Hi everyone. Last friday we played another quest, but after 2 seconds of playing we tumbled into a discussion . Hopefully you guys can help us. During the travel phase, we drew the following card:

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" A lone knight in shining silver armor blocks your path, bellowing a challenge to your strongest warrior. Draw cards from the current Act's Shop Item Deck until a Melee weapon is revealed. One hero may choose to perform an attack with a Melee weapon against a grey defense die. This hero is also targeted by an attack from the drawn Shop Item, using his normal defense pool. If the hero deals more [Hearth] than he suffers, he may take the drawn Shop Item. If he suffers more [Hearth] than he deals, discard the drawn shop item. In either case, return this card to the game box. If the heroes choose not to do this, treat this Travel Event card as No Event"

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Now the thing is: our Berserker revealed a Grinding Axe and because this was our first ACT2 quest, he instantly fell in love with it. He really wanted it, but he did less damage than the lone knight did and rolled terrible on his defense. However he tried to use Weapon Mastery in order to gain a surge so he could activate his weapon and deal more damage. Besides that he wanted to exhaust his Mana Weave ring to gain another surge to convert into damage. This way he would exactly beat the knight and win the Grinding Axe.

Our question is: Is he allowed to exhaust cards during the travel phase? On the one hand he, did perform an attack and will enter the game with those cards exhausted, but on the other hand it would mean our healer should be able to keep healing people even before the quest begins (making travel damage useless). Have you guys encountered a similar problem? And how did you deal with it?

Yes he can exhaust his cards to deal Surge damage during an attack during the Travel Phase. Then refresh the cards at the start of the quest. He keeps all damage done to him.

Was it a tie? How does this get resolved if it was?

1)Weapon mastery can be used because the trigger is "each time you perform an attack". He performed the attack, he can use the skill- cards that get exhausted during the travel step do not grt refreshed until start of turn phase 1 part 2 of that hero's first turn (see the hero turn summary card.)

2) Most healing abilities specify timing triggers- at the start of your turn, during your turn, at the end of your turn, once per round, etc. Those ablities can only be triggered at those times. The travel step is no one's turn, and it is not part of a round, either. So, a disciple cant just decide to use prayer of healing during the travel step.

3) The travel card specifies that the hero must deal MORE wound than he suffers to keep the weapon. That is, a tie is a failure. I feel like a rule reaponse may have corrected this, but I also may be imagining that.

I don't remember were it was, but FFG answred. On a tie, heroes lose. However, I prefer to houserule this way: on a tie, attack again until one side wins, or heroes quit.