So, something weird happened last night while I was testing out Minh Thi Phan and I wasn't sure how to rule it. She was attacking an enemy with the Baseball Bat's fight action. I committed a single card to activate Analytical Mind's response and drew her weakness (The King in Yellow : Act 1). I have to put the KIY in play and it takes a hand slot while Baseball Bat has 2, so I have to discard the bat to make room for that damnable play. Now the bat is gone and I haven't even drawn a chaos token for the skill check ... What happens ?

1. The cost was paid (1 action) and thus the baseball bat effect last until the end of the skill check, even if it is gone.

2. You continue to resolve a Fight action, but you no longer have the benefit of the bat (+2 combat and +1 damage).

3. Your action is just forfeited.

or something else ... Any input is welcome.

Cards no longer in play do not generate any effect(s). You do not check your modified value until step 5 of the combat check, which is after you've drawn the token. This is when you add any other modifiers. Since the card is out of play, I would rule that its effect is gone.

Option 2 looks correct.

The people below me are better at the rules. Read their answers!

I think it does still count.

"Cards no longer in play do not generate any effects" isn't entirely correct. The Bat's fight sets up a Lasting Effect (with a duration of that action), and Lasting Effects say:

A lasting effect persists beyond the resolution of the ability that created it, for the duration specified by the effect. The effect continues to affect the game state for the specified duration regardless of whether the card that created the lasting effect is or remains in play .

1 minute ago, Buhallin said:

I think it does still count.

"Cards no longer in play do not generate any effects" isn't entirely correct. The Bat's fight sets up a Lasting Effect (with a duration of that action), and Lasting Effects say:

A lasting effect persists beyond the resolution of the ability that created it, for the duration specified by the effect. The effect continues to affect the game state for the specified duration regardless of whether the card that created the lasting effect is or remains in play .

This is correct. To further corroborate this reasoning, see the Initiation Sequence in the Rules Reference:

If the ability being initiated is on an in-play card, the sequence does not stop from completing if that card leaves play during the sequence.

By using the action on Baseball Bat, you are initiating an ability. The ability in this case is an action triggered ability for 'Fight with +2 to hit, +1 to damage'. The additional +2 to the test and +1 damage are not an added bonus on top of a normal attack (the generic " Fight an enemy at your location" ability that all investigators can always use, as found on the reference card), but are instead an integral part of the separate Fight action on the baseball bat.

Thanks for the responses. Thinking about it more, I agree with with you guys. If it didn't work this way, you could never benefit from the second action on Knife since it discards itself.

1 hour ago, philkav said:

Thanks for the responses. Thinking about it more, I agree with with you guys. If it didn't work this way, you could never benefit from the second action on Knife since it discards itself.

Oh, is that a new card? I don't think I've ever seen that one

More seriously, it is a good find and a great example.