Hi all,

The exploit card states:

Action: Perform an attack. If this attack targets a monster within 3 spaces of a trap token, add 1 additional green die to your attack pool.
This attack gains: Surge: The target is Weakened (even if you didn't deal any damage)

The rules state that in the combat order you spend surges before dealing damage.

Question: Since you don't need to inflict damage to apply the Weakened condition, does the Weakened card apply immediately and then have an effect on the deal damage phase by removing one shield?

Thank you.

T0NT0

There is an answer from an FFG rules question awhile ago that essentially concludes damage dealt (ordinarily) is necessary to inflict the condition, so damage dealt (hearts - shields) is not recalculated after applying weakened. In other words, let's say the attack has 3 hearts, and the defender rolled 2 shields. You get to step 5 and deal 1 damage (3-2), so weakened is applied. You do NOT then go back and subtract 1 shield for weakened to make it 3-1 = 2 damage dealt. Rather, you ignore the effect of weakened for that attack since it has already been applied.

Your case is a little strange since the damage dealing requirement is removed. I could see it treated one of two ways:

1. Conditions are unique as far as surge abilities go. Since they (generally) require dealing damage, conditions aren't applied in step 4 like other surges, they are delayed until step 5. Since this is condition dealing surge, you remove the requirement but keep the same timing.

2. Conditions are only unique because of the damage dealing requirement. Because that requirement is gone, there is no need to delay this particular ability until step 5, so it's applied in step 4 like any other non-condition surge.

I think option 2 is more likely.

I like Option 2 because it makes the Exploit ability a little better.. and anything that makes the Stalker better is good in my books. That poor class needs all the help it can get! It is very hard to convince my friends to play it as it is