover or not.

I build an AI player of Spades, and I want to add this special case of Nil Vs. Nil round.  My question is, what are the main strategy considerations, or what adjustments in game play should I add?   For refining reasons, assume its the first round of the game[2].

[1] Nil Vs Nil rounds are not too rare in normal games.  In the Suicide variant, every round is Nil Vs Nil.
[2] Occasionally, Nil Vs. Nil rounds happens at a "game winner round", that is to say, one partnership will win the game if she makes the Nil.  In this kind of situations, other considerations come in to play.  In order to refine the question, assume non of the partnerships is close to the game winning score.


texts:
The rule text of Hypersonic Dragon says

  You may cast sorcery spells as though they had flash. (You may cast them any time you could cast an instant.)

Can I cast scavenge as an instant now?

  Exile this card from your graveyard: Put a number of +1/+1 counters equal to this card's power on target creature. Scavenge only as a sorcery.


texts: Is rolling to escape a monster required?

texts:
In some cases, the Bad Stuff of a monster may actually be beneficial, for instance dying to draw new cards, if you were dealt bad cards at the start.

But is rolling required to let the monster take you, or can you simply "lie down at the ground" and let the monster kill you?


texts:
I am playing a game of EDH against 3 other opponents and I control an Everlasting Torment and Horde of Notions, and I have a Necroskitter in my graveyard. My opponents control a whole host of non-token creatures. If one of us were to cast a Blasphemous Act for example and I use Horde of Notions ability to bring back Necroskitter, would I then gain control of all creatures that died to Blasphemous Act?

If so, as a bonus question: What about if they cast Anger of the Gods instead of Blasphemous Act?


texts:
I plan to create a 60 cards booster format. How many booster each players should crack for a 60 cards booster draft?

I think that 4 or 5 should works. Is there any existing format or math about this?

I made a small script in Python but I am bot sure that it helps:

import math

def fill_land(deckSize):
    return deckSize / 2.5

def count_booster_per_person(deckSize):
    boosterSize = 15
    landCount = fill_land(deckSize)
    noLandCount = deckSize - landCount
    return math.ceil(noLandCount / boosterSize) + 1

print(count_booster_per_person(40))
print(count_booster_per_person(60))

Try it online!


texts:
I am the runner and on a run I encounter a Chum, but I don't break its subroutine.

I encounter the next piece of ICE which happens to be a Woodcutter (rezzed with an Oversight AI) without advancement counters and thus no subroutines. I pass it.

Have I broken all subroutines on the Woodcutter?

If yes, I don't get three netdamage from Chum and the Woodcutter is trashed alongside the Oversight AI.
If no, I get the three netdamage from Chum and Woodcutter is not trashed.

I heard that you don't take the damage, and that Woodcutter is not trashed. But why should it be like that?


texts: Does the spell cast with Yahenni's Expertise resolve before state-based effects are checked?

texts:
The recently revealed card Yahenni's Expertise states:

  All creatures get -3/-3 until end of turn.

  You may cast a card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your hand.

The situation is this:
There is one 2/2 creature on the battlefield. I cast Yahenni's Expertise, then chose to cast Living End with the second effect. Will the 2/2 creature die from the Expertise before the Living End resolves? (and thus be brought back to play by Living End). Or will it die after the Living End finished resolving?


texts: Can Munchkin Quest be used for classic Munchkin?

texts:
I received "Munchkin Quest" as a gift. I had expected to get the classic "Munchkin"; I don't really know this variant but exchanging it is not an option.

I wish to play this with some of my not-so-board-game-aholic friends, and I imagine that the classic version is way easier, what with the tiles and creatures and markers taken out of the equation. I hope to "upgrade" them as time goes by, but better to start them on Level 1, right?

So, finally, my question: Can one play a round of classic Munchkin using a box of Munchkin Quest? Or, are there prohibitive differences?

Thanks...


texts: How does Lava Burst work with hexproof/shroud?

texts:
How does Lava Burst work with hexproof/shroud ability?

Lava Burst text says:

  If Lava Burst would deal damage to a creature, that damage can't be prevented or dealt instead to another creature or player.

However, hexproof / shroud ability also say:

  This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities ...

So how does it actually work? Can Lava Burst damage a hexproof / shroud creature, or can't that creature be targeted at all?


texts: Canasta- using the top card of a non frozen pile to a canasta meld

texts: OK- so I understand when the pile if NOT frozen you can take the discard pile if you can use the top to make a meld from your hand OR take the top card and add it to a meld on the table. The question is- can you take the top card and also add it to a canasta (meld) that you previously made that also is the table?


texts: How is "shifting" supposed to work in Death Angel?

texts:
I've read and re-read the rules for shifting marines, but I'm still completely baffled as to how shifting is supposed to work in Death Angel.
This evening I had the following setup:
Dark Corner - Brother Claudio - Ventilation Duct - Genestealer
       Door - Brother Zael    - Corridor
              Brother Goriel
              Brother Noctis
              Brother Omnio

I used Brother Claudio's "Heroic Charge" attack, and since my die appears to be loaded, I rolled yet another 0 and Brother Claudio died.
The rules for shifting state:

Shifting is resolved by taking every Terrain card, Space Marine card, and Genestaeler card in the smaller segment of the formation and moving them up or down to fill in the slain Space Marine's previous position.
The smallest segment is defined as the half of the formation that contains the least Space Marine cards.  If both segments of the formation are even, the bottom segment is shifted up.

So once Brother Claudio dies, I'm left with this:
Dark Corner - ??????????????? - Ventilation Duct - Genestealer
       Door - Brother Zael    - Corridor
              Brother Goriel
              Brother Noctis
              Brother Omnio

Question 1:  When are the formation halves determined, before or after the marine dies?  And what happens when you have an odd number of marines, what exactly is a segment?  And in this case, does it really even matter?
Question 2: Should (1) the Dark Corner, Ventilation Duct and Genestealer from Claudio's row shift down to Brother Zael, placing the Dark Corner and Door both on Zael's left, and the Ventilation Duct, Corridor and Genestealer on the right?
Door / Dark Corner - Brother Zael    - Ventilation Duct / Corridor - Genestealer
                     Brother Goriel
                     Brother Noctis
                     Brother Omnio

Or (2) should Zael shift up to where Claudio was, Goriel shifts up to where Zael was, and Noctis and Omnio stay where they are, leaving the formation as follows:
Dark Corner - Brother Zael    - Ventilation Duct - Genestealer
       Door - Brother Goriel  - Corridor
              Brother Noctis
              Brother Omnio

Can anyone more clearly sum up the rules for shifting?


texts: Why don’t you capture more territory in Go?

texts:
If you have large areas like here in the white upper left corner,

why can't black just put a stone in upper left corner? Then white would lose one point. Or white would have to capture it and get a point instead, but then there would be three white stones within the area and that would mean again for white to lose three points.
So is it just convention to end the game here, when black won't be able to create a living group within the area?


texts: How Has The Fluxx Core Game Changed Over The Years?

texts:
While researching Fluxx for a different question, I came across this chronology for editions of the game in Wikipedia:

Fluxx 2.0 (new card layout, use of color, bridge-sized cards)

Fluxx 2.1 (reprint of 2.0 with minor changes)

Fluxx 3.0 (many cards removed and added, to improve balance)

Fluxx 3.1 (two cards removed, one card added)

Fluxx 4.0 (card number increased to 100, all color, introduction of Meta rule and creepers)

I am now officially intrigued by the way Fluxx has evolved since its earliest incarnations.  Can anyone provide a rundown?  In particular:

What were the differences been Fluxx 2 and Fluxx 3?  What unbalanced cards or combinations existed in 2.0 and 2.1?
What were the minor (but clearly vitally important) changes to the lineup between 3.0 and 3.1?


texts: Following the official rules of Jenga, what is the highest possible level that can be placed?

texts:
I can't seem to find the answer to this question anywhere.  Also, to preempt a couple possible answers:
I have read about the current record. However, I want to know if this is the highest level possible following the official rules. That is, the preceding level must be completed before beginning the next highest level.
I'm sure there is a mathematical method to solve this but my brain isn't working sufficiently right now to figure it out.
Also, I saw an answer posted somewhere of 54. Though it is possible to stack all 54 blocks atop one another individually, this would violate the rules of the game.


texts: Is there a mis-print on the Grabby Guts card?

texts: In Munchkin Zombies, the Grabby Guts card says "You have one extra Hand", but in the bottom right corner, it says "-1 Hand".  Shouldn't it say "+1 Hand" in the corner?


texts: Can casinos protect themselves against card counters by limiting bet variations in blackjack?

texts:
For reason discussed below, "card counters" make their money by observing the flow of cards as they leave the deck. This is legal in most cases (although it's a felony to use a "device" such as a computer in Nevada). It is frowned upon, probably because it violates an unwritten rule (the house is supposed to win).

Because the rules of the game (the deal plays after all the players), the casino will win the majority of the hands. But there are several offsetting rules that reduce the house edge to about 1%:

1) Players are paid 3-2 for blackjacks (more like 5-4 nowadays), unless the dealer also has a blackjack, in which case it's a tie.

2) The dealer has to "hit on 16, stand on 17." Players are free to make better decisions.

3) Players can "double down" in advantageous situations.

4) Players can "split" two equal cards if it is to their advantage, essentially doubling their bets, and getting two potential blackjacks for e.g. A-A.

Card counters do one more thing to tip the odds in their favor. There are rare situations (when a lot of small cards have come out of the deck, leaving a disproportionate number of ten valued cards). At such times, the game is actually in the player's favor ( 1) greater potential for blackjacks, and 2) greater potential for the dealer to bust.) Card counters will "bet big" at such times, and "bet small" at others. The bet size variations (typically 5- or 10- to 1, larger than that of a typical "tourist), help identify a card counter. If someone were to "flat bet" (bet the same on every hand), card counting probably would be useless.

Nevada casinos will typically bar (eject) or harass people identified as card counters. (Following a court case, Atlantic City casinos can't do this, but will merely "shuffle up" after every deal to eliminate the counter's advantage.)

IMHO, Nevada casinos shouldn't be allowed to do what they do, but should have the privilege of "money managment" available to every player. If casinos had the right to limit bet sizes, and more importantly, bet VARIATIONS to say 2-to-1, it would be roughly even money against the best card counters (and make money from a bunch of wannabees).

Is this a workable solution for the casino to not lose money at blackjack? Would this be "fair" to both the house and players?


texts: If I attack with 2 creatures that both have "All creatures able to block this creature do so", how are blockers determined?

texts: Say I have 2 creatures enchanted with Lure or 2 Taunting Elves attacking: Does my opponent get to choose which of their creatures blocks each one or do I? What if one of those attacking creatures also has flying but the other does not? If one of my opponent's creatures can block multiple creatures, must they block both?


texts: Who draws a card if my opponent has stolen control of Pelakka Wurm when it dies?

texts: If an opponent casts Act of Treason to gain control of Pelakka Wurm then sacrifices it who will draw the card?


texts:
First query - can I take the locked dice from a resolved monster and use it right away to complete the rest of the adventure card it was on?
Second - if I have a locked red dice on one card or monster then draw another card or monster with a locked red dice symbol, do I have to wait to clear the red dice from the first and move it to the second before I can try and resolve the second adventure, so the second card is basically out of play until the first lock is resolved? Or can I try and clear the second card to stop the lock moving?


texts:
Do I need to roll the dice to open a vault door? Or is it auto success?
Can I close vault doors?
Regarding opening doors in general: the rulebook, in page 19, explicitly says (emphasis mine):

  Melee weapons with the “Open a door” symbol can be used to
  open a door next to the Survivor. Spend an Action and roll as
  many dice as the weapon’s Dice value: the door is opened if
  any die result equals or exceeds the Accuracy number of the
  weapon. Place a Noise token in the Zone.

However, it seems obvious that you should only put a noise token if the weapon is noisy for opening doors. There is a bell in the opening door slot of the card to indicate that. Is this a problem in the manual?


texts: Can you interfere and help and win the game as an elf in munchkin?

texts:
In the rules it says you can interfere with combat "use a one shot item to help another player by casting a potion against his foe"

My friend drew a lvl18 card and someone else helped him. I wanted to play a flaming poison potion to add +3 to their side and "help" them. Then by the wording of the rules, as an elf, do I go up a level?


texts: What kind of paper can I use for a game card?

texts:
I really want to make game card that's similar to Monopoly cards or the like.
What kind of paper should I use for the cards?


texts: If I reach a goal card that is a rock, can I put a path card going from that goal card to another one, even though that goal card dosen't have a path connected to it on that side?


texts: When does Thorncaster Sliver's ability resolve?

texts: When you attack with Thorncaster Sliver and the ability triggers, does it do the damage from the attack first or the ability first?


texts:
I have been thinking of getting into the Lord of the Rings LCG from Fantasy Flight Games. I realize the game has been out for a while and there are a LOT of deluxe expansions and Adventure Packs for the game.

Does anyone know the release order for the Expansions and Packs and the general theme of each?

That would probably help me in deciding what I want/need to pick up first.


texts: Catan Universe with 2 human and 1 computer player

texts:
I have played a lot of Catan on the original board game but there is Catan Classic or Catan Universe in the App Store.

Can I play Catan online with a friend but also against the computer so we have minimum 3 player which makes it more challenging than a 2 player version?


texts: Should every Fatty still come with two Walkers?

texts:
In Zombicide, whenever a Fatty is spawned, it comes with two Walkers as an "escort".

However, I couldn't pinpoint this rule in the Zombicide Black Plague manual. Is that still the case?

For further clarification, my question arose from a passage from the translated manual that came in my box. In the official english rulebook, on the end of page 24, there is the following excerpt:

  The Fatty joins one group of Walkers, and a second Fatty is added to the other group.

In the pr-BR translated version, published by Galápago Jogos, however, the same paragraph is phrased in the following form:

  O Balofo se junta a um dos grupos de Lerdos, e um segundo
  Balofo é adicionado ao outro grupo (esse novo Balofo não vem com
  Lerdos extras).

Which roughly translates to (emphasis mine):

  The Fatty joins one group of Walkers, and a second Fatty is added to the other group (this new Fatty does not come with extra Walkers).

Which implies on regular spawns it does come accompanied. But this is certainly a silly translation error, that always happens with pr-BR things. I should've checked the original manual first.


texts: Beast combat in Scenario 19 (The Beastmaster)

texts:
In Scenario 19, the Traitor's Tome says that certain beasts get extra successes when they initiate an attack. What does "extra successes" mean?

When we played, we assumed it meant add the number of successes to the roll, but we were not sure. For example, we added 2 to the total of the dice when the Bear initiated an attack.


texts: Does Reduce to Ashes Kill indestructible creatures?

texts:
When I first read Reduce to Ashes:

  Reduce to Ashes deals 5 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.

I thought "ok, a way to deal with indestructible", but then I thought again and wondered. Because indestructible will stop you dying, and the exile only kicks in after you die.

So does it work?


texts: Does anyone know what game this is? It seems to be a 12x12 grid with the outside rows used to mark a winner of a row. It appears that each box can be slid to reveal a color. Picture is from the late 70's.


texts:
Not sure how a duel works in the game BANG! If both the person playing the duel card has a single bang card, and the person they challenge has a single bang card - is it a draw?
Or does the person playing the duel card have the advantage of going second - meaning when the person they challenge runs out of bang cards - they win without having to put down a bang card? Like can they win without throwing down a bang card?
Or does it work like an actual gun duel works - where each player has to throw down bang cards head to head until someone runs out?
Can there be a "draw" if both players have the same number of bang cards?  Or is the challenged player always disadvantaged...?


texts: Let's say I activate Anje Falkenrath to discard a card with madness. The madness card goes to exile instead. Do I get to draw a card before I decide to cast the madness spell? Do I get a choice to draw or cast first?


texts: Does move priority come first when deciding option card play?

texts: If you started in Dock 1, but my move has higher priority than yours, and my option cards involve my movement while your option card involves your movement, does the higher movement priority allow me to execute my option first (then allow you to take your move and then execute your option), or does the ruling on page 8 on resolving option card priority imply that the docking bay priority rules overtop of each 'complete registers' or 'robots move' segment (and in this case the dock 1 player, you, goes first)?


texts: Do Gather The Townsfolk's (or cards like it) tokens go on the stack separately?

texts:
A friend of mine was playing a deck that uses Cathars' Crusade and Gather the Townsfolk (and cards like it) to pump his creatures.

Another guy was watching and said that all the tokens went on the stack separately so each subsequent token was smaller than the last.

This leads to my question: Is this correct? And, if it is, what happens if, in response to the first or second token going on the stack, someone played a split second spell so nothing else could enter the stack (like the rest of the tokens)?


texts:
Recently acquired a copy of Dragonology via an Estate Sale, and there were no rules.  Based on the article at board game geek, it looks like we have everything we need, except the rules.

I followed several links in internet searches, but they seemed to lead to phishing sites.  I couldn't find any legitimate (or non-evil) looking download for the rules.

Board Game Geek doesn't have an "official" website either for the game, nor could I find one.


texts: Is there a bonus card when playing the Ticket to Ride USA 1910 Expansion in Big Cities mode?

texts: Is there a bonus card (either longest route or globetrotter) when playing the Ticket to Ride USA 1910 Expansion in Big Cities mode?  There is no mention of it in the rules.  Is this an oversight?


texts: Citadels: Price of the poorhouse from Dark City

texts: What is the price of the poorhouse from The Dark City expansion? I'm asking, because in my (German) edition the poorhouse doesn't have any coins printed on it, so I suppose this is an error by the publisher.


texts: Space combat game with standard deck of cards

texts: About a year ago I was clicking around on the net and I found someone's personal blog with a description of an invented card game.  It was played with a normal deck of cards.  Face cards were ships, and they could be augmented with shields, phasers, torpedos etc... which were represented by the pip cards.  I've searched for hours and can't find it.  Has anybody seen this game?


texts: Do the benefits of going second in Yu-Gi-Oh! outweigh those of going first?

texts:
I currently have YuGiOh Duel Generation. Recently, I have noticed that some characters prefer to go first. Why would one do this?

If you go second:

You get to attack first
You get to draw another card

If you go first:

You get a lead in development

Do the benefits of going second outweigh going first, or does development really mean so much?


texts: Responding to a Triggered Ability, multiple times

texts:
My opponent is at 3 life and has a Dread on board. I have a Fungal Plots, and a Slimefoot, the Stowaway, a 1/1 green Saproling token, and 8 mana open.

I attack with my token, and he blocks. My token dies, triggering Slimefoot's effect.
When Slimefoot's triggered effect resolves, this damage triggers Dread's effect.
In response to Dread's triggered effect, I use Slimefoot's token generation activated ability twice.
Then once those token generation effects resolve but before Dread's ability does, I use Fungal Plots to sac those tokens, triggering Slimefoot's effect two more times, for lethal.

Is my understanding of the rules correct that I can make this line of play?


texts:
Here is the situation. Playing best of minors (with four diamonds and 14 points with no five card suit) I opened one diamond. Opponent on my left Doubled. My partner Redoubled. Her partner passed and I passed…not comprehending what she was telling me or asking. As it turned out she just thought it was the right thing to do having four diamonds and a minimal supporting hand. We made two diamonds, and scored it accordingly, but left all of us still wondering what the Redoubled meant.

What could it have meant, or what should it have meant under the Goren system of bidding? Was redoubling the right thing for partner to do with a minimum supporitng hand?


texts: How does Puncturing Light work against a creature buffed in size?

texts:
Puncturing light is an instant that has:

  Destroy target attacking or blocking creature with power 3 or less.

If a creature has a buff on it until end of turn that makes it a 4/4 for example, would puncturing light still be able to kill this creature? In a stack what would happen to the puncturing light if the buff were applied after puncturing light was played.


texts: Can I steal a permanent indefinitely with Frenzied Fugue?

texts:
Frenzied Fugue says this:

  Enchantment — Aura

  Enchant permanent

  When Frenzied Fugue enters the battlefield or at the beginning of your
  upkeep, gain control of enchanted permanent until end of turn. Untap
  that permanent. It gains haste until end of turn.

If I enchant a permanent controled by my opponent, then make the Frenzied Fugue leave the battlefield (by sacrificing it, destroying, etc.), do I lose the control of the permanent at the end of the turn?


texts: Barbu - should the declarer pass after every hand?

texts:
The wikipedia page for Barbu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbu_(card_game)#Preliminaries) states:

  The declarer names each one of the contracts once. After this declarer
  has played all seven contracts, the roles of declarer and dealer pass
  to the left for the next seven hands, and so on, until all have done
  their seven contracts.

However, my game group has always passed the declaring of the contract to the next player after each hand, while still observing the "each player calls each contract only once" rule. We feel this choice keeps the game more interesting without materially altering the rules of the game. Wikipedia call this variant "Quick Rotation Barbu".

What is the usual practice? Do others see an advantage to each player calling 7 contracts in a row and passing the declaring only once?


texts: Keeper Action Card Reuse in Mansions of Madness

texts:
Some Keeper Action cards in MoM specifically state "This card can be used only once per Keeper turn." Other specifically state that a card may be used a number of times - once per monster on the board, or some such.

But most of the cards are not specific. Does this mean they can be used multiple times per Keeper turn by default?

For example - the Raise Dead card allows the Keeper to spend 1 Threat to place a corpse token or spend 2 Threat to replace a corpse with a Zombie.

Can I as Keeper spend 3 Threat to place the corpse and replace it with the Zombie?
If so, can I keep doing that as long as I have enough Threat to spend? (Subject to the limited number of Zombie figures, of course)


texts: What dice to use in a game that revolves around triangles?

texts:
I am currently in the process of prototyping a game that revolves around triangles. I want my players to roll 3d4 dice to move, but am worried about the effects it might have vs. a traditional 2d6 setup.

The reasons I want to use d4s are:

They are triangular prisms.

and

I can use three of them and still only have a maximum of 12 rolled at any one time.

I am worried about the rolls always being just a few numbers. For 2d6, the odds of rolling a 12 (or the lowest #) are 1 in 36. For 3d4, the odds are 1 in 64, making my rolls less diverse. I seem to roll 7, 8 or 9 every time I roll 3d4.

I need to know if this would pose any problem to the movement factor in my game (for now, assume it has 40 squares).


texts:
There are many spells in Yu-Gi-Oh that summon monsters. Some of the more common varieties are Fusion and Ritual summoning. These mechanics involve using a spell that, upon it's resolution, summons a monster.

My question is, am I allowed to chain a trap like Bottomless Trap Hole to a Fusion or Ritual summon (or any other spell that summons a monster on resolution?) I know you can use cards that specifically negate spells and traps that summon monsters like Solemn Warning, but am I able to use a card like Solemn Strike to negate the Fusion or Ritual summon, even though it only happens on resolution?


texts: Can the diver swim around the outside of the island?

texts:
If the diver is able to reach the edge of the island, are they then allowed to swim around the edge to reach another tile on the edge of the island?

Logically this would be sea, just as removed tiles are, but I suspect that this is not allowed.


texts: Does Catan expansion edition have to match base game edition?

texts: I have the English fourth edition 2007 base game of Settlers of Catan. Are current editions of the expansion, specifically Catan: Seafarers English edition 2015, compatible with this base set?


texts: Maelstrom Pulse, targeting a face-down creature. Does it destroy other face-down creatures?

texts:
The big issue that needs to be addressed is that face-down creatures don't actually have a name.

So while Maelstrom Pulse would normally remove most creature tokens just fine, its effect on face-down creatures is a bit ambiguous.

What's the rule on this?


texts: Will Karlov get multiple +1/+1 counters with Soul Warden when multiple tokens are created simultaneously?

texts:
When I have Karlov of the Ghost Council and Soul Warden on the battlefield and I cast something like Lingering Souls, does Karlov get two +1/+1 counters twice since two spirits enter the battlefield or only once since I cast Lingering Souls once?

The same thing applies to beautiful cards such as Conqueror's Pledge - does Karlov get two +1/+1 counters six times or only once?


texts: After combat has finished and you have drawn between 1 and 5 Reputation Tiles, can you exchange any Reputation Tiles you have on your Reputation Track for any that you draw from the bag? So if I have a space with a 1 Reputation tile and I draw a 4 from the bag can I swap the 1 for the 4? And what happens to the 1 - does it go back in the bag or into a discard pile?


texts: What's the etymology for the term "Bingo" in Scrabble?

texts: Using all 7 tiles nets a Scrabble player a 50-point bonus and is sometimes referred to as a "Bingo". I'm curious: how did that term come into use and why does it have such meaning?


texts:
The trick that involves Cloudshifting or Unsummoning (or any similar effect) a card with the Oblivion Ring effect (most commonly in current standard is Fiend Hunter) to permanently exile a creature is well-known to even mildly experienced players, and questions related to it are relatively common on forums.

Recently, I've had a player claim that, at the time that a recent GP was played in my hometown, he was told by a judge that this trick will also work on a Fiend Hunter that has been on the battlefield since the beginning of the turn with a creature that is already exiled. This supposedly results into a permanently exiled creature (the originally exiled one) and a second, "temporary" exile.

Since I have never seen anyone claim so or ask the question, I find myself having to ask because, well, let's just say that the "judge aura" is not exactly helping me making my arguments here, and I am much less experienced than the other player. My only theory is that there was some miscommunication and the judge assumed this was the classic, constantly-asked question about a Fiend Hunter cloudshifted as it enters the battlefield.


texts: Does the longest road need to have settlements/cities at endpoints?

texts:
The questions is, in the following setup:

--S--S---C-

where - represents roads, S settlements, C cities, is the 'longest road' at 5, or 8?

I had originally thought 8, but as I read the FAQ:

  The Longest Road is a continuous road connecting two intersections, which consists of at least 5 individual road pieces and is not interrupted by game pieces belonging to other players. It has more individual road pieces than any other connecting road of this type.

I'm a bit unsure what is meant by connecting road.

I'm probably a bit hopeful that my original thought is incorrect, as I find it annoying when extra road segments are built, sometimes without even a possibility of a future settlement, for the hope of two points.


texts: So in Texas holdem if two players have a straight with the same card who wins, (one player has a pair of 6s and the other player has a king)??


texts: Can I defeat an opponent with their own commander?

texts: I know that if I gain control of my opponent's commander, it won't lose the status of commander. How is the commander damage calculated in this case? Can I do the 21 commander damage with the stolen commander to win the game? Does the damage add to the damage of my own commander?


texts: When does the Gypsies racial ability come into play?

texts: Do you collect the coins at the end of the Gypsy player's turn, or at the end of the game round?


texts: When a spell targeting a creature with heroic gets countered, does heroic still trigger?

texts:
Tethmos High Priest has the heroic ability:

  Whenever you cast a spell that targets Tethmos, return target creature card with converted mana cost 2 or less from graveyard to battlefield.

Suppose Divine Favor is cast, targeting Tethmos. It is countered by Negate.

The last sentence of 601.2c is:

  Any abilities that trigger when those players, objects, and/or zones
  become the target of a spell trigger at this point; they'll wait to be
  put on the stack until the spell has finished being cast.

My interpretation of 601.2c is that Divine favor starts one stack, and when that stack gets resolved, another stack is processed that starts with the Tethmos heroic ability being triggered.

So in this specific case where only one instant is cast (negate), Divine Favor gets negated and has no effect. However, the heroic ability does get triggered.

Is this interpretation correct?

Is it the case in general that heroic abilities do trigger even when the enchantment is countered?


texts: In Omaha Poker, can we use 0,1,3 or 4 hole cards when selecting the best 5 cards?

texts:
According to Wikipedia, in Omaha, a player must use exactly two hole cards and three communal cards when selecting the best hand.

In Texas Hold'em Poker, it is possible to use only the communal cards without using any hole cards, if the communal cards alone give the best hand.

So, is Omaha different from Texas Hold'em, in the sense that an exact number of hole cards must be used in Omaha?


texts: In Axis and Allies, how do you choose which player plays which country?

texts:
Can players choose because there enough diversity of interest so that everyone can get their first or second choice?

Do you use a bidding system where players "bid" for a country by specifying the "handicap" there are willing to take to play it?

Do you "draw" for country as in diplomacy?

Is there a consensus that the "newest" players play the U.S. (or Britain) while the more experienced players play the harder countries?


texts: What happens if an alliance is created that would create an illegal battle?

texts:
In Rex: Final Days of an Empire, it is possible for the following sequence of events to occur:

Sol Offensive is revealed as the Influence card and affects a zone occupied by the Sol player's troops (allowing him to move said to anywhere on the board).
The Sol player places some number of troops in a space occupied by another player (e.g. Letnev, but it is irrelevant).
The Sol Offensive is completed otherwise, and a second Influence card is revealed as a Temporary Cease Fire.
The Sol player and the Letnev player (who would otherwise have battled) now form an alliance.

Now, the placement of the Sol player's troops is illegal (the rules state you cannot place troops in a space occupied by an ally's troops). According to the rules (or an official ruling or FAQ), what should be done?


texts: Can a planeswalker ability be activated in response to another spell or ability?

texts: If I cast a Lightning Helix targeting my opponent's Gideon, Ally of Zendikar on his upkeep with it having 3 Loyalty, can he in response use Gideon's plus 1 ability to put it out of Lightning Helix's range?


texts: When races are defeated, do the tokens all go back to the tray for redraw (if power allows)?

texts:
As an example, take the Pygmies.  "Each time you lose a Pygmy token, roll a reinforcement die and receive as many new Pygmies from storage tray as you rolled pips on the die (up to the number of Pygmies left)."

So if you lose a Pygmy, it goes back to the storage tray and then if you roll a 1 or more you can get it back?

Does this work that way for all races/powers?  they always go back to the storage tray (unless another rule says otherwise) and are available for any power/gift that brings them back?


texts: Tiana, Ship's Caretaker and Kaya's Ghostform

texts:
Tiana, Ship's Caretaker is a somewhat unique effect that lets all auras and equipment that go to your graveyard return to your hand.

Kaya's Ghostform will bring a creature or planeswalker back from the graveyard or exile to the battlefield.

So what exactly happens when Kaya's Ghostform is enchanting Tiana, and Tiana dies?

I think the most likely scenario is this:

Tiana dies.
Ghostform trigger goes on the stack, and Ghostform goes to the graveyard as a state-based action.
Because Tiana was not on the battlefield when Ghostform entered the graveyard, it is NOT returned to hand.
Tiana is returned to the battlefield.

Obviously, I'd prefer it if I get both back, so I'm hoping someone here can prove me wrong.


texts: Will Repercussion deal damage to a controller beyond a creature's toughness?

texts:
Repercussion's text reads as follows:

  Whenever a creature is dealt damage, Repercussion deals that much damage to that creature's controller.

So: if, for example, a 1/1 creature is dealt 10 damage with Repercussion in play, does its controller take 10 damage or 1?


texts: Triggering "On Cast" Effects When Sacrificing

texts:
I've been playing Magic 2015 and I noticed an interaction I didn't expect.

I had a  Young Pyromancer out and cast  Fling, sacrificing the Pyromancer. The game triggered Young Pyromancer's effect and put a token onto the battlefield.

I don't understand this. Since the sacrifice is part of the cost of Fling, shouldn't the Pyromancer already be in the graveyard before Fling reaches the state of "having been cast", meaning that the token shouldn't exist?

Is there something I'm missing, or is it a bug in the game?


texts:
I'm talking about Dungeons & Dragons: The Fantasy Adventure Board Game published in 2002 by Parker Brothers, a division of Hasbro.
In the "Actions" part of the rulebook it says:

Each Hero may take 2 Actions on each turn. You can choose to take 1 or no Actions if you wish.
The following Actions are all possible within the game and use 1 Action each:
[...]

It doesn't specify whether you can choose the same action twice in the same turn or not but in a later example (only in the Dungeon Master's Guide (pg. 8)) it says (explicitly for Monsters):

[...]
You can decide not to move or attack with a Monster or not to attack and take a double move. [...]

I am pretty sure, that they want to say that Monsters can't attack twice, but I am not so sure about player characters.


texts: Can I build more houses than I have the capacity to power?

texts:
I know that in Power Grid a player can choose to save resources to power fewer houses, however are players allowed to build more houses than their total power plant capacity?

For example, suppose the total number of houses I am theoretically able to power with my current power plants is 5 (assuming that I have the correct resources and choose to power all of my plants), can I build a 6th house?


texts:
I'm trying to calculate various probabilities that would be useful for Settlers of Catan.  So far I've tabulated the probability of rolling X in Y turns, the probability of rolling X before Y, and the probability of drawing a victory point within X tries given knowledge of Y knights / progress cards in play.

  Can you guys think of any other data / calculations that would be useful for Settlers of Catan?

[Edit] Another calculation I've found extremely useful is "how many of each resource do you need to win the game, assuming you're going for X".  I'd love to hear more ideas though, and I don't care how hard / tedious they are to calculate!


texts: Has computer go impacted the discussion about komi?

texts:
Komi is the number of points added to White's score in Go in order to compensate for his going second. Some fifty years ago, it was 5 1/2 points; then playing experience showed that it was insufficient; so that it was moved up to 6 1/2 points, then 7 1/2 points.

During the same period, computer Go moved from being a curiosity to being able to beat the best human players. That's because today's computers play the game more precisely than humans.

Has computer Go weighed in on the debate about the proper komi (to give Black and White equal chances), and if so, in favor of the status quo (7 1/2), or a different number?


texts: What are the legal tournament formats for MtG?

texts: What are the current legal tournament formats for Magic: The Gathering?  What are the differences/definitions of each format?  At what point do sets rotate in/out of a format?


texts: Where can I download the latest version of the Yu-Gi-Oh pc game (if available)?

texts: It has been many years since the official Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos pc games were released. Did they release an update or a newer version which I am missing? If yes, where can I download (or purchase) it?


texts: What happens if someone reneges on a loner hand in euchre?

texts:
Yesterday, I was observing a game of Euchre when something interesting occurred and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I'll call the two teams A and B. Team A went alone, and around the 4th trick someone on Team B ended up reneging on accident. We noticed it after the final trick had been played, and none of us were really sure how to rule it. We ended up calling it a renege, even though Team A took all 5 tricks. But is that correct? Should Team A have gotten the 4 points since they took all 5? Or does a renege trump (no pun intended) that?

To be clear, if someone on Team B reneges during Team A's loner hand, and Team A took all 5 tricks. Would it result in two points, because of the renege, or four points because they took all the tricks?

Side note: We determined that even if Team B had not reneged that all 5 tricks would have been won anyways. Making this dilemma even more confusing.


texts: Is castling still done in the openings in modern chess?

texts: I have read in a somewhat old book that castling was to be done as soon as possible, but some of my playing friends don't bother to do it in the opening. What's the modern usage?


texts: How do you find not-quite-club level human opponents to regularly play bridge with?

texts:
What's a good way to to go about finding human bridge players (kids or adults) that is less intense than what you find at duplicate bridge clubs, but more competitive and learning oriented than playing rubber bridge with friends once every few months?

Though I've played (and enjoyed the challenge/competitiveness of) duplicate bridge at clubs in the past, my 6-year old bridge-loving son is nowhere near the level of bidding, play, or (especially) maturity where a club would be appropriate. The etiquette alone would prove too stifling.

I've also met several people throughout my life with a desire to play bridge at a level of play that was less intense than that found at a typical U.S. duplicate bridge club, but more intense and learning oriented than what you can get from casual play with friends a few times per year.

I'm interested in answers that involve 4 people (kids, adults, or some mix of both) physically getting together. I already know about bridge software and online bridge options and while we use bridge software some as a learning tool, that's not what I'm after with this question.


texts:
The ability "Conspire" found on some instants/sorceries, reads

    As you cast this spell, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that share a color with it. When you do, copy it and you may choose new targets for the copy.

What is the order of spells being placed on the stack when a spell is conspired? Normally, when copying a spell, it's when it is already on the stack, with cards like Twincast. However, looking at the text of Conspire, it seems to indicate that you copy the spell as it is being cast, which insinuates that it is not yet on the stack. Am I correct in this? To specify a situation in which this may be relevant, if I have Wort, the Raidmother out, and I cast Reverberate, and choose to conspire it, can the copy target the original? In what order are targets chosen? Is the original Reverberate on the stack yet?


texts: What happens in Go if you "take back" a ko before making a ko threat?

texts:
In Go, there is a potentially repetitive sequence of moves called a "ko." So if your opponent takes a ko from you, you have to make a move elsewhere on the board, called a ko threat, before "taking back" the ko, in order to break up the repetition. But suppose someone "repeats" by taking back a ko, without making a ko threat. What are the penalties?

My understanding is that in a tournament, the penalty will be a forfeit of the game. But I've never seen this rule enforced in informal play. The standard "fix" is that the offender is forced to take back his ko "recapture," and make another move.

Is my understanding of the tournament rule correct? And is there an informal "house rule" that prevents the application of this rule in casual games?


texts: How does the timing of mana draining compared to ending phases?

texts:
Consider the following:
It is Aaron's precombat main phase. He has two Nest Robbers in his hand (2/1 haste for 2). His opponent, Nick, has two untapped lands, a Plains and a Mystic Gate.
Aaron casts a Nest Robber. Nick uses his Plains and his Mystic Gate to make two blue mana, and casts a Spell Snare, leaving a blue mana in his mana pool.
Aaron fears another counterspell, and proceeds through his turn. Nick uses the blue mana in his pool to cast an Opt before the mana drains from his pool.
After the Opt resolves, can Aaron cast the second Nest Robber and swing with it? That is, is it his main phase or his beginning of combat phase?


texts: What is the gold token used for in Kitty Paw?

texts: Just opened our game of Kitty Paw and there is a gold paper/cardboard token not listed on the game components, does anyone know what this is? I also don't see it mentioned anywhere in the rules.


texts: Is there a penalty in Uno for incorrectly accusing a player of failing to call "uno"?

texts:
I was playing Uno with my family when I had two cards left in my hand. My sister yelled out "one card", thinking I have one card left and have failed to call "uno".

Does she now need to take two cards (which is the penalty for getting caught when failing to call "uno")?


texts: What is the difference between the board game "Clue" and the card game "Clue"?

texts: Obviously with the card game, there's not a board or tokens, but is the card game version just as engaging as the board game version? It would be ideal to travel with just the cards, but I'm not sure I want to purchase it if it is severely lacking somehow.


texts: How can I speed up the setup of Eclipse?

texts:
I think I got everything separated and packed pretty well (including the upgrade tiles), but what's really taking a long time during setup is the cubes.

Is there a way to set it up faster for players? It's also a drag for new players, gives them a bad first impression...


texts: In Pegs & Jokers must I go past home in order to use a card I'm holding?

texts: In Pegs & Jokers, if 4 of my pegs are in Home, and my last peg is 2 spaces away from home (so I need an Ace, nine or two to win) do I have to play one of my other cards and move PAST my home (since I'm told you MUST use a card if you CAN move)?


texts: What is the highest possible score in Ticket To Ride: Europe?

texts: During lockdown, my partner and I have gotten quite good at Ticket To Ride: Europe (TTRE). We have have been wondering what the theoretical maximum score possible in TTRE is? Assuming perfect draws and opponents not being relevant (basically single player)


texts:
A long while back I was playing crib with a friend, and his crib board (I might be imagining things here, but I'm fairly certain) was shaded in the 118, 119, and 120 point area.  This three-point zone before the "I won!" hole was a special area within which you were no longer allowed to peg a "go" point.  You could peg a go into the zone, but once you were there you needed to get your winning points from some (any!) other source.

I didn't see mention of this 'no-go zone' in the rules, so is this just a common variant? Or did I managed to get my leg pulled by someone who had penciled a shaded area onto their board?


texts: How/where can I get comments from strong players on my gameplay?

texts:
I'd like to get advice from strong go players - let's say amateur 6D+ or pros. What are my options for getting that advice?

I am not necessarily looking for full game reviews, rather comments on one or two turning points in a game.


texts: In Descent, can heroes jump over arbitrary tiles or just pits?

texts:
The rules clearly state that heroes can jump over pits, and how much movement it costs  to do so.

But in some quests, simply stepping on a regular terrain tile may trigger effects too (in this case, Quest #3 in Well of Darkness, where it triggers a rolling boulder, and can trigger this effect multiple times), and it's a safe bet that once the heroes have triggered that once, they're going to want to jump over that tile the next time they need to get past it.

So, is that allowed? Do we simply assume that the "jump over pits" rule also applies to "jump over blank tiles"? Or is there some official ruling about this?


texts: Which member of the Icelandic national football team designed a board game?

texts: I was just watching Argentina play Iceland in the football World Cup, and one of the ITV commentators mentioned as an aside that one of the players on the Iceland team had recently published a board game, but I didn't catch which player they were referring to. Does anyone know which player this was, and what the board game is?


texts: Identify game with ~30 pegs and 30 holes

texts:
Found 2 boxes with content shown below and wondered if it is a game and what is named? The boxes contained no rules but had a certain "homemade" feel about it why the option of it being a game is not ruled out by missing rules.

Content in each box:

2 boards with 3 x 5 holes each
32/31 pegs (one box contains 32, the other 31), one end is rounded and one is flat

Edit: Picture of pegs in holes


texts:
In a two-player game, why would one player ever trade with another?

(I'm working on a new game for my publisher at the moment, and this question is coming up at work.)

Let's say you have a three player game, with Alice, Bob, and Charlie.  Alice and Bob are considering making a deal.  This deal would help Alice a lot, and it would help Bob some, but not as much.  Alice is certainly getting more out of it than Bob, but Bob still might agree to it, as it still helps Bob get ahead of Charlie.

Now imagine the same game with only two players -- Charlie isn't in the picture.  Alice proposes the same deal to Bob, one that helps Alice a lot and Bob only a little.  Bob has no reason to agree to this deal now, since it doesn't help him get ahead of anyone.

How can a two player game have trade deals between players?


texts: Does Sheltering Word remove an existing enchantment?

texts: If a creature has an enchantment, like Defang, and I cast Sheltering Word on that creature, would the other enchantment be removed? Or does it need to be cast in response to the enchantment being played?


texts:
I heard about the game Love Letter from some board game blogs. I have read its rules, although I haven't really started playing it yet. It is a very interesting game indeed. But what puzzles me is:
What story does Love Letter tell?
The Wikipedia article on Love Letter says that

Each player aims to deliver a love letter to the princess with the assistance of collaborators.

But it doesn't explain what role the player plays, or what story each game tells.
What does it mean when a particular card is in your hand?
I have some confusion about this.

For example, when a King in your hand, what does it mean?
Does it mean you are playing as a king?
No, that's impossible... Because you can discard the King; then you are not a king anymore.
Or does it mean your love letter is in the king's hand?
If that is true, why doesn't the king give the letter to the princess directly and let you get married?

Another interesting example:
What does it mean when you have a Princess in your hand?
Does it mean that the princess has got your love letter?
Or you have eloped with the princess? And then caught by guards?


texts: Caller of the Pack and Counter Placement

texts: If I were to place a sizable number of counters on Caller of the Pack and attack with it, do the copies created share its base power and toughness (8/6) or its current power and toughness at the time of the attack?


texts: Catan - Rules Lawyering the behavior of the "Commercial Harbor" Progress Card

texts:
Before explaining what happened, here's the literal text of the "Commercial Harbor" card, as a reference:
Card Text:

You may offer each Opponent a resource card from your hand. In exchange, each player must give you a commodity card of his choice. If he has none, your resource card is returned.

Additional Text in the rulebook:

You may force each of the other players to make a special trade. You may offer each opponent any 1 resource card from your hand. He must exchange it for any 1 commodity card of his choice from his hand, if he has any.
You may use this ability at any point during the turn you play the card. However, you may only force each player to make this trade with you once that turn. Your opponent chooses which commodity card to give you if he has more than one. If you offer a resource to a player who has no commodity cards, then you take your card back and the trade is void. You do not have to give this player the resource card.

So this was the scenario that took place:

Four player game, players A, B, C, and D.
Player A played the "Commercial Harbor" card.
Player A approached Player B, asked if they had a Commodity Card, Player B truthfully answered that they did not.
Player A approached Player C, asked if they had a Commodity Card, Player C truthfully answered that they did not.
Player A approached Player D, asked if they had a Commodity Card, Player D falsely claimed they did not have a Commodity Card
The turn resolved with the card being disposed and Player A receiving no Commodity Cards
Player D revealed after the conclusion of the turn that they had lied about their claim of not having a Commodity Card
Players B & C immediately concluded that Player D violated the rules, arguing that Player A's approach constituted the necessary contract fulfillment to "make an offer", per the text of the card.
Player D concluded that they obeyed the letter of the rules, pointing out that Player A did not physically show the card they intended to trade to them, and thus wasn't required to answer truthfully.
Played D offered that in an earlier turn in the game, they had played the card exactly as they felt it should be played, but this behavior was not consciously observed by players A, B, or C.

Now, in the context of our specific play session, we concluded that this was a violation of the rules, but this determination was made via majority vote (Players B & C agreed that this was a violation, Player D disagreed, Player A abstained due to being a novice and being unsure of the rules). So I'm curious what the determination would be in a tournament setting, or at least what the usual resolution of this kind of act would be in your sessions.
I personally determined the following:

That this was a violation of the rules, because I don't consider the text of the card to establish a distinction where only the literal act of showing a card is sufficient to establish an attempt to make an offer.
That the rules as written in the rulebook are intended to offer a form of "Mercy Play", i.e. "Let's not screw over a player who's already behind", and is not intended to produce ambiguity on what kind of actions are intended to constitute a valid offer.

What do you make of these rules? Do you feel that Player D obeyed both the letter and spirit of the rules as written, or that it was correct to determine that their actions were in violation of the rules?


texts: Whenever someone casts an enchant on one of my creatures, do I control that enchantment?

texts: Say I control Genesis Hydra, then an opponent casts Claustrophobia onto Genesis Hydra, do I control Claustrophobia?


texts: When you activate a monsters tribute effect, like "tribute this monster to destroy a face up card on the field", can you tribute summon using that monster and activate its effect?


texts: Abilities interrupting effects on a cast card

texts: When casting a card with multiple effects (e.g. Fated Infatuation) targeting another card with a triggered ability (e.g. Golos, Tireless Pilgrim) at which point does Golos ETB? Ideally I cast Fated Infatuation, create a Golos token, it ETB so search for land, shuffle library, then scry 2. However I think I would have to resolve all of Fated Infatuation before Golos ETB. Meaning I would lose the benefit of scrying by having to shuffle my library after searching for land.


texts: What's the difference between the versions of Cards Against Humanity?

texts: I have version 1.3 of Cards Against Humanity, but it's got different cards than the free to download PDF file.  Which cards are different between the various versions of CAH?  Since I've also got some blanks from the expansion pack, I'd like to make some new cards without duplicating anything.


texts: BANG! Can I use the "Lady Rose of Texas" card to lock out the other player when it is down to two players?

texts:
In the expansion pack Wild West Show, for the game BANG!, there is a card called "Lady Rose of Texas". It states that:

  During his turn, each player can swap places with the player on his right, who will skip his next turn.

I had a situation come up while I was the renegade, and the only other player left was the Sheriff. It was my turn when this card came up from the expansion pack.

Since it was my turn, and the card states that the person you switch with loses their turn, you could effectively put them into a neverending loop of skipped turns, and always have a new turn start over for you. Eventually, you would win the game because you would get the cards you needed over time.

This seems like an instant win card, which seems kind of lame and defeats how the game should be played. Am I understanding this card right?


texts: Is it possible to copy a land with Mimic Vat that is turned into creature by an enchantment?

texts:
I am considering creating a deck which utilizes a strange combo if it can be done.  It uses Mimic Vat in combination with Awaken the Ancient.

I want to make it so that when my land, which is a 7/7 giant with haste (that's still a land), is sent to the graveyard I can copy it with Mimic Vat's imprint ability.

Is it possible to do this? (Awaken the Ancient's is sent to the graveyard separately, and it's ability is what is making the Mountain a creature?
When Mimic Vat creates the token copy, will it be a 7/7?


texts: I have a couple of questions.... Firstly, do the bad guys reveal themselves before the end of the game and talk to the assassin or does he simply rely on himself. Also, does Oberon reveal himself at the end of the game too? Lastly, can the good guys talk when the assassin is choosing, or must it remain completely silent?


texts: How does Rite of the Raging Storm work in Two-Headed Giant?

texts:
A while back, some friends and I played a Two-Headed Giant game. During that game I played a Rite of the Raging Storm, and I want to check if how we played it was accurate:

During each team's upkeep, both team members would each get a 5/1 Lightning Rager token, so each team had two 5/1's available each turn.
The Lightning Ragers of the enemy team could not attack our team, as the "you" in the first ability applied to our team as a whole.

Safe to say we were able to deliver 10 damage every turn with our Lightning Ragers and theirs sat there uselessly... hence me wanting to check we played it out correctly.

Did we handle that right?


texts: Do Haunt 21 Zombies Have Stats Reduced With Damage?

texts:
Pretty much the title: we played and did so, the regular zombies getting their might reduced each time they took damage. If this is correct, could they have the damage taken from their speed points instead, like a regular player character?

I know the Zombie Lord is different: he dies after 7 damage and does not reduce stats but I wanted to make sure about the regular zombies.


texts: Advice on acquiring / constructing Dice Towers

texts:
A dice tower is a useful tool for keeping your dice from ruining your game (physically, that is).

Can anyone point to:
- Good dice towers, and possibly places to acquire them.
or
- Resources of information on how to build one yourself.


texts: What's the name of this co-op card-based game?

texts: You each are soldiers executing campaigns. Each turn you must play a card that contains a combination of some terrains and some symbols. If the board ever shows 3 of the same terrain or symbol, you lose the campaign. Instead of playing a card you can withdraw; if all players withdraw, you succeed in the campaign.


texts:
In which situations should my opening lead be a trump?

For example, when the opponents have a 4-4 fit, or when I have a singleton etc.?


texts:
I've been playing a bit with Go and after a few games I do get pretty well the different rules.

The game indeed has a very deep strategy and I've read that to get a grip at that strategy, a player should starts on small boards (5x5, 9x9).

I'm playing with an application on my iPad that lets me choose for handicap to help me improve slowly. The problem is, when playing with a lot of handicap I do win pretty easily but when I get less than 6 stones at the start of the game I quickly feel like I'm losing territory at each one of the IA moves.

Is there tutorial on basic strategy? What to avoid? What to look for? I've also practiced with some Go problems and I do understand them quite well... I have the feeling that I'm improving. In a game context, I'm really overwhelmed with possibilities when I need to put my stones on the board and I really don't have the feeling that I'm improving...


texts: It was the end of the world...but we didn't know it!

texts:
We played our first game of Arkham Horror last night with the new Miskatonic Horror expansion.  Pretty much all the new stuff was used, and we were playing along.  All the usual stuff was going wrong:

Doom track only had 1 free space left
Terror level was 5
Kingsport rifts were close to opening
4 tokens on the Deep Ones Rising track

The only thing going right was that we were still in Act 1 of the King in Yellow.  Of course, Bokrug wasn't done toying with us as the right environment card showed up and we had to go to Act 2, unless we were willing to pay the price and remove an Gate Seal.  We opted not to.  We had 3 seals, and two investigators off world with good odds of sealing.  Not to mention the doom track was filling up and we figured there would only be a couple turns left before the final battle anyways.

Naturally for the very next Mythos card, the King in Yellow decided it was time for Act 3 and the end of the world.  We lost without even a fight with Bokrug.

What factors weigh into deciding whether to delay the Act 1 and 2 cards from showing up?  In your experience how often do you need to pay the price?


texts: Are Twilightsworn considered Lightsworn?

texts:
What is the official ruling for Twilightsworn cards? Are they considered Lightsworn?

For example, using Judgement Dragon, would Twilightsworn can be used as one of the "Four Lightsworn in the graveyard"? I've searched the web, but I haven't found a definite answer.


texts: Can I imprint my Commander onto Mimic Vat, and still take it back to the Command Zone?

texts: If I am playing a Sharuum the Hegemon EDH deck, can I let my commander go to the graveyard, exile it under Mimic Vat and then put it into the command zone but still have it imprinted, or does the fact that that is a replacement effect make it so it isn't imprinted.


texts: Moddb/Gamejolt alternative for tabletop games

texts:
When designing (any kind of) a game it is best to have feedback from as many people as possible. Since testing with friends may not be reliable enough (they are biased and don't want to hurt your feelings) and also probably none of them will be testing your game on their own with their friends, is there any kind of dedicated internet server, where you can put your game for others to test it as well as test creations of others?

I have noticed that some people put their game at BGG but I haven't found there any dedicated category for it.


texts: Identify a game involving placing cardboard food into a mouth using forks

texts: I'm trying to remember what game was just a heads and neck made of cardboard. It came with forks and cardboard junk food. You had to put the food in the mouth one at a time then it would tip and dump it out


texts: Do you need military power when using the Rebel Sneak Attack to settle an additional military world?

texts:
The card Rebel Sneak Attack, among its other powers, grants the ability to discard itself from the tableau to allow you to place an additional military world.

Do you need to have sufficient military strength to take over the world, or do you get it for zero cost? If you need the military, then this card seems like a weaker version of Improved Logistics, for only one lower cost.


texts: What happens when you roll "Off the top" of a result table?

texts: For example, on the Pegasus' various weapon stations, there is a result chart printed on the board.  It covers the possibilities of getting a die result of 1-8, on an 8-sided die.  But now suppose someone had played a Strategic Planning or Calculations card, adding +2 or +1 to the die roll, such that the die comes up a 9 or a 10.  What is the result?  The chart does not seem to cover this situation.  A similar situation arises on New Caprica with the human vs Cylon conflict rules.


texts: If Mirage Mirror becomes a copy of a creature, and then is put into the library some how, does it still stay a creature until end of turn?

texts: If I turn Mirage Mirror into a copy of a creature, and then put it back in the library, is it still a creature until end of turn, or does it go back to being an artifact in the library?


texts: Does reduced casting cost affect casting of cards with variable casting cost?

texts:
I know the title's wording is a bit confusing, so here's an example scenario:
I have Etherium Sculptor in play and I cast Chimeric Mass for 0 mana. My understanding (this post and my understanding of the rules) is that Chimeric Mass will have one charge counter on it as opposed to zero. Is this correct?


texts: Can you tap artifacts to an improvise cost to help pay for kicker costs?

texts: If you have an Inspiring Statuary on the field can you pay UU and tap two artifacts to play a kicked Into the Roil?


texts:
A scenario that played out in our game of Settlers of Catan:

What happens if a player falsly declares he won when he was at 9 points instead of 10?

Does declaring he won end his turn? (and this is after the said player laid down his cards and left the table)

I ask this because after we told him he didn't win, the player was able to play two resource cards to make a road and then have sufficient points. However, if declaring your win ends your turn, does it not leave the possiblity of at least one more round and the other players to play for the win?


texts: If one player reraised and the next player behind does not complete the bet can the next player reraise?


texts: Is solo play meant to use just 3 heroes?

texts:
While I'll allow for the possibility that I'm just no good at the game, first I need to make sure I'm not just doing something wrong.

Having tried 7-8 times, I have not been able to even come close to winning the first quest in the Core Set as a solo player. Most of my games I'm not able to get a single advancement token on the first stage. Playing as a single player with just three heroes, the numbers seem stacked against me to be able to effectively quest and still attack and defend that round. The enemies pile up, or the threat tracker gets to 50 after a few rounds of holding the monsters back, or I have no choice but to take undefended damage and lose my heroes. I'm all good with having a challenging game, but for a quest with a difficulty level 1, explicitly described as an "introductory scenario," I have to wonder: is this meant to be played one player, with a single set of three heroes? It doesn't seem possible to generate enough willpower, attack strength, or resources. The rulebook doesn't address single player mode at all, so if not, what are the official solo play rules?

Update: Upon further research and playing, I think I can safely attribute most of my failures to an underestimation of the importance of traveling to and exploring locations. While still not a total breeze, it made threat level much more manageable.


texts: What (if any) is the relationship between your Active and In Decline race?

texts:
If the special power of the active race pertains to regions occupied by the race you have in decline, are you allowed to collect coins for that?

For example, you control the Iron Dwarves which are in decline and occupy Mining regions. Your new Active race are Mining Drow.

Can you collect extra coins for the Mining regions that the Iron Dwarves occupy even though it's the Drow special power that allows you to collect extra coins for occupied mining regions?

What is the relationship between races that are Active and In Decline?  Can your Active race occupy a region that's already occupied by a race you have in Decline?


texts: Can Pawn Sacrifice deal 6 damage to a single creature?

texts: If my opponent plays Pawn Sacrifice while he and I each have one creature, mine being power 5, first he sacrifices his creature, then he deals 3 damage to mine. Does the second instance of damage also go to my creature, or does it fizzle because "each" implies 2 different targets?


texts: Interaction between Teferi Time Raveler and Enduring Ideal

texts: Does Teferi, Time Raveler's static ability, which limits opponents' spells to sorcery 'speed', stop Enduring Ideal's Epic ability which functions during the upkeep?


texts:
Civilization: The Board Game (the 2010 version) has the Atomic Theory tech which lets me nuke someone.

  Movement: Nuke a non-capital city.  The city is destroyed, along
  with all buildings, wonders, figures, and great people in its
  outskirts.

Can I do this at any point during the movement phase of a turn, or can I only perform this action during my movement phase?


texts:
The Plague Zombie card says:

If undefeated, banish the Plague Zombie, and each character at this location must succeed at a Constitution or Fortitude 6 check or be dealt 1d4 Acid damage.

This means: if it was me who encountered this card and had not defeated it, I would have to take the usual combat damage and after that execute the "if undefeated" text or just the "if undefeated" text?


texts:
Krasis Incubation has the following ability:

  {1}{G}{U}, Return Krasis Incubation to its owner's hand: Put two +1/+1 counters on enchanted creature.

When Krasis Incubation is being targeted by Cancel, can I put it back to my hand to save it?


texts: If your Commander is in your graveyard when your graveyard is exiled can you return it to the command zone?

texts:
My understanding is that you can chose to put your commander in the command zone instead of putting it in the graveyard or it being exiled. Putting it in the command zone is a replacement for putting it in the graveyard, so "When X is put in the graveyard" effects don't trigger if you put it in the command zone when it "dies".

However if you put your commander in the graveyard to  trigger a "Graveyard effect" on it and your graveyard is subsequently exiled can you put your commander in the command zone rather than exiling it?


texts: How can I teach other people game rules?

texts:
I am a game enthusiast. I mostly enjoy board games, card games and things like party games that require no preparations. My friends know that about me, and they seem to treat me as an official Rules Explainer; if there are some new people willing to play with us, or some players that need to refresh their memory and hear the rules one more time, I'm going to be the person asked to explain the rules. Even if someone else suggested playing that particular game.

So, I often have to teach other players game rules. Each time I do it, I try to do it better and learn from previous experiences. I'm constantly trying to improve my skills.

What are the best practices in teaching other people game rules?

Off the top of my head some of the many things to talk about include:

When should I mention the goal of the game?
How much of the rules should I expect my fellow players to understand before playing a complex game for the first time?
How can I avoid introducing new rules in the middle of the game (it's frustrating for other players, they can feel tricked, and accuse you of not mentioning it before to your advantage, and so on...)?

What about answering questions? Usually my answer would be "I'm going to talk about that in a moment", but I don't want to discourage players from asking questions if they don't quite get something. And I don't want to seem rude, saying "not now" again and again. On the other hand, answering such questions might be confusing for other players. What if most of the players understood the rules, but not the whole group? How should I deal with the short attention span?


texts:
So, the new mutate abilty reads :

  As a mutating creature spell resolves, instead of entering the battlefield, it merges with its target into one creature. Its controller chooses to put the resolving mutating creature spell on top of its target or underneath it. You'll end up with a pile of cards that all represents a single creature. That creature will have all the characteristics of the top card, and it will also have the abilities of every card underneath.

If my commander is on the top of the pile I'm pretty sure the pile will be my commander (and will be able to deal commander damages) but that happen if it's not on the top?

The closest think I can think of is meld, but I'm not sure it applied to mutate.

  903.3bIf a player’s commander is a meld card and it’s melded with the other member of its meld pair, the resulting melded permanent is that player’s commander.


texts: In bridge, what are the proper followups to a Jacoby transfer?

texts:
In bridge, over a 1 NT opening, a responder might bid 2D/H with five hearts/spades asking the opener to "transfer" to 2H/S. The idea is to try to find an eight card fit, assuming that the NT bidder has three in the major.

But suppose the 1NT bidder only has two of the designated suit. Does s/he have to accept the transfer, or can one bid 2NT in this situation.

Assuming the opener accepts the transfer, is the responder (i.e. 2D/H bidder) supposed to go to 2NT to give the opener a choice of a NT or suit contract?


texts: Does a book of 3's in Hand and Foot work?

texts:
My wife and I play Hand and Foot from time to time. We have toyed with the idea of allowing a book of 3's to count positive, with the caveat that they are only positive if the book is closed and clean. If the book is not closed and clean then each of the 3's has their usual negative score.

We have not found this particularly effective because if a player attempts it then the state of that book determines the winner of the game.

My question is if anyone else has tried a book of 3's in Hand and Foot and if they have found a way to make it work.


texts: In Twilight Struggle, can I place influence in countries that border my superpower?

texts:
For instance, as the US, I want to place influence in Mexico.  The only other influence I have in Central America is in Panama, a few spaces away.

Thematically this seems obvious, yes. They're directly connected to me. But I don't get a precise answer from the rule book.

The rules say the following [my emphasis]:

  6.1.1 Influence markers are placed one at a time. However, all markers must be placed with, or adjacent to, friendly markers that were in place at the start of the phasing player’s Action Round.

Does the superpower space count as a friendly marker?  According to 2.1.6, it is adjacent

  2.1.6 Countries are connected to one another via the black, red and brown lines on the map. Brown lines represent connections within a region. Red dashed lines represent connections between countries in different regions. The black lines indicate connections between countries and superpowers. A country is considered adjacent to all other countries to which it is connected.

I don't see a definition of "friendly" elsewhere in the rules.


texts: When gaining control of an opponent's target creature, who do effects of that card that apply to?

texts:
So, I'm playtesting two of my decks, (yeah, I do that... I need friends...) and I'm confused about how the effects of my opponent's cards that come under my control (via cards such as Act of Treason, or Mind Control), which say "you and "your," would affect me and my opponent. The specific card in question is Yavimaya Elder, which I gained control of for the turn using Act of Treason. I plan to attack with it, then sacrifice it. But the card says: "When Yavimaya Elder is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library." (emphasis added)

I understand that as I sacrifice the card, it would go into my opponent's graveyard, as he owns it (I know that he is me since I'm playing myself, but for all intents and purposes, "he" refers to the player of the deck who owns Yavimaya Elder). However, since the card doesn't specify "your graveyard," does that mean that it's effects that say "you" would apply to me, as Act of Treason causes me to control it until end of turn?

So my main question is, would I, owner of Act of Treason, search my library for two lands, or would my opponent, owner of Yavimaya Elder, search "his" library for two lands??


texts: Precondition costs for structures built with Halicarnassus "build for free"?

texts:
When playing with Halicarnassus A side and I build a second wonder stage, is it possible to build a structure that in its precondition cost has another structure which a player controlling Halicarnassus doesn't have built?

For example, to build Haven, you need to have a Forum in play.


texts: Are some MTG sets statistically more likely to yield more valuable cards?

texts:
When buying booster packs, I always wonder which one I should by this time, and I often pick randomly (or for superficial reasons). However, it must be that some sets have more useful, valuable or expensive cards than others (which is often determined by players after the cards have been released), and all of these being more likely to be found than others in a booster pack.

My question is in fact a few inter-related questions. Is there a way to determine the likelihood of obtaining individual cards in a booster pack? If so, based on average card prices, is it possible to determine what packs should yield statistically better cards? Has anyone ever done this before?


texts: How many times will we go through the deck before the island is sunk?

texts:
In Forbidden Island, how many times will we be likely to go through the deck before the island is sunk?

I've tried to figure it out but I'm not sure how many Waters Rise! cards there are. I can see the water meter in images, so I could otherwise figure it out for different difficulties.


texts: Catan - Cities & Knights - Barbarian Attack

texts:
Player A have 2 cities and 1 active knight point, player B have 2 cities and 2 active knight points and player C have no city and no active knight.

What will happen when the barbarians attack?

No one will loose city as player C is the least contributor and have no city
Player A will loose a city as least contributor with 2 cities


texts: What happens if a tribute effect has no valid target?

texts:
What happens if I play a card that has a tribute ability with the word target in it, my opponent chooses not to pay the tribute, and ability that applies has no valid targets.

Will the ability simply do nothing, can I not play the card because it will resolve illegally, or will my opponent be forced to pay the tribute?


texts: How does Golos work with cards that increase mana costs?

texts: Let's say I activate Golos, Tireless Pilgrim's ability while there is a Sphere of Resistance out. Do I have to pay 1 mana for each of the cards that are spells that I play from Golos?


texts: Does Mr. X reveal his location on every turn of the travel log that is circled?

texts: When playing the board game Scotland Yard, does Mr. X reveal his location on every turn of the travel log that is circled? Or does he hide his location on every circled turn of the travel log and reveal it for all other turns?


texts: How can we play Game of Thrones as a league game?

texts:
Our group of players has increased in size quite a lot, and we wanted to start having tournaments and league games. However, we don't want to restrict ourselves to 2 player games only, like Twilight Struggle or Android: Netrunner (even though these are great games!)

We would like to have a league in Game of Thrones. How would you do it?

(The simplest answer is "rank everyone and give points to the top 3", or something like that. I'm sure there are better ideas out there.)


texts: Do abilities that say "each player/opponent" target, and can I change who's affected?

texts:
If an ability that affects all players is used, then does that make each player a target of the effect?

I.e. Is Guttersnipe activated am I able to change the target of the ability?


texts: Do you have to go around the board once to purchase properties?

texts: When it comes to Monopoly I know there are ways the gameplay can be altered and I was wondering if this is one of them. Basically everytime I play I'm told you have to go around the board once before you can purchase properties but then I read somewhere else that you can purchase them immediately. Is this true or is this rule just made up?


texts: When a trigger requires you to sacrifice something, can you sacrifice said something using something else?

texts: Let's say Glacial Chasm enters the battlefield under my control. The card states that when it comes into play I must sacrifice a land. Can I in response to its ETB ability sacrifice a land using say Zuran Orb? When Glacial Chasm entered, a land was sacrificed. Is this allowed, and more to the point: is Glacial Chasm's ETB requirement met in this scenario?


texts: What happens if a double-faced card that is copying a different double-faced card that is part of a melded creature tries to meld?

texts:
We already have a similar question about double faced cards transforming, however, this covers a single card transforming. Meld exiles a pair of cards and returns them "transformed" into a single card.

Say a player controls Hanweir Battlements and also controls a Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh enchanted with Metamorphic Alteration to be a copy of Hanweir Garrison. What happens when the meld effect tries to create Hanweir, the Writhing Township but can't?


texts: We had this situation in a game of Small World tonight. Seafaring Tritons took over the lake (using two race tokens) and then removed one of them during re-deployment. There was an adjacent Sorcerer player and we wondered if he could use their special ability to take over the lake. We ended up not doing it, but it seems to me that the Sorcerer's special ability would allow them to replace the single Triton there and conquer the region. Would that work?


texts: When do I lose 2 SO Points at the end of each day?

texts:
In Thunderbolt Apache Leader, the Artillery Unit (1S) notes say:

  Lose 2 SO Points at the end of the Day.

Can the 2 SO points come from Daily SO Points that are awarded at the end of day? Or must I deduct the 2 SO points immediately upon entering End of Day and before receiving the Daily SO Points?

So for example, if I have 0 SO points when entering the End of Day phase, is that an immediate loss due to 1S?


texts: Must all three men be on the back line at once in Little Wars' "Blow to the rear" Variation?

texts:
On page 56 of Little Wars, Wells writes,

  The Blow at the Rear game is decided when at least three men of one force reach any point in the back line of their antagonist. He is then supposed to have suffered a strategic defeat...

Do all three men have to be present at once? Or can two arrive, be killed, and one more arrive later in the game (or some other variation where the three all arrive, but are not all present at once)?


texts: I have cards to buy a road or settlement, can I buy settlement first and not place it on the board?

texts: Of course if you have cards to buy a settlement you can buy a road, but I want to buy a settlement first in case my cards get stolen by another player. Can I buy the settlement first and not place it anywhere until I have a road network that would allow me to place it in accordance to the distance rule?


texts: Most important buildings in 3 player version

texts:
In Machi Koro (base game), finding an optimal strategy depends on the number of players involved, since you take turns rolling the dice. Green and purple buildings are only activated when you roll the dice, red buildings only by your opponents and blue by every player.

In a two player game, most of the strategies I've come up with hinge on using green buildings. In a four player game, blue and red are dominant. But what about 3 players? Is there an optimal strategy, or are all options considered equal?

I guess I'm looking for a list of buildings with the highest expected return rate in a 3 player game (unless you think expected return is not the primary metric for choosing your buildings).


texts: How does color identity work in Commander?

texts:
I recently began playing commander, and have run into a few questions, mainly about color compatibility with a commander. I think I can lump them all together into this one question:
What exactly determines color identity in cards?
And then just a few specific examples to make sure I'm understanding this correctly:

If my blue commander has an activated ability in non-blue color(s), what colors can I run in the deck? e.g.: Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest

For a mono-blue commander deck, can I have a card with a non-blue color(s) activated ability in the deck? e.g.: Cloudheath Drake

For a mono-blue commander deck, can I include in my deck a card with a hybrid mana cost that can be cast with either blue or non-blue mana? e.g.: Covetous Urge

For a mono-blue commander deck, can I have a card that makes non-blue mana? e.g.: Iron Myr


texts:
In Rex Lazax ally advantage allows Lazax player to give influence to an ally before she makes a legal bid on a strategy card. The tricky point which prompted questions when we played is: is the ally required to have sufficient amount of influence to make a bid before Lazax gives him some?
E.g.: Sol is allied with Lazax but has no influence, so he cannot make a bid by himself. Can he receive influence from Lazax in such situation to make a bid?


texts:
There are many variations, but I presume there was an initial original version of puppet stayman.

Does anyone know who came up with it, and why it is named as such?

(A google search has been unrevealing)


texts: How should I set up a draft from multiple old sets?

texts:
I recently recovered a treasure trove of "lost" cards.

(If you're physically recoiling at the thought of all those warped and potentially bent cards, I'm right there with you)

They run the gamut from Portal (1st) to Odyssy Block to Zendikar Block to M10 and M11, and who knows what else. I'd like to catalog them eventually (I estimate about 5,000 cards, including land), but in the meantime, a friend suggested I use these to set up a draft!

Which, in retrospect, might be hard to realize.

There's a couple of issues at play here - the cards are obviously not in packs at this point, and while the rarity makes it pretty easy to compose boosters of 11 commons, 3 uncommons, and 1 rare/mythic, the cards are not sorted per set -- are there any considerations to be made regarding to mixing sets? (At this point, I'm not even sure the full list of represented sets)

If so, which sets might be "better" for drafting? Part of the appeal of this box is the size of the timegap between the early and later cards,  so I'd like to mix in as many sets as possible.

In terms of numbers, each player getting 6 "packs" of 15 cards is usually how my friends and I draft -- is there a benefit to using more "packs" due to the set disparities? Any other thoughts or considerations I may have missed?


texts: Optimal Dimensions for a Checkerboard-style board?

texts:
Let me clarify.

First off: I have a sheet of paper, 8 1/2" by 8 1/2". What are the optimal dimensions (<# of squares> by <# of squares>) of a checkerboard-patterned board that I could print on this sheet of paper?

Second: I'm creating a board in an image editor. The squares can be any dimensions (<# of pixels> by <# of pixels>). What are the optimal dimensions of the squares themselves, and what is the optimal dimensions of the board (<# of squares> by <# of squares>)

By optimal, I mean the most amount of squares that still looks aesthetically pleasing.

Also, I am open to different suggestions on what kind of "tiles" to use (i.e. squares or octagons or etc) and to what the dimensions are and sizes are. I merely chose checkerboard-style (square tiles) due to its ease of creation.


texts: What happens when the Runner stack is empty?

texts:
When the corporation R&D is empty the corporation loses.  What happens when the Runner's stack is empty?

I think that: He must finish the game with only the cards on the table.

or

I doubt that: He reshuffles the heap into a new stack.


texts: Please identify this game - 4x4 diagonal squares, 4 red and 4 blue pieces - nice wooden board

texts:
Can anyone please tell me what this game is called AND /OR how to play it?
Many thanks


texts: Activated a trap when I wasn't able to do so; how is this handled?

texts: If I played a trap card that I was not allowed to play, do I destroy it or put it back down?


texts: Barrier Statue of the Abyss and Barrier Statue of the Heavens -- A Contradiction?

texts:
If both of these cards are on the field, how are their effects resolved?

Barrier Statue of the Abyss(Effect Monster)
No monsters can be Special Summoned, except for DARK monsters.

Barrier Statue of the Heavens (Effect Monster)
No monsters can be Special Summoned, except for LIGHT monsters.


texts: Where did the "can't build next to the robber" house rule come from?

texts:
Several people I've met play Settlers of Catan with the house rule "you may not build anything that isn't a knight next to the robber". As far as I can see, it's not in the rule book.

To clarify: this means that you can't place a road, settlement or city next to the robber. When we play, city improvements and the merchant are unaffected. On the rare occasion we combine with seafarers, we say the robber prevents land building, and the pirate prevents ship building/movement.

I actually prefer this variant, but this question isn't about that. My question is:

Where did this rule come from? Was it in an earlier version of the rules, or was it used for some tournaments? I've met a number of unrelated players (in Australia/Germany) who have heard of this rule, so I wondered if it came from somewhere other than word of mouth.

I'll also accept "this isn't in any of the published rule books and isn't used for tournaments" if that is the case (I only have the latest rule book to hand, so I can't check).


texts: How does the Commander 2018 Storm cycle work with Partner commanders?

texts:
Commander 2018 includes a cycle of cards that say:

  When you cast this spell, copy it for each time you've cast your commander from the command zone this game.

How does this relate to Partner cards? Suppose I've cast one of my partner commanders 3 times, and one of them 4 times. Does that count as 7 casts—and 7 copies—for the purposes of one of these cards, or do I have to choose one of my commanders and copy it only 3 times or 4 times? The first option is like how we treat split cards, the second is like how we treat Command Beacon.

I expected a ruling on the Commander 2018 release notes to clarify this, but they didn't.


texts: What tools are being used by companies producing connectable floor tiles?

texts:
After seeing more and more games like Zombicide using large floormaps that can connect to one another (either by being layable side by side without a hitch or even having connecting parts so that they can't be ripped apart too easily again), I've begun to wonder there a bit.

With video games the companies are using their own engines to create their games most of the time. With board games I dare guess that is not the case. So I'm wondering what is being used there to create the floor tiles. So what tools are they usually using there?

(I have troubles thinking that it is all "just" photoshop and printing, but could still be, thus curious there and didn't find any info anywhere)-


texts: Do I have to shuffle with Settle The Wreckage?

texts:
Settle The Wreckage says:

  Exile all attacking creatures target player controls. That player may search his or her library for that many basic land cards, put those cards onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle his or her library.

I recently got this played against me on Magic Online, however I had just scryed a card I wanted to the top of my library and I didn't need any more land. As a result I did not want to look for land or shuffle my library.

Magic online didn't give me any choice here though and shuffled my Negate away from me. Is that correct? By my reading of the card the entire second clause is a "may" so I should have had the option not to?


texts:
I found this game at my friend's parents. They said they custom made this from an old PC game (90's). But they forgot the name. Here is a picture of it.  The goal is to get your pieces across the board.
Its name has been lost for more than 2 decades. Thank you.