I couldn't seem to find it anywhere in the Shattered Empire rulebook or FAQ, but I seem to remember there was an option that the player presenting an agenda could choose to play the top card of the political deck instead of from his or her hand. I know the rulebook states that if a player has no cards in hand he/she must play the top card instead, but I thought the player always had that option even with card(s) in hand. Otherwise, it kind of defeats the purpose of the new Assembly strategy.

The Assembly card is supposed to give players more control over what agendas are introduced to the senate and reduce randomness. After all, in real life, a person doesn't just randamly address the senate with a bill--he or she has a specific agenda he or she is trying to pass.

Otherwise, without the ability to decide to play off the deck instead, you only actually have options if you have more than one card in hand, and how often do you actually have two or more political cards in your hand? (In my experience, not often. On a side note, I'd like to know if that holds the same for those of you reading this.) Having only one card in hand is only slightly different than having none, and we are right back to the original Political strategy card.

I'd like to know if this sounds familiar to any of you. Am I just imagining things or overlooking a rule or FAQ that I read once and can't seem to find? Was there a post like this on the boards perhaps? Do any of you play with a similar rule?

Any thoughts, comments would be appreciated!

Many people use that as a house rule, but it is not the 'official' way to play. If you have a PC in your hand and you are picked to play, by the rules you have to play one from your hand. You can only draw a random one if you have none in your hand.

Some people add the rule about drawing a random one, to prevent someone from having to play a PC from their hand if all they have is ones that are detrimental to themselves.

In my experience, I (and others at the same table) usually have at least two PCs in hand. We don't often put them up for vote though, so they kind of just accumulate. I usually end up burning mine for TGs.

Steve-O said:

Well, they can't accumulate TOO much, since you can only have 3 maximum in hand at a time

sigmazero13 said:

3? I thought it was 5. It's also been a while since I played TI3 so maybe I'm remembering wrong.

Steve-O said:

Gah, you're right. I don't know how I got it stuck in my head that it was 3, but the sidebar on page 15 of the expansion rules definitely say 5.

My mistake.