Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Can I play Christian Martyr or Unholy Writ on a rescuing Hero that is face down from Ambush?

Can I play Angel of the Lord on an Evil Character that is face down on a Site from the Site Guard Lost Soul?

Face Down cards are cards in territories, battle, and set-aside areas that are face down either due to special ability, or are inactive artifacts in an artifact pile. Face down cards have no abilities, brigade, titles, or identifiers while they are face down. The only known attribute of a face down card is the card type. Face down cards are only targetable by abilities that specify they can target face down cards or inactive artifacts, or cards that can target any or all cards in a location. When a face down card enters battle, it is immediately flipped face up, unless otherwise specified by the special ability that flipped it face down.

Ambush - Set aside a male Hero (face down) from your hand for one turn.  Hero returns to territory face down.  Hero enters battle face down with access to any site.  When opponent presents an Evil Character in battle, Hero is flipped face up.

Lost Soul (Psalm 35:20) (site guard) - When you place this card in a Site, you may put an Evil Character face down from hand, The Darkness or Tartaros on that Site. During a rescue attempt at that Site, you may add that Character to the battle.

Do CM or AotL target any or all cards in a location? No.

This is the part I'm not entirely sure about. The narrowed down portion of the REG below seems to indicate to me that they might qualify.

Face down cards are only targetable by abilities...or cards that can target any...cards in a location.

Both AotL and CM can target any EC/Hero in play. Older versions say "Discard any X in play". The "in play" is the default for special ability targets so it was left off of the I&J versions which just say "Discard a(n) X".

Maybe I'm interpreting that wrong. If so I'm hoping someone can shed some light on it for me.

But the REG says "target any or all cards in a location", not "any or all of cards out type X.  I would interpret it to mean it can only target if it can target any card, not just one of a certain type.

That's what I was missing. Thanks, Kram.

Kram's argument was what I was referring to in my response.

There is, however, a related facet to this situation that raises an interesting question for me. Is "in play" a location? I am dubious that this is so. The "field of play" would be a location, but "in play" strikes me as more of a state of being.

I think "in play" is a location in the same way and with the same (il-)logic that "not in battle" is a location...

Quote from: EmJayBee83 on January 09, 2016, 10:05:13 PM

There is, however, a related facet to this situation that raises an interesting question for me. Is "in play" a location? I am dubious that this is so. The "field of play" would be a location, but "in play" strikes me as more of a state of being.

That could be. I've always thought of "in play" as shorthand for "in the field of play" but your interpretation is equally as valid.

-and-

I think "in play" is a location in the same way and with the same (il-)logic that "not in battle" is a location...

Sorry for going off on a tangent, you are both correct.

In Play means within the Field of Play.

Since targeting defaults to in play and in play is a location this does mean that any card which simply said "Discard an opponent's card" could freely target a face down card (like an Ambushed hero or an inactive artifact).

What strikes me as strange about this definition is how it plays (heh) against the definition of "Play"...

A card is considered “played” if it meets these criteria:
● You play an enhancement by attempting to activate its special ability (or numbers in
battle)
● You play a character or multicolor site by putting it in your territory or your side of
the battle.
● You play any other card type by putting it face up on the playing surface from hand,
deck, or discard pile due to your special ability or game action, except when you
discard a card from hand.

So an Ambushed hero, an EC sitting on The Darkness,a Site Guarded EC, and an artifact in the artifact pile that has never been activated are all in play, but only the first two of those card has ever been played. It is probably just me, but it feels really weird that a card can can go from out of play to in play without ever being played.