Reviewing Core Set Rulebook :

AMBUSH , You may put a card with the "Ambush" keyword into play from your hand as an "Any Phase" action, by paying its printed gold cost with influence.

QUESTION: How would you pay the printed gold cost by influences?

On the rule, it does not says KNEEL. Play as an "Any Phase"(its a triggered action i believe..) but some triggered actions specifies to KNEEL certain amount of influences.

Any opinion on this? Are they any erratas and clarifications on the rulebook of the Core Set?

Opinions? Sure. I got those in spades.

In order for you to expend a resource, there needs to be some indication that its been expended. In the case of Influence, the other effects you mention create the precedent that "kneeling" equates "paying."

That said, after searching the Core Rules and the FAQ, there is nothing that explicitly states this. We just know it to be true. Since we don't have influence tokens to count at some point in the game, Influence, as a cost, must be expended in some way… if we didn't kneel it, how would we know a cost was paid at all?

Just remember - you asked for an opinion. :-D

Kneeling are considered paying, in some other cards specifically yes, but when it comes to AMBUSH, How?

My opinion on this is that , an AMBUSH card act as an ANY PHASE action so, you can only play AMBUSH card(s) when there are PLAYER ACTION WINDOW for the ANY PHASE action.

now, say ANY PHASE , For example in CHALLENGE, "Player Actions" is before and between (not during) of that three(3) steps(Dec.Attackers, Dec.Defenders, Resolved)

For example, you have only 4 influence (say, produced by character or a location) then, you want to play an AMBUSH card,

so, after Active(Opponent) player Dec.Attacker, we have a PLAYER ACTION. Active player(opponent) does not have an Action, and now you can play an Ambush card with 4 gold cost because you ALREADY have a 4 influence in play as your Player Action . Your Opponent doesnt have SAVE/CANCEL effect, Ambush is resolved. After you play an AMBUSH card (as a PLAYER ACTION) you can now declare your defender(s). Then you(both) have a Player Action again and you may use again your 4 influence to play another AMBUSH card.

My Bottomline(opinion) is that, We doesnt have to Kneel that card producing influence. As long as it is in play, you have your INCOME of that influence. But there is a TIMING (ANY PHASE action) where to play or pay that influence.

I guess that's the beauty of that ability..

My opinion is based accordingly on the Core Set Rule book that says, AMBUSH cards may be put into play as an ANY PHASE action paying its gold cost by influence.

Guys, both the rules and the FAQ explain that you need to kneel the influence. From the core rules.

When an event or triggered ability requires you to kneel a certain amount of influence, you must kneel characters or locations that provide at least that much total influence.

Ambush gives you and any phase triggered ability as defined in the FAQ.

3.6) Triggered : Any effect that a player chooses to execute is considered a "triggered effect." Thus any effect that begins with a "Phase:" or "Response:" is a triggered effect. Also note that playing an event card is thus considered a triggered effect. A "triggered ability" is a triggered effect printed on a card already in playSo, as it is a triggered ability and the influence rules clearly state you need to kneel that amount of influence.

As the influence rules state above, the cost has to be paid by kneeling influence providing cards.

Khalpongo said:

Unfortunately you got it all wrong. It is not enough to say you have the influence on the board. What happens if you only have 4 influence producing cards in play under your control, but one of them is from a character that has already been used in a challenge… then you can't ambush anything costing 4 gold, because you do not have 4 influence "available" because one source is already knelt. Same thing with ambushing things in during marshalling. Those Fiefdoms can be used as reducers or influence producers. You can't ambush (or pay influence cost) using a Fiefdom and reduce the next [house x] card by 1. Doesn't work that way. The card isn't available for the second use.

By your opinion, then you have no indicative way to know you have spent that influence if you are not kneeling the influence providing card.

Khalpongo said:

This, unfortunately, falls in the "FFG assumes you understand this concept" file.

Traditional (and intended play) is for you to kneel Influence when using it to pay for something. So pay Influence means kneel Influence producing cards equivalent (or greater than) the cost. This probably isn't explcitly spelt out in the rules anywhere as it's one of their "understood" concepts.

Core Set Rule Book:

Special Icons in Rules Text

Influence: (2nd Paragraph )

When an event or triggered ability(ANY PHASE) requires you to kneel a certain amount of influence, you must kneel characters or locations that provide atleast that much total influence.

House Specific Keywords

Ambush

You may put a card with the "Ambush" keyword into play from your hand as an "Any Phase" action, by paying its printed gold cost with influence.

@Underworld40k:

Q: Where in the AMBUSH Keyword is the word or satisfy the "triggered ability" that REQUIRES to KNEEL a certain amount of INFLUENCE.

@mdc273:

Q: Where can i have a copy of "FFG assumes you understand this concept" file?

@everybody:

Q: Are SPECIAL ICONS in RULE TEXT have the same account for income? like COIN icon and INITIATIVE Icon?

If you kneel an INFLUENCE producing card with a COIN icon or a INITIATIVE icon , We dont get an additional COIN or INITIATIVE from them?

I Vote for revision.. LOL..

Khalpongo said:

Paying a cost equals either kneeling a card or removing gold tokens from your pool. This is assumed that people understand this, so FFG did not clarify when it comes to ambush. They probably need to, I know, but they haven't yet.

And when you kneel a location that provides both influence and gold to pay an influence cost (ambush, event, character ability, etc), you still get the gold because this is a bonus and not a cost. (this is covered in the FAQ). You do not, however, have that influence available to you until such time as the card stands again.

I also hate to say this with mdc273 lurking these forums(just kidding!), but the Hand of the King title is not a card in play. It is simply providing you with 2 influence to use one time per round and does not "stand" at the beginning of the standing phase. Even if it did "stand", you'd have used up the influence for the round.

Khalpongo said:

Q: Where can i have a copy of "FFG assumes you understand this concept" file?

Hah! It doesn't exist. ><

Technically you could claim these forums are it, but that doesn't really help, hehe.

Q: Are SPECIAL ICONS in RULE TEXT have the same account for income? like COIN icon and INITIATIVE Icon?

No, there are no rules to indicate that you have to kneel a "coin" (a gold-producing) card or initiative-bonus card to get its bonus. Influence is the only resource that is played under the "kneel to gain its benefit" convention. Gold-producing and initiative-bonus cards will provide their modifiers constantly (that is to say as a constant effect). They are not played with the "kneel to gain its benefit" convention.

@Bomb - LOL. If you can't kneel the card to use its influence, can you use its influence? (The conventional answer is yes, obviously, but this is an amusing question)

How about the AGENDA CARD, "KNIGHTS OF THE HOLLOW HILL"..

Rule book core set:

" IN PLAY "

All non-plot cards in the game are considered "in play" EXCEPT for a.) cards in your HOUSE DECK, b.) cards in your discard and dead piles, c.) YOUR AGENDA (if any), d.) any card that has been "removed from the game" and e.) the cards in your hand

Q: How will you kneel a CARD that is not in play? but KNIGHTS OF THE HOLLOW HILL (Agenda) Gives you +2(COIN), 2(INFLUENCE), +2(INTIATIVE)?

@everybody:

I/we am/are already assuming that PAYING is synonymous to KNEELING when it comes to AMBUSH keyword.. but as i was reading(reviewing from cover to cover, cause nothing to do here at the office for the meantime..) the core rule book, the word KNEEL is missing that got my attention to ask this silly questions but i think some of you are also interested/intrigued with this and got my point regardless with that "FFG assumes you understand this concept" file(still want a copy though..LOL).

@everybody:

Nobody agrees with me with my opinion that influence bonus can be use for AMBUSH as Standing, and no need to kneel, but there is RIGHT TIMING and that is the ANY PHASE Action? I know, knelt card cant be used again, but if it is standing, you may use its influence without kneeling? hehehe.. Any pity Aye? hahaha.. I have a point right? LOL..

First, the KotHH agenda gives your house card those bonuses, and your house card is definitely in play. (the agenda having the bonuses is a common misconception, usually harmless enough, won't get into that) Second, kneeling the influence is spending it, and you cannot use the same influence again short of standing the card back up. You'll be hard pressed to find someone to agree with your view on the matter.

I overread the words "HOUSE CARD gains:" sorry my bad.. LOL..

Yeah, no worries. Like I said, it's a very common misconception, and a lot of people just kneel the agenda instead of the house card (incorrectly) without thinking twice about it.