Que: Initiative track and initiative tokens...

By artemis8, in Horus Heresy

Hi, recently I encountered following situations a questions:

a) In case of spaces on the Initiative track like "Spaceport victory" or "Imperial victory", do I understand it correct, that if someone's initiative token reaches that space, then immediately its effect kicks in. For example if during a battle as an effect of combat card Imperial player manages to move Chaos initiative marker on the very last space (= Imperial victory space), then Imperium would immediately win and battle does not resolve anymore, even if Chaos player could kill the Emperor during it?

b) Suppose I am the player with initiative. I perform some attack order and my initiative token is put (ends) one space ahead of the token of my enemy. The battle ensues. During it I manage to move the initiative token of my enemy one space forward. And now the question? How are now the initiative tokens placed? That of mine enemy over mine or contrary? If it is the first case, may I do another action, or am I forbidden to do anything because it is that rare situation when my initiative token is UNDER my enemy's, and therefore I can not do anything.

Thanks for your answers.

Artemis said:

a) In case of spaces on the Initiative track like "Spaceport victory" or "Imperial victory", do I understand it correct, that if someone's initiative token reaches that space, then immediately its effect kicks in. For example if during a battle as an effect of combat card Imperial player manages to move Chaos initiative marker on the very last space (= Imperial victory space), then Imperium would immediately win and battle does not resolve anymore, even if Chaos player could kill the Emperor during it?

b) Suppose I am the player with initiative. I perform some attack order and my initiative token is put (ends) one space ahead of the token of my enemy. The battle ensues. During it I manage to move the initiative token of my enemy one space forward. And now the question? How are now the initiative tokens placed? That of mine enemy over mine or contrary? If it is the first case, may I do another action, or am I forbidden to do anything because it is that rare situation when my initiative token is UNDER my enemy's, and therefore I can not do anything.

#1: Seems so. The other special spaces on the track are only resolved in Step 4 and only if the current player's token has reached or passed those spaces.

#2: Yours on bottom, your opponent's on top. There would be a change of initiative when that step comes up (unless you move your opponent's token another step forward).

"If both players’
markers are on the same space, there is only a change of
initiative in the unusual situation where the current player’s
initiative marker is below his opponent’s marker in that
space." (p. 15)

Thanks, Dam.

Your answers only confirmed my intuition happy.gif .

I am not completely sure but wouldn't you move your initiative marker only AFTER having performed the action (i.e. the attack)? That way you would first move your opponent's marker forward during battle and then after the battle move your own to pay for the attack .

So your own marker would stay on top and you retain the initiative for one more action.

I think that's what the rules actually suggest.

SquirrelonRampage said:

I am not completely sure but wouldn't you move your initiative marker only AFTER having performed the action (i.e. the attack)? That way you would first move your opponent's marker forward during battle and then after the battle move your own to pay for the attack .

So your own marker would stay on top and you retain the initiative for one more action.

I think that's what the rules actually suggest.

Yes, that is the case. Moving your initiative marker happens in the Advance Initiative step, which is after the Action Step. The chosen action is resolved in the action step. So if you executed an order card that started a combat you would not move your initiative marker to pay for the order card until after the combat is resolved.

If the effect of a combat card moves an initiative marker, obviously the marker is moved as the special effect is resolved.

So if both of the markers would end up on the same space after the combat, the current player should have his on top as his marker was moved last. IE, after the combat.

Three Headed Monkey said:

SquirrelonRampage said:

I am not completely sure but wouldn't you move your initiative marker only AFTER having performed the action (i.e. the attack)? That way you would first move your opponent's marker forward during battle and then after the battle move your own to pay for the attack .

So your own marker would stay on top and you retain the initiative for one more action.

I think that's what the rules actually suggest.

Yes, that is the case. Moving your initiative marker happens in the Advance Initiative step, which is after the Action Step. The chosen action is resolved in the action step. So if you executed an order card that started a combat you would not move your initiative marker to pay for the order card until after the combat is resolved.

If the effect of a combat card moves an initiative marker, obviously the marker is moved as the special effect is resolved.

So if both of the markers would end up on the same space after the combat, the current player should have his on top as his marker was moved last. IE, after the combat.

Yes, as I think over your opinions, you are right. Initiative token of the active player is moved after the action (for example a battle) not before it.

But yet I wonder when (if ever) may occur that strange situation (mentioned in rules) , when the initiave token of an active player ends up BELOW his opponents's token?

"If both players’ markers are on the same space, there is only a change of initiative in the unusual situation where the current player’s initiative marker is below his opponent’s marker in that space." (p. 15)

They could just be covering all their bases, and allowing for the possibility that a situation that they had not encounted during testing could arise.