Hi Guys,

Ok, if someone out there can shed light on this teaser that would be great as this has come up a few times in our games.

I understand that there windows of 'Actions may be taken' between most steps in each Phase. But what's been giving us a headache is this: Draining a domain to play a card is often considered an Action, sooooo.......

Ordinarily, you bring cards into play during your Operations Phase, making the cards you want to play visable to your opponent. But what if you're playing e.g. a Cthulhu faction heavy deck. 1. You put a deep one Character into play. 2. You attach it to a story. 3. Your oppnent attaches a character to a story. 4. But now you go "Ah ha!" and drain a domain to put 'Shadowed Reef' into play, a Support. Location which gives your deep one an extra Terror icon. 5. Then resolve the struggles.

Does that sound legal?

Many thanks,

Kxx

You can only play support cards in your operations phase. This phase ends, when you commit a character to a story.

Ahzrab is correct, you may only (normally) play support cards during your operations phase. Some exceptions are things like Parallel Universe which have an "Action: Pay 1 to attach parallel universe to blah blah" that allows them to be played not during the operations phase.

One thing to note is the distinction between Action: and action. If you look at the rule book, there is a section towards the back that shows a diagram of the different stages and when players may do different things. During the operations phase, the active player playing any card is taking an action. If that action is to play a character or support card through the normal rules it is just an action (and thus cannot be Power Drained, etc). If during the operation phase, instead he plays an event card or activates a cards ability with the " Action : blah blah" text, this is taking an Action and can be canceled etc.

During all other phases, the "Actions may be taken" refers to Actions and not actions.

Thanks guys! That really helps concerning playing Actions and support cards. I guess the root of my question, though, was can you bring ANY card (not just Support) into play from your hand by draining a domain, during the Story Phase - thereby 'hiding' your play. I keep re-reading what I've just written - I hope it makes sense!

Maybe another way of saying it is, do the Action windows in the Story Phase allow for bringing cards into play from your hand?

Otherwise, your opponent can always see what you're playing with.

Cheers!

K xx

Support Cards and Character Cards can only be played during the Operations Phase.

During the Story Phase you can play Event Cards, or cards with Actions that allow such things. The Descendent of Eibon is an example of a card that can be brought into play (without "playing it"), as is Dreamlands Fanatic.

So there are some characters that can show up during the Story phase, but only because they have very specific language on them the allow this.

In general, no you cannot play characters during the story phase.

Yes, I see it now! Thanks! I suppose it must seem obvious, but you know how it is when your thoughts slip down the rabbit hole...

K xx