Ruling Digest 579

From: "Jason Klank"
Subject: More Questions

1. Is the Balrog considered a Ringwraith for the effects of Man female characters (i.e. the prowess and body mods)?

Yes, the Balrog is treated as a Ringwraith. While this is annoying, ICE did not believe it is enough of a game breaker to warrant an errata.

2. What, if any, hazard effects would affect characters (either normally or in CVCC)? Conversely, what resource effects would affect hazards? Can a hero resource modify a minion character and vice versa? I understand that, by the CRF, that a card like Chill Them with Fear wouldn't affect Glorfindel attacking aminion company, or in any other combat situation. However, is that because it says "...Elf, Dwarf...ATTACKs get +2 strikes and +2 prowess"? Conversely, would an Elf-lord Reveled in Wrath (or any Elf/Dunadan creature) get a bonus from Star of High Hope since Star says "The prowess of each Elf and Dunadan is modified by +1 (by +2 if Gates of Morning is in play)"?

This is a long question, so I'll try to sum it up. In company vs. company combat, if the hazard says it affects attacks (like Chill Them with Fear) then it has no effect on CvCC. If it doesn't affect attacks, then it has it's normal effect (like Gloom's first ability).

3. This last one is a timing question. Basically, when do the effects on a hazard/resource long/permanent event take place? For example, if I go to play Long Winter, and my opponent doesn't respond to it before it comes into play, once it's in play, do it's effects resolve BEFORE my opponent can play Marvel's Tols/VoM to get rid of it? Or do the effects on the card start off a chain of events that can be responded to? Does this work the same way that an Ahunt dragon, after it comes into play, can be Marvel's Told(ed) to get rid of the attack?

When a Long or permanent event is tiggered, it begins a chain of effects that can be responded to.

4. Also, along these same lines, If I go to play a Nazgul as a perm-event, my opponent doesn't respond. Nazgul resolves and becomes a perm. NOW, if my opponent wanted to MT/VoM it, assuming there's hazard limit left, I can tap it for either it's short event function (if it has one) or to sideboard, thus his MT/VoM will fizzle due to it not having a valid target?

You may tap a nazgul in response to a Marvel or Voice and get it's effect.

5. At the beginning of a match, and I'm playing Balrog, I just have to declare myself as minion, correct? Or do I have to reveal myself as minion-Balrog (similar to the way that FW have to declare which wizard they are playing)?

You declare yourself as a minion.

6. Lastly, again, which Balrog-specific cards go out of play if my opponent gets the Balrog into play before I do? Just the ones that directly require the Balrog to be in play?

Balrogs do not use the Fallen Wizard rules for discarding Balrog Specific cards. I do not see any Balrog Specific cards which would need to be discarded. Any examples?

From: Ian.S.Williams@Dartmouth.EDU (Ian S. Williams)
Subject: more questions

1>) Radagast's Black Bird can cancel strikes against himself. Can he only do this once per turn, or as many times as you want to cancel strikes?

As many times as needed.

2) When Pallando uses Prophet of Doom to influence away an opponent's resources from a site where the influence attempt could not normally be made, you modify it by the distance between the sites. Does this mean the number of regions the site path would normally contain (ie including starting and ending regions) or is it only the regions in between?

Normal site path.