Hi.

I am currently trying out Aun'shi and ran into some issues regarding him.

When during a battle at the 4th planet I move Aun'shi to the 2nd planet with a card like Kauyon Strike or Ksi'm'yen Orbital City will there be a battle at the 2nd planet afterwards in the same round?

So essentially do you check planets down the line again for battle conditions in the same round?

The second question is regarding presence of units and winning the battle as the rulebook looks to be slightly contradicing here.

On page 26 (3.2.10) it is stated that the the check for remaining enemy units is done at the beginning of the combat turn, while the diagram on page 22 (3.2.10) states at any time.

What I would like to know is whether I can hold back Aun'shi at my HQ and sit out the ranged attack phase and the majority of the combat phase at a planet with only enemy units, until they are all exhausted to swing in with cards like Kauyon Strike or Ksi'm'yen Orbital City (similarly to a Klaivex Warlord)? This without running the risk of loosing the battle at that planet.

And finally if you are alone with Aun'shi at a planet and forced to attack and exhaust Aun'shi and treturn to your HQ, would it be possible to work around this by playing For the Tau'va or Tense Negotiations?

This Warlord has proven to be a bit of a puzzle as it seems to work and play very different from the other warlords.

But I am already loving him for the Armorbane as he is turning out to be a real Warlord killer.

1. No. You check each planet for a battle once each round, starting with the first. If you are in a battle at Planet 4, you have already checked (and maybe had) a battle at Planet 2. You don't go backwards and check again, no matter where your warlord moves.

2. The rule is that any time a unit would attack, but has no enemy unit to attack against, the battle ends. In practical terms, this only ever happens when at the beginning of a unit's combat turn. The point is that "no enemies present" is not enough to end a battle; you need "no enemies to attack," which requires that it be time for something to attack.

The fact that a battle doesn't end until a unit tries to take a combat turn but has nothing to attack does allow you to use the action window between combat turns to bring in additional units before the combat round ends.

3. What do you mean by "alone"? You can play events that require you to kneel your warlord as a cost, thereby not having his ability return him to HQ during that combat round. But whether or not that's a good idea is going to depend on whether "alone" means "no opposing units," "no other units you control," or "no other READY units you control."

1. No. You check each planet for a battle once each round, starting with the first. If you are in a battle at Planet 4, you have already checked (and maybe had) a battle at Planet 2. You don't go backwards and check again, no matter where your warlord moves.

2. The rule is that any time a unit would attack, but has no enemy unit to attack against, the battle ends. In practical terms, this only ever happens when at the beginning of a unit's combat turn. The point is that "no enemies present" is not enough to end a battle; you need "no enemies to attack," which requires that it be time for something to attack.

The fact that a battle doesn't end until a unit tries to take a combat turn but has nothing to attack does allow you to use the action window between combat turns to bring in additional units before the combat round ends.

3. What do you mean by "alone"? You can play events that require you to kneel your warlord as a cost, thereby not having his ability return him to HQ during that combat round. But whether or not that's a good idea is going to depend on whether "alone" means "no opposing units," "no other units you control," or "no other READY units you control."

Sometimes you want him to stay and not attack to keep using the Armorbane for other units. To do this Tense Negotiations is nice but For the Tau'va is even better because you ready your other units.

Thanks for the answers. It is clear now

1. No. You check each planet for a battle once each round, starting with the first. If you are in a battle at Planet 4, you have already checked (and maybe had) a battle at Planet 2. You don't go backwards and check again, no matter where your warlord moves.

2. The rule is that any time a unit would attack, but has no enemy unit to attack against, the battle ends. In practical terms, this only ever happens when at the beginning of a unit's combat turn. The point is that "no enemies present" is not enough to end a battle; you need "no enemies to attack," which requires that it be time for something to attack.

The fact that a battle doesn't end until a unit tries to take a combat turn but has nothing to attack does allow you to use the action window between combat turns to bring in additional units before the combat round ends.

3. What do you mean by "alone"? You can play events that require you to kneel your warlord as a cost, thereby not having his ability return him to HQ during that combat round. But whether or not that's a good idea is going to depend on whether "alone" means "no opposing units," "no other units you control," or "no other READY units you control."

With alone I am referring to no opposing units.

Currently the rule over here is you must still attack (and exhaust) even though there is no opposing unit.

But when you look at the rulebook pg.26 in section 3.2.6 it says:

passes if he cannot attack using a ready unit.

With alone I am referring to no opposing units.

Currently the rule over here is you must still attack (and exhaust) even though there is no opposing unit.

But when you look at the rulebook pg.26 in section 3.2.6 it says:

passes if he cannot attack using a ready unit.

Sounds like you may either be doing some things wrong in combat, or using the terminology different from the way it is used in the rules document.

When the rules say "no opposing unit," it means that there are no units at all at a given planet, exhausted or ready.

When you say "alone" and "no opposing units," you seem to be saying that other units are present at the planet, but that they are exhausted.

But units that are exhausted still "count" as being at present at a planet. When everyone else says "alone," they mean that there are no other units at the planet, ready or exhausted.

So, combat is supposed to look like this:

1. Player with initiative attacks with a ready unit. He may choose any unit at the planet controlled by the opponent, ready or exhausted, as the defending unit that takes the attacker's damage.

2. All players take turns triggering actions (and/or combat actions).

3. Player without initiative attacks with a ready unit. He may choose any unit at the planet controlled by the opponent, ready or exhausted, as the defending unit that takes the attacker's damage.

4. All players take turns triggering actions (and/or combat actions).

5. Go back to #1 and start over again.

6. IF you ever get to #1 or #3 and there are no units at the planet controlled by the opponent, ready or exhausted, to be the defending unit, combat ends and the attacking player wins.

7. IF you ever get to #1 or #3 and the player has no ready units to attack with, skip the step.

8. IF you ever skip both #1 and #3 in the same cycle, the battle round ends, each unit at the planet is readied (or retreated), and players start over at #1.

What all this means is that you ever get to #1 or #3 (depending on which player you are), and Aun'shi is your only ready unit, he has to attack one of the enemy's units (even if all the enemy's units are already exhausted). If he attacks, he is forced to move to the HQ. The only other possibilities are to win the battle (if there are no units controlled by an opponent at the planet at all - ready or exhausted - as in #6), or to exhaust Aun'shi in #2 or #4 somehow, so that he isn't ready and thus forced to attack in #1/#3.

With alone I am referring to no opposing units.

Currently the rule over here is you must still attack (and exhaust) even though there is no opposing unit.

But when you look at the rulebook pg.26 in section 3.2.6 it says:

passes if he cannot attack using a ready unit.

Sounds like you may either be doing some things wrong in combat, or using the terminology different from the way it is used in the rules document.

When the rules say "no opposing unit," it means that there are no units at all at a given planet, exhausted or ready.

When you say "alone" and "no opposing units," you seem to be saying that other units are present at the planet, but that they are exhausted.

But units that are exhausted still "count" as being at present at a planet. When everyone else says "alone," they mean that there are no other units at the planet, ready or exhausted.

So, combat is supposed to look like this:

1. Player with initiative attacks with a ready unit. He may choose any unit at the planet controlled by the opponent, ready or exhausted, as the defending unit that takes the attacker's damage.

2. All players take turns triggering actions (and/or combat actions).

3. Player without initiative attacks with a ready unit. He may choose any unit at the planet controlled by the opponent, ready or exhausted, as the defending unit that takes the attacker's damage.

4. All players take turns triggering actions (and/or combat actions).

5. Go back to #1 and start over again.

6. IF you ever get to #1 or #3 and there are no units at the planet controlled by the opponent, ready or exhausted, to be the defending unit, combat ends and the attacking player wins.

7. IF you ever get to #1 or #3 and the player has no ready units to attack with, skip the step.

8. IF you ever skip both #1 and #3 in the same cycle, the battle round ends, each unit at the planet is readied (or retreated), and players start over at #1.

What all this means is that you ever get to #1 or #3 (depending on which player you are), and Aun'shi is your only ready unit, he has to attack one of the enemy's units (even if all the enemy's units are already exhausted). If he attacks, he is forced to move to the HQ. The only other possibilities are to win the battle (if there are no units controlled by an opponent at the planet at all - ready or exhausted - as in #6), or to exhaust Aun'shi in #2 or #4 somehow, so that he isn't ready and thus forced to attack in #1/#3.

It is a language issue.

I will pass this text on to end the discussion/unclearity.

One other thing. Does using AoE instead of attacking on an Ethereal also trigger the return to HQ effect ?

Yes. When a unit uses AoE, the damage is considered to be effect damage, but it happens during the Etheral's attack. This means two things:

1. Armorbane applies to AoE damage because it is taking place during an attack (even though it is not considered attack damage); and

2. The AoE unit needs to resolve an attack in order to use its AoE, meaning that the triggering condition for the Ethereal's Forced Reaction takes place (and the unit has to return to HQ).

Yes. When a unit uses AoE, the damage is considered to be effect damage, but it happens during the Etheral's attack. This means two things:

1. Armorbane applies to AoE damage because it is taking place during an attack (even though it is not considered attack damage); and

2. The AoE unit needs to resolve an attack in order to use its AoE, meaning that the triggering condition for the Ethereal's Forced Reaction takes place (and the unit has to return to HQ).

Nice to have this confirmed.

I realy like this Warlord because of the different mechanics, but it raised more than one discussion.

And with Seer's Exodus this deck becomes even more fun due to the way it synergizes with Tense Negotiations and Ethereal Wisdom on non-Ethereals with your Warlord as I mentioned in some of my other posts.