Just now, player1828640 said:

They used to be really good about answering questions... of course that was before Asmodee...

I think it has more to do with this being a new game and wanting to put out an FAQ instead of isolated rulings through email. That's my hunch, anyway. Because you're absolutely right about rules questions in the past. I had good response for questions about Rune Age, BattelLore: Second Edition, and X-Wing.

18 minutes ago, Darthain said:

Rrg 1.7 effectively states. Upgrade only apply to the unit wearing them. Ardus per his text has access to the surge ability only, not the upgrade card. He also fails the 'your' check, as above (88.4 you is this unit only, must be equipped).

I agree with this in most circumstances, but Combat Ingenuity is a special case. To be clear how I interpret the interaction of Combat Ingenuity and Ardus, I'm going to put forward an example that shows how he interacts with it (or fails to interact with it) in different ways.

• Ardus Ix'Erebus is at range 1-3 of a Reanimates Archers Unit that has Combat Ingenuity equipped. Ardus is also at range 1-3 of Ankaur Maro.

What surge abilities does Ardus have access to and how much do they cost? I argue that he has the following:

1. He has the surge ability of the Reanimate Archers that allows him to put a blight on the defender. This ability costs 1 surge instead of 2 because the surge ability he is copying has been modified by the Reanimate Archers' Combat Ingenuity upgrade. I've already outlined above why this ability only requires one surge for Ardus, even though Ardus, himself, does not have Combat Ingenuity equipped.
2. He has the surge ability of Ankaur Maro that allows him to remove 1 wound. This ability costs 2 surges -- the same as for Ankaur Maro. Although there is a Combat Ingenuity within range 1-3, that in no way interacts with Ardus' ability because it is not equipped to him, nor is there any upgrade affecting the number of surges required for Ankaur's surge ability. Neither Ardus nor Ankaur can benefit from Combat Ingenuity for the surge ability that removes 1 wound.

51 minutes ago, Darthain said:

Rrg 1.7 effectively states. Upgrade only apply to the unit wearing them. Ardus per his text has access to the surge ability only, not the upgrade card. He also fails the 'your' check, as above (88.4 you is this unit only, must be equipped).

Ardus doesn't need to use Combat Ingenuity. Combat Ingenuity modifies the surge ability of the unit to which it is equipped. There is no triggering condition or timing for Combat Ingenuity, it is always affecting the unit to which it is equipped. When a unit of Reanimate Archers has Combat Ingenuity equipped it no long has an ability that costs 2 surges and assigns a blight, it now has an ability that costs 1 surge and assigns a blight. When Ardus "borrows" the ability from the Reanimate Archers he gets the only ability that they have, the one that costs a single surge.

29 minutes ago, Budgernaut said:

I think it has more to do with this being a new game and wanting to put out an FAQ instead of isolated rulings through email. That's my hunch, anyway. Because you're absolutely right about rules questions in the past. I had good response for questions about Rune Age, BattelLore: Second Edition, and X-Wing.

My rules questions in X-Wing typically take over a month to get answered and I receive the responses within a few days of a FAQ release. Generally, the FAQ either addresses my question or made it irrelevant.

13 minutes ago, WWHSD said:

Ardus doesn't need to use Combat Ingenuity. Combat Ingenuity modifies the surge ability of the unit to which it is equipped. There is no triggering condition or timing for Combat Ingenuity, it is always affecting the unit to which it is equipped. When a unit of Reanimate Archers has Combat Ingenuity equipped it no long has an ability that costs 2 surges and assigns a blight, it now has an ability that costs 1 surge and assigns a blight. When Ardus "borrows" the ability from the Reanimate Archers he gets the only ability that they have, the one that costs a single surge.

Disagree, as per above, Combat ingenuity says YOUR not the. Meaning he get's their surge ability, verbatim, it is not rewritten, the 'your' unit just gets a benefit.

2 minutes ago, Darthain said:

Disagree, as per above, Combat ingenuity says YOUR not the. Meaning he get's their surge ability, verbatim, it is not rewritten, the 'your' unit just gets a benefit.

The unit no longer has the ability as printed on their card while they have Combat Ingenuity equipped. The only ability that they have is the Combat Ingenuity modified ability.

5 minutes ago, Darthain said:

Disagree, as per above, Combat ingenuity says YOUR not the. Meaning he get's their surge ability, verbatim, it is not rewritten, the 'your' unit just gets a benefit.

Combat Ingenuity states:

"The number of [surge symbol] that precedes your [surge symbol] abilities is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1. This does not affect [surge symbol] + abilities."

Their surge abilities are statically altered. Imagine a game effect that said: "All surge abilities that cost one surge become unique surge abilities". The surge ability on the card of the Reanimates Archers would be subject to this effect if (and only if) they had Combat Ingenuity equipped. Their ability is rewritten.

To do what you are saying would require an ability that reads: "When this unit uses their surge abilities, they cost one fewer surge".

4 minutes ago, Darthain said:

Disagree, as per above, Combat ingenuity says YOUR not the. Meaning he get's their surge ability, verbatim, it is not rewritten, the 'your' unit just gets a benefit.

I don't understand how you come to this conclusion.

Ardus' text states: "This attack is treated as having the [surge] abilities (both [melee] and [ranged]) of allies at range 1-3."

Combat Ingenuity states: "The number of [surges] that precede your [surge] abilities is reduced by 1 to a minimum of 1."

"Of allies" means belonging to allies. "Your" means belonging to you. The surge ability the archers have belongs to them, so Ardus can use that ability. Combat Ingenuity is not allowing the Archers to spend one less surge to activate the ability. That's not how it's working. Combat Ingenuity is removing a surge symbol that precedes the surge ability, thus decreasing the cost of that surge ability -- the surge ability that belongs to the Reanimate Archers. When Ardus checks that surge ability, he doesn't "see" two surges because that ability has been modified by Combat Ingenuity. Combat Ingenuity isn't allowing Reanimate Archers to "treat" it as costing one fewer surge, it is literally reducing the number of surges as written on the card.

On 5/31/2017 at 2:06 PM, Budgernaut said:

I agree with this in most circumstances, but Combat Ingenuity is a special case. To be clear how I interpret the interaction of Combat Ingenuity and Ardus, I'm going to put forward an example that shows how he interacts with it (or fails to interact with it) in different ways.

• Ardus Ix'Erebus is at range 1-3 of a Reanimates Archers Unit that has Combat Ingenuity equipped. Ardus is also at range 1-3 of Ankaur Maro.

What surge abilities does Ardus have access to and how much do they cost? I argue that he has the following:

1. He has the surge ability of the Reanimate Archers that allows him to put a blight on the defender. This ability costs 1 surge instead of 2 because the surge ability he is copying has been modified by the Reanimate Archers' Combat Ingenuity upgrade. I've already outlined above why this ability only requires one surge for Ardus, even though Ardus, himself, does not have Combat Ingenuity equipped.
2. He has the surge ability of Ankaur Maro that allows him to remove 1 wound. This ability costs 2 surges -- the same as for Ankaur Maro. Although there is a Combat Ingenuity within range 1-3, that in no way interacts with Ardus' ability because it is not equipped to him, nor is there any upgrade affecting the number of surges required for Ankaur's surge ability. Neither Ardus nor Ankaur can benefit from Combat Ingenuity for the surge ability that removes 1 wound.

To beat the horse even more, let's suppose that Ankaur Maro has equipped the Regenerative Magic card which can only be used by Ankaur Maro. Because it has nearly the same wording as Combat Ingenuity, though, Ardus would be able to regen a wound using a single surge for the same reason that he would be able to place a blight token for a single surge: because the ability itself has effectively had one surge symbol erased from its text.

On 5/12/2017 at 8:47 PM, rowdyoctopus said:

Combat Ingenuity appears to statically alter the surge abilities of the unit it is assigned to.

That's correct - "of the unit it is assigned to".

After the word "your" is the word "unit" - as in singular. Not units plural.

In additon any rules exception game system (which this is), that the rules always tell you exactly what you can do. Not what you can't do.

42 minutes ago, Asmo said:

That's correct - "of the unit it is assigned to".

After the word "your" is the word "unit" - as in singular. Not units plural.

In additon any rules exception game system (which this is), that the rules always tell you exactly what you can do. Not what you can't do.

Ardus doesn't gain their surge abilities, he uses the surge abilities of his allies. He is using their ability. Their ability is modified.

So if you are saying Ardus must pay 2 surges for an ability that has been modified to cost 1, you are mistaken.

I'm playing undead and till FAQ's I'm going to use 2 surges with Ardus to trigger archers ability. I don't believe if using only one is working as intended, so I prefer to be conservative.

Case closed by FAQ v1.0. Combat ingenuity (and similar) on allies DOES apply to Ardus when he borrows their abilities!