Can You Choose To Beg When You Have Enough Food? Normally, in Agricola, it would be crazy not to spend food on feeding your family - at a cost of 3 VPs per, it is difficult to imagine any situation where a food token could be worth more in the future than sparing you a Begging card now.

However, here's the corner case I'm currently in.  I have in my hand the Mendicant Occupation.  It seems quite likely that I'll go into the first Harvest with only 3 food tokens.  Is it acceptable for me to feed my Family with only 2 of the Food, taking 2 Begging cards (both of which I plan to ditch to the Mendicant later on), and saving 1 Food for the purposes of paying for a second Occupation in Round 5?

I'm pretty sure you can't be forced to convert resources into food to feed your family if you don't want to, but it seems to me that the rules are slightly less clear on whether food must be eaten if you have it.  (I'm playing this game online, so it will be interesting to see if the option to not eat food is even given by the program...)

I'm certain you always have the option to beg if you want to. The rules (p.4) say:

  A player who cannot or does not wish to produce the required Food must take a Begging card for each missing Food - players may not give up members of their family to avoid the need to feed them. At the end of the game, players lose 3 points for each begging card.

So your question is really asking what the meaning of "produce" is here. I don't see any evidence that it should mean produce in the sense of "conversion" rather than "hand in the food". Giving the player the choice ("does not wish") would be pretty narrow if you have to hand in food just because it happens to be stored as food tokens (as opposed to, say, raw grain). If you were really trying to utilise the Mendicant under such a rule, you could imagine all sorts of silly shenanigans to try and avoid fish, but keeping grain etc. which are against the flavour of the card.

As you point out, choosing to beg is almost always a terrible idea, but the Mendicant is definitely one place where this is a valid strategy. Even with the discard of two begging cards, the Mendicant is still pretty marginal - although it gives you flexibility, it's only a two food swing (or one food if it's not your first occupation!), after all. The other would be if you felt grabbing starting player or something was so crucial to your strategy that it would compensate for the loss (for example, in turn 13, if it was essential that you renovate a large house before the end of the game).


Mahjong board formation and drawing rules In Mahjong basic rule (this one for example), the board is setup in a spiral formation and the tiles are drawn in order from the 4 draw piles. With all the tiles facing down and shuffled, the probability of drawing a specific tile from any pile in any order is the same (unless I am missing something?). If this is correct, the game can technically be played with one draw pile and tiles can be drawn from anywhere in the pile?
There are also additional draw rules such as a “special deck” (near the end of this video), which is completely superficial?
I came up with this question when my date and I decided to play Mahjong in the park on a picnic blanket, setting up the game was rather difficult on this uneven surface.

In theory yes, you can play with a single pile. The reason people setup the wall this way (aside from historical reasons) is because the layout suits the nature of the game. You typically play on a square table and tiles are fairly large so stacking them in a single tower would be pretty dangerous. Also, after setting up the wall, players draw their hands from the wall which is done in sets of 4 tiles at a time going around the table. The layout makes it easy to draw the tiles, while also encouraging the social aspect of the game.


What is the highest possible score in Ticket To Ride: Europe? During lockdown, my partner and I have gotten quite good at Ticket To Ride: Europe (TTRE). We have have been wondering what the theoretical maximum score possible in TTRE is? Assuming perfect draws and opponents not being relevant (basically single player)

I had the same question, but having scored 189 in a game a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't believe 195 is the max score.
Edinburgh - Athína gets 21 points with 20 carriages, so I decided to explore possibilities from that route.
I set up the board and checked for the best routes to add.
I came up with this setup:
Points for the routes

Edinburgh - Athína ----------> 21 points
Edinburgh - Paris ---------------> 7 points
Paris - Zágráb ------------------> 7 points
Paris - Wien ---------------------> 8 points
London - Wien ----------------> 10 points
London - Berlin -----------------> 7 points
Berlin - Bucuresti --------------> 8 points
Berlin - Moskva ---------------> 12 points
Berlin - Roma -------------------> 9 points
Roma - Smyrna ----------------> 8 points
Zágráb - Brindisi ---------------> 6 points
Zürich - Brindisi ----------------> 6 points
Zürich - Budapest -------------> 6 points
Amsterdam - Wilno ----------> 12 points
Athína - Wilno ----------------> 11 points
Essen - Kyïv ------------------> 10 points
Venezia - Constantinople ---> 10 points
Frankfurt - Smolensk --------> 13 points

This makes a total of 150 for the shorter routes and 21 for the long one (=171)
European Express
Track length 43+2 (10 points for longest route/European Express)
Points for the carriages:

Edinburgh - London_____________________4 carriages_____7 points
London - Amsterdam____________________2 carriages_____2 points
Amsterdam - Essen_____________________3 carriages_____4 points
Essen - Berlin_________________________2 carriages_____2 points
Berlin - Wien__________________________3 carriages_____4 points
Wien - Budapest_______________________1 carriage______1 point
Budapest - Zágráb______________________2 carriages_____2 points
Zágráb - Venezia_______________________2 carriages_____2 points
Venezia - Zürich________________________2 carriages_____2 points
Venezia - Roma________________________2 carriages_____2 points
Roma - Brindisi________________________2 carriages_____2 points
Brindisi - Athína________________________4 carriages_____7 points
Athína - Smyrna_______________________2 carriages_____2 points
Smyrna - Constantinople________________2 carriages_____2 points
Constantinople - Bucuresti_______________3 carriages_____4 points
Bucuresti - Kyïv________________________4 carriages_____7 points
Kyïv - Smolensk________________________3 carriages_____4 points
Smolensk - Moskva_____________________2 carriages_____2 points

Points for the carriages is 58 in total (this score is not that high, so there might still be room for a few dozen points of improvement.)
Stations:

Wilno (from Kyïv or Smolensk)
Frankfurt (from Amsterdam, Essen or Berlin)
Paris (from Zürich or Frankfurt)

171+10+58=239 points.


Ecplise - Population Cubes full on return I played a game of Eclipse last night and we encounter a discussion about returning Population Cubes.

The scenario:
You have taken over a system (A) with 2x lab, and a system (B) with 2 white planets.(and more, but not relevant for this example )

Economy has -2 Population Cubes;
Research has -2 Population Cubes;
Mining has -3 Population Cubes;

Now you lost system (B) and you return the 2 cubes to Research. (because its a white planet you can choose)

The status of your Population Cubes now:

Economy has -2 Population Cubes;
Research has -0 Population Cubes;
Mining has -3 Population Cubes;

What happens to the cubes when you also lose system (A)? You won't have room for them in the Research bar..

Would they overwrite the limit and deny you from any income for that resource?
You can choose where you can put it (like a white planet)? (like we declared as most fair)
Would they stay in your grave until you have enough room at the start/end of the round?

Or maybe something else?

This is from the official FAQ on BGG: (italics added by me)

Q: What happens if I cannot return a Population cube to a track because it is full? This might occur if you return cubes from grey squares to different tracks than where they originally came from.

A: The track may be filled completely, so that no number is visible. This means that you do not have any production of that Resource. If a track is full and you still need to return cubes to it, the cubes must go to any other track(s).


Is there a Warhammer 40K codex/proxy for the Interex? The Interex appear in the first Horus Heresy book, Horus Rising as a branch of humanity heavily influenced by eldar.

I was forever saddened to hear they never made it.

Do any rules official and/or unofficial rules exist for playing as these? Also do any models/model making guides address making an army of Interex?

I would think either rules similar to the Eldar or Tau would fit, but I have no idea if that would work.

I've seen some people (online) that play with Imperial Guard models using the Tau rulebook as a stand-in for the Interex.


Cribbage run scoring During the show if you have a 5,6,7,8 in hand and the start card is a 9, do you score 4 for the initial run plus an additional 5 for the the five card run? Would the total score for that hand be 13?

No, you only score runs once with the longest length so you would only score 5 plus you would score 4 more for your 15's.  So the score of the hand would be 9.


Does Burrowing's extra damage affect non-attack damage and where inside/outside Tokyo? Burrowing's effect states:

Deal 1 extra damage on Tokyo. [...]

Does this mean,

"Deal 1 extra damage [to the Monster] on Tokyo."; or

"Deal 1 extra damage [when your Monster is] on Tokyo."

I believe it is the former, because of the wording on Urbavore, "when dealing any damage from Tokyo." Although, it might have been shortened due to lack of space.
Does Burrowing increase the damage from a non-attack?  For example:

{6} Acid Attack: Keep; Deal 1 extra damage each turn (even when you don't otherwise attack).
{3} Fire Blast: Discard; Deal 2 damage to all other monsters.

According to iello, who wrote the rules for the French and English versions of the game states that you deal extra damage when you are in Tokyo:

  Cost: 5 Energy.

  Type: Keep.

  Text: "Deal 1 extra damage on Tokyo. Deal 1 damage when yielding Tokyo to the monster taking it."

  You deal 1 extra damage when you are in Tokyo.
  You deal 1 damage when you yield Tokyo to the monster attacking you.

As to the second part, what about damage cards, iello says this about Firebreathing:

  Firebreathing: "Your neighbors take 1 extra damage when you deal damage"

  Q: Does fire breating activate when you deal any damage?

  E.G. Burrowing "Deal 1 damage when yielding Tokyo to the monster taking it."
  or only when attacking?

  A: Anytime you do damage wether by attacking or using an ability.

Under this reasoning, I would assume that Burrowing would deal extra damage from any card with an effect that deals damage.


Does damage dealt by Searing Blood's delayed trigger cause Satyr Firedancer to trigger? I found this unofficial ruling on Searing Blood, but it doesn't make sense to me. To sum up the question and the answer (in case of link rot):

Q: Does the damage dealt by Searing Blood's delayed trigger cause Satyr Firedancer to trigger?
A: No. The damage is dealt by a delayed trigger, which is not an instant or sorcery.*

The delayed trigger clearly says that Searing Blood deals 3 damage. Searing Blood is an instant. Therefore, I think Satyr Firedancer should trigger. Can someone explain why Satyr Firedancer would or would not trigger?
This question was prompted by a related one.

*
The judge reversed the ruling, but was kind enough to leave notes about it. Keep in mind that the paraphrased quote above reflects the original ruling.

The ruling is incorrect. The source of the damage is the Searing Blood spell. When Searing Blood resolves, it creates a delayed triggered ability

  When that creature dies this turn, Searing Blood deals 3 damage to the creature's controller.

The "Searing Blood" in the triggered ability refers to the spell Searing Blood, so when the triggered ability resolves, the spell is the source of the damage. Since the spell no longer exists, its last known information is used.


Does Tribal Forcemage benefit from its own morph ability? If Tribal Forcemage is turned face up and I choose Elf or Wizard as the creature type to get the bonus given by its ability, does it get the bonus +2/+2 and trample itself?

Yes, it does.
The ability is a triggered ability, which means it must go on the stack and then resolve before anything happens. By the time it does something, Tribal Forcemage has already been turned face up and is just like any other normal Elf Wizard creature.
In this particular case, Tribal Forcemage is already a normal Elf Wizard even by the time the ability triggers, because it only triggers after it has been turned face up. But even if it weren't, the triggered ability still must be placed on the stack the next time a player would receive priority, and then resolve when players pass priority, all before it matters. Theoretically during that time, before it resolves, Tribal Forcemage could change types, or be Cloudshifted away and back, etc. But it would still count as long as it is on the battlefield and is the matching type when the triggered ability resolves.
If Tribal Forcemage or any other Elf (assuming you chose Elf) entered the battlefield after the triggered ability resolved, it would not get the benefit from it:

611.2c If a continuous effect generated by the resolution of a spell or ability modifies the characteristics or changes the controller of any objects, the set of objects it affects is determined when that continuous effect begins. After that point, the set won’t change.


Golos activated ability and adventure cards If Golos, Tireless Pilgrim's activated ability were to hit a adventure card are you able to cast the adventure side of the creature or only the creature for free? Rules on Golos say you may not use alternative costs, and rules on adventure state an adventure is alternative characteristic. Is this the same thing worded differently?

You can do both.

  715.3. As a player casts an adventurer card, the player chooses whether they cast the card normally or as an Adventure.

Playing a spell is the same as casting it. You're right that the adventure mechanic does mention alternative characteristics, but this is different from alternative costs.

  118.9. Some spells have alternative costs. An alternative cost is a cost listed in a spell’s text, or applied to it from another effect, that its controller may pay rather than paying the spell’s mana cost. Alternative costs are usually phrased, “You may [action] rather than pay [this object’s] mana cost,” or “You may cast [this object] without paying its mana cost.” Note that some alternative costs are listed in keywords; see rule 702.


Can I pay some of the cost of an activated ability lots of times to get more out of the effect? I have a goblin creature that’s ability states, tap: sacrifice a goblin: Tar Pitcher deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
My question: once I tap Tar Pitcher can I sacrifice multiple goblins and deal 2 damage for each creature sacrificed this way? Or can I only sacrifice one goblin and just deal 2 damage?

You can sacrifice one and only one goblin. MTG cards are very specific in their language: it says "a goblin", so you can sacrifice a goblin, not two goblins, not three goblins. If the card was designed to let you sacrifice multiple goblins, it would say

  {T}, sacrifice any number of goblins: Tar Pitcher deals 2 damage to any target for each goblin sacrificed. You may choose different targets for each one.

(it would also be overpowered given the ease of creating goblin tokens)


Am I allowed to shuffle my hand when ever I want? A friend just told me I'm not allowed to, when he played a spell that lets him instantly chose a blind card from my hand to graveyard it.
As I played with my decks first card open, I knew which he wanted to destroy.
I was going to shuffle my hand to make it harder for him to pick the one I drew, but he said as it is instant, so I'm not allowed to shuffle my hand.

How is this dealt?

When you are playing a game, you can reorder your hand whenever you want. Your opponent is not supposed to know which card is which in your hand unless your hand is revealed.

If a spell allows you to make your opponent discard a card, it will either say

  [Player] discards a card at random from their hand.

In which case, you should shuffle the hand before allowing them to chose a card from it.

Or, it will say

  Look at [player]'s hand (or "[Player] reveals their hand"). You choose a [quality] card from it. That player discards that card.

In that case, they are looking at your hand, so they will definitely be able to know what card they are choosing.


What is the significance of the coin and gem spaces on the board? There are spaces with coin and gem icons (most of them have this).  What is the significance of these spaces?  Do I collect one of each of these items as I move through these spaces?  I don't see reference to it in the rules, so a mention of where these rules are would be appreciated.

From Page 24:

  When a player builds a camp on a space with a coin or a gem symbol, the player gains gems or coins equal to the number of search symbols in the player's active party.


Does Chimeric Mass stay a creature in the grave for the rest of the turn it dies? I control a Chimeric Mass with no charge counters on it. If I were to turn it into a creature and it dies, would it stay a creature in the graveyard until end of turn, or would it turn back into an artifact once it entered the graveyeard?

Your Chimeric Mass would immediately return to being a non-creature artifact in the graveyard.
The effect that turns Chimeric Mass into a creature ends as soon as the permanent leaves the battlefield. That's because the effect turns "Chimeric Mass" into a creature, and that means exactly the object the ability is on. However, when an object leaves a zone, it becomes a new object, and the effect no longer works, even though the new object in the graveyard has the same name:

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. [..]
201.4. Text that refers to the object it's on by name means just that particular object and not any other objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.


Replacing modifier cards where the new card has a prerequisite for it to be played A situation arose where an event was played that allowed the top modifier card on a character to be replaced with one from their hand, but the modifier they tried to play had a prerequisite that the character must have the Romance story icon, which they did not have.

The second edition rules directly mention that Continuous and Persistent effects will remain active on the new character for as long as the text is visible when they are moved. By extrapolation this means that Immediate effects will never trigger more than once since they only happen when the card is initially played. I would expect "moved" to also cover occasions where a card is replaced. However a prerequisite is an effect that has no type so doesn't have a direct mention in the rules.

So would the prerequisite be treated as a Continuous effect and thus must be adhered to when moving the card, or would the prerequisite be treated as a condition of the card being played and thus have no further effect when it is moved because it is essentially not being played now?

The card in question has the text "This card can only be played on a Character with the (Romance) icon." This is a condition of the card being played. The situation you describe would not be a legal move. They would need to choose a different Modifier card from their hand.


Do card sleeves contain BPA? Does anyone know if card sleeves commonly contain Bisphenol A (BPA)? And if so, which brands do, and which are BPA free? I would prefer to use BPA-free sleeves if possible. I have not had any luck finding an answer to this question.

To answer the question, there are a lot of plastics that are suitable for use as card sleeves. None of them use Bisphenol-A as a plasticizer or monomer; that particular chemical is used primarily to make polycarbonates, which while optically clear are generally too stiff for use as flexible sheets or films (though they're great for applications requiring high impact resistance, like eye protection). So, you don't have to worry about Bisphenol A in your card protectors.

The two plastics you're most likely to see as clear films in your card protectors are poly-ethyl terephthalate (PET), and poly-vinyl chloride (PVC).

PET in fibrous form is known commercially as polyester, though in the chemical industry there are a lot of "poly-esters". This one is formed by bonding ethylene glycol into chains using a phthalate diester to glue them together. As a plastic, it's commonly used in disposable food storage containers, especially soda bottles. It's also commonly used for blister and clamshell product packaging. PET replaced cellulose acetate as a film stock for photos and movies, and also for transparent overlays, so it's definitely got the optical clarity to be used for card protectors.

The dangers of PET come when it's heated. It's perfectly stable at cold to tepid temperatures, making it just fine for packaging refrigerated foods, but when heated it can release the phthalate compounds into the food. Most of us get plenty of exposure to phthalates, and the vast majority do no real harm, but some combinations of alkyl-phthalates are endocrine disruptors which cause hormonal changes, and can cause birth defects and certain cancers.

Poly-vinyl chloride is one of the "wonder-plastics" that was used to do everything, until it fell off its pedestal. It still does a lot; it's seen in drainage and irrigation piping, upholstery, clothing, suction cups, self-adhesive window clings, clear flex tubing, clamshell and bubble packaging, and a host of other uses. It's generally prized for its toughness, even when it's plasticized beyond all recognition; a lot of other polymers lose too much of their tensile strength when too much plasticizer enters the picture.

Now the bad news. First off, the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) turns out to be carcinogenic; it's fine as a polymer, but people making the stuff and people who come into prolonged contact with severely degraded PVC products can be at risk. Second, most usages of PVC require it to be more flexible than it is in its raw form, requiring the addition of a plasticizer. This is usually a phthalate, like in PET, but here it's a "mix-in"; the phthalate compound works itself into the polymer structure to "loosen" and "space out" the polymer chains, making them flexible. This means they're more readily released under the right conditions (brand-new vinyl products will even "off-gas" excess plasticizer for a few months after they're made and there's not much you can do about it). Some of the phthalates used in PVC cause even more problems than Bisphenol-A; there is evidence to show that a common plasticizer used in PVC piping, di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), causes feminizing characteristics in males, male obesity, and cardiac problems.

So I guess the moral of the story is, don't put your card protectors in the microwave along with your lunch.

There are a few safe alternatives if you can find them:

Polypropylene is a food-grade plastic used for a variety of applications from food storage containers to durable consumer goods. One form of it, biaxially-oriented polypropylene or BOPP, is made by extruding and then stretching a sheet of the plastic in perpendicular directions, aligning the polymer chains. When this is done, the material becomes crystal clear, and is used in this form for bags holding snack foods, shredded cheeses, candies, salad greens, etc. The material has no plasticisers and so is food-safe, as well as being dishwasher and microwave safe, making it good for food storage containers. BOPP would definitely be clear enough to hold your cards; in fact it's used for sleeves to hold comic books and trading cards. However, heat-bonded seals between layers of the stuff are more delicate than with other plastics (when re-heated it gets harder), and there's a tradeoff between overall durability and clarity; too thick and the plastic starts turning milky.
Polyethylene is the other major food-safe plastic. It comes in two basic types; low-density and high-density, both of which are generally microwave and dishwasher safe. HDPE is used for milk jugs, butter tubs, and a host of thin-walled flexible containers like for chocolate syrup; low-density is used in reusable squeeze bottles, and also in sheet-based products such as Ziploc bags, drop cloths, vapor barrier, etc. Much like polypropylene, polyethylene doesn't need a plasticizer, so it's safe for food prep and storage, and is another common plastic for food storage containers, especially the more disposable kind like Gladware. The downside it that it's never really crystal-clear; it always has that slightly milky, hazy look like looking through a freezer bag.


How can I improve a Zombie deck to work faster? I created a deck with the new expansion (Dark Ascension) using the cards I got from a couple of boosters last week.

My initial deck form is [Zombies Nightmare] (created by me) but I feel like it needs to be improved, to increase the probability of being able to play something on the first 2 turns.
I am very inexperienced (I only started a month ago) so any tips on how to make this deck more functional would be very appreciated.

You're a newbie that wants to improve on a deck so I won't go into deck building theory or anything like that, I'll just try to be useful and point out a possible approach (which is not the only one, by all means).

You have a nice zombie theme going on. I think you can go for a nice aggro deck with cards from the last couple expansions (Innistrad and Dark Ascension).

First of all, the focus. How do you kill? I'd say zombies are good at swarming. Let's go for overwhelming the opponent with a lot of creatures: Diregraf Ghoul, Gravecrawler are your all stars, so ideally you'd play 4 of each! Highborn Ghoul can be interesting for its evasion, Black Cat is also cheap and provides value when it dies and Geralf's Messenger is nuts although it costs too much black mana (so you just want 2 or 3).

Let's not forget some blue zombies as well! Diregraf Captain is pretty neat because it pumps all the other guys (4 of him as well), Stitched Drake is really powerful and cheap but once again, costs two blue (maybe play only 3)!

About your spells, I think they're all over the place! I'd just focus on getting rid of opposing creatures so that your zombies can hit.

Undying Evil is a neat trick to save one of your guys (plus it plays really well with Black Cat or the Captain). Other than that, you want Tragic Slip, Dead Weight or Victim of Night. If you can get your hands on other expansions I'd say Go For The Throat, Doom Blade and Dismember are all very powerful standard legal removal spells!

Finally, since you're playing blue, maybe some Ponder and Forbidden Alchemy would be good to trim your deck and get the good cards out!


Can I cast Dire Fleet Daredevil if my opponent has no instants or sorceries in their graveyard? I want to cast Dire Fleet Daredevil but my opponent has no instants or sorceries in their graveyard.

Am I able to cast it?

The text doesn't read "You may exile target instant or sorcery", but it also doesn't require it as an additional cost.

Yes, you can.
The enter-the-battlefield ability has nothing to do with casting the creature itself. Creatures are not targeted spells. If they have an enter-the-battlefield trigger, then that ability will trigger after you have cast the creature spell and after it resolves.
After you cast Dire Fleet Daredevil and it resolves, its enter the battlefield ability will trigger. At this point, you must chose targets for the triggered ability, and if you can't do so, then the ability simply disappears:

603.3d The remainder of the process for putting a triggered ability on the stack is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2c–d. If a choice is required when the triggered ability goes on the stack but no legal choices can be made for it, or if a rule or a continuous effect otherwise makes the ability illegal, the ability is simply removed from the stack.
601.2c The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires. [...]


How to remove Broken Fall Enchantment from play I was playing Commander with a couple of buddies the other day. One of them had a 10/10 creature and Broken Fall enchantment in play to regenerate said creature. One of the other players cast a destroy target enchantment instant on Broken Fall. The player with Broken Falls responded by putting it back into his hand, activating the text for regeneration and putting that regeneration onto the 10/10 creature.
   If that was played correctly by the Broken Fall player, how then do you ever get rid of the Broken Fall enchantment when he can just protect it by putting it back into his hand, still protecting his creature and then just replaying it again on his turn?

You have two separate goals here:  Removing the enchantment, and removing the creature.

Removing the creature is the easier of the two problems

Regeneration only protects against lethal damage and 'destroy' effects.  That means that a creature with a regeneration shield can be removed by -X/-X effects, exile effects, forced sacrifice effects, Pacifism effects, and many, many more.

Furthermore, there are some older spells, such as Terror and Wrath of God, which ignore regeneration entirely.

Finally, regeneration only works once, so a second kill effect will work if you can play it before Broken Fall is played again.

Removing Broken Fall permanently is harder

When an activated ability is activated, all costs are paid and then the ability is placed on the stack.  This gives opponents a chance to respond to the ability - but the cost cannot be responded to.  This makes permanents that bounce themselves as part of a cost very difficult to deal with, as you can't target them in reaction to their activation.  (Even if you could, they could just activate it a second time, and still escape)

The only way to target Broken Fall without it escaping back into their hand is to do so when they can't activate its ability, which is a very narrow set of circumstances:
1) There are no legal targets on the battlefield - that is there are no creatures at all, or all the creatures present have hexproof (and are controlled by opponents) or shroud.
2) The activated ability has been blocked (for example by Pithing Needle)
3) Split Second is in effect and nothing can be placed on the stack.  Of course, Split Second also keeps you from playing anything, so unless the split second card you played was Krosan Grip, its not going to be very helpful.

However, once Broken Fall has returned to the player's hand, it is a lot more vulnerable.  There it can be discarded, or countered when they try and play it again.

There is at least one more way to deal with Broken Fall on the battlefield - create a board state where your opponent would rather let it die than save it.  This is of course very situational and tricky to do (especially as it depends on your opponent), but can be accomplished by cards such as Doom Foretold.  If your opponent has to chose between sacrificing their 10/10 or sacrificing Broken Fall, then they might decide that it is better to lose Broken Fall than to lose their creature.  Of course, the downside of this strategy is it only works if Broken Fall is the least valuable part of their board!

And there is, of course, the ultimate work around: Mindslaver them, and then do whatever you want while they are enslaved!


Which Reference Materials are Allowed During a Chess Match? Do the rules of chess permit a player to refer to certain reference materials during a match?

For example, it is clear that materials which would assist a player with strategy are not permitted. A player cannot use another chess board to analyze the game or make notes about the game other than recording his or her moves.

However, is a player permitted to refer to a copy of the rules of chess while playing a game? What other reference materials are allowed? Is there a standard or a test for determining whether a reference material is permitted or prohibited? Can a player refer to permitted materials in electronic form or must they be printed out?

If reference materials are not permitted, must all rule inquiries then be addressed to a tournament director?

I am interested in FIDE rules and/or United States Chess Federation rules.

In a word: No.

FIDE:

  12.3 a. During play the players are forbidden to make use of any notes, sources of information or advice, or analyse on another
  chessboard.

  12.3 b. Without the permission of the arbiter a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the
  playing venue, unless they are completely switched off.

The USCF scholastic rules similarly disallow electronics, but do not explicitly address the topic of notes. (Section 21.6)

As noted in the comments, this is because the scholastic rules are just a supplement to the USCF rules. Unfortunately, the USCF rules themselves are not available on the USCF site.

However, section 20C of the USCF rules do prohibit the use of notes. And that prohibition is quite strict (or was in 2014), according to section 15A of this link.


Can damage be removed from creatures after it's already been dealt? When a creature takes damage from any source, that damage is tracked. If there is enough damage to overcome their toughness, they die. Are there ways to remove damage from creatures after they've been dealt damage?

The only ways damage marked on a creature is removed are:

The cleanup step at the end of the turn
When a creature regenerates instead of being destroyed
When a creature enchanted with Totem Armor would be destroyed
When  Pyramids has prevented a land (which had been/is a creature with damage marked on it) from being destroyed

Note that the last three replace destruction of the creature with removing all damage, but it doesn't need to be the damage that causes the destruction.

  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 701.12, “Regenerate”) and during the cleanup step (see rule 514.2).

  702.88a Totem armor is a static ability that appears on some Auras. “Totem armor” means “If enchanted permanent would be destroyed, instead remove all damage marked on it and destroy this Aura.”


Does Soul Link give life twice in combat and fighting? Soul Link says:

  Enchant Creature

  Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life.

  Whenever enchanted creature is dealt damage, you gain that much life.

If the enchanted creature is blocking, does the player gain life from the both the dealing of damage and the takng of damage at the same time?  I would think so since damage is dealt simulateously and there is no reference to "either/or" in the oracle text.

Yes, you are correct. When damage is dealt, 2 separate triggered abilities trigger. You will choose the order in which to put them on the stack, and then each one will resolve.

An example: Your Soul Link is enchanting a 3/3 creature, which is blocking a 1/1 attacker. When damage is dealt, your creature will deal 3 damage, and be dealt 1 damage. 2 abilities will trigger: "gain 3 life" and "gain 1 life". You will put them both on the stack, and get a total of 4 life.


Nekusar and the new damage redirection to planeswalkers So to be clear, Nekusar, the Mindrazer only hits players with the newest rules change and no longer can hit Planeswalkers?

Correct.

Most cards that previously dealt damage to a player received errata to allow them to target a player or planeswalker, but as Nekusar’s ability is not targeted; the standard errata wouldn’t have made as much sense (mostly because you don’t choose or target a player).

You can see the current wording of any card in Gatherer; the wording there is what counts. And with the planeswalker damage redirection rule change; the question is simple for any card; because cards that can damage planeswalkers will specifically say so (or they will say "any target").


How does Camouflage interact with "can't be blocked by more than one creature"? Camouflage is a strange old card that changes how blocking works. The card text says

  This turn, instead of declaring blockers, each defending player chooses any number of creatures he or she controls and divides them into a number of piles equal to the number of attacking creatures for whom that player is the defending player. Creatures he or she controls that can block additional creatures may likewise be put into additional piles. Assign each pile to a different one of those attacking creatures at random. Each creature in a pile that can block the creature that pile is assigned to does so.

Here's an example of the situation I'm wondering about:

My opponent attacks with two creatures, a Charging Rhino and a Boggart Brute. The former can't be blocked by more than one creature, and the latter can't be blocked by fewer than two creatures. After they declare attacks, they cast Camouflage.

Now, I want the possibility of blocking both creatures, so I put two creatures in one pile and one in another (for simplicity, assume all of the blocking creatures are 1/1 Soldier tokens).

Then, when the piles are assigned to attackers, I get unlucky, and the pile with one creature is assigned to block the Boggart Brute, and the pile with two creatures is assigned to block the Charging Rhino.

Now, clearly the single Soldier can't legally block the Boggart Brute alone. So my question is this: does the Charging Rhino end up blocked?

Basically, I think there are two possible interpretations for the bolded sentence that change how this situation plays out. I think it could either mean

  For each attacking creauture, if some subset of the set of creatures that could each individually block that creature is a legal block, then they are assigned to block that creature.

or

  For each attacking creature, if the entire set of creatures that could each individually block the assigned creature is a legal block, then they are assigned to block that creature.

Or it could even be something different from both of those that I haven't thought of.

You can't leave the Charging Rhino unblocked because it's possible to block it, and you were instructed to block it.

Similarly, you can't block with both Soldiers since you are restricted from doing so[1].

That leaves only two possible legal outcomes:

Solder 1 blocks the Charging Rhino, and Soldier 2 doesn't.
Solder 2 blocks the Charging Rhino, and Soldier 1 doesn't.

Pick one.

In Magic, actions are instantaneous. They are never being performed. For example, a card is never moving, a creature is never tapping, etc[2]. The game instantly switches from one state to another. For example, when instructed to draw, the game instantly goes from a state where the card is on top of your library to a state where the card is in your hand. This is why triggered abilities look at the state of the game before or after they trigger; there is no state during the event that triggered the ability.

Yet, some actions can depend on the outcome of other actions taken simultaneously. This is technically impossible. In this situation, we naturally start imagining complex scenarios to explain what happens, but these have no basis in the rules. I've learned long ago to catch myself, and I now see that you have entered this trap.

The solution: You must simply find the legal state that is achieved from following the instructions. How the game managed to achieve that result is not important!

I find it reassuring that the above achieves the same outcome as if one were to follow the steps of Declare Blocks. But it doesn't resolve many other related problems, such as creatures that require paying costs to block. I would be tempted to interpret

  Each creature in a pile that can block the creature that pile is assigned to does so.

as

  Follow the instructions of the Declare Blocks Step, except

  Each creature in a pile that can block the creature that pile is assigned to must do so,
  Each creature in a pile can't block any creature other than the creature that pile is assigned to, and
  Creatures not in a pile can't block.

I take "that can block" to mean "that isn't tapped and that isn't subject to a restrictions preventing it". In other words, restrictions are still in effect even though they are normally checked during the declaration of blockers which was replaced.
Attacking and defending don't refer to actions being performed, but to a rule-defined state of the object.


Can I activate and resolve Hand Destruction with less than 2 cards in one's hand? Hand Destruction's effect reads:

  (Spell/Quick Play) Each player sends 2 cards from their hand to the graveyard, then each player discards 2 cards.

My question is simple: If I, or my opponent, have less than 2 cards in the hand, can I activate it? And also, will it resolve successfully if there's less than 2 cards on one's hand on its resolution time? (say, for example, if someone chains a trap which discards one card as a cost)

P.S.: There are old rulings from Upper Deck Entertainment that say it can't be activated, but they're not official anymore.

No. You cannot as it states specifically:

  Each player sends 2

This means the number of cards is mandatory if any player has any less then the card cannot be activated.

On the other side, if a chained effect dropped you or an opponent to less than 2 cards in hand, then Hand Destruction would resolve without effect as the initial requirement is that you send 2 cards to the graveyard.

If it said up to 2 cards, then you would be able to use it.


In Dominion, how do Duration cards interact with King's Court / Throne Room? For example, suppose I play a King's Court on a Lighthouse. Do I get +$3 now and +$3 next turn? +$3 now and +$1 next turn?

You get $3 now, and next turn as well.

The Seaside rules contain this blurb on page 4 that clarifies most such situations:

  If you play or modify a Duration card with another card, that other card also stays in your play area until it is no longer doing
  anything. For example if you play Throne Room on Merchant
  Ship, both cards stay in play until the Clean-up phase of your next
  turn. The Throne Room stays in play to remind you that you are
  getting the effect of Merchant Ship twice on that next turn.

There are some individual exceptions for some of the more unusual effects. Throne Room can't overcome Outpost's This can’t cause you to take more
than two consecutive turns clause, and you can't Throne Room a Tactician:

  Because you must discard at
  least one card in order to gain the bonuses from Tactician, it is
  not possible to Throne Room a Tactician to get + 10 cards, +2
  Buys, and + 2 Actions.

So, bottom line, most Duration effects are simply doubled, but any time a combination with Throne Room starts getting confusing, it's best to check the rulebook - these situations are usually explicitly addressed.


Is there a way to save a X = 0 Stonecoil Serpent? If I cast Stonecoil Serpent with X = 0, it starts with 0/0, and immediately resolves so it dies?
Is there a way to save it?

Yes, you can save the Serpent, but it must be set up ahead of time. There are two main ways of saving it that I can think of.

An anthem effect (called a static ability), like the namesake Glorious Anthem
Another card that says it enters the battlefield with +1/+1 counters on it (called a replacement effect), like Bloodspore Thrinax

Either of these will make sure the Serpent has toughness greater than 0 by the time state-based actions are checked. Note that this (in particular point 2) is in contrast to triggered abilities (like The Great Henge), which are too late to save the serpent.


Who gets the copies from Eye of the Storm when control of a spell is switched before exiling the spell? Say we have 3 players, A, B, and C, in that turn order. Player A plays an instant or sorcery spell, player B has an Eye of the Storm, and player C has an Perplexing Chimera. So said spell goes on the stack, the Eye of the Storm trigger goes on the stack, and the Perplexing Chimera trigger goes on the stack. Player C decides to switch control of the spell and Perplexing Chimera between them and player A, so the spell is in control of player C. Now Eye of the Storm exiles the spell, and

  Then that player copies each instant or sorcery card exiled with Eye of the Storm. For each copy, the player may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.

Now is 'that player' player A, the one who casted and owns the spell/card, or player C, who took control of said spell?

The player who cast original the spell controls the copies of the exiled spells.

The full text of Eye of the Storm's ability says

  Whenever a player casts an instant or sorcery card, exile it. Then that player copies each instant or sorcery card exiled with Eye of the Storm. For each copy, the player may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.

There is only one possible antecedent for the phrase "that player" in that ability.


Anyone got any info on this coin obstacle course game from Micki Gemla Sweden? I found this old coin obstacle course game from Micki Gemla Made in Sweden?

There where no hard cover so can anyone help me with the name of this game?
And also maybe give some more information about it?

It's a miniature golf sim game played with coins instead of balls. It was made in 1970 by Micki Leksaker Sweden. It was just called "Minigolf"

(Image from https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-1970-wooden-roll-coin-484615066 )

You play by rolling your coin down the tall slot/slide to take each shot.

Rules (printed on the box):

  Playing rules for “roll-a-coin” mini golf game
  Any number of people can play. The game comprises of [sic] nine different obstacles numbered from 1 to 9.
  Obstacles number 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 each have two parts.
  One plays with an ordinary quarter coin or the Swedish 5 öre coin that is included, which is placed in the slot of the stand positioned at the edge of the playing surface.
  The player is awarded one point for each play plus the number of points shown in the divisions (if the coin does not roll into the cup). The player may have 7 plays for each obstacle. If he does not pass the obstacle, then he will receive a 12 point penalty.

  The player who received the smallest number of points is the winner


In Go, what is the Superko rule, and is it used universally? What is the Superko rule in Go?  Is it used in most scoring/online systems, or only in certain ones?

There are two main Superko rule types, and, as long as the ruleset used isn’t Japanese, one of them should be in place.

Namely they are Positional and Situational.

Positional superko is used in the Chinese Rules, and prohibits the repetition of a position or board state, regardless of whose turn it is.

Situational superko is used in the AGA and BGA (American and British Go Association) rules, and prohibits the repetition of a position or board state, with the same player to play.
The variant Natural situational superko used by the BGA only forbids repetition by the player who created the position.

For more information on superko take a look at Sensei’s Library


How can I keep Magic foils flat? Anyone who's collected Magic for a while knows the unfortunate tendency for foils — especially older foils and the heavier promotional foils — to curl up towards the foil side (presumably as the cardstock expands from moisture).  Unfortunately, this not only makes it harder to use the foils in decks (they become clearly marked — not a serious problem but still an annoyance for formats like Commander, and a more substantial problem for someone hoping to put e.g. some old foil Rancors into a Standard deck), but it presumably also decreases their value notably.

Unfortunately, just sandwiching the foils in between regular cards doesn't work very well — there isn't generally enough pressure from the regular cards to keep the foils flat; worse, this scheme doesn't really allow for storing a number of foils together (where they'll all curl together).  Does anyone have any good suggestions for how to straighten out curled foil cards, or to keep foils from curling in the first place?

Sleeving cards helps keep them flat. Additionally, there are "perfect" or "pro" fit sleeves, which fit cards tightly and can be inserted inside other sleeves. The stiffness of double-sleeving will help a card maintain its shape, as well as protecting expensive cards from rough shuffling or when they are migrating between sleeves.

This, in combination with a deckbox that compresses the cards a little (most of the ultra pro plastic boxes will fit 75 double-sleeved cards, just about) will keep your foils from bending too much. In general, the best advice is to keep them in a deck and keep that deck packed tightly.


Can a single checker make two hits? The diagram below illustrates the question.

There is no rule against a single checker hitting two blots in one turn. At backgammonrules.net (emphasis mine):

Hitting blots
If a player moves to a point occupied by only one of his opponent's checkers, the checker is hit. Hit checkers are forced to re-enter. This slows their owner down. The opponent proceeds - and a player ahead in the race home is more likely to win.

Keep an eye on points occupied by a single checker, since these checkers are blots and can be hit.
Hit when you can, but weigh the risk of thereby leaving a blot yourself.
Opt for a two-stage move to throw out two blots at once or hit one and move on to a safe place.
Place the hit blots on the bar.


How does Infinite Reflection work with Commander and commander damage? Does a Commander which has been turned into a copy of another card still do commander damage (i.e. will 21 damage dealt to a single player from the copy lose the game for that player)?

Alternately, does a card which has been turned into a copy of a commander do commander damage?

Examples of both cases:

Our antagonist has 50 life and no commander damage dealt.

Our protagonist has a (any) commander and Malignus on the battlefield.

Protagonist enchants Malignus with Infinite Reflection and then attacks with his/her commander (which is a copy of Malignus). Antagonist does not block. 25 damage is dealt. Does our protagonist win the game due to commander damage?

Alternately:

Our antagonist has 50 life and no commander damage dealt.

Our protagonist has a 6/6 commander and 3 other non token creatures on the battlefield.

Protagonist enchants his/her commander with Infinite Reflection and then attacks with all 4 creatures. Antagonist does not block. 24 damage is dealt (6 per creature). Does our protagonist win the game due to commander damage?

It seems like the answer to one of these questions should be yes. I feel like it's probably the first one (a commander turned into a copy of another card doesn't lose its commander-ness), but I'm not familiar enough with the rules to say for sure.

I found the answer to this in the rules:

  903.3. Each deck has a legendary creature card designated as its commander. This designation is not a characteristic of the object
  represented by the card; rather, it is an attribute of the card
  itself. The card retains this designation even when it changes zones.

  Example: A commander that's been turned face down (due to Ixidron's
  effect, for example) is still a commander. A commander that's copying
  another card (due to Cytoshape's effect, for example) is still a
  commander. A permanent that's copying a commander (such as a Body
  Double, for example, copying a commander in a player's graveyard) is
  not a commander.

So the answer is that in the first example (commander copying Malignus) the antagonist loses the game. In the second he/she does not (yet).


Thunderstone game taking too long (2 players) On boardgamesgeek.com there is written that an average length of Thunderstone game (no expansions) is 60 minutes. But when I play it with my girlfriend we regularly play for more than 2 hours. I don't remember actually playing it for less than an hour. It is really too long and although we enjoy the game so much, we often prefer other games to Thunderstone because of the length. We also tend not to fight monsters we aren't sure we can beat. We do it only with the strongest ones so the other player don't receive so many points. So...

1) How long does it take you to play one game on average?

2) Is game shorter when played with more players than 2?

3) Do you have any recommendations on speeding the game up a little?

4) Do you fight monsters even if you can't win the battle? How often do you go to dungeon on average?

The original Thunderstone, while a great game, has a bit of a design flaw in that the 'Militia' you start with are just objectively too bad.  It is honestly a winning strategy to spend literally your entire first 6 turns of the game doing nothing but trashing your militia and then starting up building a deck without them.  If you haven't sort of 'realized' this yet in your strategy, the game can be very slow to start and take a long time for your decks to get powered up.

The expansions to the original Thunderstone address this to some extent by adding ways to kill them off into the monster abilities and some spell/item effects that otherwise utilize them.

Thunderstone Advance makes them better by reducing the XP cost to promote them to a L1 warrior, and adding an equipment to your starting deck that gives an ability when equipped to them.

For the base game, you may consider simply starting with fewer of them in your deck to speed up the early development and be strong enough to start going to the dungeon faster.

1) My group can finish a 4 player game in 45 minutes.

2) Not significantly in my experience, but I rarely play with fewer than 4.

3) Cull some of the militia out of the starting deck.  Use one of the several Apps available that generate 'semi-random' starting boards but make sure things are balanced.  This way you don't get really challenging combinations like monsters that require magic and all figher-type warriors that makes for a very slow start.

4) I always go to the dungeon if I have card draw effects in my hand that give me any reasonable hope of possibly defeating something.  (Not withstanding extreme cases like the Last L3 hero is on top of a hero deck and I have enough gold to get it or something...)

Thunderstone Advance is also a vastly improved game and highly recommended if you are willing to drop more $$$.  Your monsters and equipment/spell cards are 'compatible' and can still be used with it.


What is the highest game score theoretically possible in Scrabble using 1 player and the International Scrabble Dictionary? This is one for simulation and some guesses on the strategy to used e.g. is it best to always get the bonus every turn or do the most combinations even if it doesn't use up all the letters every turn.

You don't need to definitively prove your answer is the highest (which is way too hard) just come up with a reasonable answer using a particular strategy

Defining a strategy  (such the following) would reduce the computing power needed:
Long word:
Find all the 8 and 14 letter words that are respectively 1 and 7 letters longer than 7 letter words.
Determine what subsets have a long continuous net of those words together.
Remove those that use more of the individual letters than the Scrabble set allows.
Finally lay the net on the board as a standard one player game and determine the score.

This is an open problem that hasn't been resolved yet.

That said, the highest known possible score is in the vicinity of 4000 points. See page 69 of Total Scrabble.


Are Risk 2210 A.D 3.0 MODs considered as 1 unit or 3 units? In the rules it says you can trade three 1.0 MOD for one 3.0 MOD and that the 3.0 MOD is worth 3 armies.
In the rules of Invading territories you roll 1, 2 or 3 dice, and you must have atleast one more unit than the number of dice you roll.

If I have one 1.0 MOD and one 3.0 MOD and attacks, is that 1 or 3 dice rolls?
Or are armies and units different in the context?

Risk 2210 uses the same base rules as classic Risk.

From the rulebook, page 2:

  If you have a question not answered in the  RISK 2210 A.D.™ section,
  then refer to the Classic RISK® rules

In classic risk, "units" and "armies" are synonymous.  The higher denomination pieces are just for player convenience.  Thus, with a 1.0-MOD and a 3.0-MOD, you would roll 3 dice on the attack, just the same as if you had four 1.0-MOD's.


What is your average VP score rolling 2 versus 4 dice after an initial 3322xx roll? King of Tokyo has a die rolling mechanic similar to Yahtzee, where you get three rolls and may choose to hold or reroll any die you previously held. At the end of third roll, you must keep the resulting die faces. In King of Tokyo, there are three number faces, '1', '2', and '3' and three non-number faces. You only score Victory Points (VP) if you get a 3-of-a-Kind or more, scoring the die face and no points for non-number die faces or numbers with pairs or less. You initiallyscore the die face of the 3-of-a-Kind, and 1 additional point for each matching die face. For example:

-3 '1's score = 1 VP

-4 '1's score = 2 VP

-4 '2's score = 3 VP

-6 '3's score = 6 VP

-3 '3's and 3 '2's score = 5 VP

You have an initial roll of 3322xx, where 'x' isn't a number. Assume that for your third roll, you always choose to roll dice that will result in the greatest average increase in VP.

What is your expected average VP after your third roll if you choose to roll 2 dice versus 4 dice for your second roll? (i.e. Is it better to roll '22xx' or 'xx' if you want to score the most points on average?)

Your overall expected value is what you might expect: 3.1121.
In other words, you should almost always get your 3-set of 3s, or a 4-set of 2s.
I threw together a simulator to help with this. Now, because I am a lamer, I used Java. It requires Java 7 because it uses <> notation. If you're using an older version, be warned. Here's the simulator, first off. Please feel free to pick it apart for functionality, but as far as style goes I know there's a million improvements to be made. This is a throw-away script if there ever one. There may be copy/paste typos and what not, but the code is actually fairly readable. I will add comments and edit as necessary, although I will group edits together to delay community-wikization.
import java.util.*;
import java.text.*;
class Tokyo {
    // shortcut for iterating over the faces of a die roll
    static final int[] face = {0,0,0,1,2,3};

    public static void main(String...args) {
        // the initial roll - there's no control over this
        final Roll init = new Roll(3,3,2,2,0,0);

        // strat1: reroll all non 3s
        // this gets all possible results and their counts from
        // using strat 1 as our guide. see rollStrat1 on the Roll class
        Map<Roll,Integer> strat1roll1 = init.rollStrat1();
        report(strat1roll1);
        // now, for each of those rolls, we need to simulate using the same
        // strategy - the addTo makes sure we give proper credit to rolls that
        // come up more often
        Map<Roll,Integer> strat1roll2 = new HashMap<>();
        for(Roll roll : strat1roll1.keySet()) { // for each roll from roll 1
            Map<Roll,Integer> curr = roll.rollStrat1(); // reroll according to the strat
            addTo(strat1roll2, curr); // and store them all in the master map
        }
        // now count the results
        report(strat1roll2);

        // strat2: reroll all non doubles - comments ommited because it's the same as above
        Map<Roll,Integer> strat2roll1 = init.rollStrat2();
        report(strat2roll1);

        Map<Roll,Integer> strat2roll2 = new HashMap<>();
        for(Roll roll : strat2roll1.keySet()) {
            Map<Roll,Integer> curr = roll.rollStrat2();
            addTo(strat2roll2, curr);
        }

        report(strat2roll2);

        // strat3: mix the two
        Map<Roll,Integer> strat3roll2 = new HashMap<>();
        for(Roll roll : strat2roll1.keySet()) {
            Map<Roll,Integer> curr = roll.rollStrat3();
            addTo(strat3roll2, curr);
        }
        report(strat3roll2);

    }

    static DecimalFormat df = new DecimalFormat("###.00000");
    static void report(Map<Roll,Integer> map) {
        int sum = 0;
        int count = 0;
        for(Roll roll : map.keySet()) {
            sum += roll.score() * map.get(roll);
            count += map.get(roll);
        }
        double exval = ((double)sum) / (double)count;
        System.out.println("total: " + sum);
        System.out.println("count: " + count);
        System.out.println("exval: " + df.format(exval));
    }

    // just merge the slave map into the master map
    static void addTo(Map<Roll,Integer> master, Map<Roll,Integer> slave) {
        for(Roll roll : slave.keySet()) {
            Integer count = master.get(roll);
            if(count == null) count = 0;
            master.put(roll, count + slave.get(roll));
        }
    }

    // reroll anything that isn't a 0 in the mask
    // if it is a non-0, that is the number that will show up in the roll
    // so if you want to re-roll a 2, in your strat method, turn that 2 into a
    // 0 so it gets re-rolled
    static Map<Roll,Integer> roll(Roll mask) {
        Map<Roll, Integer> rolls = new HashMap<>();
        // iterate over every possibly die roll
        for(int a = 0; a < 6; a++) {
        for(int b = 0; b < 6; b++) {
        for(int c = 0; c < 6; c++) {
        for(int d = 0; d < 6; d++) {
        for(int e = 0; e < 6; e++) {
        for(int f = 0; f < 6; f++) {

            int ra = mask.a == 0 ? face[a] : mask.a;
            int rb = mask.b == 0 ? face[b] : mask.b;
            int rc = mask.c == 0 ? face[c] : mask.c;
            int rd = mask.d == 0 ? face[d] : mask.d;
            int re = mask.e == 0 ? face[e] : mask.e;
            int rf = mask.f == 0 ? face[f] : mask.f;

            Roll roll = new Roll(ra, rb, rc, rd, re, rf);
            roll = roll.sort();
            if(rolls.containsKey(roll)) {
                rolls.put(roll, rolls.get(roll) + 1);
            } else {
                rolls.put(roll, 1);
            }
        }}}}}} // my code-review spidy sense is very pissed at me for this
        return rolls;
    }

    // unused, YAGNI I know... but this does illustrate all possible rolls
    static Map<Roll,Integer> possibleRolls() {
        return roll(new Roll(0,0,0,0,0,0));
    }

    // this represnts a roll, but it also represents a mask - lame, I know
    static class Roll {
        final int a,b,c,d,e,f; // the dice you have
        Roll(int a, int b, int c, int d, int e, int f) {
            this.a=a; this.b=b; this.c=c;
            this.d=d; this.e=e; this.f=f;
        }
        // welcome to Java - assumes they are properly sorted - a bad practice that
        // should be fixed if this grew beyond its current scope
        public boolean equals(Object o) {
            Roll ros = (Roll)o;
            Roll sor = this;
            return ros.a == sor.a && ros.b == sor.b && ros.c == sor.c
                && ros.d == sor.d && ros.e == sor.e && ros.f == sor.f;
        }
        // order doesn't matter for the result, but this is a perfect hash, that's cool
        public int hashCode() {
            return (a+1) * (b+1) * (c+1) * (d+1) * (e+1) * (f+1);
        }

        Roll sort() { // delegate sorting to Arrays =)
            int[] p = {a,b,c,d,e,f};
            Arrays.sort(p);
            return new Roll(p[0],p[1],p[2],p[3],p[4],p[5]);
        }

        int[] counts() { // convenience method
            int[] counts = new int[4];
            counts[a]++; counts[b]++; counts[c]++;
            counts[d]++; counts[e]++; counts[f]++;
            return counts;
        }

        int score() {
            int[] counts = counts();

            // trust the math =), or don't and work it out for yourself =)
            return (counts[1] > 2 ? counts[1] - 2 : 0)
                 + (counts[2] > 2 ? counts[2] - 1 : 0)
                 + (counts[3] > 2 ? counts[3] : 0);
        }

        Map<Roll,Integer> rollStrat1() {
            return keepAll(3);
        }

        Map<Roll,Integer> keepAll(int k) {
        // reroll all non ks
            int ra = a == k ? k : 0; // the mask will have ks or 0s
            int rb = b == k ? k : 0;
            int rc = c == k ? k : 0;
            int rd = d == k ? k : 0;
            int re = e == k ? k : 0;
            int rf = f == k ? k : 0;
            return roll(new Roll(ra,rb,rc,rd,re,rf));
        }

        Map<Roll,Integer> rollStrat2() {
            // reroll anything that doesn't have 2x of something, except 0 - of course reroll 0s
            int[] counts = counts();
            int ra = counts[a] > 1 && a > 0 ? a : 0;
            int rb = counts[b] > 1 && b > 0 ? b : 0;
            int rc = counts[c] > 1 && c > 0 ? c : 0;
            int rd = counts[d] > 1 && d > 0 ? d : 0;
            int re = counts[e] > 1 && e > 0 ? e : 0;
            int rf = counts[f] > 1 && f > 0 ? f : 0;
            return roll(new Roll(ra,rb,rc,rd,re,rf));
        }

        Map<Roll,Integer> rollStrat3() {
            int[] counts = counts();
            if(counts[3] > 2 && counts[2] > 2) {
                Map<Roll,Integer> map = new HashMap<>();
                map.put(this,score());
                return map;
            }
            if(counts[3] > 2) {
                return keepAll(3);
            }
            if(counts[2] > 2) {
                return keepAll(2);
            }
            return rollStrat1();
        }
    }

}

What the results are when it is run is (these values have changed - see edit history).
c:\files\j>java Tokyo
total: 81756
count: 46656
exval: 1.75231
total: 5081940
count: 1632960
exval: 3.11210
total: 73872
count: 46656
exval: 1.58333
total: 1283040
count: 466560
exval: 2.75000
total: 1165885
count: 419909
exval: 2.77652

What does this tell us? Well, first it validates the system by coming up with values nearly identical to those calculated by other methods for the first roll. That's excellent news.
Now, let's look at the actual results. The number of different values explodes for strategy 1, mostly because it is rerolling 4 different dice on the first pass, and probably an average of 3.5 or so for the second pass. The count seems so much higher because of the uniqueness, but I adjusted for this 'problem' in the code.
The second strategy starts off less, and does stand for improvement. For example, if you don't get your 2s the second time, would it be better to dump all the 2s and go for 3s? This is where I implement strat 3.
Rather than start off with the results from strat 1, which are only focusing on the 3s, I instead use the first roll of strat 2 to focus on acquiring doubles. Then, I shift focus: if I have both sets, haha, we're done here... thanks... If I have a set of 3s or a set of 2s, I keep it and ditch the other set: after all, it's silly to try to aim for that 1/6 chance to pick up the other set - much better odds in ditching those dice and put them into something that's already bearing fruit. Lastly, if I don't have a set, I default to just rolling all non 3s, which is the same as the original 'strat 1' and is shown to have a higher single-roll result than strat 2. And that yields an excellent result but still not better.
Note the 5 reports:
strat 1 roll 1
strat 1 roll 2

strat 2 roll 1
strat 2 roll 2

strat 3 roll 2 (its roll 1 is strat 2's roll 1)

So the end result is that in this scenario, thus far the strategies indicate you should simply keep your 3s and go for it.


What is the formal definition of a TCG? What is the formal definition of a TCG?

I am wondering this because it seems to be a blurry line between TCGs (Trading Card Games) and CCGs (Collectible Card Games).  Aren't TCGs collectible?

According to Wikipedia, they are one and the same.

  A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) or customizable card game, is a kind of card game that first emerged in 1993 and consists of specially designed sets of playing cards.

From Wikipedia the definition of a CCG (and hence TCG) is:

  Collectible card games (CCG) are generally defined as those where the player acquires cards into a personal collection or library, from which they create customized decks of card within the game's ruleset to challenge other players in matches.


Does Cycling a card to trigger an ability allow you to target a creature protected by the color of the card you're cycling? If I'm going to use the Cycle ability of a card of a certain color, and that activated ability is connected with a triggered ability that needs to choose a target for its correct resolution, it is possible to activate it by targeting a creature that has the ability to protection from the same color as the starting card, ie the card with the Cycle ability?

For example -
 if I have the blue card Choking Tethers in my hand,
  and the opponent has on the battlefield a Serra Angel,
with the Aura Blue Ward that enchants him,
I can avail myself with success of the Cycle ability of the Choking Tethers,
and tapping this way the Serra Angel?

No, the angel with protection from Blue cannot be targeted by the ability of Choking Tethers.

The relevant rule about Protection:

  702.16b A permanent or player with protection can’t be targeted by spells with the stated quality and can’t be targeted by abilities from a source with the stated quality.

In your case, the source of the ability, Choking Tethers, has the quality 'blue'.

Note that (as mentioned in the card's Gatherer rulings) it is allowed to cycle Choking Tethers even if there are no legal targets for the triggered ability (e.g. there are no creatures at all, or only creatures with protection from blue). This is because the Cycling activated ability itself does not require any targets to activate. The triggered ability that taps a creature will not successfully be put on the stack, but the Cycling ability will resolve just fine and you will draw a card.


What happens when a player controls multiple identical monsters? The rules already specify that when multiple players have the same Monster Card, all monsters of that type will activate when any single monster acts.

When drawing new Monster Cards, if you already have the monster you draw, you discard it and draw again. However, some effects result in players passing Monster Cards around (causing monsters to activate more or less often).

If a player ends up with two of the same Monster Card, do they activate both monsters twice during their Villain Phase? Or do you put both cards together and activate the pair of them at the same time?

Since you didn't specify which specific game in the Dungeons and Dragons Adventure System you're referring to, the following excerpt is from the Wrath of Ashardalon rulebook

  Place a Monster on the new tile. To place a Monster, draw a Monster Card and place the corresponding Monster figure on the scorch mark of the newly placed Dungeon Tile. (The name of each Monster is printed on each figure’s base.) If you draw a Monster Card that matches a Monster Card already in play in front of you, discard that Monster Card and draw again. If another player has a matching Monster Card, however, that’s okay (emph added)

This states that you cannot have this situation, as you should have discarded the matching card in favor of a re-drawn, unique (to you) monster.

What this doesn't answer, however, is when there is an option to pass a monster or being forced to pass a monster.  Looking through the rules of both old (i.e. Wrath of Ashardalon) and new (i.e. Temple of Elemental Evil), I don't see this directly addressed anywhere, even in FAQs.  However, I think that we can refer to the spirit of the rules rather than the letter of them in order to resolve this.

One concept that does occur frequently within the rules/FAQ is that no single player may have more than one copy of a monster.  So, if you attempt to pass a monster to the right, but your right neighbor has a copy, either that pass is forfeited or the attempted pass continues further to the right.  Given that there are monster cards that force passing, I believe that the intent would be to continue the pass further around the table.  If everyone else has a copy, then ultimately it winds up being passed back to the original owner.


Gaining control of a creature while an Aura targeting it is on the stack It's my opponent turn.  I have Prophet of Kruphix on the battlefield, which means I can play creatures as though they had flash.

My opponent plays Boonweaver Giant and chooses Spectra Ward, which goes on the stack as triggered ability (?)

I play Hypnotic Siren with bestow to gain control of Boonweaver Giant in response to the triggered ability.  (I can do this during my opponent's turn because I control Prophet of Kruphix.)

Does that mean that the stack looks like this?

        TOP
    Hypnotic Siren   \
                     |
  / Spectra Ward     | 1
2 |                  |
  \ Boonweaver Giant /

        BOTTOM

Will I gain control of Boonweaver Giant, and then it gets the Spectra Ward Aura under my control?

Can someone tell me whether there is a mistake in this play?

The rulings on Hypnotic Siren say:

  Gaining control of a creature doesn’t cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.

which does not apply to this situation because Boonweaver Giant does not have any Auras attached to it when I gain control of it with Hypnotic Siren.

First, if Boonweaver Giant's triggered ability is on the stack, then Boonweaver himself is not on the stack. He has already entered the battlefield. Second, Spectra Ward should never have been placed on the stack. Boonweaver Giant's triggered ability is what actually gets placed on the stack. Your opponent doesn't have to make a decision until it resolves.

With these corrections in mind, here is what your stack actually looks like:

Hypnotic Siren (TOP)
Boonweaver Giant's triggered ability (BOTTOM)

Hypnotic Siren resolves. You gain control of Boonweaver Giant. Next, Boonweaver Giant's ability resolves. Your opponent may search for an aura and attach it to Boonweaver Giant. He may choose not to. If he does, he will control the aura attached to Boonweaver, and you will control Boonweaver.


Monster unaffected by Spell/Trap vs. Monster given protection via Spell/Trap If a monster's effect makes it unaffected by spells/traps, what happens if it attacks a monster protected by Waboku or something? Does it still get destroyed?

The thing here is that the one unaffected by spell/traps is your monster.

However, that does not make your opponent's monster unaffected by spell/traps.

Protecting your monster from spell/traps does not negate a spell/trap card that affects your opponent's monster.

You could, however, make your opponent's monster unaffected by spell/traps (for example targeting with whatever effect made your monster spell/trap proof), and if you do that then the spell protecting it from being destroyed won't save it from your attacks.


Playing Settlers of Catan with a D12 instead of 2D6 Has anyone tried this?
Does it break the game?
Does it make it easier/quicker?

Assuming a 1 gave no resources to anyone and a 7 still invoked the robber how different a game would this make Settlers?

Significantly.  The thing about 2d6 is that you've got a range of numbers that have a certain probability of them showing up.

When you're rolling 2d6, your available numbers are 2-12.  You're dropping off the number 1.  Also, you have an escelating scale of percentage probability.  2's and 12's will happen 2.77% of the time (each).  3's and 11's will happen 5.55% of the time.  4's and 10's happen 8.33% of the time.  5's and 9's happen 11.11% of the time.  6's and 8's will happen 13.88% of the time.  And 7's will happen 16.66% of the time.

Result    Rolls with a 2d6        ≠  Rolls with a 1d12
------------------------------------------------------
 1        (impossible)                1
 2        1+1                         2
 3        1+2 2+1                     3
 4        1+3 2+2 3+1                 4
 5        1+4 2+3 3+2 4+1             5
 6        1+5 2+4 3+3 4+2 5+1         6
 7        1+6 2+5 3+4 4+3 5+2 6+1     7
 8        2+6 3+5 4+4 5+3 6+2         8
 9        3+6 4+5 5+4 6+3             9
10        4+6 5+5 6+4                10
11        5+6 6+5                    11
12        6+6                        12

As you can see, the closer you get to 7, the greater chances you have of something on those hex's from happening.  Because of this, the game has been weighted so that certain places will not show up as often as others.  That's part of the resource management and placement.  It's what makes the game interesting.

By using a 1d12, you have two things working against you.  One, you have a dead number that you won't be using.  And two, each other number will only show up 8.33% of the time (as much as 4's and 10's used to show up).  And they all have the same chance, so strategy would be very different.  I would think it would make it a whole new game.


Creature Ability List Sudden Spoiling reads

  Creatures target player controls become 0/2 and lose all abilities until end of turn.

Can someone help me find a list of abilities that they lose?

From the comp rules glossary:

  Text on an object that explains what that object does or can do.
  An activated or triggered ability on the stack. This kind of ability is an object.

Every item of rules text in the text box (the box in the lower half of the card) is an ability. Doesn't matter whether it's keywords or full statements; static, triggered, or activated. In addition, lands with a basic land type have an implied ability: "T: Add 1 [color] mana to your mana pool."

In handwavy terms, "lose all abilities" means "pretend there's nothing printed in the card's textbox".

More precisely, you apply effects that add or take away abilities in "timestamp" order. So, for example:

I have a Stampeding Rhino. It has one ability: trample.
I enchant my Rhino with Trollhide. This gives my Rhino a second ability: "1G: Regenerate this creature" (the ability is printed on the Trollhide card, but it as an ability that the card gave to the Rhino).
My opponent plays Turn to Frog on my Rhino, which includes the text "loses all abilities". My Rhino now has no abilities, until end of turn. Both the Rhino's built-in trample and its enchantment-granted regeneration are removed.
After my Rhino is turned into a Frog, I activate Alabaster Mage to give it lifelink until end of turn. Now my Frog has one ability: lifelink.

(Power/toughness-modifying effects are actually a bit trickier, since they are applied in layers. So the Frog is 3/3, not 1/1. That's a different question.)


Where do I insert the exit tile in a 1-2 player game In Escape: The Curse of the Temple, the rules say if you are playing 1-2 players to

  insert the exit tile in the middle of the draw pile

With the base game (I'm assuming expansions maybe add to this pile), there are 15 tiles left at this point after putting 2 of them next to the entrance. Where does the exit tile go, above the 8th tile or below it?

From the Rulebook

Setup

You will need the 6 main chambers and the 13 basic chambers (that is, all the chambers without the purple mask and/or treasure icon). Set aside the starting chamber and exit. Mix the remaining chamber tiles face down, then stack them as a draw pile. Place the starting chamber in the center of the playing area, then place 2 randomly drawn chamber tiles next to it, as shown in the illustration below. Finally, take the top 4 tiles of the draw pile, shuffle them together with the exit tile, then place them on the bottom of the draw pile.

Exception: If you are playing alone or with a second player, insert the exit tile in the middle of the draw pile.

Considering the rather loose and light nature of the game. I don't expect that the instruction was meant to be literal. But if you need a ruling I would remove half the pile. Place the Exit Tile and then call that done. So with 15 tile. Remove 8 tiles (7.5 rounded up) place the exit tile and then now you have two piles. 8 regular and 8 including the exit.


What game do these dice belong to? I can't for the life of me can't remember where these dice came from, but I remember liking the game (it was from my childhood). Does anyone recognize where these came from?

Those are from Cosmic Wimpout, at http://www.cosmicwimpout.com/, and yes, that's a great game.


Do Commanders' abilities work from the command zone? I have a milling deck that uses Phenax, God of Deception. One of his abilities is:

  Creatures you control have "{T}: Target player puts the top X cards of their library into their graveyard, where X is this creature's toughness."

Since that ability will effect all my creatures, does Phenax have to be played on the field or could he remain in the command zone and I still use that ability on my creatures?

Unless otherwise stated, abilities on permanents are only in effect when the permanent is on the battlefield. It does not have any effect if Phenax is in your command zone. See the comprehensive rules:

  604.2. Static abilities create continuous effects, some of which are prevention effects or replacement effects. These effects are active as long as the permanent with the ability remains on the battlefield and has the ability, or as long as the object with the ability remains in the appropriate zone, as described in rule 112.6.

This ability isn't among the exceptions listed in 112.6, which are too long to be listed here; I agree with @Arthur's comment that the general rule is 'if it makes sense on the battlefield, it only functions on the battlefield'.


Is it possible to combo Spy and Wishing Well? From the entry for Wishing Well on Dominion Strategy, I quote:

  Cards that you view with Spy get drawn by the Wishing Well instead of being wished for.

The cards in question are these:

But as I understand it, after you play Spy, you know what the top card is (if you don't discard it), but this is drawn immediately from Wishing Well, and then you don't know what to wish for.

Am I misunderstanding how these cards work, or is the article referring to something else?

Your understanding is correct. You are just misinterpreting the article.

You would need something like Scout to combo more effectively. Draw 4 cards, at least two non-victory, put them back, draw one using WW and wish for the second.


Where can I find a database of Go games with move times I am looking for a database of 19x19 Go games (complete games) including the time spent on each move, or the global time in each move. Other aspect is that its need to be without bots or any artificial intelligence, just people Vs people.
I have found databases (such as gokifu) with everything I want except for the time per move.

An earlier question about database for 9x9 games contains a link to a database for 19x19 games:
http://ps.waltheri.net/


Floating eye win / loss condition [spoilers] If a hero is broken out of mind control, they cannot be controlled again. Heroes that are controlled do not attack other heroes, only board the spaceship. Does this mean that if a single hero breaks mind control, the heroes automatically win, with the freed hero just bashing the spaceship?

No, a hero breaking free of mind control does not itself make the game unwinnable for the traitor.
The Traitor's win condition for this haunt is exactly as follows:

You Win When ...
... all of the heroes are either dead or on the spaceship.

Note that if either of these happens to a hero, they are out of the game. Effectively, this means that the traitor wins when all heroes are unable to act. The "can only mind control a hero once" limitation simply means that any hero that breaks free of mind control must be killed for the traitor to win.


Border Token Placement in Battle for Rokugan The rulebook says that when placing tokens you can only place one token on a border with an ajacent province. Is this limit of one token per player or one token total?

For example, I place a token on a border attacking an opponents province, can they also place a token on the same border attacking my province? Or does the fact I've already placed a token prevent this?

The rules say:

  Only one combat token can be placed on each border.

No qualification or exception is made to this statement, so I see no reason to not interpret it as only one total. Furthermore, none of the battle examples show more than one token on each border.


Mistakes a beginner should avoid in Magic the Gathering with more than 2 players I have been playing Magic the Gathering for several years now and I have a solid understanding of basic strategy and deck building. Until now I have only played against a single opponent. Magic the Gathering supports games with more than 2 players as well and I want to explore such variations.

The first thing two friends of mine and I will try is playing a free-for-all (3 players) where everybody can attack every other player. This changes the game a lot. It feels like attacking gets almost impossible and your best chance is to wall yourself in and hope for the best. Every fight between two players will usually help the third player the most. At least that's what I expect from a free-for-all.

Before I dive into this experience heads on, I want to know what the typical mistakes are, that a beginner should avoid in MTG games with more than 2 player. I am mostly concerned about deck building and game strategy.

Don't expect the game to end quickly.
In a MtG duel, there is a deck archetype called Aggro. Aggro decks use extremely low converted mana cost (CMC) cards that can efficiently deal damage to quickly reduce their opponents life from 20 to 0. This type of deck is trying to gain a tempo advantage. Aggro decks typically don't win in multiplayer free for all, because although they can quickly deal 20 damage against a single opponent before they can mount a defense, it is quite difficult to deal 40 (60, 80) damage to two (three, four) or more opponents. Duel decks need to deal with Aggro decks, so nearly all their card's have mana costs under 4, but multiplayer decks can afford to run higher CMC cards with bigger effects.

Don't pack your deck with cards that trade 1 to 1
In a duel, if you cast a card that destroys one of your opponents cards, you have a net card advantage of 0. In multiplayer on the other hand, you have a net card advantage of 0 with respect to one opponent, but you (and the opponent whose card you destroyed) are both down 1 card to the other players. When one of your cards destroys multiple cards of your opponents, you gain card advantage. In multiplayer though, the number of cards your single card must destroy grows with the number of opponents. This is because, for each card you draw on your turn, each opponent that is still alive draws a card. If your opponents believe you will win, expect that most of the cards they are drawing will be directed at you and your resources.

Learn the Animal Elements
Multiplayer decks use cards that excel in these areas impact (Gorilla), outlast (Cockroach), warning away (Rattlesnake), feeding-off (Pigeon), trapping (Spider), and helping others (Plankton). Anthony Alongi came up with the animals to make it easier to remember the concepts of what the cards do. Gorilla cards smash your opponents. They destroy boards, hands, and life totals. This typically means sweeper cards that effect multiple cards or players. Cockroach cards outlast your opponents cards. They cards tend to be reusable effects, are difficult to get rid of, or come back from the graveyard. Rattlesnakes warn your opponents to focus their attention elsewhere or suffer the consequences. These cards are usually permanents with no or low activation costs, whose power usually derives from not having to use them. Pigeon cards feed of of multiple opponents. These cards typically have words like, "each opponent", or "whenever [situation]" where [situation] is a lot more common because there are more players, creature, lands, etc. in multiplayer. Spider cards trap your opponents into making bad decisions. These cards are typically instants, because it is difficult to trick your opponents with cards that they can see in a visible zone. Plankton cards are all about sharing the fun. These cards allow your opponents to use them.

Concerning playing strategy
This is typically more important for larger multiplayer games than 3 player, because with more opponents there are fewer targets. You usually don't want to get into a feud with a single player. Don't attack someone, just because they attacked you last turn. Attack someone, because they are the biggest threat to winning the game. If your group allows table talk, freely explain why you are attacking someone or destroying some permanent. Helping everyone get better at threat assessment will make for better games.

Don't be an easy target
Sometimes players might get out an early aggressive creature (or several). Make sure your deck can survive early damage from aggressive decks. If your deck starts its mana curve to high (everything is 4 mana or higher), you probably can't survive even a couple of early creatures cast by your opponents.

The number combat steps steps you must survive is greater
In a duel, there is only one turn in which your opponent gets to untap and attack you or try to destroy your creatures. In multiplayer, you have to survive multiple combat steps, and your creatures have to survive multiple turns.

Life total is an important resource
Only the last point of life matters in Multiplayer, but how close your life total is to 0 controls how aggressive you can be. Unlike a duel, where gaining life doesn't put you any closer to victory, in multiplayer when you gain life you just might make other opponents easier targets for elimination, putting you closer to victory.


Correct/Recommended use of Masquerade in Dominion: Intrigue According to the rulebook, when using Masquerade, the cards passed between players must remain invisible until each player chooses the card to pass and places it down. I've always assumed it means that the passing itself is also done when the cards are face-down, which makes it the only card in the game that adds uncertainty to the number of VPs each player has. It was strange, but interesting to play nonetheless.

Lately, however, I've begun playing "Androminion", and noticed that when passing cards using Masquerade in this version, the cards are passed face-up. I've checked the rulebook again, and it DOES seem like this is a gray area: the cards to pass should be selected when all the cards are face-down, but what happens later is not specified.

So - which is the 'correct' use of Masquerade? Passing cards face-up, so all the players can fully see the implications of this turn, or passing them face-down, adding a bit of uncertainty to the game?

From the Intrigue rulebook:

  First you draw 2 cards. Next, each player (all at the same time) chooses a card from his hand and places it face down on the table between him and the player to his left. The player to the left then puts that card into his hand. Cards are passed simultaneously, so you may not look at the card you are receiving until you have chosen a card to pass. ...

I agree this is ambiguous, but I think your original interpretation is correct: the cards are not public and people only know what they passed and what they received. There are three things that support my claim:

The rules do state that the card is placed face down. The very next sentence says the card is put into the hand. I believe that if the intent was for the cards to be revealed that the rules would have explicitly told the players to turn the cards over, or to reveal them.
The simplified description on the card (see picture above), is "Each player passes a card from his hand to the left at once." The phrase "at once" implies that the passing should be done by all players simultaneously and that the only action they should be performing is the passing. That is, no looking at what you're being handed, no turning over what you're handing off so everyone else can see it--period. Pass the card at once.
The card is called Masquerade, which is a party where the guests wear masks to disguise their identities. I think leaving the true identities of what is passed a mystery to the party at large is exactly the spirit of the card's name. The fact that Masquerade is the only way that to disguise how many victory points people actually have I find quite charming and not at all a reason to think the passed cards should be public knowledge (lots of Dominion cards of one-of-a-kind).


Why is this NOT joseki? Why is white 4 in this diagram not joseki? How can it be punished by black and how bad is it compared to standard joseki play?

$$ ----------
$$ ..........|
$$ ..........|
$$ ..3.2.....|
$$ ...4..1...|
$$ ..........|

A partial answer is probably: "Because this variation is joseki and it looks more forcing":

$$ ----------
$$ ..........|
$$ ..........|
$$ ..3.2.....|
$$ ..4...1...|
$$ ..........|

I don't think it's that the joseki move is forcing, it's more that the joseki move is better.  5 here is pretty sad for White.  For 4 to be joseki, you would need a response to this move that turns out better than the accepted sequence for White.

$$ ----------
$$ ..........|
$$ ..........|
$$ ..3.2.....|
$$ ..54..1...|
$$ ..........|


Game of Thrones: ship rules It's really not clear to us how ships work in Game of Thrones

Can you use a ship (an empty one, not carrying land units) to attack a castle/fortress/territory/port?
What happens if you attack such areas with ships and those areas are defended by land units?
If you have ships in a port and the connected castle is conquered, what happens to the ships?

From the rulebook:

No. "Ship units may move into friendly connected port areas or into adjacent sea areas, but may never move into a land area." (p. 15) So a ship alone cannot attack or conquer land. It can support a land attack, though, although the reverse is not true (p. 18).
As indicated above, this cannot happen.
You can capture the ships. "If the land area connected to a Port is successfully attacked and taken control of by another player, that player may immediately replace any enemy Ship units in the Port with an equal number of his own available Ship units (or as many Ship units as he has available, he desires, or is allowed by supply limits). Excess enemy ships are simply removed from the board." (p. 25)


Why open 1NT with a 6 card minor? I often see good players note on their convention cards that 1NT may contain a 6 card minor. Depending on the strength on the 1NT range, I would bid such hands 1m - 2m (12-15) or 1m - 3m (15-18). What are the benefits of opening 1NT with 6 card minor? What are the characteristics of such hands?

Holding AKx Kx QJxxxx Kx, it is unsatisfying and misleading to open 1D and rebid 3D. Most of your values are outside of diamonds and in fact you have decent stopping positions in all other suits. Opening 1NT conveys the hand type and playing strength more accurately.


Order of players actions in Mansion of Madness 2nd edition When player begins his turn, can he pause after first action to allow doing something to other players? Example:

Player 1: open door
Player 2: walk into new room
Player 1: do some other action

Is it correct? Or "Player 1" have to make 2 actions before any other players can do something?

Player 1 has to take 2 actions before the other players can do something.

From the rules reference page 24:

  During the investigator phase, the investigators each take one turn in the order of their choice. During an investigator’s turn, that investigator performs up to two actions.

This means that when each player takes a turn they do two actions and they must do all of their actions before another player can take their turn. You can select the order of that each player takes their turns and change it each investigator phase.