Can I get some help with how indirect damage works. The rule book is a little hazy on the subject.

Indirect damage generally allows your opponent to choose how it is applied. The ruleboo suggests that it is applied as combat damage is, which would require you to assign to units before your capital section.

Can the person taking the indirect samage do any of the following:

1. Assign it to a section of their captial which is burning

2. Assign it to a section of their capital which has no units when they have units in other sections of their capital

3. Assign it to their capital section rather than assigning it to a unit in the same section

Andwat said:

#1: No.

#2: Yes unless it must be applied specifically to Units (Shadow Warrior)

#3: Yes, same as #2.

Can you cite a source for no3?

I am looking at the FAQ which is not especially helpful. It refers to not allowing you to assign more damage than would be necessary to kill a unit or burn a zone but if it is applied as combat damage is applied (which the rule book suggests) then that would require you to apply it to units before the capital.

The misunderstanding comes from the 'handled the same as combat damage' part. What they mean there is it is assigned and applied with damage canceling taking place in the application step. Where it differs is that there is no action window in between. If you want to take an action you must do it in response to the indirect damage dealing effect, which means your response will actually resolve first in the action chain.

Indirect damage by it's very nature is assigned by the person receiving the damage, and they may assign it anywhere, in any amount as long as it does not violate three rules -

1. Is not assigned to a burning zone.
2. The amount of damage assigned may not exceed the amount of HP the target unit or zone currently has barring any damage canceling effects that are currently in play.
3. Does not violate any restrictions the card itself places on the assigning of the damage.

If the card does not state that it cannot be assigned to a zone then it can, since indirect damage already has a default way of handling it (receiver may assign as they choose). This is why there is no specific ruling in the FAQ or statement in rulebook to quote about why indirect damage could be assigned to a zone instead of a character, that ability is included in its definition.

Cheers for that, that makes more sense.

My pleasure.