What's the timing on the level 2 tech Mathematics' iron-spending battle ability (dealing 3 damage)?

In particular, can you use it upon a foe as he plays a unit from his battle-hand to attack, and thus potentially negate its damage by killing it first? I suspect not, but the rules are ambiguous.

-Jasper

Jasper Phillips said:

Page 25 of the rulebook states "Some tech cards have resource abilities that are used during battle. These abilities are always used before or after attacking an enemy front, never during." Since you could not use the ability until after your opponent finished playing his card and resolving the attack you would not be able to kill it before it could deal damage.

Thanks! I thought I remembered something like that, but couldn't find it again when I went hunting for it.

-Jasper

As stated in hte FAQ, you pay the metal to add 3 to the damage (but not the health) of a unit just before you play it. So you could use the tech to kill a unit that's tougher than your unit if you place second.

Actually, that's not entirely correct.

Mathematics allows you to burn an Iron resource to deal 3 wounds amongst enemy units.

Metalworking allows you to burn an Iron resource to temporarily increase a unit's attack value when played to battle.

I think you must have misread the name of the technology that he was talking about.