Some Rules for a First Timer and Core Set User

By colormage1, in CoC Rules Discussion

1) Are you allowed to use events after the resolution of each struggle? Meaning, after the terror struggle I can use events? Then after the arcane, etc? (Additionally, I'm assuming you can use events after characters commit to a story.)

2) When you use an ability of a card that costs 1, I'm going to assume no matter how many resources on a domain there are, you can only use it once? (Meaning a domain that was drained with five resources can only be used once for an ability that costs 1 once.)

3) What exactly is the "steadfast" ability?

4) Can someone explain "loyal" more in depth?

5) And "fast"! (Please.)

I think that is it for now. I had more... but can't remember them now. I think I have more individual wording questions, but I'll ask them when they get them up. Oh! That reminds me.

6) When you add "different" struggles to a story, do those stories go in order or not? Like, if I add a terror and an arcane struggle to a story, do they get added to the end of the story, or does a story do all terror struggles then all combat struggles, and then all arcane, etc.

Thank you!

colormage1 said:

1) Are you allowed to use events after the resolution of each struggle? Meaning, after the terror struggle I can use events? Then after the arcane, etc? (Additionally, I'm assuming you can use events after characters commit to a story.)

2) When you use an ability of a card that costs 1, I'm going to assume no matter how many resources on a domain there are, you can only use it once? (Meaning a domain that was drained with five resources can only be used once for an ability that costs 1 once.)

3) What exactly is the "steadfast" ability?

4) Can someone explain "loyal" more in depth?

5) And "fast"! (Please.)

I think that is it for now. I had more... but can't remember them now. I think I have more individual wording questions, but I'll ask them when they get them up. Oh! That reminds me.

6) When you add "different" struggles to a story, do those stories go in order or not? Like, if I add a terror and an arcane struggle to a story, do they get added to the end of the story, or does a story do all terror struggles then all combat struggles, and then all arcane, etc.

1) There is a nice green chart in the back of the rules (page 13) that shows you when Actions can be taken (and events are Actions). You cannot perform actions between icon struggles (except certain specific Disrupts. Disrupts can happen at times other than Action periods).

During the Story Phase, there is an Action window first (assuming the active player is going to stories - otherwise the Turn ends immediately with no Actions). Then Active player commits characters. Then another Action window. Then defender commits characters. Then another Action wind. Then Struggles. Then Struggle responses. Then another Action window. Then characters uncommit.

2) Yes - you don't get "change" so to speak - when you use a domain it pays for exactly 1 thing.

3) Steadfast means you must have that many resources in your domains. They don't have to all be in the domain you drained to pay the cost of the card - you just have to have that many somewhere amongst all your domains.

4) Loyal is a stricter version of Steadfast. If a card costs 3 and is Loyal, you must pay with a domain that contains at least 3 resources of the specified faction.

5) When resolving struggles, if there is a tie, the player with the greatest number of Fast characters wins the tie. Otherwise nobody wins a tie.

6) In the rules (page 6), they give the example of Sleep of Reason. The Icon Boosters create 3 additional Terror Struggles and they tell us that the icon struggle is resolved according to the order of the printed icons [on the story card]. So the resolution would be 4 Terror, then Combat, then Arcane, then Investigation.

Note that some Conspiracy cards change the order of Struggle resolution, so you have to reference the Story/Conspiracy when figuring this out in detail.

Okay, thank you so much.

I still need some clarification on what a struggle response is. That's what completely made me go, "Huh?" when I read the rules. I absolutely love the chart, because of how it details when you can do actions. However, the struggles are together in one "green" box followed by a white box with, "Response to struggle and success results may be played." That is then followed by a "Actions may be taken" box. And to me that seems redundant if they mean the same thing, so I assumed that the first white box was a shorthand way to add a white box after each struggle.

Again, if that doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. But could you explain what the difference between those are? Or is there really not a difference? Because if there "should" just be the actions may be taken box, then I completely understand how to resolve a story.

colormage1 said:

That is then followed by a "Actions may be taken" box.
Action

Can you play events cards between the resolution of each struggle?

No. Note in the chart on Page 13 that there is no Action window during story resolution. You resolve each of the struggles (and success) without actions involved. Of course there are some specific Disrupts that work on a different timing, but generally "no."

colormage1 said:

Can you play events cards between the resolution of each struggle?

Similarly, you can play Responses, assuming their trigger happens during story evaluation. Again, that's right in the text you quoted.

So, once we start resolving the story (first terror struggle) until the resolution of the last story, no Events can be played and no Actions can be taken.

The only thing that happens is that some Forced Triggers can trigger. Or anything that says Response. (I'm assuming.) Or any Disrupts.

Yea, I know I quoted that text, but there is something that I'm not completely understanding or grasping about it.

colormage1 said:

So, once we start resolving the story (first terror struggle) until the resolution of the last story, no Events can be played and no Actions can be taken.

The only thing that happens is that some Forced Triggers can trigger. Or anything that says Response. (I'm assuming.) Or any Disrupts.

Yea, I know I quoted that text, but there is something that I'm not completely understanding or grasping about it.

Not even Responses until you've resolved all the stories and reach the Response-spot on the turn chart. Only Forceds and Disrupts during story resolution.

Okay.

So during the resolution of a story, the only things that can be triggered or used are Forced Responses, Disrupts, and triggers from winning a story.

After all stories are done resolving, there is a window for only Responses to be played.

Following a window where Actions can be played.

I think what was throwing me up is the classification of what an Action is and that Forced Responses, Disrupts, Responses, Actions, and Event Cards are all types of Actions, but not all "Actions" are Responses. I think.

One small clarification about Fast. The side with more Fast characters wins ties, but a tie of 0-0 is never won by either side. Probably common sense, but I just wanted to mention it.

Thank you! I knew that (or figured) but it's good for clarification.

Now, I have some more questions... But I don't know if I should just have a new thread (Don't know the spamming guidelines in this forum.) So... here goes nothing:

1) Professor Albert Wilmarth doesn't have a "Response" or "Forced Response" in front of his ability, "While Prof... that story card loses an icon struggle of your choice." Does it need one? Do I have to do it? (Or is "While" something different than both? A passive effect that must happen when the "while" occurs that does not trigger?

2) Freelance Photographer reads, "Action: Pay 1 to ready Freelance Photographer." I can use this when he is already readied, right?

3) Let's say my opponent plays Pulled Under (Action: Exaust a character with at least 2 Terror icons to choose and destroy an exhausted non-Ancient One character.) on my exhausted Freelance Photographer. (To make sure I understand the timing structure completely.) I can't use his ability to ready him, right?

3B) Continuing off that. Let's say I know he has another Pulled Under and I have another exhausted Photographer. Since he already used an action, it is my opportunity to use one, and I can ready the Photographer without him being killed by a second Pulled Under?

4) Student Archaelogist has this, "Response: After Student Archaeologist is restored, draw a card..." My question is how long can I wait until I use her ability? I'm thinking as long as it's in the same phase. I'm thinking I'd be able to play an event or two, maybe do another response that I could do from restoring another character (Mad Genius: "Response: After restored, put 1 success token on a story card.). Or maybe I want to active Strange Librarian (Action: Exhaust this card to look at the top 3 of a deck and put 1 back on the bottom.). I'm thinking that I should be able to use other responses as long as I don't move to the next "response" window.

5) Finally, I have a question about Forced Responses. I commit to a story with two Ravager From the Deep (When this commits to a story, wound all other characters committed to that story.) and one Serpent of Yoth (Forced Response: After this enters your discard pile, each opponent must choose and sacrifice a character.) I know when that happens, at least one RftD trigger resolves. This causes me to have to Forced responses that need to be resolved. I know I can only resolve one at a time, but can I choose which one goes first, or do I have to resolve them in the order they were created?

5B) What happens when my opponent also has Forced Response from committing to a story or characters getting wounded? Do all of my Forced Responses trigger then theirs (Let's say I'm the active player.) or do we switch one and then one?

5C) Just to be absolutely positive, no Actions or Responses can be played while the Forced Responses are resolving, right?

6) LAST ONE. I promise! Jack "Brass" Brady has, "Disrupt: BEfore a triggered ability resolved, return him to his owner's hand." What exactly is a triggered ability? I'm just saying, I think it's Disrupt, Action, Response, or whatever by a card in play (or just left play, or something) and not Events. Because part of me is thinking that events don't create triggers, but I don't know. Like, when you play Political Demonstration, it creates a trigger of its text instead of actually doing it. (I know that doesn't make much sense, but I'd like clarification.)

AGAIN. Thanks. I'm sorry to ask for all this

But I appreciate your help.

1. This is a passive ability. It's triggered based on him committing to the story, and there is no cost since none is listed.

2. You cannot. Or at least, it would not resolve (triggers would not work, etc...) this is implied in the FAQ in the section marked Multiple Effects and the word “Then”, but I could not find a more direct rule. There probably is one that I missed though.

3. Correct. You take turns performing actions, only a Disrupt can interrupt another action. So it's too late to save the Freelance Photographer.

3B. Right again. It's now your turn to perform an action (if you want to), so you can use that action to re-ready the other Freelance Photographer.

4. You have to do it immediately after, you cannot hold it for later.

5A-C. All your characters commit simultaneously. The active player commits first (and all his triggers from committing happen) and then the other play commits (and all his triggers from committing happen). Forced Reactions are actions, and actions happen one at a time, so you can do them in whatever order you like, but all Forced Responses have to occur before non-Forced Responses. The FAQ document has a good reference to timing issues, I recommend printing out a copy to refer to.

6. In the rulebook: "A triggered ability is any triggered effect caused by a card already in play." So an Event card is not a trigged effect as it isn't already in play, as you suspected.

It seems a little bit out of topic, but I'm also a new player (core set only), and I wanted to ask: where do you get other copies of cards?

2 RftD, 2 Photographer and 2 Pulled under... I just opened it today and it didn't seem like too many repeating cards.

Do I need to have another core set? or can I find different cards in asylum packs?

Btw, I loved my first game. Lots of mistakes, and going again and again to the rulebook but this... this is a really great game!

Dav said:

It seems a little bit out of topic, but I'm also a new player (core set only), and I wanted to ask: where do you get other copies of cards?

2 RftD, 2 Photographer and 2 Pulled under... I just opened it today and it didn't seem like too many repeating cards.

Do I need to have another core set? or can I find different cards in asylum packs?

Btw, I loved my first game. Lots of mistakes, and going again and again to the rulebook but this... this is a really great game!

I'm surprised you have two copies of some of the cards in the Core set. Mine only had one copy of each card in the core set (forcing me to buy two more to complete my three copies of each card).

As for where to get more cards, if you want more copies of cards that are from the core set you'll need to buy another core set or two. As for getting copies of new cards you can purchase individual asylum packs from the available cycles (Summons of the Deep, Dreamlands, Yuggoth Contract, Forgotten Lore, Rituals of the Order, and the soon to be released Ancient Relics Cycle). Just look on FFG products page for CoC and you can either order directly from them or visit your local hobby or game store and see if they have any copies.

I'd reccomend any Asylum Pack from the Yuggoth Contract Cycle, but you might want to get a look at what each pack contains before buying. This site can help with that,

http://www.cardgamedb.com/index.php/CoC/CoCCards.html

Also, all the cycles have been printed in a 60 card format of 20 cards in each pack and three copies of each card, the only exception is the Dreamlands Cycle which still uses the old 40 card, 2 copies of each card format.