Official Rulings - November 28, 2007
Section 3: Specific Cards - F

Q. White plays FALSE ORDERS on Black's Queen placing it in threat. FALSE ORDERS is not a continuing effect card so it was discarded at the end of White's turn. Black's Queen is not allowed to move during Black's turn. Black plays ESCAPE! and places the Black Queen back on starting position. Was this a legal move? FALSE ORDERS was not a continuing effect and was not "in play" at the time even though is presence was still felt for at least one turn. Black did not move his Queen as a regular turn, but instead moved a Rook. Technically, Black did not move the Queen, however, White expected the intent of FALSE ORDERS to keep Black's Queen at that same spot for White's turn.

A. Yes, ESCAPE! was legally played. The two non-continuing-effect cards have conflicting effects (ESCAPE! did move the Queen, which is forbidden by FALSE ORDERS -- even though it wasn't the player's regular move, it was still a move). So, by the Conflict Rule, the second one played (ESCAPE!) wins. White's intents and expectations don't enter into it.

Q. I have played FALSE ORDERS on my opponents Rook, moving it in front of my Pawn. On my opponents turn, he cannot move that Rook, but plays EVIL EYE, thus capturing my Pawn in front of his Rook. Is this legal?

A. No. If a piece that may not threaten capture, whether a Continuing Effect like PACIFIST or a temporary effect such as with FALSE ORDERS, that piece may now capture via EVIL EYE.

Q. NEW TACTICS switches regular and capturing moves for Pawns. What happens when this card interacts with other Pawn cards (like DARK MIRROR, ANNEXATION, and FANATIC)? Is it correct to interpret "Forward" as diagonally forward and "Diagonally backward" as backward (while NEW TACTICS is in play).

A. No, NEW TACTICS does not change the instructions on other cards. DARK MIRROR, FANATIC, and ANNEXATION will have the same effect whether or not NEW TACTICS is in play.

Q. Can EVIL EYE be used by PACIFISTS? By pieces held in place by FATAL ATTRACTION?

A. No. Capture is not threatened, so EVIL EYE may not be played.

Q. Can a PACIFIST piece be captured by FIREBALL, HOSTAGE, REVENGE, TOLL, DOOMSAYER or SPLIT KNIGHT? Can it be killed (made Dead) by BETRAYAL or DISINTEGRATION?

A. It is not subject to any of the listed capture effects (and cannot itself explode to trigger FIREBALL). It also does not threaten any pieces, so it could not use SPLIT KNIGHT. It may become Dead because of BETRAYAL or DISINTEGRATION.

Q. During a TRUCE, can a piece be captured by FIREBALL, HOSTAGE, REVENGE, TOLL, DOOMSAYER or SPLIT KNIGHT? Can it be killed (made Dead) by BETRAYAL or DISINTEGRATION?

A. Pieces are not subject to any of the listed capture effects during a TRUCE (and none may explode to trigger FIREBALL). They also do not threaten any pieces, so none could use SPLIT KNIGHT. They may become Dead because of BETRAYAL or DISINTEGRATION.

Q. Can I move my King and play FIREBALL (since it says Kings are not affected)?

A. No. Or, you could, but nothing would happen, since the King does not explode, and none of the surrounding pieces would be captured.

Q. If I move a Rook, Bishop, or Queen two or more squares and play FIREBALL, then my opponent plays BOG, what happens?

A. Your piece moves one square in the appropriate direction and explodes, taking out the pieces adjacent to its final position.

Q. If I play PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS and I move one (or two with a swap card) of my opponent's pieces does that count as a moved piece that I can FIREBALL?

A. FIREBALL will explode the piece you moved before playing PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS. That is the move which you are using to meet the "play after move" condition of the card.

Q. Can you play MERCILESS to give your Rook a second move after its part of a castling move?

A. Castling counts as both a Rook and a King move, and thus MERCILESS is fine, and (for instance) you could FIREBALL the Rook or MYSTIC SHIELD either the King or Rook.

Q. Does FIREBALL affect a Prince (COUP)?

A. No. Since FIREBALL cannot affect or be triggered by Kings, a Prince is immune to FIREBALL and may not be used to trigger one.

Q. What happens if my opponent plays FOG OF WAR against my PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS?

A. He can cancel your PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS before you play your additional two cards, or he can cancel either of the subsequent cards. This is not a game of speed, however, so if you do not pause between playing PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS and the additional cards, your opponent can ask you to back up in order to cancel the PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS card.

Q. FOG OF WAR can be played against any of the 3 cards in a PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS trio. If it is played against the second card, is your opponent commited to playing the same third one?

A. Yes.

Q. If I play a card on my opponent's turn, which cards may he use to cancel my card? FOG OF WAR says it cancels a card, but KNIGHTMARE! claims to cancel my move. Will KNIGHTMARE! stop me?

A. FOG OF WAR is the only card that cancels another card. KNIGHTMARE! et al. cancel a move and give the victim the option of retrieving his played card, if any. He may play the same card, or a different one, as long as his move is different.

Q. If I have PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS and two FOG OF WAR cards in my hand, could I play PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS and then the two FOG OF WAR to stop both cards my opponent plays with their own PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS?

A. Yes, that sounds legal.

Q. Using PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS, I play BRIBERY and then RESURRECTION. My opponent then plays FOG OF WAR on my BRIBERY. Can she do that, or does FOG OF WAR affect PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS?

A. She can FOG OF WAR your PLOTS WITHIN PLOTS before you play the other two cards, or she can FOG OF WAR either of the other two cards after you play them.

Q. If she plays FOG OF WAR on my BRIBERY, do I get to move again (this time without using a card)?

A. Yes.

Q. I played RIPOSTE after my opponent captured a piece of mine, so my piece stayed in place and his piece was captured instead. He then attempted to play CHAOS (or KNIGHTMARE! or THINK AGAIN!). Is that legal, since it was my not turn when I played RIPOSTE?

A. No. He would have to use FOG OF WAR to cancel your card.

Q. A FORTIFICATION is set up like this:

   1 | 2   3

     |---

   4   5   6

A. 1 to 5, 5 to 3, and 2 to 6 are okay. You cannot move from 2 to 1, 4, or 5 (unless the moving piece can jump). FORBIDDEN CITY at square 3 would not change these -- the vertexes are still clear.

Q. What happens when I use IRRESISTABLE FORCE to push an opponent's piece into a FORBIDDEN CITY?

A. FORBIDDEN CITY beats IRRESISTABLE FORCE. The pushed piece cannot enter the FORBIDDEN CITY, and therefore none of the pieces can be moved. IRRESISTABLE FORCE is still played, however; it just doesn't happen to accomplish anything in this instance.

Q. For purposes of BOMBARD, if FORBIDDEN CITY is immediately behind (or in front of) a FORTIFICATION, is that considered one obstruction or two? Is a piece behind/in front of a FORTIFICATION one obstruction or two?

A. The FORTIFICATION edge is one obstruction, and any piece (or FORBIDDEN CITY) also in the way would be a second.

Q. Can a Pawn moving sideways with FORCED MARCH capture a piece beside it?

A. No. The sideways move replaces the Pawn's regular (non-capturing) forward move.

Q. There is a FORTIFICATION separating e4 from e5 and d4 from d5. Another FORTIFICATION is played, separating f4 from f5 and g4 from g5. Can we still move diagonally between e4 and f5 and between f4 and e5, or do the two FORTIFICATIONS become one long one?

A. The two FORTIFICATIONS remain distinct, so the diagonal move (along one of the diagonals) is possible.

Q. If I play a card that's unrelated to the board state, like PEACE TALKS, and then I have to THINK AGAIN (or KNIGHTMARE! or CHAOS), could I decline to play that card but otherwise make the same exact move on the board? Is it actually the card play AND the board state that must be different here, or is ONLY the board state? If it's only the board state, does that include pieces "off the board"? (i.e. could I get around THINK AGAIN by making the exact same move but [playing / not playing] FUNERAL PYRE?)

A. Board state, ignoring the off-board captured/dead assignments. You could not simply decline the card play and leave the move identical, nor can you circumvent it with FUNERAL PYRE.

Q: FUNERAL PYRE would only affect the card LEGION OF HONOR, right? That card says it returns one of your captured pieces, whereas BATTLEFIELD PROMOTION, for instance, is a promotion -- not a return of

A: BATTLEFIELD PROMOTION would not be affected by the earlier play of FUNERAL PYRE, right. FUNERAL PYRE will affect the subsequent play of other cards in addition to LEGION OF HONOR though: BRIBERY, BODYGUARD, CONSCRIPTION, DEMOTION, ROOKED, VOLUNTEER, BLIND FATE, and PRISONER EXCHANGE would also potentially be affected.

Q: Does FUNERAL PYRE only affect the pieces captured up to the point that the card is played, or does it continue to affect all pieces captured for the duration of the game?

A: FUNERAL PYRE is not a continuing effect, so it only deadens those pieces that are in the "captured" box at the moment it is played.