Hello kind folks,

I have a couple questions to issues that continue to confuse me (even after I examined the turn/timing breakdown). "Response:" cards are very straight forward it seems, but I'm having trouble fully understanding "Any Phase" and "Challenge", and the difference between each of those and Response.

First question: When (if ever) would a player be able to play a "Any Phase" card (whether event card, character ability, etc) during a challenge, once a Challenge has been declared?

Second question: What is the first opportunity (for both players -- the challenger and challenged -- or either if they are different) to use a "Challenges:" card (whether event card, character ability, etc) during a challenge, once a challenge has been declared?

Bonus question: What is the last opportunity to use a "Challenges" card during a challenge, again, after the challenge was declared.

A huge thank you to anyone who can educate me on these points!

Standard said:

The most important thing to realize here is that there is no difference between an "Any Phase" and a "Challenge" action/card. They have the exact same timing. The only difference is that "Any Phase" can be used in, well, any phase while the "Challenge" actions can only be used in the challenge phase. Also, be aware that "Challenge" means the card can be used in the entire challenge phase , not just while a challenge is happening during that phase.

(Also note that, if for some reason or by some effect, a challenge is initiated in a phase other than the challenge phase, "Challenge" cards cannot be used - but cards with "Any Phase" or the name of the actual phase in which it is happening can.)

Anyway, the basic anatomy of the challenge phase is as follows:

1. Player actions
2. Active player initiates a challenge (names type and opponent, declares/kneels attacking characters)
3. Player actions
4. Challenge defense is determined (active player assigns stealth, defending player declares/kneels defending characters)
5. Player actions
6. Resolve challenge (determine winner, settle claim, award unopposed, award renown)
7. Player actions

After that, you start the process over again, effectively merging 7 and 1 together, switching to a new active player when appropriate, until all challenges have been completed.

Players may play both "Challenges" and "Any Phase" cards/actions in 1, 3, 5, and 7 above. These are the standard player actions.

Keep in mind that Responses are not actions in their own right. They take place as part of other actions. As such, you can play appropriate Responses anywhere in 1-6 above - and they must be complete for each step before moving on to the next. For example, once the challenge starts resolving (#6), you must give your opponent the opportunity to play as many Responses as they like to winning/losing the challenge, characters dying for claim, cards being discarded for claim, etc. before you are allowed to trigger your next "Any Phase" or "Challenge" action. (ie, Once #6 starts, you have to finish it, including all Responses, before your next opportunity to play an "Any Phase" card - which comes in #7/1 of the next challenge.)

Standard said:

See above. As already stated, once the challenge phase begins, "Any Phase" and "Challenge" actions are effectively the same thing. (Once the challenge phase ends, "Challenges" actions cannot be played until the next challenge phase, while "Any Phase" becomes effectively the same thing as "Dominance" during the dominance phase, etc.)

Standard said:

See the "anatomy" above. The last opportunity to use a "Challenge" (or "Any Phase") action within the duration of an individual challenge would be in #5. Said another way, once the challenge is initiated by the active player, all players get two opportunities to use player actions ("Challenges" and "Any Phase"): 1) after the attackers are declared, but before stealth is assigned/defenders are declared, and 2) after defenders, if any, are declared, but before the winner of the challenge is determined.

Hope all of that helps.

Very well thought out and informative post Ktom. I appreciate you taking the time to write that down.

That does seem to address my question nicely, thank you a ton!

My concern was that a long time player of the GoT card game was telling me that if I didn't play an "Any Phase" card before the challenge started, I lost my opportunity to use it until after the challenge.

So in my head, I was breaking "Any Phase" into a separate thing from "Challenges:" because obviously the 2nd must be intended to be used during a challenge, based on the word itself (Challenges) and the effect of the card.

What documentation (official from FFG or otherwise) do you recommend me sending to this long-time player? In my experience "someone on the forums told me" is not going to carry much weight for someone who considers themselves a subject matter expert.

Again, I appreciate all your help.

Update: I pulled up the latest LCG FAQ 3.1 document, and found that the Challenge Phase is broken into a series of alternating Framework Actions and Player Actions.

So essentially, any "Player Action" is a valid opportunity to use either a Any Phase or a Challenges card/event/ability?

Standard said:

Yes sir. Without that structure of windows, there would be so many timing arguments!

Great -- thanks Bomb. This information makes the game make much more sense to me, and so it will certainly be more enjoyable.

Standard said: