Nicodem,and the rest of the Dead Man's Hand.

[TheEmptyRoad]

Reading the rules for MuseOn Con, apparently you could use a DMH Master, but that had to be your chosen Master for the entire tournament. I've also seen (in my local scene) hiring restrictions placed on them. Like you can Versatile and Keyword in-faction but can't hire Out-of-keyword.

Re-reading the Main rules, arbitrary restrictions like this are not allowed. If the DMH is allowed then those models are treated as Normal Models. Period. Dead Man's Hand is not a Faction and should not be treated as such.

Anyone else seen anything like this? Where people, instead of just saying 'no DMH' are 'allowing' them while putting restrictions on them?

From my reading, a TO has every right to not allow the DMH, I have no problem with this. But if they're allowed, they're normal Masters, period, with all hiring options on the table and treated as any other Master in their chosen faction. Am I reading this wrong?

[Morgan Vening]

A TO can put whatever restrictions he wants. The TO wants to say only Leaders that start with a vowel can be used, then that's what you play with.

If Wyrd put out a required Tournament Pack, that may change, but even Gaining Grounds weren't required.

Only if the Tournament Pack is required for rankings, is it an issue.

Personally, I think that the DMH should be folded in and treated as part of the Faction, and that's how I'll play locally. But if a tournament wants to change that up, and the rules are announced in advance? TO has that authority.

[TheEmptyRoad]

Hm, interesting. Kind of pain since Nicy is my favorite Master and I'll have to build around whatever restrictions people decide to place on him. Bummer, but ever forward.

[dope_danny]

Far as my locals are treating it its like this: The DMH makes them playable, but they aren't canon characters in the setting right now. Thats it. No restrictions since the entire point is keeping them around for people who like them and its up to the tournament host to allow them or not, tweaking them is a little too playground rules "no but i had an invisible force field i never told you about!" last minute asspulling and i can't really say why you would. I mean at worst i've heard a few people complain Nicodrem in DMH is significantly stronger than he was before with no trade off to balance a straight power uptick but thats really it. 

Better question is were any of the players demanding it? was Ramos or Collodi on the tabletop a huge dealbreaker to somebody when 2nd isn't technically dead yet to begin with?

[Fetid Strumpet]

It’s an interesting meta who thinks the current nicodem is stronger than the 2e version.

[Pergli]

Agreed on he Nico comment. Why does your meta think the current Nico is better than 2e Nico? Maybe after the July Nerf but even then he was still strong.

I haven't looked at him at all and have switched to Albus as my primary.

[TheEmptyRoad]

It's not because he's stronger, just that since Dead Man's Hand won't by default be tournament legal, there's not much point practicing with him in local events and whatnot. Pickup games are all good. For instance, in this next League we've got going, either player can say 'No Dead Man's Hand'. Any time I would take Nicodem however, Molly would be better anyway. So, by all means, tell me I can't play my favorite Master >:).

[Fetid Strumpet]

Well for what it’s worth I feel the Dead Man’s Hand concept is silly and never should have been instituted. And furthermore Wyrd has done an awful job communicating the actual reasons for it, as evidenced by multiple people who support it having different and often contradictory opinions on why it’s in the game, and what purpose it serves. I still feel as early as possible the whole concept should be scrapped.

[Adran]

As said in the rules thread it appears that your local group had some players in the closed beta and were using rules from then which did put those restrictions on hiring.

As to how it gets handled locally, that's something the local players will have to decide. From the T.Os I have spoken to, most are planning on allowing dead mans hand at their events at the moment. That is something that may change over time. Your best bet is to keep talking to the people that run the events you attend and find out what they are planning on doing. You may find that they are going to always allow DMH, and so you could play Nico all the time if you wanted, or they might never allow it, in which case if you want to use games as practise for events, you will just need to leave him behind.