Quick Question re using culture cards and combat

By Ahrimal, in Sid Meier's Civilization: The Board Game

Hi

This is something that happened during a game I had and was wondering what the official answer should be.

Player a moves 2 army figures to attack player b's single army figure. Player b waits until player a's figures are on his square before using the culture card that kills one figure within 4 squares.

This caused a big arguement as to whether movement was over as the figures had stopped moving and the card should have been played in the square they just left or whether combat starts.

We decided combat starts this then lead to the question does player a get 3 units or 5.

We decided on 3 as player a only had the one figure now and he ended up losing the combat.

Altogether he lost 2 army figures, 2 units and 3 trade just to the one culture card which seemed a bit harsh.

Just wondered if anyone could help with a answer as to what should have happened.

Thanks

Players A moves 2 armies on Player's B single army. Player B can use Defection to kill an army of A, but then A can decide to not attack.

Defection card is a lot debated, but the text "it may interrupt figure's movement" means you can change your mind about your last move. In this case you can stay one square away from Army B (if player B uses defection when player A wants to attack), even if your first intention was to attack the Army, and spend the remaining move like you want.

Defection is already one of the best culture card in the game, such moves to trap your ennemy would be way overpowered.

Still in the case you mentionned, if player B moves after player A, he can still use defection in a good way, waiting player A to get closer, uses defection when player A wants to attack, then player A change his mind, but he will be in range of player B army.

I think that possibility of interruption means that players can use the card not only in own movement phase.

Let's notice that there is no rule which says that you have to declare a destination of your move. You always moving square by square and it doesn't matter if you say "I will attack you".

Whats more there is rule which states that when army figures meet on same square then immediatly begins battle.

So player can't use the culture event when figures are on the same square, because at the moment is battle. Maybe player would use the card on the square before, but then you're deciding what to do next.

Edited by Piotrek

I think that possibility of interruption means that players can use the card not only in own movement phase.

First let's notice that there is no rule which says that you have to declare a destination of your move. You always moving square by square and it doesn't matter if you say "I will attack you".

Whats more there is rule which states that when army figures meet on same square then immediatly begins battle.

So player can't use the culture event when figures are on the same square, because at the moment is battle. Maybe player would use the card on the square before, but then you're deciding what to do next.

So I consider a movment of figure not as a state of "being between squares", I think this is the period in game started when figure does its first move, ended with the last move.

Defection is a lot debated. The issue about the max range of defection is the most debated point.

For example, a player moving on hut at 4 squares of another player's army. The other player uses defection :

-> 2 possibilities (it's quite 50% of the players play each possibility)

1) the army is defected before taking the hut.

2) the army takes the hut and is then defected.

It's the same for battle, village.

About relics, the rule states that you have to finish your movement on the Relics to take it (meaning you can cross a relic token without taking it), so nothing special occurs when you move on the Relic square because you have to end your move on it... So maybe in this case if you play with the second solution, the Relic would not be considered as taken.

Personly I play with the first solution, but I understand players using the second one.