Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Something just occured to me.  Here is a quote from the 10th Anniversary Rulebook:

Mutual Destruction by Numbers: Both characters in battle are being defeated because of numbers only.  You have initiative and can play any good enhancement of matching brigade.  If you choose not to play an enhancement, you must pass initiative to your opponent.  Your opponent may play an enhancement.  If your opponent chooses not to play an enhancement, he must pass initiative back to you.  If your opponent passes initiative back to you, then you must play an enhancement or the Battle Phase resolves.

So here's the scenario:

You have more than 10 cards in your hand.
The Speed Bump lost soul is in play.
You make a battle challenge with Ehud and choose a blocker (or convice you opponent to block by other means).
A mutual destruction is induced by whatever means are necessary.
You pass initiative to your opponent.
He passes initiative to you.

At this point, can you play Burial (which is not an enhancement) on the Speed Bump lost soul to turn the battle challenge into a rescue attempt AFTER your opponent has passed his initiative and thereby rescue a lost soul?

Very good question... sadly I dont have an answer. 

Although you can turn the battle into a Rescue Attempt, your opponent now has intiative since you played the last card. The quote you are trying to use assumes that no card has been played during the passes.

From the rulebook (p.17):

The player whose character(s) is losing after a card has been played has initiative. If the characters are in a mutual destruction situation or a stalemate, then the player who did not play the last card has initiative.

The reference to "the player who did not play the last card" I believe refers to the last card played in battle, dominants are not played in battle so I do not believe playing a dominant would affect initiative.

Playing CM to discard one of two heroes in battle that would turn the numbers against him would most certainly affect initiative.

I think I'm on a roll with this way of thinking:

First, I have a seemingly unrelated question:  Can Weapon of the Holy's special ability be activated at any time?

Weapon of the Holy - Silver 3/1 WC enhancement
Holder may discard this card to decrease a demon's abilities by 5/5 until end of turn.

If the answer to this question is yes, then consider the following scenario:


My silver brigade WC hero is in battle and is holding Weapon of the Holy.
My opponent is blocking with a demon.
A stalemate by the numbers is reached.
I pass initiative to my opponent.
My opponent passes initiative to me.
I activate Weapon of the Holy's ability, discard it, and decrease his demon's abilities by 5/5.
This causes me to be winning the battle.

Because my opponent passed his initiative, and because he played the last card, do I win the battle?

Can Weapon of the Holy's special ability be activated at any time?

Weapon of the Holy - Silver 3/1 WC enhancement
Holder may discard this card to decrease a demon's abilities by 5/5 until end of turn.

If the answer to this question is yes, then consider the following scenario:

The answer is no. You have to discard at the time Weapon activates or not at all.

Hey,

Playing CM to discard one of two heroes in battle that would turn the numbers against him would most certainly affect initiative.

Affecting initiative in that it can change the state of battle yes, affecting initiative in that it affects who gets initiative in a mutual destruction situation no.

Tschow,

Tim "Sir Nobody" Maly

Affecting initiative in that it can change the state of battle yes, affecting initiative in that it affects who gets initiative in a mutual destruction situation no.

The state of battle in Mutual Destruction changes as soon as someone plays a card. Both those situations are covered in the same paragraph that I quoted from page 17. If one affects initiative, then they both do.