Official Rulings - September 17, 2003
Section 3: Specific Cards - M

Q. Does a MYSTIC SHIELDED piece set off a MAN-TRAP? A NEUTRAL one? A PACIFIST?

A. MYSTIC SHIELD only protects a piece on the turn after it moves -- so if it landed on the MAN-TRAP, it would be captured before the next turn. A NEUTRAL piece has no inherent protection from being captured, and is affected by cards which affect enemy pieces, so it would also be captured byt the MAN-TRAP. A PACIFIST is immune from capture, and thus from the MAN-TRAP. Like a King, it also would not set off the MAN-TRAP.

Q. Can my opponent BOG my Knight moving as a Queen via MASQUERADE?

A. No. BOG does not affect Knights, and MASQUERADE does not make your Knight a Queen — it only moves as if it were a Queen. This is true for all cards that allow pieces to move as if they were other pieces. He may, however, BOG your Bishop moving as a Queen.

Q. MEDUSA says the piece cannot be moved. Does that mean only a movement by normal means, or can I play a card that lets me swap the places of my MEDUSA Bishop and your non-MEDUSA Knight?

A. Swapping is considered a move, so the MEDUSA will usually prevent it since it is a Continuing Effect and trumps non-Continuing Effects.

Q. I played MEDUSA, turned a piece to stone. Opponent did not play a card on his turn. My next turn, I moved a piece then played HAUNTING MEMORIES. Later opponent plays BIG MOJO on MEDUSA. Does BIG MOJO clear both MEDUSA effects, or only one?

A. Only one.

Q. If my opponent plays MEDUSA on one of my last pawns, then on my turn I play SURVIVORS' REWARD, which immediatley promotes both pieces, does MEDUSA's effect stay with the promoted piece?

A. MEDUSA's effect does stay with a piece through promotion as long as the Pawn is promoted to something other than a Queen. If the Pawn is promoted to a Queen, MEDUSA's effect is suspended, since its initial conditions are no longer met. Since SURVIVORS' REWARD cannot promote to Queens, MEDUSA would still affect the Pawn in this case.

Q. Can DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY be played to allow a piece affected by MEDUSA to be captured? The text on MEDUSA is rather strong, especially the "ignore any instruction on a card that would remove it from play."

A. These cards do not conflict. DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY would allow a player to capture an opposing piece that he had earlier MEDUSAed. DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY will override the "He may veto" line in MEDUSA.

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. If one player uses CHARGE, MERCILESS, or CRUSADE to sweep down to the opponent's side of the board and then back out again, is the opponent allowed to exact a TOLL?

A. CHARGE et al. result in two Moves (using the second definition of Move) within one Move (using the first definition). TOLL would be legal, yes.

Q. How does BOG work against pieces utilizing cards like MERCILESS and CRUSADE? When, precisely, does the piece get BOGGED? Does the BOGGED piece get to move one square in the first direction and stop OR does it get to move its full movement for the first move and them one square in extra direction? Does the player the card (MERCILESS, CRUSADE, etc.) back?

A. The double-move cards are treated as if the total displacement of the piece were one move. So BOG would cause it to end its move one square from the square where it began that turn. The double-move card is still considered used, so the player does not get it back.

Q. If a PALADIN finishes its first of two jumps on a SEAT OF POWER (or HOLY GROUND), may it then, on its second jump, move like a Queen (or Bishop)?

A. No. SEAT OF POWER affects moves, not jumps. But, for instance, a Rook that had moved onto the SEAT OF POWER and then had MERCILESS played on it could make its second move as a Queen.

Q. Can you use CHARGE, CRUSADE or MERCILESS to take your opponents king?

A. No. By an extension of the Checkmate Rule, you can't use any regular card to capture the opponent's King (if that would end the game — if he has multiple Kings, for instance, it's okay to capture one of them with a card).