Survival Knife

I asked to FFG :

When an enemy with elusive attacks an investigator holding a Survival Knife(lvl 2 :Return to the Forgotten Age #2) ?

What happens after the knife reaction attack ?

  1. If the enemy dies after the attack, I guess we doesn't resolve the enemy attack ?
  2. If the enemy doesn't die, I understand that the enemy will disengage and move to another location. But should I resolve the attack and so apply damages to the investigator with the knife ? I guess no ?

They (Alex Werner) answered :

Say an elusive enemy initiates an attack against you, triggering the reaction ability on Survival Knife (L2). First, you resolve your attack against the enemy. If the enemy survives the attack, it moves via its elusive keyword, exhausts, then completes its attack against you (since that attack was already initiated). If the enemy is defeated by your attack, it does not complete its attack against you.

sbernard · 1
Watcher's Grasp

Ruling from Alex Werner, FFG Game Rules Specialist via the official rules question form:

Question: Hello! If during Mythos Phase, the treachery Watcher’s Grasp makes the Spectral Watcher “move, engage, and attack as if it were the enemy phase,” can I swing my Survival Knife (2) at him, which has a reaction trigger of “when an enemy attacks you during the enemy phase”?

Answer: No. Survival Knife (2)’s reaction ability can only be triggered during the enemy phase; Watcher’s Grasp does not create an “enemy phase.”

(So with treacheries like this, which cause enemies to attack "as if" it's the enemy phase, other cards will not "resolve with the altered game state in mind," in contradiction of the FAQ rules on "As If..." This raises the question of whether MJ's ruling about the enemy exhausting would also be invalidated.)

Holy Outlaw · 269
I do not quite, what you mean in the last sentence? That an enemy exhaust after an attack in the enemy phase is a general rule, not an effect of another card. So unless when played with the "Return to" addendum, it should still trigger the exhaust. — Susumu · 381
I think the issue is that if the Survival Knife doesn't consider it the enemy phase (and therefore doesn't trigger) then it doesn't make sense that other cards (such as The Watcher) do consider it the enemy phase and thus exhausts after the attack. If enemy phase triggers don't happen for one card then they shouldn't happen for the other card either. — Pseudo Nymh · 67
From "As if..." in the Rules section: "The game state is considered to be altered throughout the duration of the indicated ability or action, from its initiation (including the paying of its costs, attacks of opportunity, etc) through the resolution of each aspect of its effect, and up until its completion." Reading that makes me react to Werner's statement with a quote from the same campaign's intro: "This is bullshit." — AlderSign · 396
Like Holy Outlaw said, the ruling directly contradicts with the mentioned FAQ. Bad times... — AlderSign · 396
I've sat through a thousand 'Is the game dying?' questions over the years and I've confidently dismissed them all. The series of recent rulings that directly contradict rulings from the designers (this ruling, Quick Learner, etc) or that just seem plain against the spirit of the game (Rod of Carnamagos) lead to me to question if MJ's departure has left the game on shaky ground. I'm not predicting doom and gloom yet, just observing that the timing of all questionable rulings could be interpreted as a bad omen. — Pseudo Nymh · 67
Survival Knife

Ruling from Alex Werner, FFG Game Rules Specialist via the official rules question form:

Question: Hello! If during Mythos Phase, the treachery Watcher’s Grasp makes the Spectral Watcher “move, engage, and attack as if it were the enemy phase,” can I swing my Survival Knife (2) at him, which has a reaction trigger of “when an enemy attacks you during the enemy phase”?

Answer: No. Survival Knife (2)’s reaction ability can only be triggered during the enemy phase; Watcher’s Grasp does not create an “enemy phase.”

(So if enemies attack "as if" it's the enemy phase, Survival Knife cannot "resolve with the altered game state in mind," in contradiction of the FAQ rules on "As If...")

Holy Outlaw · 269
Plan of Action

Ruling from Alex Werner, FFG Game Rules Specialist via the official rules question form:

Question: Hello! How many icons does Plan of Action have during the timing window after my turn but before my partner investigator’s turn?

Answer: Plan of Action would have 1 combat icon and 1 intellect icon.

(I won't speculate how the question would be answered if we reversed whose turn was over and whose was yet to begin.)

Holy Outlaw · 269
The answer would be exactly the same, it is actions this turn, not your turn — fiatluxia · 68
Testing Sprint

Absolutely sick with Luke Robinson and his Dream-Gate, if you set it up properly.

Top Synergies:

Extra safety:

"Sadly" we cannot access Will to Survive for this combo :(

Let me know if I missed anything - always happy to make Luke even more broken.

AlderSign · 396
I want to be happy that someone maybe found a use case for Ace Of Rods, but mostly I'm outraged at the thought of someone Time Warp-ing a Testing Sprint. BTW you have to take basic Investigate tests since Testing Sprint has the bold Investigate keyword on it. — Pseudo Nymh · 67
I'd include Vantage Point as a synergy here - Dream-Gate normally doesn't have clues on it so that first Testing Sprint investigation would be wasted. Vantage Point fixes that. — TheNameWasTaken · 3
This can turn Amanda into pre-taboo Rex. — MrGoldbee · 1492
@TheNameWasTaken: I'd say Vantage Point is a strong synergy with Luke / Gate Box anyway, but I added it to the list nonetheless ;) — AlderSign · 396
You can totally Black Market a Will to Survive in this combo. The net effect is kinda meh, it's a janky Deciphered Reality, suffering all the same problems Deciphered Reality has. — suika · 9511
Surely Hemispheric Map is finally a consideration in this setup — subzerojosurvivor · 1
Also, a weird interaction comes to mind when playing Testing Sprint in pre-taboo Rex Murphy. — AlderSign · 396
@AlderSign you could also use written in the stars to add deduction, perception, etc to all the tests. Scroll of secets makes it less random. — Rafael_Rupert · 1
@Rafael_Rupert, #Written in Stars in Norman's hands plus this event can be quite powerful. — bugiel_marek · 24
If you have Close the circle you can do all of those investigates with willpower. And save one action. — Drostt · 152
@Rafael_Rupert: Or Defiance (2). Or Enraptured to power that Box ;) — AlderSign · 396
@Drostt: Playing Testing Sprint is not a basic action, plus Close the Circle with only 2 charges? Dunno... — AlderSign · 396
What if you draw Detached from Reality during one of the investigation tests? Does the Testing Sprint just stop? Can you test the "new" Dream Gate again if you didn't test a 7 shroud location yet? — WarriorR · 37
Disregard my last comment, of course is the play action a basic action. @WarriorR: As I read it you would test the new Dream Gate as your last eligable location, then it stops. I think you might be right about the shroud, though. — AlderSign · 396