PLACING A CARD ON-GUARD [Revised Rule]

Author: Mark Akfano

An often confusing point is when and if certain hazards can be revealed as on-guard cards. There are two cases when a face down card may be revealed, and, thusly, affect an opponent’s company: 1) when the company announces it will face a site’s automatic-attacks (before the automatic-attack is itself faced), and 2) when the company plays a card keyed to the site.

For case #1, it is essential to realize that if the site has no automatic-attacks (like all normally occuring Free-holds), you cannot reveal an on-guard card according to this criterium. Additionally, an event that modifies the prowess of a character may not be revealed–only hazards that modify an automatic-attack itself can be. A creature revealed as an on-guard card is not considered an automatic-attack–it is considered a hazard creature attack.

For case #2, specifically, you may reveal an on-guard card in the same chain of effects in response to the play (declaration thereof) of any item, faction, ally, or other card that potentially taps the site. Successfully testing for and playing a ring special item does not count! You may reveal an on-guard card in response to the declaration of an influence attempt on a faction that only has an effect if the attempt would be successful (e.g., Lure of Power). Also, in the case of a faction, you may reveal an on-guard card that affects the actual influence attempt.

Additionally, the on-guard card may only be revealed if it affects the company or a character in the company that site phase–this clarification is actually looser than the rule printed on page page 61 of the METW Unlimited Rulesbook. This rule did state the on-guard card may only be revealed if it directly affected the company. Only declared or on-going cards and effects can be considered when determining the validy of revealing an on-guard card–cards in your hand, your opponent’s hand, play deck, discard pile, etc. cannot be considered and potential effects that have not been triggered cannot be considered. An on-guard card may not be revealed if it has an effect that is meaningless during a company’s site phase.

CRF Erratum: An on-guard may only be revealed if it could have also been played during the movement/hazard phase. This means all targets of the card must have existed during the movement/hazard phase in order for the card to be revealed.

CRF Clarification: A revealed on-guard card retroactively takes effect as though it were both declared and resolved immediately prior to the chain of effects during which it was revealed. For example, if a Greed is played in response to the play of an item, it is considered to be in effect immediately prior to the play of item. Thus, Greed would cause corruption checks following the play of the item.

Example: As an example of how this requirement is looser now, Balance of Things may be revealed as an on-guard card so long as at least one character in the company, during whose site phase Balance of Things is revealed, carries at least one corruption source.

Example

Balrog of Moria could be revealed when a company chooses to face the automatic-attacks at Moria (Balrog modifies Moria’s automatic-attacks). However, it could not be revealed in response to the play of an item at Moria because Balrog in no way can affect the company for the rest of the site phase (unless for some reason the company is fated to face the automatic-attacks again).

A corruption card can be revealed as an on-guard card (so long as it otherwise is legal)–because a character in the company is affected. A card that changes the company’s site type cannot be revealed unless this has some obvious effect on the company that site phase.

1) A card cannot be revealed that returns a company to its site of origin.

2) A card cannot be revealed that taps a company’s site.

3) A card cannot be revealed that potentially removes a character from a company.

4) A card cannot be revealed that forces a company to do nothing during its site phase.

5) A card that potentially removes an ally from the company can be revealed (so long as it otherwise is legal).

6) Traitor cannot be revealed.

7) Troll-purse (from Middle-earth: Dark Minions) can be revealed.

The spirit of the on-guard card is to represent a hazard threat that existed during a company’s movement/hazard phase, but of which the company was not aware. The actual rule that portrays this spirit is: an on-guard may only be revealed if it could have also been played during the movement/hazard phase–this is a slight modification from the rule printed on page page 61 of the METW Unlimited Rulesbook. Practically, this means all targets of the card must have existed during the movement/hazard phase in order for the card to be revealed.

Example: As a final, encompassing example of the NEW on-guard rules, Muster Disperses cannot be revealed as an on-guard card for two reasons.

  • Muster Disperses cannot target a faction played during the site phase during which it would be revealed because this target did not exist during the movement/hazard phase. A card can only be revealed in the same chain of effects as the play of a resource that potentially taps the site, and this resource actually is not resolved and cannot be targeted at that point.
  • Muster Disperses cannot target a faction already in play at the start of the site phase because it would not affect the company or a character in the company.