In Spades, what is the meaning of a high/low sum of bids? In Spades, when playing with 4 competent players, the sum of the four bids on most rounds is about 11.  However some rounds have a very high or low sum of bids, mostly due to rare hands distribution.

What can a player deduce about the other hands when facing a high sum of bids of 12-13?
What can a player deduce about the other hands when facing a low sum of bids of 8-9?

to simplify the question assume no Nil bids were made.

Edit: David Robie gave a very good answer for the meaning of individual high/bid bid meaning, however I am looking for the meaning of the sum-of-bids.
For example, can a player assume in a round with high bid that the probability for trumping her side-suit high cards is higher?

A low/high sum of bids can mean anything.  The sum of 4,4,4,3 is the same as 1,1,1,12 (exaggeration), but those two mean completely different things.  Instead of looking at the sum of the bids, you get more information from looking at the individual bids.

It's safe to say that an Ace or king of any suit is likely to take the trick it is played in.  As there are 8 of these a player will typically get at least 2, and bid on them.  Players receive 13 cards, so your average is 3 cards of each suit, plus one of any suit.  On a true average deal, this means that at least one opponent has 4 cards of one non-spade suit, and you will typically exhaust your supply of that suit before them, allowing you to play a spade if they lead with that suit.  Any spade suit card has a higher value than any non-spade card, so you would win that trick if you play a higher spade than the other opponent.  If you have 4 spades and 3 of the other suits, you are also likely to trump (play spade on a non-spade trick) a trick and take it.  In either of these two scenarios, a player is likely to bid on at least 1 (if not 2) low-mid value spade card.  Therefore, on average, a competent player might bid 3-4.  Now let's look at higher and lower bids from an individual, and what that means.

A low bid could be caused by a number of things:

Having multiple cards in the 2-8 range means you are unlikely to take many tricks.
Having few to no spade cards means the other 3 players have them, and you are much less likely to take tricks by your own merit in the late-game.
Having many cards of one non-spade suit is a huge detriment.  Not only do you yourself not have many spades for the late-game, but your opponents can start trumping you sooner, and if a suit is led with spades you might not be able to compete for that trick.

Now let's look at a high bid, which is basically the opposite:

Many cards in the high range increases your chances of taking a round.
Many spade cards means you can trump your opponents sooner/more regularly.  If you have all 13 spades, you take every single trick in the round.
Few to no cards of a non-spade suit is a great hand, because you can remove low value non-spade cards early in the round, and trump high value non-spade cards played by opponents.
If you play by the rule that your first card played is the lowest club in your hand, and your lowest club is 8+, it's safe to bid on that trick.

Overall, a low/high sum of bids doesn't say anything about hands, because you don't know if there are outliers.  A low/high individual bid can give you some insight as to the suit distribution and number value of cards held by that player.  If you pay attention to someone's bid, and watch the first few tricks they play, you can get a good idea of what the rest of their hand is.


Can I use old sets of magic cards in an EDH deck I have all sorts of old magic cards, for example m12, X ,vintage, m13, I'm just curious if I can add any of these cards to my Commander deck that I have now ,or would it be illegal??

Yes, you can use any cards you could in Vintage (except for the banned list).
See the rules on mtgcommander.net:

Commander is played with vintage legal cards, with some exceptions:

cards are legal as of their set's prerelease

The following is the official banned list for commander games. These cards (and others like them) should not be played without prior agreement from the other players in the game.
...[banned list]...

It'd be pretty silly to have to build 100-card decks with limited colors without being able to use a nice large card pool! And if you look at commander deck lists people have published online, it should be pretty clear that a lot of the really popular cards are old ones. (Not that M12 and M13 are really that old...)


What are all the promo cards available for Dominion? What are all the promo cards available for Dominion? I found Black Market, Envoy, Walled Village, Governor, and Stash on the Board Game Geek Store.  Are there more?

Some of the promo cards are out of stock. Are they limited edition cards?  Or do they come in and out of stock periodically?  Are they available anywhere else?

According to "Hans im Glück", which is the publisher of Dominion in Germany, there are only those five promo cards available. At the moment they sell the german version of the stash (Geldversteck) and the Governor (Gouverneur) in their online store http://www.cundco.de.

They also say that as soon as they are out of stock, they wont sell any new cards.

There is a german Dominion big box available at amazon.de which contains all promo cards. The description of the Dominion big box at amazon.com, however, says

  Additionally it contains promo card sets which may vary

So this box will most propably not contain all of the promo cards.


Can I activate Nim Deathmantle's creature saving ability more than once in a turn? My opponent attacks with two 4/4 creatures. I block each of them with one 2/2 creature, but have Nim Deathmantle on the field, currently not equipped to anything. When my two 2/2 creatures are put into the graveyard after the damage step, can I pay 4 mana to save one of them, equipping the Nim Deathmantle to it, and then pay another 4 to save the other, unequip from the first 2/2 creature, and now have it equipped to the other?

Yes.

It's a triggered ability, so it'll trigger every time a creature dies. If multiple creatures die simultaneously, you choose how to stack the triggers, then get to resolve them one by one.

From the card's Oracle rulings:

  1/1/2011  If multiple nontoken creatures are put into your graveyard
  from the battlefield at the same time, Nim Deathmantle's second
  ability triggers that many times. You put the triggered abilities on
  the stack in any order, so you'll determine in which order they
  resolve. If you pay {4} more than once, each card you paid {4} for
  will end up on the battlefield under your control, and Nim Deathmantle
  will end up attached to the last card that returned to the battlefield
  this way that it could equip.


Is it possible to fill an Othello/Reversi board with one color? I have a simple question, but couldn't find an answer anywhere: is it possible to fill an Othello/Reversi board with one color?
I already played some games where one of the two opponents was wiped out, but in these case the board was never filled. It is possible to wipe out your opponent on the last move?

Yes, it is possible.

Here is a youtube link showing a game where black fills the entire board:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prWG1OFgVqg&t=0m30s

(the game starts at 30s)


Does Crystalline Sliver currently have hexproof or shroud? Has the text of Crystalline Sliver been modified to have hexproof, or does it have shroud?  The reason I ask is the Crypt Sliver has

  Tap: Regenerate target sliver

which the Crystalline would make unusable with its old wording.

The current text of a card (called Oracle text) is always available in Gatherer. Crystalline Sliver now reads:

  All Slivers have shroud. (They can't be the targets of spells or abilities.)

Note that Wizards very strongly favors updating cards in ways that don't affect the way they work, but simply make them clearer and use more up-to-date terminology or phrasing (called non-functional errata). That's the case here: they just replaced the fully spelled-out ability with the keyword that means the same thing.


Haunt #22 room choice In Haunt #22, The Abyss Gazes Back, the house is collapsing into The Abyss.

The traitor is sometimes allowed to choose the next room which will collapse into the abyss. One of the ways they can do this is with the following rule from the Traitor's Tome:

  If the Abyss engulfs a whole floor, it moves to the next floor up, starting in an unoccupied room of your choosing with an unexplored door.

If there is no such room available, which room should be collapsed by the traitor?

The good news is that it's impossible for a floor to lack an available door. The bad news is that it's quite possible for the Heroes to be standing in all of the rooms of a floor that have an available door.

This is a hole in the rules, and there is no rules-strict way to solve this. I can suggest a few alternatives, with my favorites first:

Allow the Traitor to select any room on the outside of a floor (i.e., pretend that all of the rooms have doors in every direction for the purposes of selecting this room).
Allow the traitor to select a room with a "false door", that doesn't go through to another room because the other room doesn't have a door. (This will be a room in the middle of the floor somewhere.)
Fall back to the "floor has been sealed" rules, and permit the current player to rearrange the floor to produce a room with an available door that does not contain a Hero. Note that who gets to rearrange the floor is going to drastically affect who wins, and it's currently the Traitor's turn.
Allow the Traitor to select any room on the floor.


MTG: Card Binder storage I'm sorting and storing all of my rares and mythics into looseleaf binder pages (the UltraPro platinum 9card) and slapping them into regular office binders. Thing is, I've noticed that the sheets kind of sag if I store the binder upright, if that makes since. Like the bottom ring hole is nice and close the the spine, but the top ring hole (because of the weight of the rest of page) kinda sags away from the spine of the binder, making the whole page crooked? If that makes sense? I'm just wondering if this is ok for storing safely or if the sagging can damage the cards next to the spine.

From my experience, the UltraPro 9-Pocket Platinum Pages are some of the sturdier pages out there and therefore will be more resistant from the start to the kind of wear you're describing. You don't have to worry about your cards much, though, as the pages or binders will be damaged before the cards will.

They work well and last long if you use them with keeping the following things in mind:

Use a proper binder with three rings (or, as many rings as your pages demand).
This will give your pages the proper stiffness in order to never damage your cards, since the pages will be held as straight as possible. Those binders are not easy to come by where I live, especially since it's tempting to buy them at office supply stores instead of from UltraPro directly for cost reasons, but they're certainly worth it compared to using four-ring pages in two-ring binders, or even punching new holes in these yourself.
Don't expose the binder to much stress - don't carry it around as a trade binder.
The most damage you'll get will be from browsing, moving or yanking your binder, as that's when the most force is applied to the pages. That's why these don't make for excellent trade binder solutions. There's a reason for binders made especially for carrying cards around not using rings to hold their pages. However even then, your cards won't likely get damaged before the pages.
Fill the whole page, starting from the inner side.
The more pockets you fill, the stiffer the page will get on it's own, making it less likely to end up with accidentally folded page. For those pages you can't find enough cards for, make sure to start from the inner end of the page - it's fine to start from the top, though.
Use little more than two cards per pocket.
You always end up with multiple copies of even rares or mythics, and the pockets will easily let you put more cards in the pockets than the two I'm suggesting. However, the weight factor will contribute to how much the topmost hole will be stressed over time.

Most of that is rather self-explanatory or at the very least sounds obvious once you read it. There really isn't much you can do particularily wrong, since those products are made exactly for this purpose.

As mentioned in the comments, storing the folders hanging from the fold, or standing them on the opposite side (both of which likely would require a special kind of stand) will distribute the weight more evenly. Of course the most safe, yet least convenient way is to just lay them on their back, not putting strain on anything - if you only have a single or a couple of binders, this is feasible and will leave you with folders in pristine conditions. As long as they're reasonably full, you can easily place multiple binders on top of each other this way.


How to kill the red army (Moloch) in Neuroshima-Hex It seems to me that the red army in Neuroshima is the most powerful one, it has more tough and shield tiles than any other. On the other hand, it is very limited in movements.

When playing one-to-one game against Moloch, what strategy should one choose to win?

As far as I can say, the best way is to move often and to destroy it as early as possible before it gets to use the nuke.

Please take a look at following topics on bgg:

Strategies to defeat Moloch?

  Occupy hexes where Moloch would want to place his shooters. You don't even need useful fighter there: sacrificing your module to
  occupy that nice spot behind Moloch HQ is perfectly reasonable. This
  will not only save you at least 2 hp, but also make Moloch place his
  good units in bad positions. Always keep best places shut from the
  enemy (this applies to fighting every other army as well, they just
  favor other positions).
  Continuing previous tip, place some fast (3-initiative at least) guys nearby, but not adjacent to Moloch HQ, and target Moloch shooter
  spots. Moloch will have to waste turns neutralizing your units before
  he can safely attack you.
  If Moloch HQ is in the center, place a shooter directly behind HQ, but in the corner. It will kill shooters and, if there are none,
  damage HQ.
  Use meat shields. Put your units between your HQ and Moloch shooters. Sometimes deflecting 2 damage is best use for a unit.
  Move. It isn't easy for Moloch to adjust it's aim since it doesn't have many Move tiles. If Moloch HQ is in the corner, you'll probably
  have plenty blind spots where HQ-enhanced shooters won't reach you.
  Play Battle carefully. After each battle you will lose your shielding units, and your HQ and important guys will be unprotected.
  On the other hand, each time you don't play Battle, you risk losing
  your perfect setup to bomb.

Strategy principles - pay attention especially to weaknesses of Moloch. Get advantage of them. And yes, you are correct, speed is the greatest one of them.

  Units to watch for: Bomb, Net Fighter, Push, Cyborg, Hunter Killer
  Storm Trooper

For example, try to make Moloch player initiate a battle (or generally, to play offensively):

  Never, never, never initiate a battle as Moloch. Never. You will only
  get the pieces around your HQ killed on your turn, and your opponent
  can then fill them. Let them battle, and then refill them yourself.

Can Neojungle beat a competent Moloch player?

  Against Moloch its best to place the NeoJungle HQ in the middle, you
  can use the HQ's ability without the need of building long supply
  chains. Put as many units as you can adjacent to Moloch's HQ to
  prevent its bunkering, also to make the most use of your castling, and
  as long as the airstrike is in the deck, scatter your units, mix it
  with Moloch's. You have three netters; place them on the borders to
  make the airstrike equally bad for your opponent. Use the two
  Nightshades against the HQ, don't waste it on units. If nothing else,
  there are plenty of Slicers, buffed up they can do plenty of damage.

Handling Air Strike:

  FlameBird: I still don't think you can do much against the Air Strike; simply targeting your HQ will always get some good stuff destroyed.

  Midaga: I think you have to learn to stop worrying and love the bomb. There's
  only one nuke in there, you can anticipate it, it's bad for Moloch
  too, it creates room on the board for you, you should wish for it.
  Also, you have the Small Bomb, which is much more useful, as its
  precision strike lets you do relatively more damage.

Best Counter-Armies - one of the users suggest playing Outpost against Moloch. Here you can read some advice for playing Outpost army.

  Versus Moloch, Outpost's HQ can dance to dodge Moloch's augmented
  ranged shots, while Moloch sits still for Outpost's repeated ranged
  shots. As long as Moloch's nuke remains unplayed, Outpost can use move
  and battle tiles liberally, to keep unit density low; that's Outpost's
  normal game plan anyway.

And this one on Neuroshima Hex! Strategy Blog:

Moloch: Defeating

  If you have ranged units, try using them to attack Moloch’s base from
  a different direction then your base. Doing this will ensure that
  Moloch cannot both address this unit and attack your base at the same
  time. Also, if the Moloch use a soldier to attack this unit, odds are
  they will never get a move to turn that soldier onto your base.
  Remember that moving away from Moloch units will likely make that unit
  kind of worthless. Also remember that pushing Moloch units can
  accomplish the same thing. Avoid clustering your units if possible.
  They have a freakin’ airstrike. Never just leave the Gauss gun pointed
  on your base. Address it.


Does the Retainer card grant $2 on the first Upkeep phase? Page 6 of the reference guide says:

  Bless, Curse, Bank Loan, and Retainer cards do not require an upkeep roll during the first Upkeep Phase after an investigator acquires them.

Does this mean we skip the Upkeep instructions entirely or merely skip the roll portion?  Essentially, upon obtaining the card, do we benefit from gaining $2 without needing to roll to see if we discard the card?

It means you merely skip the roll (you do not skip all upkeep instructions)

"It's like a salary. You usually get them through encounters. Darrell Simmons and Rita Young also start with one."

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/397466/retainers

"If you have a copy of a "special" card, i.e. Retainer, Blessing, or Curse, and you receive another one, it replaces the first copy. This effectively means you will not roll during the next Upkeep to see if you lose the new copy (the old copy has already been replaced and lost)."

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/50931-two-retainers/


Arkham Horror: dominant personality issue? I recently experienced the problem mentioned here, with myself being one of the enthusiasts pushing other party members around. It wasn't intentional, it's just that the structure of the game lends itself to giving each other lots of advice.

I'm interested in Arkham Horror, but want to know whether people have experienced the same problem with it. If you have experienced the problem, how? If not, and you think it's related to game mechanics, how so?

I've successfully played Arkham Horror several times with non-gamers (and myself being the kind who tends to push others around). My tips:

Think of yourself as the GM.  You'll be the one who keeps the game moving, and your primary job is making sure everyone is having fun.  As much as possible, give your character the supporting jobs and let them play the game.
Simplify the game for them by focusing on the concepts, not the rules.  My super-simple explanation of the game to get someone started:

  We win the game by sealing gates.  You need 5 clue tokens to seal a gate, but sealing a gate is dangerous so make sure you're ready.  You'll need 4+ stamina/sanity, and a weapon or two.  You can get weapons in a bunch of ways, but the easiest way is to go get some cash.

Yes, this is a gross over-simplification, but it gives them a roadmap for their character and a sense of progression, instead of random wandering around.
Let them play selfishly, even if it's not an optimal strategy.  Nothing ruins a new player's fun like having to give up a Tommy Gun because someone else could use it more effectively.  Each turn, they should have something to do to try and make their character more awesome: get an item, get a monster or gate trophy so they can trade it in, etc.
Give options, not orders: "You could go to the Newspaper and try to get some money, or you could go kill this monster, or go over here and help someone else" etc.  If they make what seems like a bad choice, oh well, the game can still be fun even if you lose.
Don't be afraid to bend the rules in the first game.  An early monster or rumor draw can really make a game impossible.  I'll often quietly redraw in those cases if I'm playing with inexperienced players to give them a chance.

Overall, Arkham has been a great cooperative game for everyone I've played it with.


How could I prototype a board game with a variety of units using abstract icons? I'm pretty fuzzy in terms of what board game I want to create, and I often find myself using normal dice for the units, which is often messy and confusing (were 1s or 2s archers? Whose mage was die 5?).

I saw some Story cubes having arrows and fireballs and skulls on them, so they could prove useful as multifunctional tokens for generating ideas and interactions.

Could you recommend me a particular set or an alternative to them?

Rather than using story cubes (which as noted are probably going to run you a fair chunk in bulk and aren't necessarily customizable), you might be better off just picking up some blank wooden cubes such as the ones found here or here.

Probably a lot cheaper, and you can put whatever you'd like on them instead of having to settle for what's on the story cubes. You could also have some stickers printed, for example at Game Crafter you can upload designs and have them printed onto half-inch stickers: see here.

Note that I personally have not used Game Crafter's stickers so I can't vouch for the quality, but I've gotten the cubes from Amazon before and they are pretty nice.


In Carrom, What happens if the Opponent coin and striker are pocketed at the same time? Can anyone tell me what happens if the
Opponent coin and striker are pocketed at the same time?

You have to put your coin on board as penalty and pass the striker to the opponent


When, if at all, does initiative pass between players? Just got Star Wars: Armada and we're still just playing the introductory scenario. The rules tell us that each round during phase 4 ("status phase") the player with the initiative token will flip it. In the expanded rules I see that after fleet construction we may have a new way of choosing who starts with the initiative token.

Does the initiative token ever pass from player to player? Or does it just stay in one player possession the whole game?

It does not ever change hands. Initiative stays with whichever player had it at the start of the game. It's not really mentioned in the "starting to play" book, but the Rules Reference is pretty explicit:

  Initiative

  Initiative determines which player acts first during the
  Ship Phase and Squadron Phase. It is assigned to a player
  during the “Determine Initiative” step of setup. That
  player is the first player and takes the initiative token. His
  opponent is the second player.

  •   The first player retains initiative for the entire game.


How does Pithing Needle work with abilities on the stack? If I get Pithing Needle onto the battlefield in response (giving it flash or getting it out at instant speed) to an activated ability being activated, and chose the thing that's activated ability is being activated, what happens?

Example:

Enemy activates Teferi, Hero of Dominaria's ability.
I cast Whir of Invention in response.
The stack starts to resolve, and my Whir of Invention grabs me my Pithing Needle.
I name Teferi, Hero of Dominaria with my needle.
What happens?

Pithing Needle only prevents future activations of the chosen permanent's abilities once it's on the battlefield. It has no effect on the chosen permanent for previous activations of its abilities, even if an ability of that permanent is currently on the stack.
Pithing Needle's static ability creates a continuous effect. It is in effect as soon as and as long as the Needle is on the battlefield, but not before.

611.3. A continuous effect may be generated by the static ability of an object.
611.3b The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is on the battlefield or the object generating it is in the appropriate zone.

Pithing Needle prevents the activation of a permanent's ability. The act of activating an ability is a process that, once finished, can't be prevented retroactively. Activated abilities can be countered by certain cards, just like spells, but Pithing Needle does not counter abilities.

Activating Activated Abilities

602.2. To activate an ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. [..]

This is the rule specifically describing the Needle's effect. However, by the time your opponent has activated the ability, the ability was not prohibited from being activated.

602.5. A player can’t begin to activate an ability that’s prohibited from being activated.


Does Mirrorwing Dragon's ability trigger when redirects are involved? My opponent casts Murder targeting my Storm Crow. In response, I cast Bolt Bend, changing the target to his Mirrorwing Dragon. Does this copy the spell for his other creatures?

No, it doesn't.
Mirrorwing Dragon says

Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery spell that targets only Mirrorwing Dragon

(emphasis mine)
By the time you successfully redirect the Murder with Bolt Blend, it's already cast, so it's too late for Mirrorwing Dragon's ability to trigger.

601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Casting a spell includes proposal of the spell (rules 601.2a–d) and determination and payment of costs (rules 601.2f–h). To cast a spell, a player follows the steps listed below, in order. A player must be legally allowed to cast the spell to begin this process (see rule 601.3). If a player is unable to comply with the requirements of a step listed below while performing that step, the casting of the spell is illegal ; the game returns to the moment before the casting of that spell was proposed (see rule 721, “Handling Illegal Actions”).
601.2i Once the steps described in 601.2a–h are completed, effects that modify the characteristics of the spell as it’s cast are applied, then the spell becomes cast. Any abilities that trigger when a spell is cast or put onto the stack trigger at this time. If the spell’s controller had priority before casting it, they get priority.


Is there a "gotcha" with Caged Sun? I'm reading the text of Caged Sun carefully and comparing it to Gauntlet of Might/Power.

Gauntlet of Might (cost 4)

  Red creatures get +1/+1.
  Whenever a Mountain is tapped for mana, its controller adds R to his or her mana pool (in addition to the mana the land produces).

Gauntlet of Power (cost 5)

  As Gauntlet of Power enters the battlefield, choose a color.
  Creatures of the chosen color get +1/+1.
  Whenever a basic land is tapped for mana of the chosen color, its controller adds one mana of that color to his or her mana pool (in addition to the mana the land produces).

Caged Sun (cost 6):

  As Caged Sun enters the battlefield, choose a color.
  Creatures you control of the chosen color get +1/+1.
  Whenever a land's ability adds one or more mana of the chosen color to your mana pool, add one additional mana of that color to your mana pool.

It seems that the Caged Sun's ability prevents my opponents from benefiting, while providing the benefits of either of the Gauntlets.  Further, it seems like Caged Sun could be interpreted to work with lands of any sort, including non-basic.

Given the cost of this card is $1-$2 and the other two command moderate to large premiums, is there a drawback to this card that I am overlooking?  Surely the 2 mana difference cannot be the overriding factor here, can it?

I think the big drawback is simply the cost. If you hit Gauntlet of Might on turn 4, you can play 8/10-cost cards on turn 5. That's pretty strong, and much stronger than getting 12/14-cost cards on turn 7, at least in non-multiplayer games.

In general, you want your mana acceleration to be as cheap as possible, else by the time you can play it you don't need it. That said, Rise of the Eldrazi does bend that rule.


Mutavault and effects when I have "Mentor of the Meek" and the "Mutavault"-land on the battlefield, and when I make Mutavault into a 2/2 creature, can I draw a card when I pay the mana cost for a creature entering the battlefield under my control?

Same question applies to "Suture Priest". Can I gain life using Suture Priest's and Mutavault's abilities?

Thanks friends!

No. Permanents that are on the battlefield, but change their types, do not trigger enter-the-battlefield or leave-the-battlefield effects. The Mutavault is changed into a creature while it is on the battlefield, so it did not enter the battlefield as a creature and cannot trigger Mentor of the Meek or Suture Priest.

Wizards of the Coast has made this rule an explicit ruling for other lands that become creatures, e.g. Celestial Colonnade, but it applies identically to any permanent that is on the battlefield and then changes its type: In all such cases, it does not enter the battlefield and so no enter-the-battlefield triggers of any kind will fire.


What happens if I use Sudden Disappearance? I just saw this card: Sudden Disappearance. Suppose I use it in my first main step.
I attack while my opponent has his cards exiled. At the end step he gets them back.

My question: Will those cards have summoning sickness when his turn comes? (for creatures)

No, his creatures will not have summoning sickness. He will control them continuously since the beginning of his turn.

  302.6. A creature's activated ability with the tap symbol or the untap symbol in its activation cost can't be activated unless the creature has been under its controller's control continuously since his or her most recent turn began. A creature can't attack unless it has been under its controller's control continuously since his or her most recent turn began. This rule is informally called the "summoning sickness" rule.


Can I get multiple effects from Alhammarrett, High Arbiter when using Brago, King Eternal's ability? I'm playing a commander deck with Brago, King Eternal as commander. I also have this card called Alhammarret, High Arbiter I'm considering adding to the deck.
If I cast the arbiter, chose a spell (let's say Shock) and then blink it via Brago's ability, I know I can choose another spell (maybe Goblin Locksmith), but can I have both Shock and Goblin Locksmith 'blocked' at the same time? Does the effect on shock disappear when the arbiter blinks, limiting to one spell 'blocked' at once?

The effect disappears as soon as you blink the Arbiter.

400.7. An object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object with no memory of, or relation to, its previous existence.

The rules list a few exceptions, but the situation you describe isn't one of them. The blinked Arbiter does not know anything about the Shock you chose when it was cast.


Does the ship saved by the Bio Integration Circuit get rolled on the turn the Circuit is used? The Bio Integration Circuit says:

  Discard at the beginning of your turn to reclaim your ship docked at the Terraforming Station instead of returning it to the stock. Reclaimed ship goes to Maintenance Bay.

As it happens, you also pick up all of your dice/ships and roll them at the beginning of your turn. So do you get to roll and use the ship saved by the BIC as well? The rules are mum about the order of multiple effects at the beginning of your turn.

The first thing that happens on a normal turn is you pick up all of your ships, including any in the Maintenance Bay, except that a ship at the Terraforming Station goes to the stock.

In order for the Bio Integration Circuit card to move a ship from the Terraforming Station to the Maintenance Bay, it must happen before this phase, as otherwise your ship would no longer by at the Terraforming Station. Hence the sequence must be:

Play the card
Move the ship from the Terraforming Station to the Maintenance Bay
Pick up all of your ships, including any in the Maintenance Bay

So yes, you do get to use the reclaimed ship on the turn that you play the Bio Integration Circuit.


How is the panic card affected by Range? The panic card has a range of one (which makes sense since the idea is you have your gun to someone's head). I've interpreted that to mean that you can only use that on people who are a range 1 distance from yourself. However, I'm not sure how that is to be interpreted in regards to the scope and mustang cards, however.

So if I have a scope, can I panic a card from someone who is range two away from me?

Also, if my neighbor has a mustang, can I not panic from them since they are at range two?

Yes, you can use a panico card to take a card from someone who is two places away from you if you have a scope.
 As per page 7 of the bang rules:

  Panic!

  The symbols state: “Draw
  a card” from “a player at
  distance 1”. Remember that this distance is not modified by
  weapons, but only by cards such as Mustang and/or Scope.

Remember there is a difference between "number of places a player is away from you" and "range". Consequently, I would probably word your example a little differently:

Panico only works on players who are at range 1 from you.
If you have a scope (and no one else has any range affecting cards), the two players to your left (and the two players to your right) are both at range 1 (range can never go below 1), so you can panico from any of those four players.

I think wording it this way is less confusing - you can never panico cards from someone who is at range two - but, you can reduce the range of a player who is two places away to range 1, by using a scope.

Similarly, if your neighbour has a mustang, yes, they will be at range two, and no, you cannot use a panico card to take a card from them.

As an aside, remember that range adjusting cards stack - say you have a scope, and your immediate neighbour (Jane) to the left has both a mustang and a hideout, while the player to her left (Bob) has no blue cards.

Jane's range from you is 2:  1 for the number of places, +1 for the hideout, +1 for the mustang, -1 for your scope. You cannot panico from her, even though she is one place away.
Bob's range from you is 1: 2 for the number of places, -1 for your scope. You can panico a card from him, even though he is two places away, past Jane.

Just remember each card in play in front of you needs to be unique (amongst your tabled cards). But, you can have cards with a duplicate effect in play, as long as they have different names.


Does the team get points if the word is singular but they guess plural? In Taboo, one player has a word that they are trying to get their teammates to say (e.g. "Apple") within a short amount of time. I have often found that teammates will guess the plural word when they are trying to get the singular word (e.g. "Apples") or vice versa.

Some players I have played with have said that this is acceptable while others have said that the answer is not correct unless the correct form is guessed (e.g. after the team says "Apples", the player must tell them that them need to say the singular form of that word).

My version of Taboo (2012) doesn't say one way or the other which view is correct. So does the team get points if the word is singular but they guess plural?

I agree with @MazelTov that many people probably allow derivative forms as successful guesses, but I do not believe that was the intention of Taboo's designer. Some games may explicitly allow forms of the guess word, but Taboo is all about the WORD. It should be an exact match.

For reference, the rule for a successful guess is very concise when it refers to guessing the correct guess word:

  SCORING A POINT Each time a teammate shouts out the correct Guess word, the Clue-giver’s team scores a point. The guessed card remains
  on the easel. The Clue-giver quickly draws another card and puts it on
  the easel in front of the already-guessed card(s). The number of
  guessed cards in the easel is the number of points the Clue-giver
  earns for his or her team.

That said, some people find this pure interpretation to be frustrating in actual gameplay. With that in mind, I think allowing for singular/plural is probably more acceptable than other derivatives (mountain/mountainous), but anything other than the actual guess word is a house rule. Naturally, house rules are intended to improve the gaming experience, so it's important to announce such rules at the start of play.


Question about Delhi search (spoilers) Question in spoiler tags below

   Searching Delhi reveals a companion, the Vector Control Technician. With that card in your hand, you do not get an exposure if you begin your turn in an infested city.
 What if, with that companion in your hand, you begin your turn in an infested city that also has a plague cube?

Play the text on the card to the letter. If the card says infested, it means infested.

Thematically the Vector Control Technician helps control the vectors that transmit diseases, such as rodents, birds, other animals, insects etc. They're like a specific pest exterminator, that only target the species that carry the disease. If you keep that in mind, it makes sense that they're so useful when the disease is being carried by humans.

If you can't find official errata that supports a widening of scope for a card, just play the card as is.


Am I allowed to shortcut two abilities that allow me to search my deck? If I have two abilities that allow me to search my deck for something and shuffle, may I use a shortcut to grab both to save time on shuffling?

Say I have two Polluted Delta on the field, and I attempt to activate both of them. I know I can put them both on the stack at the same time and cause them to resolve back to back, but is there any way I can skip over the first shuffle process since I'm about to search again anyway?

In general yes you can do both searches, and only shuffle once. You would do this by proposing a shortcut where you resolve both abilities without them responding in between. Assuming they accept the shortcut you can shorten search, shuffle, search, shuffle to search, search shuffle. Since if nothing happens between the two abilities resolving the first shuffle is pointless and a waste of time. This is supported by a ruling on Green Sun's Zenith, which technically tells you to shuffle your library twice.:

  In most cases, if you own Green Sun's Zenith and cast it, you'll shuffle your library twice. In practice, shuffling once is sufficient, but effects that care about you shuffling your library (like Psychogenic Probe, for example) will see that you've shuffled twice.

Obviously if there is a card on the battle filed like Psychic Surgery, that triggers on the shuffle and alters the cards in the library, or Future Sight that reveals the top card of the library you cannot use this shortcut as the game state would be changing in meaningful ways that you aren't able to account for with your shortcut. Some other cards that trigger on a shuffle like the Psychogenic Probe would not prevent you from using this shortcut however since their results are the same so you can account for them in your proposed shortcut.

And remember even if you only actually shuffle once the game still sees both shuffles, so anything that triggers on shuffling will trigger twice.


Why is there no position 108 on the Ravensburger multilangual edition I recently bought Scotland Yard at a thrift store. And when examining the map, I found, position 108 is missing. There was a discussion on boardgamegeek about this but it has no real answer, just speculation.

Does anybody know the official reason for the missing 108.

108 is just south of 105, Southwark Cathedral.  Looking at the BGG post you referenced, it appears that some versions of the map are missing it or call it out as a different number.

Looking at Wikipedia, it states:

  There are two mainboard editions, one typically associated with Milton Bradley, and another typically associated with Ravensburger. The primary difference between these is in the numbering of the stations: five stations are numbered differently, with 108 missing from the Milton Bradley boards, and 200 missing from the Ravensburger boards. There are also minor differences in the routes, such as a bus line between stations 198 and 199 that is changed to a taxi line in later editions, and the removal of a taxi line between stations 13 and 14 sometime after the renumbering.

You likely have the Milton Bradley version.  The version I just pulled out and took a picture of is the Ravensburger version.


Spades - is the rule "Second hand plays low, Third hand plays high" important? In the game of Spades, is the rule of thumb: "Third player play high" exists? (as in the game of Bridge)

The logic behind playing third high is is to prevents opponents winning a trick cheaply.

In what situation this rule apply?
What are the exceptions?

If the highest card in the suit (known as the Boss) wasn't played yet, should the third player play:

her highest card?
her highest card below the Boss-1?
Never play the King before the Ace is out but do play the Queen?

Contract Bridge (whether Rubber or Duplicate) is a similar game to Spades but with greater information available to players do to the assets of Dummy being known to all. This makes card play in Bridge a true science. However many sound lessons can still be gleaned for use in other trick-taking games such as Spades, Hearts, Euchre and Whist.
Multiple National Champion Richard Pavlicek discusses many aspects of Second hand play here. The main exceptions to the guide of Second Hand Low are:

With at least three honours where at least two are touching, play the highest of the touching honours. This is generally the same card one would lead as First Hand to open the suit.

Cover an honour led with your highest card if (a) you have two or more cards higher or (b) it is the second or subsequent round of that suit being led by an honour from First Hand.

From a strategic standpoint it is desired to win the trick (a) to lead trumps (Spades obviously in Spades); (b) to provide partner with a ruff before trumps are drawn; or (c) with a doubleton to unblock the suit and provide partner with a count in the suit.

With holdings of only small cards there is great strategic and tactical value to agreeing with partner to play a remainder-count echo where (a) the lowest card is played from a remaining odd number of small cards; (b) the highest card is played from a doubleton remaining; and (c) the second highest card is played from a 4- or 6-card holding. When both partners have learned to read these count signals in building a complete count of the hand, some esoteric end-plays become accessible in the later tricks.

Numerous examples of how these guidelines assist in maximizing a partnership's rick-taking potential are readily available on the Internet's many Contract Bridge sites, usually under the main heading of Defensive Card Play such as here (again) by Richard Pavlicek.
Terminology:

Ruff - When out of the suit led, playing a trump (ie a Spade) in an attempt to win the trick.

Honour - While Honours are normally regarded as the cards Ten through Ace, for the purposes of this analysis, the Nine should be regarded as an honour also.

Touching Honours - Two cards of the same suit, both honours, of adjacent rank such as AK, KQ, QJ, JT, or T9.

Doubleton - A two-card holding in a suit. Depending on context this might refer to either the original holding of the suit, or to the remaining holding in the suit. Likewise Singleton and Tripleton for 1-card and 3-card holdings in a suit.

Echo - The playing of small cards to the first two rounds of a suit such that the card played on the first round is higher than that played on the second. It is usually done with an even number of cards in the suit to assist partner in counting the hands around the table.
In the Trump suit (always Spades playing Spades) partnerships may find it useful to reverse the signal (echoing with three or five) to explicitly signal possession of an additional Trump (ie Spade) and an ability to ruff in a side suit.

Note on echoing:
While the value is undoubtedly reduced when both Dummy is unexposed and Partner is blind to the meaning, my recommendation would be to still make these plays. They will cost little, and have tactical value in and of themselves - most particularly playing second highest from a 4-card holding (led by 0 or 1 honour) on the first round.
Note on importance of these guidelines
In my university days I shared a house with a group that enjoyed the 3-player Whist variant Nine-Five-Two (or Sergeant Major). It employs a cascading scoring system that results in better card play early on improving one's hand in subsequent deals. My deeper understanding of card combinations and greater discipline at counting the hand was worth perhaps 1/4 of a trick each hand - with the result that I won almost twice my share of games, and virtually 100% of games that lasted longer than 7 or 8 deals. Yes, better card play will very much influence one's success in trick-taking card games.


When is the woodcutter worth buying in Dominion? So far I've found every card in Dominion has its own niche, but the woodcutter's seems to be exceptionally small. I only buy 1 or 2 if its the only card that gives +buys, otherwise a silver is better 99.9% of the time.

Am I missing a key factor of the woodcutter? Is this the best way to use it?

I recommend the insightful writeup at the Dominion Strategy blog.

It boils down to mostly what you said: +Buy can certainly be very key, so if Woodcutter is the only way to get it, Woodcutter is useful.  It also works well with Gardens, but in the long run it's just one of the least useful cards in the base set.


Prateor's Grasp - Can Opponent Determine Taken Card Before Shuffle I had a ruling on this by a L2 Judge at a TCG event in San Diego 2 weeks ago. I believe his ruling was wrong.

I played Praetor's Grasp

  Mana Cost: 1BB
  Types: Sorcery
  Card Text: Search target opponent's library for a card and exile it face down. Then that player shuffles his or her library. You may look at and play that card for as long as it remains exiled.

I searched the opponent's library and pulled a Snapcaster Mage. The opponent asked if he could look through his library to determine what card was taken. I told him he could not, card doesn't say so and it violates the spirit of the card. The head judge was called and ruling was issued that a shuffle takes place in a hidden zone and that while cards are in a hidden zone they may be looked at by the owner as long as it doesn't take too much time.

I believe that the RTFC rules don't say anything about the opponent searching his deck.

The ruling was sorely mistaken.

406 Exile
406.3 Exiled cards are, by default, kept face up and may be examined by any player at any time. Cards “exiled face down” can’t be examined by any player except when instructions allow it. [...]

Your "spirit of the card" argument is very much relevant, as it would make the "exile face down" bit meaningless.
As for your opponent looking through his library: Nope, absolutely not. A library is a hidden zone that may also not be looked through unless an effect allows one to. This is very basic stuff.

401 Library
401.2. Each library must be kept in a single face-down pile. Players can’t look at or change the order of cards in a library.

If your judge really said exactly that "a player may look at cards in one of his hidden zones as long as it doesn't take too much time", taken literally, would totally uproot the purpose of hidden zones, as it would allow me to, oh I don't know, look at the top 5 cards of my friggin' library, because, after all, that wouldn't take long, would it?
Ludicrous. People failing such basic concepts should not be judge.

I guess I understand where the judge is coming from. While your opponent shuffles, I guess it's ok for him to have a quick peek at his library, because he doesn't gain any information he is not privileged to. However, in this concrete situation, with an unknown card exiled, it still isn't ok, because it would give him an opportunity to circumvent 406.3 and part of the Praetor's Grasp effect. So you had every right to demand enforcement of 401.2 to the letter.


Bang! Calamity Janet and the High Noon Expansion In the Bang! expansion pack, there is a card known as "The Sermon" which reads as follows:

  The Sermon: BANG! cards cannot be used in player's turn

Seems straight-forward enough, until I realized that Calamity Janet can use Bang! cards as Missed! and Missed! cards as Bang!s.  So, my question is: if Calamity Janet is in play, can she use a Missed! card as a Bang!, since it technically isn't the actual Bang! card?

According to the creator of Bang! (Emiliano Sciarra) on BoardGameGeek:

  Actually, during the Sermon you cannot use Bang! cards during your turn only: it is allowed to use Bang! cards outside your turn. It follows that if you play a Duel, your opponent may answer with his Bang! while you can not, and so you will lose the Duel!
  As regards Calamity Janet, the general rule of thumb is that her Missed! cards are considered as if they were Bang! cards, so during the Sermon she cannot use Missed! cards as Bang! cards.


Players who can't seem to follow the rules -- What can be done? Non--board-game people keep making up their own rules, without knowing it.

I'm talking about players who are intelligent and literate, but who don't generally play board games.

Is there anything a game designer can do to help them understand how the game is played?

Examples of the Problem

In one game, you move your piece around the board.  The rules say you may move your piece up to three steps.  There's a pair of dice included in the game for a completely different purpose.  This kind of player grabs the dice, rolls them, then moves their token that many spaces.

In another game, there are many different cards.  Each card has text on it, saying what it does.  This kind of player plays the card and does something completely different than what it says.  For example, if it says "When you play this, you must discard all your cards and gain $10.", they might play it and take $10 without discarding anything.

Or, this kind of player looks at a card and announces that they don't understand what it does.  But when you ask them what it says on the card, they read it, then say, "Oh, that's what it does.".  (Note that I'm not talking about players with low literacy skills.)

Why I Care

I'm a board game designer, involved with the publishing company, so if the rules aren't clear enough, I'm the one at fault.  The good news is that, if there's any fix to be done, I'm in a position to do it.

My experience with people such as this is that they're impatient to start playing, and don't want to take the time to read lots of instructions. The best thing you can do, as @beam022 touched on, is improve the instructions. Make them non-threatening and as easily understandable as possible.
Game element formatting
Graphic symbols--used sparsely--can help. Don't go overboard on symbols, but for the most common of your common game elements symbols can be nice. Dominion, for example uses symbols for money and victory points. It could use symbols for +Cards or +Buy, but those are short, clear words so there's no need. Magic uses symbols for tapping and untapping and for mana costs (maybe a couple other things, but I can't think of any), which is very parsimonious given the level of complexity. Again, they could use a symbol for "target", but it's probably better that they don't. A few graphics can help people parse things better and add color, breaking up text and making it look more inviting. But only use symbols if you can be sure that they are unambiguous. 7 Wonders, for example, uses symbols effectively, but so extensively that every time I've taught the game to someone new they've needed to refer to the symbol glossary frequently.
Systematic formatting can help too. You give an example of a card where the player discards all cards to get $10. If you have many cards that could be broken down similarly, the text on the card could be formatted as

Pay: Discard all your cards.
Get: Gain $10.

Essentially separating the condition and result into bullet points, I think, makes it harder to ignore, and if this is a pattern that can be easily learned and applied to other cards, all the better.
Instructions style
If my experience generalizes, the people who can't be be bothered to read the rules just want to start playing, so write instructions that help them do that. Most rule books start with identifying pieces and set-up, as they should. If you can, the next sections should briefly state the goal of the game, then get on to a sample turn. Give section number references to following sections of the rules where you'll give details on each phase/step/whatever, but let them get started. In writing, you'll be hard-pressed to hold these players' attention for very long. The best you can do is to facilitate their "diving in" by making it easy to look things up in the rules (via short, well-labeled sections and subsections, a Table of Contents, an Index, and cross-references).


Spawning after travelling After "travelling" to a new location in Space Hulk Death Angel and setting up the cards, what is the rule for what happens next? Does the "Choose Action Card"  phase occur (so no spawning), the Event phase (and so spawning new Genestealers) or continue from the previous phase?

You should continue from the previous phase.

Travelling always occurs at the end of any phase in which either blip pile is empty, thus you finish resolving the current phase, then resolve travelling.

After this you would continue from where you were up to in the normal order of the game.

I do not have a specific rules reference for this, except that nowhere in the rules does it tell you otherwise. It never states that after travelling you proceed to a specific phase, or skip any phases, it merely says that travelling always happens after the current phase has finished.

This question on BGG also supports this order of action.


Bridge-response after intervening bid Partner/Declarer opens  1 club
  RH opponent overcalls 2 diamonds

Responder has a balanced 9 HCPs:

 S: K J x x
 H: x x x
 D: Q J x
 C: Q x x

Should responder bid or pass? If bid, what is appropriate?

Given these assumptions:

RHO's overcall is a weak jump overcall; and
You and partner are laying a fairly standard 5-card major system with no agreements other than negative doubles for this auction.

Then my recommendation is to make a Negative Double.

My expectation is that when both majors are unbid, as here, then such a double at this level promises 4-3 or better in the majors. Some partnerships require 4-4 but that seems excessive and over-cautious for today's competitive auctions.

Additionally, you are better than a minimum 1-over-1 response would have shown, with support for partner's clubs if that suit is real. You also have the possibility of suggesting notrump as a denomination, but have no interest in attempting to defend 2D doubled.

If for some reason you are not playing Negative Doubles as a partnership agreement, then my advice is to start doing so. As this hand illustrates, you are severely handicapped in competitive auctions without this convention in your arsenal.

Meanwhile, 2NT is probably the best call you can make: showing (in a competitive auction) 10-11 HCP balanced and one stopper in the overcalled suit. It hides the nice 4-card Spade suit, but that is the price for playing 5-card Majors without Negative Doubles.

Note that in general for competitive auctions, as here, many strong bids become invitational instead - the reason is that a cue bid of the opponents suit is available to show all strong hands lacking interest in a penalty double. This helps to alleviate the bidding room stolen by the opponents overcall.


Does Vorinclex help its controller or its owner? I play a Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger commander deck casually with friends. If one of my opponents plays Mind Control (or something similar) and takes control of Vorinclex, do the triggered abilities now benefit my opponent and hurt me? That is, does it help its controller or the owner?

Also, since my opponent tapped lands to play Mind Control while Vorinclex was still mine, I think the lands he tapped to cast Mind Control stays tapped next turn. Is my thinking here correct?

All instances of the word "you" on an ability refer the controller of the source of that ability.

  109.5. The words “you” and “your” on an object refer to the object’s controller, its would-be controller (if a player is attempting to play, cast, or activate it), or its owner (if it has no controller). For a static ability, this is the current controller of the object it’s on. For an activated ability, this is the player who activated the ability. For a triggered ability, this is the controller of the object when the ability triggered, unless it’s a delayed triggered ability. To determine the controller of a delayed triggered ability, see rules 603.7d–f.

If an opponent gains control of Vorinclax, then that opponent gets extra mana from tapping lands, and yours do not untap during your untap step. In other words, Vorinclax controlled by an opponent hurts you and helps your opponent.

When your opponent taps lands to pay for Mind Control, you control Vorinclax. Those lands will not untap during your opponent's next untap step.


How to use the promo roles in the resistance? I got the Coup kickstarter edition, which included some promos for The Resistance - Merlin, Assassin and the Inquisitor tile.  But there are no rules for them.  I know they reimplement parts of Avalon, but I can't find the rules online for that.  How do they work?

Rules found on the Coup kickstarter page which included these promos:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2012515236/coup-bluff-and-deception-in-the-world-of-the-resis/posts/694256


Is there a standard notation for poker games? Is there a standard notation, like there is for chess, for describing Texas Hold 'Em, poker, or other poker-like card games?

I think there was a standard for Bridge because I remember they would print games/hands in the newspapers.

Yes there is a standard for notating poker games, though it's not so widely used. One of the reasons for this is doing it as a player in game is cheating, writing down the cards that have come out would be counting cards.

The card values are: 2-9,T,J,Q,K,A in standard notation.

Suits can be noted, with the symbol of the suit (♠♣♥♦) or the first letter of the suit name (SCHD), though usually this is not bothered with as suits only matter in poker for the three flush type hands. Often is it just noted if a players hole cards are suited (s) or offsuit(o) - ATo would be an ace and a ten with different suits.

For community cards they are grouped and ordered as they would be on the table - 3 in the flop, 1 in the river then one for the turn.

Beyond that, notation for the players are BB(Big Blind), SB(Small Blind), BTN(button, the dealer), UTG (Under the Gun, to the left of BB and the first to bet) and CO(cut off, to the right of the button). Players if any between UTG and CO are notated by their distance from the closest of these, like  UTG+1 or CO-2.

Bets are noted by the dollar value of the bet, or by how many times it is the big blind (2.5x)


Monopoly Golden Token Bonus release date? Recently, Hasbro has dropped its Iron piece and added a new Cat. Alongside this announcement, they were going to release a Monopoly Golden Token Bonus board that would have all the old pieces and the 5 new pieces that were up for voting. They also said that it would be released as a Target exclusive in mid-February. Well, it's mid-February, and I don't see them in stores or online.

Does anyone know the official release date or at least when they expect it to be in stores? Can I pre-order it somehow?

Here is the article from USAToday:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/01/08/monopoly-board-game-tokens-change/1805387/

Here is the listing of the Monopoly Golden Token Bonus on Target.com:
http://www.target.com/p/monopoly-golden-token-bonus/-/A-14428620

Target has them in stock - just keep checking their website as it alternates between available and not available.


Is there a Magic the Gathering card that resembles The Hanged Man Tarot card? I have been looking for any card which has artwork resembling an entity dangling upside down but with no luck.

Potential ideas could be something to do with the Rakdos circus, an over-confident assassin, someone entangled by a snare or someone slacking on a job. I have tried searching in-regards to card name (e.g. bound, hang, hanged, tangled, trap, snare, etc.).

Failing this, I'm also trying to look for a card that fits one or more of these properties in relation to The Hanged Man: "Pause, surrender, letting go, new perspectives".

Relating partially to the overconfident assassin part of your post there is always
Robber of the Rich


Was it ever possible to target a zone? I noticed that MTG has an update to the rules for targeting. I don't know how long ago it was changed (the post containing this rule was from 2015), but there used to be this rule:

  114.2 Only permanents are legal targets for spells and abilities, unless a spell or ability (a) specifies that it can target an object in another zone or a player, (b) targets an object that can't exist on the battlefield, such as a spell or ability, or (c) targets a zone.

This rule has now been changed:

  115.2. Only permanents are legal targets for spells and abilities, unless a spell or ability (a) specifies that it can target an object in another zone or a player, or (b) targets an object that can’t exist on the battlefield, such as a spell or ability. See also rule 115.4.

Was the "targets a zone" text ever relevant? I am pretty sure that no card currently targets a zone (and if such a card existed, it would be strange to remove that part of the rules). But was there ever an old wording on a card (or just a weird rules situation) where a zone would be targeted?

Note that "target player's library" or "target player's hand" targets the player, not the zone (at least under the current rules).

The printed text of Circu, Dimir Lobotomist says "target library". The same rules update that changed the rule you quoted also errata'd that card to say "target player's library".


How does Kaya's Ghostform interact with Elenda, the Dusk Rose? Let's say I have Elenda, the Dusk Rose in play, enchanted with Kaya's Ghostform. My opponent has a zombie creature token.

I then cast Kaya's Wrath, destroying Elenda and the zombie.

When the zombie dies, Elenda's ability goes on the stack, intending to giving her a +1/+1 counter. Since Elenda just died, normally this would do nothing (the ability can't find its target as it resolves).

But can I, as Elenda's controller, choose to resolve Kaya's Ghostform first, returning Elenda to the battlefield, then resolve her triggered ability, giving her the +1/+1 counter? Or is the Elenda that returns "different" from the Elenda whose ability was triggered?

You can indeed choose which ability resolves first, but it won't help you.

  Or is the Elenda that returns "different" from the Elenda whose ability was triggered?

Yes, this is exactly what is going on. The rules state:

  400.7. An object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object with no memory of, or relation to, its previous existence.

There follow nine exceptions to this rule but the situation caused by Kaya's Ghostform isn't one of them.


Can I target Nicol Bolas, the Ravager/Arisen with its own -4 ability? Lets say I have transformed Nicol Bolas, the Ravager into Nicol Bolas the Arisen, I activate his -3 to shoot a creature or Planeswalker for 10 and pass the turn, Bolas does not take any damage so on my main phase 1 I -4 Bolas to return target creature or Planeswalker from a graveyard to the battlefield under my control.

My question here is can I target Bolas (Bolas the Rrisen now the Ravager when it leaves play) in my graveyard and return him to play as the Ravager?

No, you cannot target Nicol Bolas using his own ability like that.
First, the rules for planeswalkers describe loyalty abilities as follows in rule 306.5d:

Each planeswalker has a number of loyalty abilities, which are activated abilities with loyalty symbols in their costs. Loyalty abilities follow special rules: A player may activate a loyalty ability of a permanent they control any time they have priority and the stack is empty during a main phase of their turn, but only if none of that permanent’s loyalty abilities have been activated that turn. See rule 606, “Loyalty Abilities.”

The relevant steps for activating an ability are as follows:

602.2. To activate an ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Only an object’s controller (or its owner, if it doesn’t have a controller) can activate its activated ability unless the object specifically says otherwise. Activating an ability follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during the activation of an ability, a player is unable to comply with any of those steps, the activation is illegal; the game returns to the moment before that ability started to be activated (see rule 721, “Handling Illegal Actions”). Announcements and payments can’t be altered after they’ve been made.

602.2a The player announces that they are activating the ability. [...]

602.2b The remainder of the process for activating an ability is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2b–i. Those rules apply to activating an ability just as they apply to casting a spell. An activated ability’s analog to a spell’s mana cost (as referenced in rule 601.2f) is its activation cost.

[...]

601.2c The player announces their choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires. [...]

[...]

601.2h The player pays the total cost in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. Unpayable costs can’t be paid.

601.2i Once the steps described in 601.2a–h are completed, effects that modify the characteristics of the spell as it’s cast are applied, then the spell becomes cast. Any abilities that trigger when a spell is cast or put onto the stack trigger at this time. If the spell’s controller had priority before casting it, they get priority.

Then, at the end of this process, the state-based action rules come into effect:

704.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 116, “Timing and Priority”), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event. [...]

704.5. The state-based actions are as follows:

[...]

704.5i If a planeswalker has loyalty 0, it’s put into its owner’s graveyard.

So, it is only at this point, after you have finished activating the ability, that Nicol Bolas actually goes to the graveyard.


How to handle late game tile drawing in Tsuro The rules in Tsuro are very vague about what happens once the players start to run out of tiles.  What's the best way to handle how titles are drawn in Tsuro when a player goes out, and other players are lacking tiles.  I know the dragon title is placed at the end of the deck, and signifies that a player who draws the dragon tile should received a card once one becomes available, but what happens if more then one player has less then three tiles?

It's conceivable for a player to go out to take out more then one player, possibly freeing multiple tiles.  Should all player lacking tiles go back up to three if they can?

The rules in my copy and on the official site are quite clear:

  If the active player has the dragon tile, he or she places it at the bottom of the draw pile and draws a tile from the top. If the active player does not have the dragon tile, he or she draws a tile from the top of the draw pile.

  Starting with the active player and moving
  clockwise, each player with fewer than three path
  tiles draws a tile, continuing around the board
  until all players have three path tiles or the draw
  pile is empty.

  When new tiles become available later in
  the game, the first player to draw a tile will
  be the player with the Dragon tile instead
  of the active player. That player sets aside
  the Dragon tile when drawing a path tile.

That said, they are quite wordy. So let me rephrase them:

Let's say the draw pile is empty and tiles are added to it because one or more players were eliminated. If someone has the Dragon Tile, take the Dragon Tile from whoever has it and place it at the bottom of the deck. Deal one tile to them, one to tile to the player next to them, one tile to the player next to that player, and so on until everyone has three tiles or someone draws the Dragon Tile.


Buying houses and selling hotels in a housing shortage Here's a hypothetical situation:

There are 12 houses left in the bank.  Alice states she wishes to buy 6 of them for her red property group for $900.  Bob owns the light blues with 3 hotels, and states that he wants to sell his hotels down to 4 houses each to get $75 cash.

What happens?  These actions would require 18 houses and there are only 12 in the bank, so the rules state there is an auction for those houses, but how does it work?

There is something about this scenario that seems unusual.  Instinctively, I would say that Alice should have priority because Bob has to first sell his hotels before buying the houses. She should get her 6 houses and then Bob can downgrade his hotels to acquire the remaining.

A poster on this Board Game Geeks thread refers to The Monopoly Companion's description of a tournament rule (created after the 1983 U.S. Championships) that enforces this restriction.

  While a Building Shortage exists, players desiring to buy the houses
  remaining in the bank have priority over those wishing to break down
  hotels.

I recommend that thread because they go into other examples that are pretty interesting.

I believe that Bob triggers the building shortage rules once he states his intention and Alice responds.  However, if Bob were to simply state that he is selling his hotels, then it may delay the building shortage and allow for a procedure more similar to the one mentioned by @ghoppe.


When testing a deck, what % of rejected hands is acceptable? Good deck construction minimizes luck. I am about to enter my first tournament (Pauper). In addition to testing my deck against other decks in actual games, I simulate initial hands and first few cards using deckbox.org to help to fine tune it.

It is clear from simulation that I would have to mulligan at least a quarter of my hands. I would assume that beyond a certain mulligan percentage, a deck cannot possibly be competitive in a Pauper tournament.

While there may be special cases where a mulligan does not confer much of a disadvantage, let's assume for the purpose of this question that this deck is average in the sense that each time the initial hand is decreased by a card, it hurts chances of winning quite a bit.

Beyond what percentage of hands requiring mulligan would a deck be considered non-competitive? If someone has actually studied this question statistically, please provide a link to the study.

It really depends on the format, your deck, and the current meta.
It also depends on why you're mulliganing:

If you need to mulligan due to land percentage (too many/few), you need to fix your deck.
If you need to mulligan because you have no creatures, it might be an issue, but that depends on how much you need them [Which in turn depends on what kind of deck your opponent is running]
If you need to mulligan because you don't have a certain card in hand... How important is that card?  [It's probably OK to mulligan for a one-drop Enchantment* or a Layline (Which aren't pauper-legal), as long as it's worth losing the Card Advantage]

The best way to test it is to just build the deck, and see what happens.

*I have one Modern deck that sometimes has to mulligan down to three or two cards in hand.
As long as I'm not up against an aggro deck, I can still win with an opening hand of [Island, Quest for Ula's Temple].


What's the golgari stance on an "earth god" like Gaia? From my understanding of Golgari philosophy Gaia would at least not be a problem/conflict. But in fact be a great symbol for what they believe in in the first place.
Reasoning: Things living and dying is part just part of Gaia's existence. Like the metabolism of god.
Is there any canon material on this topic?

The first issue is planes are all separate, and each plane has it's own beliefs, systems, and in many cases actual godly figures and gods. So while Gaia, spelled as Gaea within magic cards such as Gaea's Cradle, does exist within the planes of blind eternities, she exists tied to the plane of Dominaria and doesn't actually exist on Ravnica. The closest thing to it as far as a spirit of the plane itself is Soul of Ravnica.
As for the idea of what a godess like Gaea would represent, there would be no conflict there with the Golgari - Gaea represents the natural world, including the cycle of life and death, something which is actually pretty core to the Golgari.
This is based mostly on my own understanding of this though, as again, Gaea does not exist as far as Ravnica is concerned.


Translation Software Which software is best for translating Yu-gi-oh cards from Japanese to English without changing the original art.

Two steps are needed

Erase the existing text. This is done by finding a card with little text and construct a square you can copy and paste over the existing text of the card you want to translate.
Add text.

Every single image manipulation program can perform those operations (copy, paste, move and add text), including MS Paint, a little plaything that comes with Windows.


When is Mechana Initiate worth buying? Is the Mechana Initiate worth buying (except at the end to get some easy points)? It's only 1 Rune or 1 Power, which seems weak compared to the other Initiates.

Late-game, it's a reliable way to get one honor for one rune. If you're not going to be cycling through your deck again, the goal of buying cards is to maximize the value of what's in your deck.


Does going below 0 life with Ad Nauseam kill you before Phyrexian Unlife can save you? I play Ad Nauseam and Phyrexian Unlife at the same time with Ad Nauseam on top. Upon resolution I repeat Ad Nauseam's effect, say, 40 times. Do I lose before Unlife can save me? Or does the game proceed with me at -20 LP?

In this scenario, you would lose as soon as Ad Nauseam finishes resolving. It doesn't matter if you're about to cast Phyrexian Unlife or if Phyrexian Unlife is on the stack waiting to resolve. However, you can easily avoid this problem by simply letting Phyrexian Unlife resolve before you cast Ad Nauseam.

Losing due to having zero life is an example of what are called State-based actions. These are checked at any time that any player would receive priority and they cannot be responded to.

The rules for which player gains priority at what time are defined in rule 116.3:

  116.3. Which player has priority is determined by the following rules:

  116.3a The active player receives priority at the beginning of most steps and phases, after any turn-based actions (such as drawing a card during the draw step; see rule 703) have been dealt with and abilities that trigger at the beginning of that phase or step have been put on the stack. No player receives priority during the untap step. Players usually don’t get priority during the cleanup step (see rule 514.3).
  116.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.
  116.3c If a player has priority when he or she casts a spell, activates an ability, or takes a special action, that player receives priority afterward.
  116.3d If a player has priority and chooses not to take any actions, that player passes. If any mana is in that player’s mana pool, he or she announces what mana is there. Then the next player in turn order receives priority.

As you can see, a player will gain priority as soon as Ad Nauseum resolves, and at that time state-based actions will be checked and you will lose the game.


MTG—Multiple Card Stack Confusion A friend and I recently ran into a scenario and we're not sure how it would play out.

My friend plays Shade's Form on one of his creatures. (B: This creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn."
When enchanted creature is put into a graveyard, return that card to the battlefield under your control.
On my next turn I play False Demise on that same creature. (When enchanted creature dies, return that card to the battlefield under your control.)
On the next turn, the creature is put into a graveyard. Who gains control of this creature? I assume False Demise would resolve first putting it under my control—but does Shade's form then resolve too, moving it back to my opponent?

The resolution of both abilities will result in the creature coming into the battlefield under control of the non-active player, and that player will still control it when both abilities have resolved.

Both of those enchantments have triggered abilities. When the creature dies, multiple triggered abilities controlled by different players trigger. Then we just follow rule 603.3b:

  If multiple abilities have triggered since the last time a player received priority, each player, in APNAP order, puts triggered abilities he or she controls on the stack in any order he or she chooses.

APNAP here is an acronym for "Active Player, Non-Active Player". So, first the active player's trigger gets put on the stack, then the non-active player's trigger. This means that the non-active player's ability resolves first, so they get control of the creature. Then when the active player's ability tries to resolve, we have to look at rule 603.6:

  Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called "zone-change triggers." Many abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that object after it changes zones. During resolution, these abilities look for the object in the zone that it moved to. If the object is unable to be found in the zone it went to, the part of the ability attempting to do something to the object will fail to do anything.

The triggered ability that is trying to resolve ("When enchanted creature dies, return that card to the battlefield under your control.") is actually shorthand for

  When enchanted creature is moved from the battlefield to the graveyard, put that card onto the battlefield under your control.

Since the creature that died is no longer in the graveyard, the active player's ability does nothing as it resolves, and the non-active player retains control of the creature.


Forbidden Desert: Valid Navigator and Climber combo to save two buried players for one action? In the game Forbidden Desert, players can be buried when there are too many sand counters on their location.  Tiles with more than one sand counter on them are considered blocked.

The Navigator can move any other player up to three spaces during his turn by spending one of his actions.

The Climber can move through blocked tiles, and can bring one player with her as she moves.  Players on the same tile as the Climber, including the Climber, are never buried.

Let's say that the Climber is on the same spot as two other players, the tile they're on has a gazillion sand tokens, the Navigator is on another spot in the board, and it's the Navigator's turn.

Example: Each matching pair of square brackets represents a tile, and the players on the tile are listed inside.  The letter in parentheses indicates the name of the tile (used only for naming purposes).  The number of "SAND" words in curly brackets indicates the number of sand tokens.

[(A) Navigator] [(B) ] [(C) Climber, Archaeologist, Meteorologist {SAND, SAND, SAND}] ...

Can the following combo be achieved for one action point from the Navigator?

Navigator uses up one action point to move another player, and chooses to move the Climber for up to three unblocked spaces.
For the first space, Navigator moves Climber from (C) to (B) (Right to left, i.e. <<==).  Climber brings the Archaeologist with her.
For the second space, Navigator moves Cliimber from (B) to (C) (Left to right, i.e. ==>>).  Climber leaves the Archaelogist on tile (B).
For the third space, Navigator moves Climber from (C) to (B) (Right to left, i.e. <<==).  Climber brings the Meteorologist with her.

For one action, Navigator has rescued all the people from the blocked tile using the Climber's person-carrying abilities.

Is this combo legal?

I don't have my game/rules with me, but I don't think that is a legal combination.

My understanding is that the Climber can take someone with him, but that someone would have to go with him for his entire move (on that particular action). So he would not be able to pick up another player in the middle of his movement.

If the Climber were using his own actions, each tile is a new action so he can pick up or drop off as he chooses. but if using a single action given by the Navigator, I think all three tiles would have to include the same set of player tokens.

This is the way I have played. I'll have to double check my rules to see if there is any clarification.

(And I assume this is your question on boardgamegeek).


Where can I find Storm Bolters In what kits can I find storm bolters to use them in my space marine's army? Or how can I model/craft them instead?

The Storm Bolter is typically a Terminator weapon; it's a double bolter. It is well illustrated on the 40K wiki. (Links below)

To make one, the easiest way is to use two bolters. Separate the hands/arm/pistolgrips from the body of the weapon. Shave off the right side of one and the left of the other, down until you've just touched the barrel. Glue these together, glue one arm back centered. Patch the gaps. Prime and paint.

To convert a terminator's storm bolter for non-terminators, cut off the weapon at the wrist, and the arm at the wrist, and swap.

Most of the terminator models I've seen ship with a storm bolter as the default weapon, and I don't recall seing the option for them for non-terminator troops since the days of Rogue Trader, but I'm a casual player only, and so don't keep close track.

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Terminator_Armour
http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Storm_Bolter


Just say no vs dealbreaker If player 1 plays a dealbreaker for player 2, can player 3 place a just say no card or can it only be the person the card is played to? In this example, can only player 2 place a just say no?

Player 3 is not able to counter the "DEAL BREAKER" card.

As per the rules text on the card, you can only play a "JUST SAY NO!" card when an action has been played against you, you can't play it to cancel action cards played against other players.


Does Kasmina, Enigma Sage replace planeswalker abilities? Kasmina, Enigma Sage has recently been spoiled. Her static ability reads:

Each other planeswalker you control has the loyalty abilities of Kasmina, Enigma Sage.

I assume the intention is to give your other Planeswalkers additional abilities, but the way it's worded it sounds like the abilities are replaced instead.
Usually cards specify when abilities are gained in addition, for example on Lazav, the Multifarious. Or does that wording only apply to clone-effects?
Question: Does Kasmina, Enigma Sage's static ability add or replace Planeswalker abilites?

I would think that all other planeswalkers gain those abilities and do not lose their own abilities.
Consider the case of Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God

Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God has all loyalty abilities of all other planeswalkers on the battlefield.

Nicol Bolas, Dragon God has a static ability similar to Kasmina, Enigma Sage's ability except it gives itself other planeswalker's abilities.  If it removed its own abilities, then the very act of printing abilities on it would be pointless.
Furthermore, Kasmina does not have the text "and loses all other abilities" that is present on other cards like, say for example Imprisoned in the Moon.


Exploding kittens. How many turns can an attack card "really" skip? Scenario:
P1 plays attack
P2 plays attack.
P3 has 4 turns on her.
P3 plays a turn and draws a card.
P3 has 3 turns left.
P3 plays her attack.

What happens?

I'm going to answer my own question here.
ThankYou Ken and Toon for the replies. :)

How many turns can an attack card “really” skip???
It can skip all the turns that you have piled up on you. +  it will make the next player take any remaining turns plus 2 more.
Scenario:
P1 plays attack
P2 plays attack.
P3 has 4 turns on her.
P3 plays a turn and draws a card.
P3 has 3 turns left.
P3 plays her attack.
What happens?
P3 gets to skip her remaining 3 turns, they are transferred to P4.
P4 so has to play 3 + 2 (P3's attack) = 5 turns in total.
(P4 has to play only 2 turns - if playing acc to the nerfed version of the attack card)

The rules talk about the existence of a THE NERFED VERSION, where The remaining turns are not carried over to the next player. Its for the players to decide before game how they want to play.


Can I use a "Counter Target Spell" on Enchantments? Can I use a Counter Target Spell on enchantments? Enchantments are considered spells right?

Thanks.

Spells are anything that you cast from your hand and add to the stack. Lands and abilities are not spells.

  A spell is a card on the stack. As the first step of being cast (see
  rule 601, "Casting Spells"), the card becomes a spell and is moved to
  the top of the stack from the zone it was in, which is usually its
  owner's hand. (See rule 405, "Stack.") A spell remains on the stack as
  a spell until it resolves (see rule 608, "Resolving Spells and
  Abilities"), is countered (see rule 701.5), or otherwise leaves the
  stack. For more information, see section 6, "Spells, Abilities, and
  Effects."

So you can counter an enchantment as long as it is on the stack (not resolved).

Lands are not spells and are not put on the stack, so they cannot be countered. Abilities however are put on the stack, but they can only be countered by spells which say they can counter abilities.


In bridge, what are exceptions to "third hand high?" You are sitting "East" (with dummy to your right), and your partner West leads a low (presumably fourth best) card in a suit against a 3 no trump contract. When dummy plays low from "nothing," and you hold KT6 of the suit, you are usually expected to play "third hand high," i.e. the king, either forcing out, or trapping South's supposedly lone honor. When the suit is established, you can usually defeat the contract. (According to Kantar.)

But in a problem in another bridge book, declarer held QJ74 in the suit, and the correct play was the T, not the K. Since this is a problem, focus only on the following (unless you are constructing a counterexample).

You can't see the 2 in dummy, so West probably has it for a fifth card.
The 5 played by dummy is singleton, so given this fact, 1) above, and your KT6, declarer has four, not the usual three cards in the suit.
West has either A of his led suit and no side entry, (as was the case in the problem), or the Q or J and a side entry. In either case, declarer has two honors (and two small cards).
You have ONE side entry, a Kxxx offsuit dummy's AQJx in another suit. This is enough to defeat the 3NT contract if you get four tricks in West's led suit by leading through declarer.

The solution to the problem was to play the T and try to induce declarer to cover with the Q or J. If declarer failed to "split honors" (and playing the king would discourage this), declarer would make his contract. But most declarers WOULD split honors.

How do you tell that you should play the T and not the K. Is it the four cards in declarer? Is it the double honor with declarer? Are there other considerations that I haven't addressed?

Are there other examples where playing "third hand high" would be wrong?

It usually depends on the whole hand, but the typical cases where you don't play third hand high relate to communication/entry issues like keeping the communication between the two hands, creating/denying entries, messing up the entry timing etc.

Here is a classic example where the purpose is to deny an entry:

QJx
KQJTxx
xx
xx
          KT9xx
          Axx
          xxx
          xx
Axx
xx
AKxx
AKxx

Declarer (South) is in 3NT and partner leads a high spade and declarer plays the Q.

It would be a mistake to cover with the K. Declarer can then win the A, knock out the heart A, and enjoy overtricks.

If you duck, you are giving declarer the spade trick early, and forcing him to use the entry to dummy, before hearts are established.

Now when declarer plays hearts, you can duck once and cut him off from dummy.

Of course, declarer made a mistake by playing the Q! He should play low, and win the A. Now he has a sure entry in the form of QJ of spades, which he can use, after he knocks out the heart A.

Here is an example of maintaining communication between the two hands.

QJx
KQJTxx
xx
Qx
          AKTxx
          xxx
          xxx
          xx
xxx
xx
AKxx
AKJx

Declarer (south) is in 3NT, and partner leads the spade 9 (probably from 9x). Declarer plays the Q from dummy and you must let it win. The purpose here is to ensure that partner has a spade (i.e. maintaining communication) when he gets in with the heart A. When he wins the heart A, he can lead a spade and you can cash your four spade tricks, setting the contract. Notice that this is quite similar to ducking plays by declarer where he needs to duck early in order to establish suit and maintain communication with the dummy.


How do I get the "5 routes" achievement? What is meant in the poker player of using all "5" routes - is it all routes that use 5 carriages or tickets that score 5 points? I did the former but didn't get the achievement.

Yes. Get all the 5-car, 10 point scores, there are 8. You must also win the game too. Recommend playing against only one bot.


Mother of Dragons, Walder Frey, and Vassals The Dance with Dragons expansion for the Game of Thrones Board game includes a Walder Frey combat card, whose text reads:

  Any player (other than your opponent) who grants support to your opponent must grant that support to you instead.

When playing with the Mother of Dragons vassal rules, could this card be used to affect your opponent's vassal that is supporting them in the combat?

For example, say the Arryn player enters combat with the Stark/Bolton player, and Baratheon, who is a vassal of house Arryn, has a support order in an adjacent zone. If Stark/Bolton plays Walder Frey, do they receive Baratheon's support instead of Arryn?

A bit late, but still :)
There are three words that adresses people in different ways in this game.
House, Player, Opponent. (in this specific scenario, the difference between opponent and player is crucial)
1:
Judging from the Bronn Vassal House Card. "After you reveal house cards, your opponent may choose to discard 2 of their available tokens to reduce this card's combat strength to 0"
This is of course to address the person you are playing against, and not the house (ie possible vassal) as the vassal cannot have power tokens.
Even more clear would be the example if two vassals are in combat. The vassal playing against Bronn doesn't have power tokens (ie, the person commanding the vassal needs to pay, meaning the opponent is 1 player with 2 or more houses)
2:
The rulebook states that you as a commander of a vassal resolve the combat on behalf of the vassal. - meaning that you do everything, get the rewards and the punishments. That makes the vassal a non-player imo.
Finally, I think the text on Walder Frey nullifies any confusion as it has both player and opponent in it.
"Any player (other than your opponent) who grants support to your opponent must grant that support to you instead."
So the card would not reverse the support of your opponent's own vassal. In fact, it is the only counter to the situational, but sometimes powerful, card of Walder Frey. :)


Can damage be dealt to permanents that are not creatures or planeswalkers? Cards like Lightning Bolt now say:

  Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.

Can Lightning Bolt target something that is not currently a creature or planeswalker?  For example, can I deal damage to an unanimated Mutavault so that it will die if it is animated later this turn?

In the context of of damage, "any target" is limited to creatures, players and planeswalkers:

  114.4. Some spells and abilities that refer to damage require "any target," "another target," "two targets," or similar rather than "target [something]." These targets may be creatures, players, or planeswalkers. Other game objects, such as noncreature artifacts or spells, can't be chosen.

Even if you could somehow target a non-creature/planeswalker, it would not receive damage:

  119.1a Damage can't be dealt to an object that's neither a creature nor a planeswalker.

Note however that non-creature permanents can still have damage marked on them, but the only way to do this for them to have been a creature when they took the damage:

  119.6. Damage marked on a creature remains until the cleanup step, even if that permanent stops being a creature. If the total damage marked on a creature is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed as a state-based action (see rule 704). All damage marked on a permanent is removed when it regenerates (see rule 701.14, "Regenerate") and during the cleanup step (see rule 514.2).


Does changing control of an object update that object's timestamp? This is a follow-up question to does gaining control of an aura gaining control of a permanent give me the permanent?

Player A has a creature.
Player B casts Control Magic on it. B controls the creature.
Player C also casts Control Magic on it. C controls the creature due to the enchantments' timestamps.
Player D casts Steal Enchantment on player B's Control Magic.

Does player D or C now control the creature now? Player C's Control Magic is more recent, but does B's Control Magic timestamp get updated because of Steal Enchantment?

Player C controls it

613.6a A continuous effect generated by a static ability has the same timestamp as the object the static ability is on, or the timestamp of the effect that created the ability, whichever is later.
613.6c An object receives a timestamp at the time it enters a zone.

Even though you gain control of it it stays in the same zone, the battlefield, but it is an aura so there are more rules to it

613.6d An Aura, Equipment, or Fortification receives a new timestamp at the time it becomes attached to an object or player.

But it is still enchanting the same creature so it does not receive a new timestamp meaning player c still controls it