A few (newb) rules clarification

Hey guys!

There are some questions I have in mind and have no idea how to resolve them:

1. Can we have more than one weapon on a same minion (like .44 magnum, an ivory bow and a grenade?) and choose which weapon I use for my strike?

2. In a round, can we play the same card twice (like two Mighty Grapple) to, for example, force to continue combat. If not, can we play the same card twice in the same combat, on two different rounds?

3. If a unique weapon/equipment/title is contested, if one of the minion is in torpor, does he yield automatically?

4. What happens to a clan-based card (like a hunting ground) already in play if there are no longer any minion of that clan still ready?

Thanks!
Mark

Prudent_Audacity wrote:

1. Can we have more than one weapon on a same minion (like .44 magnum, an ivory bow and a grenade?) and choose which weapon I use for my strike?

Yes.

2. In a round, can we play the same card twice (like two Mighty Grapple) to, for example, force to continue combat. If not, can we play the same card twice in the same combat, on two different rounds?

Combat cards are not limited by default (but many are limited by their own card text). You can play as many Mighty Grapple at as you want in a round as long as your opponent keeps counter-pressing.. However, you cannot counter-press or counter-maneuver yourself: if you play a maneuver/press and your opponent does not, then you cannot play another maneuver/press this round.

3. If a unique weapon/equipment/title is contested, if one of the minion is in torpor, does he yield automatically?

Equipment: no. Title: yes, see the rules section 4.2.

4. What happens to a clan-based card (like a hunting ground) already in play if there are no longer any minion of that clan still ready?

Nothing. Clan-based restrictions are only restrictions to play the card. Another Methuselah could also steal your hunting ground and use it.

Thank you Boris, you explained everything clearly. You settled an argument we had here.

Prudent_Audacity wrote:

Thank you Boris, you explained everything clearly. You settled an argument we had here.

When in doubt, 90% of questions can be answered by reading the card aloud, and sometimes checking those annoying, tiny, paper rulebooks.

Prudent_Audacity wrote:

1. Can we have more than one weapon on a same minion (like .44 magnum, an ivory bow and a grenade?) and choose which weapon I use for my strike?

Clarification (just in case):
Some weapons have built-in maneuvers (such as Magnum). If you decide to use such a maneuver you are then committed to using the weapons strike as your (initial) strike that round.

So, in such cases, you are effectively already choosing your strike on the maneuver phase when you decide to use weapon's maneuver. It is the same if you use a maneuver from a Combat Card with an optional maneuver and a strike such as Aid from Bats or Thrown Gate.

You you choose additional strikes for that round they naturally can be other strikes. (Say, use the Magnum to go to long and shoot with it, then take two additional strikes and use the first to throw the grenade and finally use the 3rd strike to finish the opponent with Ivory Bow.)

Ye Rulebook sayeth in 6.4.3. Strike:

Choose Strike. Each minion chooses his strike. The strike can be from a combat card, from a weapon the minion possesses, (the default) from a hand strike, or can be from any other card providing this minion a strike. If a minion has used a maneuver from a strike (either a strike card or a weapon) this round, then he cannot choose any other strike for his initial strike of the round. For additional strikes, any strike can be chosen, even if a maneuver has been used.

Prudent_Audacity wrote:

2. In a round, can we play the same card twice (like two Mighty Grapple) to, for example, force to continue combat. If not, can we play the same card twice in the same combat, on two different rounds?

Some card texts have restrictions that say that you can't play more than one per round (such as Immortal Grapple) or one per combat (such as Improvised Flamethrower).



Sometimes it is tedious to read the tiny printed rulebook. And the older versions of it are not up to date so the online rulebook is a nice choice:

vekn.net/rulebook

For quite a while I've been meaning to cut and paste the text to a text editor and lay it out properly to A4 size and print it but been way too busy/lazy (take you pick).

Prudent_Audacity wrote:

2. In a round, can we play the same card twice (like two Mighty Grapple) to, for example, force to continue combat. If not, can we play the same card twice in the same combat, on two different rounds?

As others have said, yes, you can (assuming your opponent presses to end).

But, when it comes to pressing with Mighty Grapple... in general, don't. Or at least, don't make a big thing of it. Maybe a couple in a deck, but lots, not usually.

In 95% of circumstances, press-based combat is bad. There are a couple of exceptions for weenie Fortitude with Trap, and occasionally weenie Animalism with Aid from Bats. Thaumaturgy looks like it should be good to go to second round, but that rarely works out well. Well Aimed Car looks nice, but is rarely worth it - Disarming them on the first round is usually much more solid.

But if you're using Potence, it's almost never worth it. If you're doing serious combat, Potence's main aim is usually to hit your opponent hard enough on the first round that either:

- your opponent goes to torpor from enough damage, or
- you play Disarm

Potence/Celerity is good for this - Torn Signpost + Immortal Grapple + Blur + Disarm (+ Taste of Vitae) is a very solid basic combo. Increased Strength has some use. Target cards (Target Vitals, Target Head) can be handy if you don't have additional strikes, to pile on the damage. Going to a second round typically means that your opponent can hit you again, which isn't that great for you. Being able to do it once or twice in a game so that your deck is unpredictable might well be decent, but it's not generally something to plan for in large numbers.


If you're not doing serious combat, wasting cards on going to a second round is a bit annoying. You might, for example, have a lot of Thrown Gates in a deck as a 'flung junk' defensive strategy - built-in maneuver, hurl the gate at someone, add in a few Targets or Increased Strength to taste. And that's maybe a small sideline in a deck, and pressing is probably going to be a waste.