Cactus Game Design Message Boards

I think since it's an instant ability you can only activate it at the time the artifact is activated.

i see no reason why a player couldnt discard dd anytime during a turn if it had a legal target...

Hey,

The ability to discard Darius' Decree is an optional instantaneous ability.  Following precedent for that sort of ability on artifacts (Unholy Writ, Holy Grail) it can be used at any time the owner chooses to while the artifact is active.

Tschow,

Tim "Sir Nobody" Maly

awesome. so, if i have DD active from a previous turn, and i draw the shame lost soul to set aside a hero, can i discard DD during my draw phase, then activate another artifact during my prep phase?

Jeremiah 3:25 ('shame')
Type: Lost Soul • Brigade: None • Ability: None • Class: None • Special Ability: When you draw this card, you may set aside a Hero from each territory for two turns. • Identifiers: None • Verse: Jeremiah 3:25 • Availability: Rock of Ages (Set 15)

yes, as it works any time its active just like unwholywrit.

So, If my opponent activates DD with the intent to discard it to nuke my heros can I Destruction it since its not instantaneous, but rather and optional triggered, meaning that he would have to give me an opportunity similar to Holy Grail?

Triggering an artifact has the same level of precedence as playing a dominant.  If players want to play cards with the same level of precedence at the same time, the player that performed the last action gets the first chance to perform the next one.  So if I block your Lydia with King of Tyrus I can trigger my Unholy Writ to capture her before you can play Destruction to get rid of my Writ.  And if I activate Darius' Decree I can discard it before you can get rid of it with Destruction.

I disagree with this line of reasoning.  Dominants should have the highest "level of precedence" in the game.  If you attack me with a character, and I block with Saphira to make it FBN while having Unknown Nation turned on, then you should be able to decide that now that the battle is FBN, that me adding in a 2nd EC would be very hard to get past, and therefore you want to play DoN on my art.

At the same time, I agree that DD can discard itself as part of its activation, which would not give an opportunity for DoN to get it.

Hey,

If you use an Artifact during your prep phase it counts as your use of an Artifact for that turn - even if the Artifact was active from a previous turn.

I thought about that after I made my post.  Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word definitely

It doesn't surprise me that Bryon holds that sentiment, but I'm not entirely comfortable with it.

I'm playing a Zebulun deck.  I know you have Christian Martyr in you hand.  I haven't drawn my healing card yet so I keep Lampstand active to stop your Christian Martyr.  On my previous turn I used one of the draw set asides.  So then my prep phase starts, I bring back the set aside and draw and one of the cards I draw is my healing card.  I don't need Lampstand to save my Zebulun from your Christian Martyr anymore so I activate a different artifact.  I "used" Lampstand between the beginning of my preparation phase and the completion of the draw ability, didn't I?

Tschow,

Tim "Sir Nobody" Maly

I have to agree with Gabe, also because I has a similar question to that of his Gifts of the Magi one.

I feel if a players chooses to use an artifacts ability that is optional then they have chosen that as there artifact for that turn and can not activate a new artifact baring special abilty that allows for an artifact to be activated.

Hey,

Lampstand was active, yes.  Since it's not an optional use Artifact like DD and GotM, LoTS probably isn't a good example to illustrate your point.

I realize that Lampstand is different.  Let me try a different example.

I have Darius' Decree active.  My prep phase starts.  I play Christian Martyr to kill a hero in your territory.  You want to use Brass Serpent to heal the hero but you can't because I have Darius' Decree active.  I put the hand discard lost soul into a site and you discard your Brass Serpent.  I then activate a new artifact.  If the opponent cannot play enhancements part Darius' Decree works between Christian Martyr and putting the Lost Soul into the site, then shouldn't the discard to kill set aside people part work too?

Maybe the best option would be to deactivate all of your artifacts automatically at the beginning of the prep phase, and then you could immediately respond with the activation of an artifact (including the same one).  That response would be before anyone can do any other responses, such as slipping a dominant in between the deactivation and reactivation of Lampstand, for example.

I do like the flexibility of being able to do things during the preparation phase in any order.  This kinda goes back to when we had a separate artifact activation phase (which I guess wasn't really all that bad).  But it does seem like it may be the only option if we're not comfortable with Darius's Decree to discard, Urim, Holy Grail.

If you are using Darius' Decree or Holy Grail or whatever at the beginning of your prep phase before activating a new artifact, it means that you didn't use the artifact during your previous turn, which in my mind means that I don't see a problem with it.

Tschow,

Tim "Sir Nobody" Maly

 
Was there a final conclusion to this discussion?