If active location has the search trait and you explore it in quest phase by resolving quest step and you reveal Mugash, what happens?

If you read the Response, what do you think? You must pass to stage 3 after? Questing successfully was past? Do you need to wait for next round to return to win the quest and trigger this response? Or it is immediate and you can pass 3b directly?

Dunno what others will say, but I would go to stage 3. Once the location is explored, I'd resolve its 'leaving play' effects before placing remaining progress tokens on the quest (or a time counter). For a 'search' location, that means Mugash will be in play before I'm going to place a time counter, so instead I'd go to stage 3. What do others think?

I think it is like Hunt for Gollum for getting clues: first you win the quest, after you get the unguarded clue, and after you place the progress tokens on the quest card. In 2b is a problem because sometimes you dont have time to get the clue and not pass to 3a, for example, when clues are guarded by active location.

Here is same: if you win the quest (and if you would -future- place tokens on the quest card), instead of it, add 1 resource token. Next second effect: if mugash is in play.

I think mugash is not in play at this moment because you dont have placed yet the progress tokens (resource token instead), because you havent explored yet the active location.

Isnt?

I'm with Grandspleen on this one, you place the tokens on the location first, it is then fully explored so you search, reveal mugash and would then advance to Stage 3A.

Here's the official ruling from Caleb:

The Forced effect on stage 2b triggers after “questing successfully” which actually occurs before any progress is placed. Placing progress is only done after determining whether or not the players have quested successfully. That’s why it goes on to say “cancel all progress that would be placed on this stage…” (emphasis added). Since the Searches X keyword only triggers when a location is explored (and that only happens after placing progress on it), it is not possible to bring Mugash into play and advance to stage 3a in the same quest phase (unless you use a player card effect to explore a location before resolving the quest).

gotcha, thanks for that response!

I think it is like Hunt for Gollum

Exactly the scenario I was thinking of when I saw the wording on this card.

... This is as bad as the other ruling for this stage with when you can and can't put the time counter =\

Think it is quite satisfactory myself; you still have to take the questing seriously and you can´t strong-arm your way past it too quickly if you luck out and find Mugash in an early search.

Though I´ll grant that the quest is a tough one (was for us at least)

I usually use Asfaloth at the start of the turn to clear the 'search' locations anyway so all good.. definitely wouldn't have impacted any of the wins I've had on this stage. Still think you should just advance straight to 3A if Mugash is in play as thematically you are fighting and attempting to capture him, which is the flavour of stage 3, stage 2 is Searching for him.

... or maybe stage 2 is searching for him as well as setting up for a timely ambush on him; it is a matter of perspective.

Yeah true, fair enough ..

Glad I played this one correctly (though the card text seemed to make it pretty clear that you cannot advance immediatly).