In our last AH game, I was playing Mandy Thompson. We were using the Personal Story Cards. I had not yet activated the "Broken Chain". We had four players with a total of three Gate Trophies between us. There was one open Gate on the board, with another player in The Underworld.

We drew the Mythos card at the end of the turn. It called for a Gate to open in the Woods, which we had already sealed with an Elder Sign. Per "Breaking the Chain", Mandy received a Clue token on her Personal Story Card... the fifth Clue token, activating the "Broken Chain".

"The "Broken Chain" says: "Immediately close and seal one open gate of your choice."

1) There was only one open gate. Closing it would result in the off-world Investigator being Lost in Time and Space. Was I obligated to close the gate or was it my choice? In other words, could the gate "of my choice" be no gate at all?

2) In fact, I DID close the gate because the result was no open gates left on the Board AND Gate Trophies equal to the number of Players... We Won! BUT we won ONLY if the "Broken Chain" resulted in my keeping the closed and sealed gate as our fourth Gate Trophy. Does the "Broken Chain" grant a Gate Trophy?

Thanks,

Don Frew

DHFrew3 said:

Generally, if the words "you may" (or the equivalent) are absent, you do not have a choice in the matter.

DHFrew3 said:

Interesting question. I think it's been established that you can't usually seal a gate unless you closed it yourself and you have an explored token. Obviously, in this case you can seal the gate, but the same logic might apply to taking the gate trophy. That is, you didn't seal it "the hard way," so you don't get the trophy. Not sure though.

On the other hand, the dimensional beam encounter in the science building explicitly specifies that you don't gain a trophy for any gates you close that way, so there might be a presumption that you do unless an effect says otherwise.

And for what it's worth, the other investigator wouldn't be lost until the movement phase when he tried to return. Normally, there's a small chance that a new gate might open to the same location before then, but with the game over, who knows what happens next? Heck, maybe he'll decide to just stay in the Underworld.

Interesting...exactly the same end as my Broken Chain game on Saturday night, down to the Underworld. Simulcast seal and close, breaking the chain on Nyarlathoteps bony ass.

That's actually a truly bizarre "coincidence!

Last Saturday night, four players, game ends with one player in the Underworld and the "Broken Chain" closing the last gate.

We were working against Y'golonac, tho'.

Did you interpret the "Broken Chain" card the same way, with it awarding a gate trophy (which won the game)?

Don