Diverse Temporis cards.

actually i think you can, since the text on seduction says that it may be played only when action is announced and that means that it cannot be played after announcement. but, you can also play any other modifier as action is announced, but before block attempts. this means that you may play DoE at any time, even as action is announced, while seduction may be played only in announcement part, leading to conclusion that this is doable.

example:

vampire plays any action, then Approximation of Loyalty, then Dawn Operation, then Seduction. Now any remaining minions may attempt to block or play reactions.

Megabaja wrote:

actually i think you can, since the text on seduction says that it may be played only when action is announced and that means that it cannot be played after announcement. but, you can also play any other modifier as action is announced, but before block attempts. this means that you may play DoE at any time, even as action is announced, while seduction may be played only in announcement part, leading to conclusion that this is doable.

example:

vampire plays any action, then Approximation of Loyalty, then Dawn Operation, then Seduction. Now any remaining minions may attempt to block or play reactions.

This is incorrect.
"As action is announced" is a window which opens and closes before "regular" action modifiers (such as Conditioning, for instance) can be played. The sequence you describe is incorrect.

See Complete Rules Reference, section (IV. A. 3) : Cards that are played "as the action is announced" may be played (other effects cannot be played until after the "as announced" stuff is finished).


The correct sequence is Approximation of Loyalty (inferior) and Seduction (whatever order), and then, once everyone has passed on playing cards / using effects in the "as action is announced" window, Dawn Operation, which can be played before or after any block attempt.

NOTE: Action modifiers may be played only by the acting minion at any time in the above sequence as allowed by the card. Any cost for playing the modifier is paid immediately.

it is written just below - E.Action Ends

I think that "As announced" is banning term for cards that have this text, not for other action modifiers that do not. Card that do not have "As announced" clause may be played as per text on them.

As written in the "NOTE" section.

Or am I reading incorrectly?

Megabaja wrote:

NOTE: Action modifiers may be played only by the acting minion at any time in the above sequence as allowed by the card. Any cost for playing the modifier is paid immediately.

it is written just below - E.Action Ends

I think that "As announced" is banning term for cards that have this text, not for other action modifiers that do not. Card that do not have "As announced" clause may be played as per text on them.

As written in the "NOTE" section.

Or am I reading incorrectly?

You are reading correcyly, but interpreting incorrectly. Cards without the "usable as action is announced" text cannot be played as the action is announced. See [LSJ 20070930] for instance.

Also (though this might sound extremely dumb), action modifiers cannot be played at the end of the action (unless they have explicit cardtext). Cards such as Mask of a Thousand Faces, Conditioning, .. can't be played after resolution (when searching for a Freak Drive). Action modifiers can only be played before resolution. [LSJ 20080711]

I took some time and read a thread ""Play when action is announced" query" from 2003. You are correct.
This LSJ ruling is very strange - giving a window in which only one type of action modifier can be played, rather then giving those cards only small window while all remaining modifiers could be played as per card text, during whole action. Looks like I thought that every action card had a hypothetical text stating "can be played as announced and during an action" while those specific like sleeping mind, grandest trick, walk of caine, etc. lacked "and during an action part". Did not know that all other cards lack "can be played as announced". Probably because of the factthat basic paper rulebook does not state ANYTHING about this imaginary "as anounced" window, nor does electronic copy of it on this site. My main confusion was with the 1.6.1.5 Sequencing section, which clearly states:

If two or more players want to play a card or effect, the acting Methuselah plays first. At every stage, the acting player always has the opportunity to play the next card or effect. So after playing one effect, she may play another and another. Once she is finished, the opportunity passes to the defending Methuselah (in the cases of directed actions and combat), then to the rest of the Methuselahs in clockwise order from the acting Methuselah. Note that if any Methuselah uses a card or effect, the acting Methuselah again gets the opportunity to play the next effect.

Megabaja wrote:

I took some time and read a thread ""Play when action is announced" query" from 2003. You are correct.
This LSJ ruling is very strange - giving a window in which only one type of action modifier can be played, rather then giving those cards only small window while all remaining modifiers could be played as per card text, during whole action. Looks like I thought that every action card had a hypothetical text stating "can be played as announced and during an action" while those specific like sleeping mind, grandest trick, walk of caine, etc. lacked "and during an action part". Did not know that all other cards lack "can be played as announced".

Well, the obviously do

Megabaja wrote:

Probably because of the factthat basic paper rulebook does not state ANYTHING about this imaginary "as anounced" window, nor does electronic copy of it on this site.

The electronic copy of the rulebook (click the Rulebook link) should have the same contents as your paper version (since there has been no change since its last print).
However, the Rulebook doesn't feature all the steps of the game. Some more "technical" mechanisms are explained in the Complete Rules Reference (aka "Outline"). For instance, the Limbo isn't described in the Rulebook, but it is a part of the game.

Megabaja wrote:

My main confusion was with the 1.6.1.5 Sequencing section, which clearly states:

If two or more players want to play a card or effect, the acting Methuselah plays first. At every stage, the acting player always has the opportunity to play the next card or effect. So after playing one effect, she may play another and another. Once she is finished, the opportunity passes to the defending Methuselah (in the cases of directed actions and combat), then to the rest of the Methuselahs in clockwise order from the acting Methuselah. Note that if any Methuselah uses a card or effect, the acting Methuselah again gets the opportunity to play the next effect.

This means you can play Seduction + Approximation of Loyalty before someone else gets the opportunity to use Yavu Matebo's cardtext to have your action fail.