Infernal Familiar Burn timing

Question: When does the Vampire with Infernal Familiar burn?

Say Saiz (3 cap with ) with 3 counters on IF takes an action. Somebody tries to block him, but he then decide to play Lost in Crowds. That would resolve in IF getting a fourth counter. Does Saiz burn "into the crowds", or would the action resolve before him burning?

Infernal Familiar
Type: Retainer
Requires: Thaumaturgy
Cost: 2 blood
Demon with 2 life.
[tha] The vampire with this retainer can play a card that requires a Discipline he or she does not have as if he or she had the basic level of that Discipline; if he or she does so, place an investment counter on the Infernal Familiar. If the number of investment counters on the Familiar is greater than this vampire's capacity, burn this vampire.

Rarity: Sabbat:R CE:R Third:R

Baaliprimogen wrote:

Question: When does the Vampire with Infernal Familiar burn?

Whenever the counters exceed the capacity, as in card text.

Baaliprimogen wrote:

Say Saiz (3 cap with ) with 3 counters on IF takes an action. Somebody tries to block him, but he then decide to play Lost in Crowds. That would resolve in IF getting a fourth counter. Does Saiz burn "into the crowds", or would the action resolve before him burning?

Nothing in card text suggests you should delay burning until some point that might be more convenient for you. You burn when you have the counters in excees of capacity. That could be mid-action, mid-combat etc.

That's what I thought. But then, why would you ever burn your own minion? Except on maybe a reduce bleed reaction or something of that sort...

Baaliprimogen wrote:

That's what I thought. But then, why would you ever burn your own minion? Except on maybe a reduce bleed reaction or something of that sort...

It's more there as a 'Don't exceed this limit' kind of deal, and happens to be quite flavoursome. (Consider that the demon has finally taken over the vampire completely, removing them from a Methuselah's grasp.)

However, you can if you want to and, for example, in a scrappy end-game, you might be willing to play a card, burn a minion, survive for just that little bit longer, and get your extra VPs, Game Wins or surviving until the timeout. e.g. playing this Deflection means I don't get ousted now, so I might have an extra chance to live.

As an acting minion, the opportunities are fewer - but there might be some corner cases. Perhaps this final Kiss of Ra will win you the game, so you don't care about the vampire burning.

jamesatzephyr is correct.

Maybe this would be a nice combo with Heidelberg and Spirit Marrionette.