Just played my first game of conquest and an interesting situation came up following a battle at the planet Y'Varn.

Obviously, triggering the battle ability is the option of the winner of the battle. However, once the ability is actually triggered, what happens if a player is unwilling or unable to put a unit into play from his hand at his HQ?

The word "may" is not in the card text...

It appears to be mandatory but how is the 'unable' situation resolved? I've played other card games where the player unable to do so would have to prove the inability by revealing their hand to the opponent to show there were no units...but I don't think such a procedure is referenced in the rules for Conquest.

(To give this context - I am playing as Eldar vs. Imperial Guard. Y'Varn is the first planet, my opponent wins and triggers the battle ability. Knowing that a bunch of grunts are about to return victorious from planet 1 to my opponent's HQ, I am lining up the "Doom" in my hand for the next deploy phase. Given the only unit in my hand is "Wailing Wraithfighter", I'm reluctant to play it to my HQ....)

If you have a unit you must play it. As you pointed out once triggered it is not optional.

Honestly I have never seen this triggered.

As you say, there is no mechanism in the rules for verifying the "unable" situation.

In a casual game, you'd probably have to come to some sort of "gentlemen's agreement." In a tournament game, you could always call a judge over to verify. Perhaps there will be a definitive method described when the tournament rules are released?

I'm more interested in what games he's played that have this magic "you must show me your hand to prove you can't" mechanic, as all of the lcg's and ccg's I've played over the past nearly 20 years have never had this mechanic.

Not trying to be a jerk, I'm just seriously curious!!

Netrunner has the rule that when using a search effect you must find a valid target if possible. This of course requires a TO to verify if you can't find a valid card. I could see this going the same way.

I recall from my money the gathering days being asked by a ref to play out my hand rapidly to the table in sight of my opponent to prove I couldn't satisfy some effect. I remember thinking "this is daft - my opponent isn't stupid and will know my entire hand". Maybe that was a duff ruling....lets not go there anyway.

I also had in mind Thrones which I believe also has a rule about being obliged to find a valid target when searching your deck. Admittedly though, I haven't played competitive Thrones and don't know the tournament procedure. I would assume the same principle applies to hand as to deck as they are both 'hidden' game areas.

TO verification seems completely sensible.

Also, as toqtamish references, it's unlikely to happen with regularity (or possibly ever again!)

Thanks all for your replies.