Cactus Game Design Message Boards

I Am Creator: Must I use it immediately when activated or can I wait until my only Hero is in the Field of Battle and then search?

I know that I've seen it played that you can do it after putting a hero into battle, it does not have to be on activation.

I Am Redemption, I Am Healing: Can I wait until he's captured/discarded my Heroes, then use it?

I'd say that I Am Redemption is on activation, and I Am Healing is whenever you need to. I'd make this distinction because of the term "use", and the addition of the word "may".

Wastelands, Holy Grail: Do I have to do this right when I activate it? If not, can I opt to not use the ability and have it not count against its two activations?

Same as before. The use of the word "may" suggestions that Holy Grail can be used whenever, and Wastelands cannot.

Confusion of Mind: When can my opponent discard cards from hand to discard Confusion of Mind? Activation, or any time?

I've seen it played as whenever.

Actually, I believe it is more complicated than that actually. If an artifact has an instant ability, then it depends on whether there is a may in the ability or not. Artifacts like I am Creator and I am Redemption can only happen on activation, since there is no may. Artifacts like I am Healing or Holy Grail say may, so they can happen at anytime while they are active.

So, specific to your examples:

I am Creator: No may=must be used on activation (this used to not be the case, but when the may or no may principle was discussed, this changed)
I am Redemption: No may=must be used on activation.
I am Healing: May=can be used when heroes are discarded
Wastelands: No may (in the main ability)=opponent must bottomdeck a site on activation.
Holy Grail: May=Can be used anytime while active, with the restriction of once per turn and not on EC's in battle.
Confusion of mind: Opponent may=Opponent can discard the two enhancement anytime while it is active.

Thank you for the answers. I have been playing I Am Creator wrong, oops! Can this be found in the rulebook or REG anywhere, or even implied from it? Just in case I need to prove this to an opponent, I'd like to be able to defend it.

Because an Elder said so is the only/main way it's official. Unless it's recorded somewhere on these boards of course.

Because an elder said so is NOT a good reason to say something is official.

It is a 'good' reason when you see an elder say something to tend to believe it.  If I see only one opinions from elders who respond to something and bring things to consensus, unless another elder counters I would take the statement as the suggested outcome.

I'm not sure if it's referenced anywhere (the I am Creator ruling was from a LONG time ago, perhaps before the purge) but I know it's been that way for awhile. I will try to find if it's referenced on the boards somewhere still.

Bryon explains it as well in this thread.

Quote from: Alex_Olijar on January 05, 2012, 09:05:43 PM

If you notice, Elders will almost always post support for their statements. Their word is NOT a good way to make rulings because the elders do not speak rulings like God speaks things into creation. Elders interpret the rules in place and decide when those rules need to be changed.

And they are a part of the group that, in general, gives us the rulings.  If you notice, I never said that they are always right, but that they, when in agreement, I would tend to give the best interpretation.  Your statements are trying to make it seem like you just shouldn't listen to them, which is odd.

I understand where Alex is coming from; it's frustrating when people treat the word of the Elders as infallible, and disregard it when regular members, even REPs like Alex and myself, try to give the answer to a question. I don't have anything against any of the Elders at all, but there are at least a few members who aren't Elders that are as well-equipped to answer these questions as anyone else. The fact of the matter is Red's statement was outright wrong. "Because an Elder said it" isn't a statement I listen to unless there's a definite consensus among the Elders.

Eye-bro, I also understand what you're saying.  I never take the word of an elder as 'law', but it holds a lot of weight (just like your word or the word of a lot of more experienced players ).  I don't think it's right, though, to come in after an elder has answered a question, without anyone even disputing it, and say the statements of elders aren't good things to base interpretation on.  The interpretations of more experienced players (especially the elders) are needed for a more...confusing...game like Redemption.

I never said anything of the sort. I said that "Because an Elder said so" isn't a good reason to say a ruling is correct. You should point the rules that say you are correct under the current interpretation.

Just to remind everyone...

If a question is answered by a REP (Real Experienced Player) and no one disagrees with it, then you can assume it is correct.

If a question is being debated by different REPs and a single Elder makes a ruling, then you can assume it is correct unless another Elder disagrees.

If a question is being debated by different Elders, then they will discuss it on the other side of the forum and return with a definitive answer later.  At that point, the ruling is certain.