Hi , i have a doubt about the use of strain to gain additional movement .

As the rules say "For each strain he suffers, the hero gains one

The latter is correct. There is no prerequisite for strained movement. It just adds movement points to your pool which is zero if you do not make a move action.

They are not "free" as they require you to strain though

Moving is not an action. Gaining movement points equal to you speed is an action

If you do not take a move action, you have 0 movement points in your pool. If you take a strain, you add 1 to 0 and get a total of 1 movement point in your pool.

So you can, indeed, spend 2 strain, move 2 spaces, and make 2 attacks with your remaining actions.

Was this interpretation confirmed by Fantasy Flight? This seems overpowered.

is not an interpretation, it's the rule itself. LTP book, page 5 "A figure's movement points may be spent at any time during its activation, before or after it performs an action"

the problem is when people thinks that "movement points" and "action: move", are the same.

I get that.

I mean that it's an interpretation that you don't have to take the action "move" to add additional movement points via strain, which I think is not the intention of the game designers as it give's the heros kind of a third action.

Think of Gaarkhan's "Charge" Action which would really be pointless if it worked they way you described.

I get that.

I mean that it's an interpretation that you don't have to take the action "move" to add additional movement points via strain, which I think is not the intention of the game designers as it give's the heros kind of a third action.

Think of Gaarkhan's "Charge" Action which would really be pointless if it worked they way you described.

Gaarkhan's charge is a special action and it states that he can move his speed then attack. It does not give him movement points. However, you can use strain to move 2, then charge, then attack again, and this is perfectly within the rules as written and as intended.

Giving heroes a "third action" via strain is the same mechanic that is used in Descent, except in IA they capped it at a max of 2 per round. If they had really changed their mind about incorporating that mechanic, don't you think they would have removed it entirely?

First off, this is not an "interpretation", this is RAW, and there is a long and glorious tradition of core Descent mechanics (spending fatigue to move) that carried over to IA. It's something that heroes do in a campaign so they feel like heroes, and not just generic schmucks.

It will seem much less overpowered when they are being chased down by Nexu, Transdoshans and Royal Guard.

Also note that hero are limited to 2 strain per activation that they can convert to movement points. If they spending 2 strain to move, then that's 2 strain less that they have to use special abilities, causing the heroes to rest more.

Well there might be some players who have never played Descent before and therefore have no idea that a similar thing was established in Descent's rulebook.

Then you'll just have to trust us veterans when we say it's not overpowered or unbalanced.

I trust you that this is the right rule interpretation and, while playing, will find out myself if it's overpowered or unbalanced.

It works out fine and is completely balanced. As the Imperial player I constantly focus on ways to drain away strain from the rebels, when they can't take any more strain they are much less effective!

Was this interpretation confirmed by Fantasy Flight? This seems overpowered.

You can't expect a FFG confirmation for every rule no matter how clearly written. You'll never get through a game if with every rule someone needs to email FFG to confirm something written.

Another question concerning this rule: Does the rule mean a hero can only possibly get a maximum of 2 movement points per activation by using strain?

Another question concerning this rule: Does the rule mean a hero can only possibly get a maximum of 2 movement points per activation by using strain?

Yes--with a clarification: a hero can only possibly get one or two movement points during his activation by using this ability to spend strain. (Note also that the strain need not be spent at the same time. He can--for example--spend his last available strain to gain a movement point, make one or two attacks, spend a surge on one of those attacks to recover a strain, and spend his last strain a second time for a second movement point.)

Other methods of spending strain to gain movement points--which as it turns out are harder to find than I thought! ; )-- are not included in this limitation. (Most hero abilities say "move spaces" rather than "gain movement points".)

So, to use an imaginary example: if Davith's Force Speed had instead stated "Spend 1 strain to gain two movement points", he would be able to spend up to 3 strain during his activation to gain up to 4 movement points.

Another question concerning this rule: Does the rule mean a hero can only possibly get a maximum of 2 movement points per activation by using strain?

By that method yes.

Fenn usually has Tactical Movement, which grants two movement points, so he can get 2 from that and 2 by suffering 2 strain.

(And repeating is always good: gaining movement points does not move the figure, spending movement points moves the figure.)

Also note that a hero can spend a surge per attack to recover 1 strain. So a hero can suffer 1 strain for 1 mp, then attack and recover strain, then suffer another strain for mp. Gained movement points can be spent any time before or after actions, but not during actions (unless received as part of a special action or out of your activation).

Hi , i have a doubt about the use of strain to gain additional movement .

As the rules say "For each strain he suffers, the hero gains one

movement point, which is added to the total of movement points

he possesses"

So in my oppinion this are movement points which are added to your "movement pool points " so you still need to use one of your actions to move and then you can spend those additional points added to your normal ones .

The other option is that this are "free movements points" not involve and action so you can attack , use strain, move and then attack again (a bit overpowered IMO).

As the rules read "They are added to the total " i believe the first option is the correct .

What do you think?

Thank you.

Think of it this way: if you gain any movement points from any source during your own activation, you bank them. Performing a move action places movement points into your bank equal to your speed. Taking strain places one point into your bank, but is not tied to your move action. You can use any of these points at any time during your activation. For the purpose of example, it's technically legal to spend a move action, move some of the spaces, strain to move another, then complete your movement points, but there's no reason to do that. Attack action, strain, attack action is the same.

You can spend movement points (to move the figure) before or after an action, not during an action. (Unless movement points are received as part of a special action.)

I don't have to rules in front of me, but please correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't it also state that when you choose to suffer the strain for movement that the point must be used immediately or it is lost? Hence you can't take 2 strain and move through a friendly figure to the open space across it? We ruled it that way in our campaigns, but if we did that wrong then the outcomes would have been even more in the Rebel favor than it was before.

I don't have to rules in front of me, but please correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't it also state that when you choose to suffer the strain for movement that the point must be used immediately or it is lost?

No, it doesn't.

Only movement points received out of your activation or as part of a special action must be spent immediately. All other go to the activating figure's movement point pool.

Thanks a1bert! I guess that means I struggled too much for no reason as the rebels.

I don't have to rules in front of me, but please correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't it also state that when you choose to suffer the strain for movement that the point must be used immediately or it is lost? Hence you can't take 2 strain and move through a friendly figure to the open space across it? We ruled it that way in our campaigns, but if we did that wrong then the outcomes would have been even more in the Rebel favor than it was before.

Yes, you're wrong. On pg7 in 'Learn to Play' guide

"Additional Movement: At any point during his activation, a hero may suffer 'Stain' to gain movement points. For each 'Stain' he suffers, the hero gains one movement point, which is added to the total of movement points he possesses. Only heroes can suffer 'Stain' to gain movement points. A hero can do this up to two times per activation."

There's no restriction about when they must use these extra movement points, they even say you can do this at any point during the hero's activation.

There is a separate rule about gaining movement points when it's NOT the figure's activation:

"If a figure gains movement points when it is not its activation, those movement points must be spent immediately as an interrupt or be lost."