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benjoewoo

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  1. Hey it's been a while because of work, but finally getting to check back. In the first section where you post the example, that is a good example of where concealing would "only go one way" as a result of rules operations as we read the rules. I don't think we disagree on the result because Model A, which you have described as being able to draw an LoS through 1" or less of concealing terrain to Model B (re-stated to the rule--I assume you mean this instead of 1" inside terrain because that description alone would not necessarily mean you could ignore it)--has the rule book backing to choose whether Model A ignores the concealing terrain or not, which would grant or deny the concealment status and appropriately effectuate the penalties (if any) on Model B's actions targeting Model A. There are a number of situations you'd want this--a model friendly to Model A targeting Model A for crew utility, set up, etc. while denying enemy models straight flips on the duel. Where I disagree is the second section. Fae keyword models' abilities, though named differently for KJ, all provide there is no choice--the models with the respective abilities MUST ignore the concealment trait because they are unaffected by the same. There is no timing, there is no exception/exemption, they are simply unaffected by them at all. Thus there is no choice as in your first example with Models A and B provided that Model A was attempting to apply/not apply concealment solely via an Underbrush Marker. Model A must ignore the effects of concealment when targeting Model B and must ignore the effects of concealment when Model B targets Model A. Since concealment is defined and applied based on the model that would/would not have concealment, Model B would not have the concealment mechanics applied to its actions since Model A would ignore the concealment of the Underbrush Marker.
  2. I'm unsure how to read the last sentence. I want to be accurate on it because some posts before may have been misdirected. I do have to ask how you bring up that 2 models draw sight lines and calculate their LoS differently. LoS is bi-lateral-it is the default state unless the rules provide otherwise because: (1) the game requires models draw LoS to each other and (2) the game does not specify LoS is drawn in a particular direction when referencing taking actions. If both of these are true, then when drawing sight lines, it cannot be wrong to draw from the model being targeted by an action to the model taking the action vs. the other way around. The part everyone disagrees is that in bi-lateral LoS, can a model treat it differently than the other model to which/from which LoS is drawn? I think this may be the focus of the question. I don't think it works that way because concealment's yes/no application, including the text on what it means to be unaffected by it, is written based on a model in the interaction ignoring it. I haven't posted in some time because I think that the rules are vague on this purposefully. Unfortunately I think a combination of perceived power of the Underbrush Markers has led to the Fae keyword not being particularly high powered and multiple people seem to agree that it works the way the majority says, but people do not necessarily agree in full on how you get there--maybe this second part is a misreading but in responding here I've felt I've responded to different concepts to address the same situation.
  3. Updated to remove Hinamatsu from core, add in a Huckster. Typically you'll want to take upgrades, but core list doesn't include upgrades.
  4. I often go for Parker in Reckoning or against guild. He answers the strategy and faction I don't like taking Tara in. I like to run: Parker (Outcasts) Size: 50 - Pool: 4 Leader: Parker Barrows Totem(s): Doc Mitchell Hires: Mad Dog Brackett Servant of Dark Powers Convict Gunslinger Servant of Dark Powers Convict Gunslinger 2 Barbaros Prospector Wanted Criminal It's essentially an alpha strike crew. With it you can get up to a 29" threat after Mad Dog runs and guns. There are 5 movements with max movements, with a push in there as well. Mad Dog goes wherever you need him to and he'll have fast via the last gunslinger so he'll get 3 shots off on his alpha strike. There'll also be a slinger nearby to help escape if someone tries to engage him, and the 2nd slinger can catch up pretty easily. If Mad Dog doesn't get all the kills needed, Parker can come clean up with potentially a stat 7 shot if Mad Dog's fistful of scrip dropped a couple scheme markers from easy kills. I've had a lot of success with the crew--it can scheme moderately well, but where it shines is anti-scheming between parker and barbaros, both very hardy anti-schemers, and then mad dog with 2x slingers to contest the main opposing fighting force with doc mitchell to provide an extra card, distraction, and possible heals. Prospector just gets me a soul stone every turn with potential for extra advantage if it drops an enemy scheme marker for parker to eat up for free.
  5. To keep the explanation short, then. 1. Concealment is applied if sight lines for LoS are drawn through concealing terrain. Concealing terrain can be ignored if a model drawing sight lines is both (1) in the terrain and (2) draws at least one sight line through 1" or less of that concealing terrain. pg 37 of e-rule book. 2. Concealment as a mechanic is defined and applied in terms of and in reference to the model being attacked having concealment. pg. 36 of e-rule book. 3. Unaffected by Concealing Terrain--Models unaffected by concealing terrain ignore the concealing trait when drawing LoS. 37. 4. LoS is drawn bi-laterally. There is no rule stating which way "direction" LoS is drawn. Because the rules are phrased so that LoS can be drawn from either direction to achieve the same effect, this seems the rule that the rules work with. The picture examples are drawn directionally, e.g. from Rasputina to a sorrow, but there is no actual reference to the direction drawn and the example makes more sense with how the example is phrased, i.e. from Rasputina to Sorrow. But, requiring LoS to be drawn specifically from one model to another is a more specific proposition because it is a more restrictive, specialized rule; there would need to be a rules citation for drawing LoS in this manner compared to drawing them from either of any models interacting. A model with Abundant Growth or similar ability, e.g. Killjoy, is unaffected by Underbrush Markers, which are 50mm, Ht 0, Severe, and Concealing Terrain markers. When drawing LoS normally, rule 1 would provide that the models drawing LoS through an Underbush Marker would have concealment, provided none of them are in the terrain drawing at least one sight line through 1" or less of that terrain. Rule 2 would then apply concealment to both, affecting any non-melee attack actions targeting models in such a position. But, models with Abundant Growth or similar ability (MAGs) would, per rule 3, ignore the concealing trait when drawing LoS. Thus, per rule 4, MAGs and non-MAGs attacking each other through concealing terrain created by Underbrush Markers ignore the marker because the MAG(s) ignore the concealing trait.
  6. "...concision is not a definitive virtue, on occasion one loses out by talking too much, it is true, but how much has also been gained by saying more than was strictly necessary." -José Saramago, The Stone Raft For the first point--when enemy models attack themselves for benefit is an example, and not an absurd one--nephilim crews currently can benefit off it to achieve set up later efficiency. It also protects any out of keyword models hired or ones in keyword without Abundant Growth, e.g. Killjoy., a a Fae without the ability but benefits greatly from not being blasted in the face. Your alternative as a re-statement could work--I haven't thought much about it. But that's not the issue here. I initially think the way you rephrase the rule eliminates the requirement that the model be in the concealing terrain to be able to ignore the terrain when any sight line passes through 1" or less of that terrain. But, at least your version saves 7 words as Microsoft Word counts it by eliminating that requirement. Do you have a citation for LoS being drawn directionally with reference to a specific model and then to another specific model? If you have one I'm probably wrong in my analysis. Your subsequent post relies on it if my understanding is correct. Also I disagree that enforcement and strict interpretation of rules is cut throat. If you enter a competition, especially one based on a leisure activity, you expect fair play based on an agreed to rule set and one that both of you can refer to. Where people decide to conduct their competitive events by different rules, that's their own decision and great fun for all participants who enjoy that and participate. If anyone holds out though that it's the legitimate way to play, they are definitively wrong. People want this game to be competitive in the sense that if you go to an event, you have something you can refer to as a win or great showing for what you do there--saying Malifaux is just played at the kitchen table level takes away from that because every win has an asterisk with caveats for any illegitimate rules interaction. Posed as an example instead and a TL;DR--if your opponent believes the melee action generated by the charge action is stopped by the Stealth ability because the charge action was initiated from further than 6" away and has played that way regularly with their local group of M3E players newly transitioned from M2E, which you are visiting in their tournament, which goes to your benefit in a game winning way, is it more cut throat to let it fly because you're not rules lawyering, or is it more cut throat to correct the opponent and let him/her resolve the melee attack action by rules lawyering? Your answer here guides how you should look at rules interactions because clean play is sportsmanlike play. I don't think Titania is particularly under powered in relation to your other options in NB, though I'm not particularly knowledgeable on NB models. I also think it's a little early to make that call as there may not be enough live testing to really show conclusive data. I'm here to play the game and see what crazy combos are out there while shooting the crap with friends. I play almost exclusively casually so that rules questions are less relevant because it removes any particular investment into winning a given game. I also want to confirm whether certain interactions work the way I think they do based on the rules because a crazy combo isn't fun if it involves cheating to achieve. I think a lot of players here are doing the same. There are a number of quoted to sections that are answering quoted things people have said, so the quoted section here doesn't display everything here unfortunately. Instead of going point to counter-point and back and forth, I'll just ask why is it that you think being unaffected by something can still yield a direct benefit from it when you obtain that benefit by interacting with that thing for its effect when you're unaffected by it? Maybe I misunderstood what you've said then. I actually think if I am, then I do not understand the point you're trying to make--could you please explain more? I am unfamiliar with other miniature games since I don't play them, but the question from OP at its core is how/why a model with Abundant Growth would get to effectively ignore concealment in one direction but not the other? I'm sorry if I lumped you together with people I've interpreted to be making RAI arguments, but there are multiple posts about it being pointless to have the ability, and I think I read your post that way as a background argument of it. I think when I was responding to your post I was thinking of Hans, whose ability specifically says the model's attack actions are unaffected by concealment. The unequivocal language tailored to the rules for concealment is known and used, so I don't have reason to think the design of Abundant Growth/Brambles wouldn't also have known it. If it's a clarity of language issue, then I think relying on what the rules say is important to interpretation. I don't think anyone has argued OP's "defending player" was inherently an unreasonable person, so reasonable minds disagreeing is possible. While I was reading, Maniacal posted that KJ has brambles, which has the unaffected text found on abundant growth verbatim. I'm wrong that KJ would have a different interaction compared to Titania or other MAGs.
  7. First paragraph: First sentence is stating a rules proposition without a citation or support for the conclusion. Second sentence is an opinion, also without a rules citation. Second paragraph: First sentence is incorrect--Killjoy at least doesn't have Abundant Growth (haven't checked for others, may be single example). Second and third sentences are reductions to absurdity arguments, a logical fallacy. I've posed an example where having the UMs provide benefit to a MAGs crew. Additionally you're creating severe terrain that could make leaving the deployment zone not only tricky, but very slow, allowing time to move up and set up a second line of brush markers to achieve the same to gain further advantage in positioning and alpha strike. UMs also provide benefit to a non-MAG that is also in keyword, again Killjoy, one of the hardest and sturdiest hitting beaters in NB and the game overall. This last thought goes for any out of keyword models hired into a MAGs crew as well. Additionally, considering UMs are not destructible, the opponent may not have options to deal with them without hiring a number of out of keyword models, as the opponent would only find out he/she's facing a MAGs crew after declaring a master that has no in keyword marker removal/manipulation. That's a significant advantage on top of the effects they have for the opponent's crew manipulating itself via attack actions, moving through severe, and attacking out of keyword hires in a MAGs crew. I disagree with your point as to what was "intended" because it's an intellectually dangerous argument in rules interpretation to first rely upon intent in drafting when reading what was actually written--your rules foundation is inherently weak because you require knowledge of events, thoughts, etc. that are not necessarily publicly available or easily accessible to interpret the publicly available and easily accessible authoritative sources. Intention in drafting can be useful in bringing up issues to think about, but they should be one of the last things used in interpreting what was actually written. I don't actually play other wargames, but I do play a number of board games and have played a number of competitive card games in multiple languages, all of which provide rulings/errata when the player base confirms via authoritative rules sets that an interaction doesn't work as the game designers "intended." Are they all fast responses? No, and sometimes the designers will even rule the wonky result plays to see how much effect there is before deciding on issuing an errata--if the wonky result doesn't greatly affect the field there isn't necessarily a need to further complicate the game with additional rules. Your last point is an example of how you can interact with a marker by targeting the marker, which is different than being affected by it. The UMs can only affect models via the concealing and severe traits, barring the release of models that are affected by the 50mm and/or Ht 0 characteristics of a marker. I actually originally thought Abundant Growth would grant concealment the way @Thimblesage's "defending player" argued, because Titania's Awakened Hunger attack action has italic rules for it that seem designed to factor UMs in. The action's italics read, "This Action ignores Concealment and receives a positive twist to its duel if the target is in Severe Terrain." Considering UMs have both of those traits, it initially seemed a good direction to think. But, the rules don't support that conclusion, so these italics only apply in full with reference to other terrain on the board and/or model's interactions (e.g. auras) that provide concealment. With reference to UMs, only the portion related to severe terrain is relevant. First sentence commits the same logical fallacy as Maniacal's argument, a reduction to absurdity. Second sentence is the same. Another example of why I'd run a MAGs crew is because of their ability to move my opponent's models around and dictate my opponent's path of movement. UMs, on creation, have to be at least 2" away from any other marker, per Abundant Growth the ability and the Germinate actions on various Fae models. Titania can move them so they're base to base with each other, literally creating walls of indestructible, severe terrain. Depending on your board layouts, this could make going through tighter areas on the board very slow or non-viable without inefficient play, like charging for movement. Citation to drawing line of sight, while stated differently, is largely the same as the rule previously cited by myself and @Thimblesage. Your statement that only acting models draw LoS to the target is not supported in the rules--I actually tried to find a rule for this thought because it would be the best explanation for why MAGs ignore concealing while attacking through UMs and why non-MAGs do not. However there is no reference to drawing LoS in a direction with rules impact--I could draw LoS from the target to the acting model in the typical scenario and drawing LoS correctly. Even if there is a rule that references how you draw the LoS lines between specific models, concealment as a mechanic is defined and applied based upon the target having concealment, so your argument that the model "targeting" another model is unaffected is irrelevant--the model being "targeted" must not be affected for your argument to apply. I had to think about how the MAG attacking the non-MAG interaction would work because of the lack of reference for how LoS lines are specifically drawn in actions. But, as LoS lines being drawn are what determine whether concealment applies, and the rule book specifically states models unaffected by concealing terrain ignore the trait while drawing LoS, it meant the MAG had to be able to bypass that mechanic, meaning the non-MAG would not gain the benefit of concealment. LoS in this edition is not necessarily reciprocal between models, e.g. Scion of the Void, and without rules dictating directional drawing of LoS, if one model effectively ignores the trait, a model interacting with that model that would cause the trait to apply effectively ignores the trait. I agree with your citation--I am unsure what the second part of that sentence is supposed to mean. "Dense" is a terrain trait that models can be affected by when drawing LoS, but it's not listed. There are also no currently existing models that interact with or are unaffected by dense terrain specifically. There could be a model in the future that ignores dense terrain, but not models, when drawing LoS. If Wyrd, on releasing that model, could amend the rule book to account for this to keep the call out box exhaustive in practice, or it could rely on the call out box's general rule and it would still work. The rule book currently provides an exhaustive list of all the "unaffected by" interactions we currently can have in game. This can change, and the general rule of that call out box remains to answer for those situations. It'd be easier and possibly cost saving to print a shorter section to fit more text on the page or just have fewer rules by only including the specific instances if those are the only and will always ever be the only terrain traits a model can be "unaffected by." Detailed rules discussions will generally need to be long in order to full explain thoughts and provide citations. I think the above quoted posts provide ample reason considering the second thing I bring up most is that what has been said since my post has no rules support, the first being people are making arguments by simply stating I'm wrong because I'm crazy. I think it'd be more crazy to go to a competitive event, play competitively, and when a game winning play opportunity comes up I take it, execute correctly, and then have my win overturned and convert into a loss because a TO disagreed for non-rules reasons in a competitive environment when my opponent complained that's not how the rules were designed. Rules are only as useful as their application to the thing they govern. That goes doubly so for ostensibly competitive events where the explicit goal is to win. That doesn't mean be an ass or cheat. Consistently and correctly applying the rules is sportsmanlike conduct because it is how the game works and leads to clean play.
  8. You could use non melee attack actions to target your own models, and provided they both ignored the underbrush markers' concealing traits, you'd get a straight flip, which could be important for TNs, triggers, etc. It would also be a balance factor since you're creating potentially a double digit number of 50mm areas of the map that are now severe and concealing, which could operate to make the opponent's models hitting themselves incredibly difficult in addition to just moving. E.g. Hayreddin has an attack action that pretty easily just pings a friendly black blood model for 1 on a trigger, but underbrush markers make that incredibly hard without a stone because of the negative twist from concealment. I feel that two weeks isn't necro-posting, but the defending player in @Thimblesage's situation indirectly brings up a good question: if you are unaffected by something, how do you gain a benefit from it that only comes from direct interaction with the thing you're unaffected by? Concealment as a mechanic is defined in reference to the model being targeted by the action. It reads on page 36 of the e-rule book, "[w]hen a model with Concealment is targeted by a non-melee Attack Action, the Action's duel gains a negative twist." The key part of that definition is that the model being targeted has concealment, not the model that is targeting that model. Abundant Growth from Titania's card (she's the first fae that pops up if you search "fae" in the dropbox of files) provides in relevant part, "[t]his model is unaffected by Underbrush Markers." Underbrush Markers are a special marker, and they do not exist and have no effect until created/dropped and given definition. Titania at the least creates a 50mm, Ht 0, concealing, severe Underbrush Marker after deployment--the traits of the Underbrush Marker Titania makes are uniform across all Fae models with the Abundant Growth ability. The term "unaffected" is not specifically defined in the rule book, but there is a call out box on page 37 of the e-rule book providing for at least the situation where a model is unaffected by concealing terrain. I won't quote it as @Thimblesage has already quoted it in his initial post. I'll refer to Underbrush Markers as UMs and models with abundant growth as MAGs because my fingers are tired. The questions to be answered to answer @Thimblesage's question, then are as follows: are MAGs and non-MAGs affected by the concealing trait of UMs? when drawing line of sight to each other? If yes, what effect, if any, does this have in practical model interactions? MAGs, per the quoted ability from Titania and observation all MAGs have the same text for Abundant Growth, are unaffected by UMs. MAGs do not deal with the severe trait and they are unaffected by the concealing trait, as these are the two effects UMs can have on models given the rules of the game. Now that we know that MAGs are unaffected by the concealing trait of UMs, so now we need to determine what application this rule has, because the ability is worded in reference only to the specific model with Abundant Growth, not any other MAGs. Assume Model A and B are MAGs, friendly to each other, and are both positioned outside and not in base to base contact with separate UMs such that all of their LoS lines pass through more than 1" of the UMs in order to see Model C, a model enemy to both Models A and B. Assume Model C is also positioned outside and not in base to base contact a UM such that Models A & B draw all of their sight lines through more than 1" of the UM Model C is positioned in. Assume that Model C has one attack action that has the range to target Models A or B if LoS is established and there are no targeting restrictions preventing Model C from taking that attack action. Assume that Model A has an attack action that can reach Model C with the same assumptions for Model C's qualifying attack action. I will not discuss the severe trait of the UMs further because it's not relevant here, and instead focus on only the concealing trait of the UMs. Per the rule quoted by @solkan, at least Model C has concealment in reference to Models A and B when temporarily discounting Abundant Growth because Models A, B, and C draw all of their sight lines through more than 1" of concealing terrain, so under the rules in the rule book, Model C has concealment in reference to Models A and B. Again temporarily discounting Abundant Growth, Models A & B have concealment with reference to Model C for the same reason. With Abundant Growth, Models A & B are unaffected by the three UMs in the assumed example, so they ignore the concealing trait of the UMs. We know this because MAGs are unaffected by UMs per the Abundant Growth ability and the rules specifically provide that models unaffected by concealing terrain ignore the concealing trait when drawing LoS. Therefore, when Model C takes the attack action described above against Models A and/or B, Model C will be proceed to flip the appropriate cards without any negative twist applied from the UMs' concealing trait because the MAGs ignore the concealing trait for drawing LoS and the rules provide that the negative twist is applied when a model with concealment is targeted by an attack action. Models A and B cannot both be unaffected by the UMs and still gain the benefit of concealment from the UMs. It actually goes against the explicit wording of Abundant Growth (because the UMs are affecting Models A and B by providing concealment), is a self-contradicting application of an ability, and it doesn't work with the rule book's explicit rules that reference concealment's negative twist applying based on the target model having concealment. Now, if Model A wants to target Model C with the attack action referenced above, it continues to ignore the UMs because it is a MAG as assumed. The example plays out the same way, then, with Model A ignoring the concealing trait while drawing sight lines, so Model C does not gain concealment because of Model A's Abundant Growth. I believe the defending player in @Thimblesage's original post is incorrect as that player's argument is posed here, but that player brings up a good point that MAGs cannot be unaffected by something and still gain a direct benefit from the thing they are unaffected by--gaining a benefit that you can only get by virtue of interaction with the thing is being affected by the same thing the MAGs are unaffected by.
  9. @Myyrä I appreciate your candor in the conversation. I only ask for additional constructive criticism, such as basic instructions on how to format posts instead of effectively "figure it out." I'm following the rules forum guidelines and going beyond them by posting my thoughts preemptively and in detail instead of just asking "why and where's the rules reference?" to each question to put all of the thinking and research on people answering the questions. I could have run the thread like that and more or less achieved the same thing, and it would require significantly less effort while still complying with the rules. But, I am trying to actually get an answer because the issue has affected a game I played, which is why I posted question 2, and question 1 seems an obvious question to ask as GG 0 is the currently available competitive rule set document. It's also an interesting set of questions because I think the answer to one provides a great deal of rules infrastructure for the other. As you and at least another person have pointed out, Wyrd looks at the rules forum to see how they can change, improve, etc. the rules to better players' gaming experience. I think this conversation and how it is turning out can be informative on that issue. Also, in my prior post I referenced that a word was higher than an SAT level word, not considering that it is mostly a USA reference and that the person I was responding to is more likely in Finland. I'd like to see your examples of where I'm using words incorrectly and I can further explain, hopefully in shorter writing, what I intended to say in those posts. My SAT reference was that the word you used in that context is a higher level word for someone to know in the English language, likely in other languages as well when translated. Again, I don't think having rules open is a bad thing. We're talking about detailed readings of rules text, so having the exact text for reference is probably a requirement to understanding what anyone is saying. Grounding our thoughts in examples also helps write posts and give something solid to work with the prevent us going into arcane philosophy as the forum rules require, so I think reading the cards and rules other people reference is a better method than not doing so. Each example someone has given as a counter example for this thread has required I read the model's card and re-read a rules section before responding. I also have to do the same in order to provide examples that I think are as on point as possible. I originally was going to use Pandora's Misery ability instead of Accelerate Time, but the example didn't seem as on point because there is a rule specifically for Auras that might take the conversation in a different direction; rather than do that, I chose a model with a pulse action because the pulse rules seem to rely on the simultaneous effects section to resolve. I couldn't have responded to the example with the Alp the way I did (pointing out that it may not work, which Adran acknowledged and is going to double check) without referring to a model's card that had prior to that point never been brought up. It doesn't take a lot of text to provide an example, and I could just write, "Nothing Beast's Accelerate Time action shows I'm right," but then we'd have multiple short posts on what I meant by that, whether it's wrong or right, etc. That wastes time and energy to check, and considering the posters here are more or less posting once a day, it seems more practical to further the conversation along when the thought comes to mind instead of revisiting it to "get back" the context each time. Again, apologies if walls of text are appearing--I'm trying to work on it by writing shorter posts, but I want to be complete in my posts so that when you consider my thoughts, you have more context to evaluate and bring up arguments/examples. Again, Adran referred to his critical example in a body of evidence via the Alps example in essentially a one liner. I pointed out after reading the card and re-reading the rule book on when actions resolve that the interaction may not resolve the way he posted, to which he is know double checking and will explain how it works or provide another similar example. If you don't want to respond because my posts are long, then I apologize for how I post and thank you for your time and input so far.
  10. I don't know how viable it is in competitive play, but you could also try the following: (1) Hire Molly as a 2nd master to mitigate hand disadvantage. Essentially run a forgotten crew out of Kirai between Molly, Archie, and 1-2 crooligans. They score your VP on possibly the strategy and most of your schemes. Kirai summons effectively hardy chaffe to go in at the start of each turn to fight to buy them time to do so. You lose Lethe's Caress, but I think if you're playing at higher levels it tends to proc less often so it shouldn't be a major loss. (2) Hire Archie with 1-2 crooligans. Same idea for fewer stones but less utility. I know super friends lists aren't super popular, but I think Kirai is one of the few masters who can do it because she summons and those summons can be fairly hardy compared to other summoner's summons. She seems able to run with few in keyword options too, leaving a number of flex stones.
  11. As far as Kirai specifically I don't know I can offer much advice on that end as I don't play Kirai myself. I have a general idea of the models available to her though, and I play Youko myself, so I'll offer more general thoughts. I'd recommend running slightly more mobile crews and going for higher activation counts. Youko's in keyword options are fairly slow in that there aren't many movement tricks in keyword; there's basically Lure on the models, requiring multiple activations to accomplish positioning to give you time to react, or she's using trained ninja on minions to give them from the shadows, typically to give Lure greater efficiency. Youko will typically want to hire more elite than swarm, and while you may give her some initial pass tokens, at the end of the day getting more activations with action(s) than getting passes scores VP. It also spreads her more thinly--you'll typically face Youko and her escort of 1-2 beaters, maybe a supporting geisha, and then the other 1-3 models are running schemes. Kill the scheme runners and she has to re-purpose one of her beaters, none of which are quick outside of Bill conditionally gaining Fast. She'll have trouble keeping up with you if you can be mobile. Stealth on Chiyo and models with trained ninja can be an issue, but your scheme runner hunters should be able to catch up fairly easily and take them out. While you've asked specifically for Kirai, you may find hiring Seamus useful as teleporting into Chiyo's face and blasting him is usually effective--if you go Seamus as the leader then you could potentially get a second shot on the gun in the same or the next activation as well. Youko's in keyword scheme runner options are also pretty terrible, so your scheme runners themselves could contest them, though I would not necessarily recommend it as her scheme runners tend to be more on the beater side than the runner side (e.g. crit strike trigger on bunraku). Also, Youko herself is squishy if you have built in positives. Her only guaranteed printed defensive ability is serene countenance, and she can conditionally mitigate the first flip you make. If you get adversary on her, she has no guaranteed defense. Focus is also a decent general alternative. Her in keyword options are also fairly squishy for the most part other than occasional armor, one of the relatively easy abilities to bypass. Going on the squishy part--if you can focus out the beater Youko is sending with Bill, you'll probably get a lot of mileage. Bill is more of a back up beater because his defensive ability is armor +1 and his conditional heal on you revealing your schemes. Youko should be sending him in as a back up beater to a model like Hinamatsu--if you focus out the main beater Bill spends his actions saving the main fighter by repositioning/healing. If Bill is running schemes or hunting scheme runners, Youko's frontline should be softer for not having him and/or there are fewer models in the crew because Youko has a 9 SS henchmen running schemes. Virtually every in keyword model also wants to be in your junk, so make use of auras, pulses, etc. that punish being close, like Jakuuna's hazardous aura. Onslaught is very painful on Hinamatsu in hazardous terrain because it effectively bypasses armor. Serene Countenance is also possibly a problem because in keyword options can only spend one pass token at a time meaning they only get to a straight flip provided they don't have focus or another source of positive flips. How much mileage are you getting from vengeance against Youko? Youko herself is rarely going to care about causing damage, but her in keyword options are all almost beaters, and pings for 1 effectively bypass armor, so again Jakuuna or even an onryo taking 1 damage from a min hit from HInamatsu pings back equally or comparably against an armor +2 model. Even if it's Bill, he's taking half the damage he deals at Vengeance +1 against an incorporeal model. I would avoid revealing schemes too early against Youko if discards are your issue--change your activation order first and see the mileage you get. Against a Youko led crew you're playing a 5 card hand vs. 6, and if you reveal too early you're effectively enabling her to maintain the 1-3 card advantage in card flips vs. actual discards; both drain your hand, but making her take actions presents a cost to her IMO--she's also going to make you discard anyway when she targets her patsy models to activate her own draw engine. Also, nothing sucks worse than Youko having initiative every turn starting turn 3 because she's generating 9+ pass tokens a turn and you can never take Bill down because he's healing 3 on turns 2 and 3. Youko doesn't have much healing to warrant anti-healing tech, but Bill heals up to 6 over two turns if you reveal schemes sequentially. If you're going to reveal, reveal both your schemes on the same turn if possible when Bill has 3 damage or less so you don't give him maximum output. I don't know if you feel you can, but try to run models with terrifying--many of Youko's in keyword options are average Wp, so terrifying tests are a real drain on Youko's hand unless she's using her pass tokens to help succeed those duels, likely costing her 2 pass tokens per attack action to get one positive flip to the actual attack duel. The only in keyword ruthless option is Bill, but that can be negated with The Grave Spirit's Touch. It may be worth putting that on a minion or two to basically put up chaffe while possibly getting you free focus from the pulse--Youko pretty much hires all living models with the exception of Hinamatsu/bunraku, and most of the versatile options she'll want are living as well, so it should have ample opportunity to help you. Maybe even put it on a non-minion just for anti-ruthless, but I don't know how well that works for Kirai. I'm sure you've thought of this, but I probably wouldn't run a summoner against Youko if I knew Youko was coming, because of the hand drain mechanics Youko has. Also because Charm Warders can execute summons regardless of damage dealt on their melee attacks, which combined with positive flips from pass tokens and +2 from Chi, can doom your summons' with relatively poor defensive stats. I don't think Kirai is auto-lose, but I think there are some major disadvantages going in because of how her summoning interacts with Youko's in keyword options and how they want to play. I think going with a hit and run type crew would be more effective, like Seamus, or a crew that can tactically play around with hand disadvantage, like Molly. If you're set on playing Kirai though, I hope the above can help.
  12. Could you provide instructions then on how to do the cut and paste on the e-rule book? When I do it, these are my results for the first section of the "simultaneous effects" section: "Occasionallyaneffectwillgeneratemultipleeffectsthatoccuratthesametime§IfthishappenstheyareresolvedinthefollowingorderÄ" I'm not familiar with cutting and pasting from the e-rule book, so each time I've quoted the rules it's by typing out the section. If you could give me a step by step method for an easier way, I'd be happy to do it that way. Also, while you see it as a negative effect, I think it should be encouraged to have the rule book open while reading what people say, because we're talking about multiple pages worth of references and nuanced textual interpretation. It's a leisure game, so we're all doing this in our personal time, barring you're part of Wyrd, but that doesn't mean we should discuss rules without the rules in front of us. I definitely don't think anything I've referenced in the rule book is "obscure." Including pages without content, the e-rule book is 54 pages, so not particularly long as a text in general. It has some lay out and organization issues, but considering it's written in plain English with elements of programmer/defined gaming terminology, that's expected. Also I'm unsure how I'm reading it "creatively." I literally quoted the section and used an ellipses because again, I have to type out in full the quotes I want to use with my limited quoting capabilities. I then explained how I read it. I'd like to know more why you say that. I do find it funny though you reference me using "big" words, as though that should detract from the argument; I use these words because they're what come to mind and seem fitting given context, not because I like using big words--if I could I'd only write four letter words because it'd save me a lot of time and energy here and for daily life, but I can't get by like that T___T. Earlier you used the word "tautology," essentially a slightly higher than SAT level word. I accepted your statement because I know it to be true and you're right, no further justification was needed to show that particular statement was true. I later used a tautological statement, and it was argued my usage of such is a false dilemma argument. Regarding step 2, the way I read your post and @Adran's post was that the opening sentence and step 1 texts were ambiguous because of step 2's sentence. If I misinterpreted, I apologize and would like to see why you say it's ambiguous. At least to myself, the text seems to be all encompassing because of the general language, which makes sense for future proofing and as a method of writing that section. I did make the comment that not verbatim repeating step 1's text for step 2 in the context of the non-active player was likely the result of something other than a motivation to further define step 1. However, I don't think it's necessarily wrong, and I did explain why I think it provides some context in that section's interpretation. Also I think you have to have timing resolution for any two or more effects that share the same resolution window. If you don't, rules questions without solid answers are an inevitable result, never mind the choke on future possible models. I could not quickly think of an example that fit into the fairly subtle divide you and @Adran were pointing out, i.e. "[t]his can mean that the model has unresolved effects affecting it or it is generating unresolved effects. It seems like you read it as model generating the effects, but I actually believe it refers to effects affecting the model, because step 2 says (quoted section)." Both of you read that section in the sense that the rule only applies to simultaneous effects affecting the model that is activated instead of resolving it as the active vs. non-active player choosing which effects to resolve first. I could not then, and right now cannot either, so apologies, think of a currently existing on point example where this distinction currently comes into play. Both of you, based on the Misaki example, are saying it applies to the Misaki example, but I think applying it in that way effectively renders step 2 for the non-active player's choice meaningless. The way you resolve the Misaki example, provided @Myyrä is reading it the exact same way as @Adran, which I am assuming you are, so apologies if I am incorrect in that, the active player actually effectively makes the non-active player's choice for them in deciding which simultaneous effect the resolve as opposed to,"the active player resolved his/her unbury first, the non-active player then resolves his/her unbury, but because you cannot unbury, the effect fails." I'll put up an example I think that may be informative. I think it's a relatively easy ruling, but if anyone would like to say I'm wrong, please explain why with rules citations so we can continue the discussion. Nothing Beast uses is action Accelerate Time and succeeds the simple duel to generate the pulse (see the model's card). Assume at least two enemy models are affected by the pulse. Which player determines the order in which the models take the simple duel? With how I read the rules, I would answer the Nothing Beast because the active player is resolve an effect of his/her model (see simultaneous effects section, cited in earlier post). To quickly change the example, if the Nothing Beast was obeyed by a model enemy to it into using Accelerate Time, then the player that controlled the model that took the Obey action would do so (see simultaneous rules section again). Under @Myyrä and @Adrans' reading of the rules, though, regardless of which player caused the Nothing Beast to take the Accelerate Time action, the owner of the affected models would determine the order. I don't think that's how the interaction resolves because in the first iteration it renders step 1 inapplicable despite the active player being the player that generated the simultaneous effects with his/her own model. This seems more to break the game by rendering that step only applicable when such effects affect friendly models. If this was the intended resolution, the inclusion of the word "friendly" would resolve this particular discussion, but it isn't, so it is logical this step applies to friendly and enemy models. There is additionally the parenthetical at the end of step 1 providing support for this conclusion saying the active player resolves all of his/her effects before moving to the non-active player even if those effects affect models controlled by the non-active player. As a question to @Myyrä and @Adran, what do you guys think of Malifaux having an open resolution window, similar to Magic's "stack," vs. having a one check resolution where an effect generally cannot apply contingent upon another effect going off in the same timing window, e.g. Rotten Belle's melee attack vs. Gwyneth Maddox's Luck Thief? I don't want to get into it if you guys believe the rules follow a one check resolution effect, but if you look at it from an open resolution window, I think getting into that may be informative as well. I would use this as a second example, but it may not be relevant if we all agree it's the latter and not the former.
  13. It's inclusive of both. I think you are discounting the sentences in step 1 providing, "Then, that player chooses another of their models with unresolved effects and resolves those effects the same way...(even if it also affects a model controlled by the non-Active player)." Page 34 of e-rule book. Those two sentences together I don't think could be taken together without being inclusive of models generating unresolved effects (explicitly included in step 1, to which step 2 is a subsequent duplication from a different perspective,) Additionally the first sentence of that section unequivocally encompasses "effects that generate multiple effects that occur at the same time." There is no qualification that the effect must affect a model versus an effect that does/does not affect a model. Step 2 as you quote is in line with step 1 but does not repeat all the text and shortens to effects affecting their models. There is a logical disconnect in saying step 2 actually further defines step 1 and the opening sentences of the section--a shorter section of text is reading as changing multiple sections despite essentially just saying the non-active player then resolves their effects. Not as a stab at Wyrd, but it's a bit of lazy writing to avoid writing extra text and/or a combination of thinking that people will understand this section is to apply to any effects generated simultaneously to each other., seeing as though otherwise simultaneous effects that do not directly affect models belonging to the model(s) also in the same active vs. non-active player would be excluded and thus have no answer to timing priority for resolution, e.g. if there were multiple effects on models at start of activation a pulse was generated but no targets were factually in range at the time of activation, there would be no provision in the rules for which ones resolve first, important even if none of the pulses actually hit any other model since these types of abilities tend to be mandatory resolution. @Adran I think step 1's first sentence does factor source of effect because it specifically says, "The Active player...chooses one of their models with one or more unresolved effects..." Misaki's model has an unresolved unbury at the start of her activation. The unbury is the death marshal's unresolved effect. I think everyone accepts these two immediately preceding statements as true, because otherwise Planted Roots would never stop the unbury. I think it means Misaki's ability must resolve first because it's Misaki's unresolved effect vs. the death marshal's unresolved effect. I also agree these rules questions let Wyrd know of possible rules issues. I was asking if there was a more direct and final resolution via direct contact with Wyrd, similar to other games. If they do it, great. If they don't, it's how Wyrd runs the game and we'll have to see where reasoning takes the discussion.
  14. With regards to catalyst and poison, you are correct the reference only refers to actions, so expunge (or the new name of it if it was changed) would be the example as opposed to catalyst. What did I get wrong on the Misaki example? Per the detailed timing diagram on page 35 of the e-rule book, start of activation effects occur in step C of the activation phase. Per page 34 of the e-rule book, the active player resolves his/her effects first provided there are multiple start of activation effects, i.e. simultaneous effects--the active player is defined on page 10 of the e-rule book as the owner of the model that is currently activated and taking/resolving actions. the portion I've discussed is that when Misaki starts her activation, if she is buried, she unburies to her own effect rather than resolving the unbury effect of the death marshal. Is that incorrect? Also source does matter because that's how you know which one resolves first--the unbury effect from Misaki's card being the source of that effect is the reason it resolves before the death marshal's unbury effect, unless I have read the rules wrong on that. @Maniacal_cackle I had a longer post written but unfortunately editor decided to delete my draft and revert to an older one when I went to check a reference in this thread. Essentially though, yes, Malifaux can at times be ambiguous and sometimes the only way to know for sure what's going on is to e-mail the head TO of an event and ask so you can make a more informed decision about the event--I never got a good answer to a question regarding M2E Sybelle other than "this was how it was played in the beta," but I played the interaction the way everyone said it was played because otherwise it'd be a massive "gotcha" and possible negative play experience. Same thing with playing M2E Kirai or Hamelin--you can play it and win, but you'll find yourself hard pressed to find games outside of tournaments fairly quickly unless everyone else you play is doing the same kind of thing; different strokes for different folks. That doesn't change though that pursuing rules discussions to their logical conclusion is ultimately better for the game, not just for stability of the game but also to bring up areas that could use touch up, be it through clarification such as an FAQ, or through power errata like the change to Kirai in M2E. I haven't found too many instances of random ambiguity in M3E that I couldn't resolve by reading over relevant/pointed out rules sections a few times. I thought rotten belles vs. gwyneth maddox was an infinitely recurring cycle, but re-reading the simultaneous effects section a couple times and finding there's no "stack" like in Magic via the detailed timing page resolved that question pretty easily. If anyone can point me to an easier way to get an authoritative answer, e.g. a way to contact Wyrd that gets an actual response and doesn't send an e-mail/message to the void, I'm all ears.
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