Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Full disclosure, I was the opponent, but here's how I ruled both based on what I found in the REG:

1. If both of the characters selected to fight were controlled by one of the players in battle, but neither or both of them were in a battle when they were selected, then the player that used the side battle ability decides which player controls which character in the side battle.

Since the first two bolded parts were true (both were controlled by RTS, and both were win battle) then the third part is also true (so I get to choose who controls who).

2. As RTS wrote, "The Evil Character is removed from the battle because of a special ability (except for mutual destruction by mutual removal)". I ruled that Grapes caused MD by mutual removal, thus it wasn't a defeat.

Agree on the first.

On the second question, I would say that this would normally be the case, but I would propose that in the unique situation where Grapes is used, he is defeated.

Here is my reasoning:  Grapes has a cost-benefit, and the cost must complete before the benefit occurs.  If you Grapes the entire side of the battle (last EC on that side of the battle), then that character is already in the discard pile when the benefit goes off, or else it is unable to complete.  At this point, only AS is in battle, and the shuffle is being resolved.  It is not mutual removal at this point, as only AS is being removed.  I see it as similar to a CM + AotL situation.  If there is one hero and one EC in battle when that goes off, they are both defeated.  Having the two different abilities on Grapes, one of which that is required to complete before the other, would lead me to say that each EC is being defeated.

Of course, this depends on whether mutual removal is defined by the ability or by the card, but this is how I would read the rules.  Interesting question