looking for some clarity on when activities happen - scenario:

Dracula phase: Dracula moved to location, places 'new vampire' as his encounter card.

dawn? nothing

Day - Dr Steward happens to move onto Dracula's location - Dracula is revealed instantly, he plays the 'new vampire' as an ambush.

The rules say this encounter happens immediately - so is this battle fought in the day? We assumed it was.

- the vampire survived, after mauling Dr Steward. - But is the card then discarded, per 'discard encounter card once used for ambush' rule?

Remaining hunters were too far away to reach the city where Dracula was.

Dusk - Dr Steward then encountered Dracula at night? So is this a night battle? (The tracker is still on daytime at this point before moving to night phase.)

Dracula clobbered Dr Steward down to 1 hp before the 6 turn of combat limit was met.

Hunters carry out night actions.

Dracula phase - sensing a kill, Dracula played 'feed' to stay in the same location.

Dawn? - Dracula then fights Dr Steward again - this is now a day combat? The good Dr was rapidly put in hospital after taking more damage.

Is (all of) the above correct please?

The rules say this encounter happens immediately - so is this battle fought in the day? We assumed it was.

no, it states in the rules that Encounter Vampires are played exactly like dracula. when Dracula is revealed, combat takes place on the NEXT dawn/dusk. so it works the same for Encounter Vampires. combat usually begins at Dusk (since hunters move in the day action). the only time it would occur during the dawn, is if hunters played the event card that allows them to travel at night.

- the vampire survived, after mauling Dr Steward. - But is the card then discarded, per 'discard encounter card once used for ambush' rule?

no, it states in the rule reference that a Vampire remains in play if it wins combat, or escapes (mist/bat form). in other words, you have to kill it to get rid of it. this only applies to the Vampire Encounters you fight, the Arusticratic vampire works like a regular event card. also if a Vampire escapes combat, it states in the riules that the Vampire encounter does not travel, combat ends and it simply remains on its location.

Dusk - Dr Steward then encountered Dracula at night? So is this a night battle? (The tracker is still on daytime at this point before moving to night phase.)

"if one or more hunters is in the same location with dracula, combat occures after the time marker is advanced" so combat still occures during dawn/dusk AFTER the time marker is moved.

Dawn? - Dracula then fights Dr Steward again - this is now a day combat? The good Dr was rapidly put in hospital after taking more damage.

did Dr. Seward move to dracula after he was defeated? or did the fight take place at a city with a hospital? if he was at the hospital and its dawn, all he can do is 1.) move to the attached city, or 2.) supply (getting an item card but no event card.) he would still have to move into the city to fight dracula. which means combat begins at dusk.

no, it states in the rules that Encounter Vampires are played exactly like dracula. when Dracula is revealed, combat takes place on the NEXT dawn/dusk. so it works the same for Encounter Vampires. combat usually begins at Dusk (since hunters move in the day action). the only time it would occur during the dawn, is if hunters played the event card that allows them to travel at night

We were confused about this at first, too, but this is incorrect. Combat with a vampire occurs immediately after an ambush or search, only Dracula waits until dawn or dusk.