Abomination & Compel the Spirit

Just to clarify a bit from Pascal's answer:

Rulebook wrote:

To recruit an ally from your hand, play the card and tap the acting minion. If the action is successful, the ally is placed in your uncontrolled region, even though it is controlled, to indicate that it cannot act this turn (and the cost, if any, is paid). If the action is unsuccessful, the card is burned (see Resolve the Action, sec. 6.2.3). Only one ally card can be recruited per action. Note that allies brought into play by other means are able to act on the same turn, by default.

At the end of the turn, any allies that were placed in your uncontrolled region (to indicate that they cannot act) are moved to your ready region.

(emphasis Pascal's)

The parts you highlighted are not enough to prove anything. They say that the ally is not in the ready region, not that he is not a ready minion. The two concepts might have very close names but logically they are two different objects and the rules don't specify how they interact: there is no written definition of what a ready minion is. Moreover the very same paragraph tells you to put a controlled minion in the uncontrolled region, so assuming any firm link between the minion's status and the region he is in is a bold assumption at least.

Looking for hints in the rest of the rules, one can find the definition of the ready region in the glossary:

Section wrote:

Ready Region: Area containing a Methuselah's minions that are not in torpor.

This looks like ready minions are defined as not being in torpor. Since there is no written definition of a ready minion and one is needed to answer the question, which one to choose?
a) a ready minion is a minion in the ready region,
b) a ready minion is a minion not in torpor.

Both definitions seem just as intuitive to me but they lead to different answers. The answer to the question "is the ally ready when recruited" is not written in the rules. If the rule is that the ally is not ready, then it needs to be written explicitely.

Non-existant user wrote:

Just to clarify a bit from Pascal's answer:

Rulebook wrote:

To recruit an ally from your hand, play the card and tap the acting minion. If the action is successful, the ally is placed in your uncontrolled region, even though it is controlled, to indicate that it cannot act this turn (and the cost, if any, is paid). If the action is unsuccessful, the card is burned (see Resolve the Action, sec. 6.2.3). Only one ally card can be recruited per action. Note that allies brought into play by other means are able to act on the same turn, by default.

At the end of the turn, any allies that were placed in your uncontrolled region (to indicate that they cannot act) are moved to your ready region.

(emphasis Pascal's)

The parts you highlighted are not enough to prove anything. They say that the ally is not in the ready region, not that he is not a ready minion. The two concepts might have very close names but logically they are two different objects and the rules don't specify how they interact: there is no written definition of what a ready minion is. Moreover the very same paragraph tells you to put a controlled minion in the uncontrolled region, so assuming any firm link between the minion's status and the region he is in is a bold assumption at least.

Looking for hints in the rest of the rules, one can find the definition of the ready region in the glossary:

Section wrote:

Ready Region: Area containing a Methuselah's minions that are not in torpor.

This looks like ready minions are defined as not being in torpor. Since there is no written definition of a ready minion and one is needed to answer the question, which one to choose?
a) a ready minion is a minion in the ready region,
b) a ready minion is a minion not in torpor.

Both definitions seem just as intuitive to me but they lead to different answers. The answer to the question "is the ally ready when recruited" is not written in the rules. If the rule is that the ally is not ready, then it needs to be written explicitely.

a) is the correct answer. b) is incomplete.

Rulebook 2.3 Play Area

Ready (Controlled)
Uncontrolled (Face down)	Torpor (Controlled)

(please notice that any Imbued-related rule can be found in the Imbued appendix).

If you want to define "ready" with some "not"s, the definition would be:
"A ready minion is a minion in a play area, but not in torpor and not in the uncontrolled area."

Pascal wrote:

a) is the correct answer. b) is incomplete.

I know that, but how do you prove it using the rules only? This is not some obscure card messing with the game, it is a core mechanic. It is not normal that the rules are not self-sufficient on that matter.
Rulebook 2.3 Play Area

Ready (Controlled)
Uncontrolled (Face down)	Torpor (Controlled)

That is the regions again, not the minion status.

If you want to define "ready" with some "not"s, the definition would be:
"A ready minion is a minion in a play area, but not in torpor and not in the uncontrolled area."

I don't want to define ready with "not's", I want to define ready or to cleary state that the ally is not ready once recruited (I don't think it happens anywhere else in the game). Choose the wording you prefer, but WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE!

Another option is to change rule 6.1.5 from:

the ally is placed in your uncontrolled region, even though it is controlled, to indicate that it cannot act this turn

to:

the ally is placed in your uncontrolled region, even though it is controlled, to indicate that it is not ready

Non-existant user wrote:

Another option is to change rule 6.1.5 from:

...the ally is placed in your uncontrolled region, even though it is controlled, to indicate that it cannot act this turn...

to:

...the ally is placed in your uncontrolled region, even though it is controlled, to indicate that it is not ready...

An excellent correction, Boris! Hurrah for constructive use of the forums!!!