Adversaries

Promo 2 - 1st printing
Errata for Kingdom of Scotland Lvl 1 -- Scotland's Level 1 "Trading Port" ability is missing a "1" in front of the Explorer. It should read "...in Coastal lands, Explore cards add 1 Town instead of 1 Explorer".

So if an Explore would normally add 2 Explorers - due to an Event, or combining Scotland with France - it would instead add 1 Town and 1 Explorer.
Tags: Explorer, Kingdom of Scotland

When Scotland Explores into Coastal Lands, what happens if there's an Isolated Coastal land? Do the other 2 Coastal lands on that board both have to add 1 Town, or can one get an Explorer?
Both non-Isolated Coastal lands get 1 Town. (And the Isolated land isn't explored.)

This happens whenever one of the Explores is prevented for whatever reason.
Tags: Explore, Isolate, Wilds, Skipping Actions, 1 more...

Does cascading Blight contribute to the loss condition of Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony)?
Yes, as long as the original Ravage Action in a land caused 8+ damage.
Tags: Ravage, Blight, Victory and Defeat, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), 0 more...

For Habsburg Level 1 (Migratory Herders), does it check all Build Cards, or just those in the normal Build Space?
The intent is that it only checks cards in the Build Space printed on the Invader Board, but that isn't explicitly spelled out for space reasons (and because it doesn't matter 99% of the time). If you play it as written (also checking Build Cards in other places), that's totally fine.

Situations where it makes a difference include are playing double-Adversary with England Lvl 3+ (the High Immigration step has Build Cards) and the Event Card "Farmers Seek the Dahan for Aid" (which can turn a Ravage Card into a Build Card).
Tags: Build Step, Build Cards, Combining Adversaries, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), 2 more...

For Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony) Level 4, when "Destroy Town" effects turn to Damage, does that Damage have to respect restrictions on which Towns could have been destroyed?
Yes. For instance, if you Push a Durable Town into a land affected by Melt Earth Into Quicksand that also has several other Towns, the resulting "2 Damage to Town only" may only be done to the Pushed Town, because that's the only one the Destroy could have affected.

If you had "Destroy 2 Towns with (Strife)", the 4 Damage could only be done to 2 Towns with Strife. Etc. Basically, consider Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony) Level 4's text to read "2 Damage to those Towns" instead of just "2 Damage to Towns". (This wording will be updated in a future printing.)

This does include "number of Towns", which is relevant for cases like Drought, which can't spread out its "6 Damage to Towns" among 6 different Towns then wipe them all out with "1 Damage to Town/City".
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Durable, Damage, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), Melt Earth Into Quicksand, 2 more...

Which lands are affected by the Level 1 effect "Indentured Servants Earn Land" of the Kingdom of England?
The lands you'd normally check for Build. (Those of the Terrain type(s) showing on the Invader Card under Build.)

The only change to how Build works is that a land without Invaders might Build (if it meets the listed requirements), which normally is not the case.
Tags: Build, Kingdom of England

When Towns are Durable (have extra Health) due to Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony) Level 4+: If Invaders blight a land during Ravage, does their Towns' extra Health wear off immediately?
Yes, it drops to normal at the same time as the Blight is added / the Dahan are damaged. If any such Towns have already taken 2+ Damage, they will be destroyed immediately, before Dahan counterattack.
Tags: Damage, Health, Durable, Ravage, 2 more...

Does the Kingdom of Scotland's Escalation trigger if there are no coastal Towns/Cities in any land?
Yes. As usual, when there's a tie, players break it.
Tags: Stage II escalation, Kingdom of Scotland

When playing against France, if the Slave Rebellion event card causes a victory, can the next Event Card turn it into a sacrifice victory or otherwise undo it?
No. You check for victory after the Main Event ("Small Uprising" or "Rebellion") and after the Dahan Event ("Aid the Uprising"), and never get to the follow-up Event Card if you win.

Even if the 2nd Event Card is interpreted as a triggered action(†), it's not triggered by the Main Event or Dahan Event, so it doesn't need to be resolved before checking victory/defeat. (It's triggered by "finishing the Event Card", which is timing based on the game's structure similar to something like "after the Ravage Step" - not an action proper.)

(†) = And it's not clear if it should be, its wording predates "After" meaning "triggered action".
Tags: Actions, Victory and Defeat, Kingdom of France, Slave Rebellion, 0 more...

Can the Salt Deposits Invader Card be removed or discarded from the Invader Deck?
No, the only way it can leave the Invader Deck is by being advanced out of the Explore Space into the Build Space at the end of the Invader Phase in which it was revealed.

In particular:

How does the Stage II escalation (flag) effect for Brandenburg-Prussia work? Which lands can I add a town to?
First, you check each board (section of the map) to see if there is at least one Town or City. (Usually, there will be.) Then pick one land on that board that doesn't currently have a Town in it, and add a Town there.

The land does not need to match the Explore Card.

The new Town can be where the Invaders already are (with Explorers and/or Cities), or can be well away from any existing Invaders. If there are no lands without Towns on the board, then no new Town is added.

This happens before the actual Exploration, so the Prussians might Explore from the Town that you just added.

You can choose the position of the Town to be best for you (and it's expected you will – otherwise it would be too punishing).
Tags: Stage II escalation, Kingdom of Brandenburg-Prussia

When Fortune-Seekers modifies the Salt Deposits card against the Habsburg Mining Expedition, which lands match the Explore Card?
The ones without Towns/Cities.

“Non-Mining lands” is a printed land type on the Salt Deposits card, even if it’s not a standard one, so it gets replaced by the condition from Fortune-Seekers.
Tags: Matches, Explore, Fortune-Seekers, Habsburg Mining Expedition, 0 more...

With Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony) Level 5 (Wave of Immigration), do you do the effect before or after the Explore on that turn?
After completely resolving the Explore Card above it, including an "After Exploring" Escalations. If you're resolving another Explore Card that turn, e.g., because you're playing the Surges of Colonization scenario, resolve the effects of the Reminder Card before revealing the next Explore Card.

Formally, Reminder Cards resolve once you're done resolving the Invader Card above them. (Or, in unusual cases like this FAQ, if they end up atop the Invader Deck.)
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Invader deck, Ordering, Reminder Cards, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), 2 more...

For Sweden Lvl 4 (Royal Backing), what is the timing of the Invader Card discard? How does it combine with other Adversaries which stack the Invader Deck?
Royal Backing rephrased for less ambiguity: "At the end of Setup (after resolving the initial Explore Card), Accelerate the Invader Deck. (Discard the topmost card of the lowest Invader Stage remaining in the deck.) On each board, add 1 Town to the land with fewest Invaders that matches the discarded card."

The fact that it's Accelerating the deck instead of discarding off the top is only relevant when combining Adversaries and the top Invader Card (post-Explore) is a later Invader Stage moved upwards by Adversary instructions. (Eg: Brandenburg-Prussia 5, where it will be a Stage III card, but there are still Stage II cards left in the deck.)
Tags: Accelerate, Combining Adversaries, Timing, Kingdom of Sweden, 0 more...

The Kingdom of France's "Frontier Explorers" adds +1 Explorer when Exploring into a land without a Town/City. What happens with the Promising Farmland Event? <i>("When Exploring, on each board, add 1 Town instead of 1 Explorer.")</i>
You add +1 Explorer as normal for France, regardless of whether a given land got a Town instead of an Explorer.

You check for Towns/Cities to see whether Frontier Explorers triggers before the Explore adds new pieces.
Tags: Explore, Kingdom of France, Promising Farmland (Event)

If Habsburg Mining Expedition Level 1+ would Ravage in a land with Disease, then an Event ignores Disease during Builds, does the Disease still prevent that Ravage?
No, the Ravage happens normally.

Ceaseless Mining makes modifiers to Disease (in this case, making Disease do nothing) apply to Ravages in addition to Builds.
Tags: Disease, Action Modifiers, Lingering Plagues, Irregular Outbreaks, 1 more...

What does "Escalation ignores S" on Habsburg Mining Expedition level 4 mean?
The Mining Tunnels Escalation checks terrains, and neither "Mining land" nor "non-Mining land" are terrains.

Similarly, Mining Tunnels will ignore the "Coastal Lands" Invader Card at Levels 0-3. The Fortification Event works similarly.
Tags: Terrain, Matches, Habsburg Mining Expedition

What is the Difficulty of Habsburg Mining Expedition Level 0 (just the loss condition and Escalation)?
Difficulty 1.
Tags: Difficulty, Habsburg Mining Expedition

What does "in board/land order" mean for Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony) Level 1?
It specifies exactly what order lands Gather Towns in: any relevant lands on Board A resolves first (starting with the lowest-numbered land matching a Build card and going up), then Board B, etc. On the thematic boards, go in "reading order" of left to right, top to bottom: NW, NE, W, E, SW, and finally SE.

You go by order of lands to Gather in to. As usual, they can come from any adjacent land, including on another board.

The primary motivation for this rule is speed of play – if it's not in a deterministic order, it usually doesn't matter much, but occasionally it really does, and searching for those cases and choosing the precise ordering of lands can slow the whole process down.

If you want to handle all boards simultaneously for further speed, you can, so long as you avoid Gathering Towns that an earlier land might Gather.
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Ordering, Thematic map, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony)

Can effects that skip Build Actions prevent Habsburg Mining Expedition Level 1+ from Ravaging in a Mining land that matches the Build Card?
No.

There is never a Build Action to skip — the Build Card directly creates Ravage Actions. Any effect that skips Ravage Actions will work though.
Tags: Skipping Actions, Build Cards, Habsburg Mining Expedition

When playing with against France, what happens to Towns that end up somewhere other than on the island (e.g., on the Great River panel)?
They go back into the pool of available Towns for France's loss condition, like if they were removed/destroyed. If the Towns would be used for tracking elsewhere, track that thing with another component. (e.g., swap them for 2 Explorers on the panel for Ocean's Hungry Grasp or use Scenario Markers to represent Towns that escaped in the Great River scenario.)

The intent of France's Town pool is to track how many Towns are on the island; it's just considerably easier to do this with a limited Town pool than by counting the number on the board every time one gets added. In cases where the Towns permanently leave play, it's appropriate to return them to the supply to keep that count correct, even if they'd otherwise be removed from the game entirely (e.g., by the leather sack in Powers Long Forgotten).
Tags: The Great River, Kingdom of France, Ocean In Play (Ocean's Hungry Grasp), Ocean's Hungry Grasp, 1 more...

Is the "6 or more damage to the land" check of Kingdom of Sweden's Level 1 Heavy Mining affected by modifiers to the land's health? (e.g., All Things Weaken, the Resilience Aspect for Vital Strength of the Earth)
Yes. So they would need, e.g., 5 Damage to add Blight if the land has only 1 Health due to "All Things Weaken," but 14 Damage to add 2 Blight in a land with Vital Strength of the Earth {Resilience}'s Sacred Site.

The same applies for the Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony)'s extra loss condition (which would need 7 Damage in a 1-Health land to count Blight and 16 Damage in such a Sacred Site to count Blight).
Tags: Damage, Resilience Aspect (Vital Strength of the Earth), Kingdom of Sweden, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), 3 more...

Against France Level 6, can Fear cards destroy Explorers?
Yes.

The Persistent Explorers effect only says it prevents Explorers from being "removed", so Fear cards that "destroy" Explorers work as usual.
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Remove, Destroy, Kingdom of France

Against the Habsburg Mining Expedition at Level 6, can the Explore Actions from Mining Tunnels (Escalation) get extra Explorers from The Empire Ascendant (Level 6)?
No, Mining Tunnels doesn't happen during the Explore Step, so The Empire Ascendant can't modify it.
Tags: Explore, Habsburg Mining Expedition

With the Aid the Uprising part of the Slave Rebellion Event card against <i>Kingdom of France</i>, is damage calculated against each Invader with Strife separately?
Yes, each individual Invader with Strife takes damage according to how many Dahan are present.

Thus, for instance, two Dahan can destroy any number of Towns with Strife.
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Kingdom of France, Slave Rebellion

For Durable Invaders from Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony) Level 4, what exactly counts as a ‘Destroy all’ effect?
Only “Destroy everything” or “Destroy all (piece) (in a land or lands)”, like “Destroy all Explorer/Town.” Effects limiting the destruction by something the piece has or did (e.g., “is damaged”, “was just moved”, “has Strife”) are not considered “destroy all” and are converted to Damage like all other destroy effects.

This is most relevant for Ocean's Hungry Grasp, which has “After Invaders/Dahan are moved into the Ocean, Destroy them”; since this limits what gets destroy to “pieces that moved”, it's not a “destroy all”.
Tags: Durable, Destroy, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), Ocean In Play (Ocean's Hungry Grasp), 4 more...

How many Actions is the Habsburg Livestock Colony Escalation?
One Action per board with 4 or fewer Blight followed by one additional Action per board with 2 or fewer Blight, for a maximum of 2 Actions per board.

If you are able to move or destroy the first added Town with a triggered Action, it is possible to choose that land again for the second added Town.
Tags: Actions, Stage II escalation, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony)

Against the Habsburg Mining Expedition Level 1+, does Disease only prevent Ravages in Mining lands during the Build Step?
No, Disease in Mining lands will prevent any Ravage, including those caused by Ravage/Build Cards (common), Events (uncommon), or Powers (rare).
Tags: Disease, Build Step, Ravage, Habsburg Mining Expedition, 0 more...

During a Ravage by the Habsburg Mining Expedition Level 1+, does the upgrade from Avarice Rewarded happen before or after the Dahan counterattack?
Before, when Blight would normally cascade. If the surviving Dahan are numerous enough to take out the newly-upgraded piece, the upgrade may be to your advantage.
Tags: Timing, Ravage, Upgrade, Habsburg Mining Expedition, 0 more...

Both Russia 1 and All Things Weaken can make Blight destroy Beasts. Which takes precedence?
Russia 1 does, if its conditions are met (the Blight is from a Ravage). If a Ravage Blight destroys multiple Beasts in a land, only one of them goes to the Russia panel (since the others were destroyed due to All Things Weaken).
Tags: Blight, Blighted Island, Beasts, All Things Weaken, 1 more...

How much damage do Russian Explorers do (level 1+)?
Each Explorer does +1 Damage, so normally 2 Damage each.
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Damage, Tsardom of Russia

Can you play against France *(level 2+)* without using the Event deck?
Yes. You just need to track the time to make the Slave Rebellion event come up at the appropriate time, on Turns 4 and 8 and, in unusual circumstances, Turn 12, either by using the Event deck only as a timer or by some other means.

Since the Slave Rebellion is normally in addition to another Event, there are no balance concerns.

If you want to duplicate the "Thematic Rebellion" rules (B&C rulebook, p. 19), make the Slave Rebellion happen on turns 3, 4, or 5: roll a die on turn 3; on a 1 or 2, it happens then. If it doesn't happen then, roll the die on turn 4; it happens on 1, 2, or 3. And if it hasn't happened yet, it will happen on turn 5.
Tags: Playing Without Events, Kingdom of France

Against Russia 2: a damaged Explorer with a health bonus ends the turn Shroud of Silent Mists' lands. It should be destroyed when the health bonus wears off - is it saved?
No. It's not in the context of an action, so Russia 2 doesn't apply.

(This is a provisional answer - if further cases like this suggest that "Effects expire" needs to be an action, it could conceivably change, but that seems the less likely case.)
Tags: Actions, Action Modifiers, Shroud of Silent Mist, Well-Prepared Explorers, 1 more...

On the "Slave Rebellion" Event card, what does it mean to "return this card to the Event Deck as per Setup"?
If you draw this card when not playing against France at Level 2 or higher, you should not have this card in the deck--discard it and draw another. If you are playing against France, then there are instructions on the Kingdom of France Adversary card; follow those.
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Events, Slave Rebellion, Kingdom of Brandenburg-Prussia

When does Brandenburg-Prussia Level 2's early Stage III card count as Stage III and when does it count as Stage II?
It only counts as Stage II for "What Invader Stage is the game in?" (E.g., for the Second Wave Scenario, the Ward the Shores Scenario, Events, or the rules for playing with Beasts tokens but no Events.) It's still a Stage III card for anything that cares about the Stage of a specific card (e.g., the Escalation rules for Combining Two Adversaries, or Fractured Days' unique power "The Past Returns Again").

It ceases to be special once it leaves the Invader Deck (even if it returns to the deck, e.g., via "The Past Returns Again") or gets shuffled with other Stage III cards (e.g., by the Fractured Days innate power "Visions of a Shifting Future").

This is the only specially-placed Invader card that acts differently; all other cards act like their printed Stage in all circumstances.
Tags: Combining Adversaries, Events, Playing Without Events, Kingdom of Brandenburg-Prussia, 6 more...

If a Ravage caused by the Habsburg Mining Expedition (Level 1+) would add a Blight to a land with Blight and no Explorers/Towns, what happens if there are no pieces to Upgrade (e.g., because only Cities are participating in that Ravage)?
Nothing — neither upgrade nor cascade.

Avarice Rewarded doesn't check if an upgrade is possible before it replaces the cascade.
Tags: Upgrade, Blight, Action Modifiers, Habsburg Mining Expedition, 0 more...

Does making Explorers not participate in Ravage (e.g., with Lure of the Deep Wilderness) prevent "Competition Among Hunters" (The Tsardom of Russia Level 3) from causing Ravages?
Yes.

Since "Competition Among Hunters" modifies which lands match Ravage Cards, it only checks for Explorers that are participating in Ravage.
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Do not participate in Ravage, Ravage, Matches, Enthrall the Foreign Explorers (Lure of the Deep Wilderness), 5 more...

If the Kingdom of Sweden Explores into a land with Escalation, can a triggered action like Call to Guard get rid of that Explorer before the Escalation checks if a Dahan will be replaced?
Yes, but you can choose the opposite order if you want to lose the Dahan.

This only works because Sweden's Swayed by the Invaders Escalation checks how many Invaders and Dahan are present when that triggered action finally resolves, not when the land is Explored. (The Escalation technically happens in every explored land; it just doesn't do anything if the Invader & Dahan condition isn't met.)
Tags: Triggered Actions, Kingdom of Sweden, Call to Guard, Bargain of Coursing Paths, 2 more...

Does Sweden's Escalation effect happen if no Explorer was added?
No, the Invaders have to successfully Explore in order to trigger the effect.

It doesn't matter whether the Explore failed because of a lack of sources of exploration or from some other effect (eg, the Fear card Avoid the Dahan).
(Discussion elsewhere) (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Stage II escalation, Explore, Wilds, Isolate, 2 more...

When the Ravage Card is Salt Deposits, does Farmers Seek the Dahan for Aid cause it to Build in Mining lands, Ravage in Mining lands, or Build in non-Mining lands?
Build in Mining lands.

Which lands Salt Deposits matches is determined by the space it’s in on the Invader Board, so it’ll still match Mining lands in the Ravage space. Ceaseless Mining only affects the Build Step, so it doesn’t interact with Farmers Seek the Dahan for Aid, which is thus free to turn the Ravage into a Build.
Tags: Action Modifiers, Ravage, Farmers Seek the Dahan for Aid, Habsburg Mining Expedition, 0 more...

Does the Kingdom of France's "Slave Labor" effect, converting Explorers into Towns, trigger if they don't Build normally?
No, it doesn't. The effect happens "After Invaders Build", so if they are prevented from building (by Disease, or by skipping actions for one reason or another), then it doesn't trigger.

By the same token, if the Invaders get an extra Build for any reason, the effect would trigger then.
(Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Build, Disease, Kingdom of France

Does a Build have to happen for Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony) Level 1 to Gather Towns?
No, there is always a Build Step, so the Level 1 "Migratory Herders" effect still Gathers Towns into every matching land, even if a Build Action didn't happen there because there were no Invaders present or because the Build Action was explicitly skipped.
Tags: Build Step, Skipping Actions, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony)

When the Kingdom of Sweden reveals an Escalation symbol, does the Escalation apply to all subsequent Explore Cards that turn?
No, Swayed by the Invaders only applies to the card with the Escalation symbol, and not to any other Explore Cards.

This also means that if the Escalation would happen when the card isn't an Explore Card (e.g., when combining with the Tsardom of Russia's Entrench in the Face of Fear), then the Escalation does nothing.
Tags: Stage II escalation, Combining Adversaries, Kingdom of Sweden, Explorers are Reluctant, 2 more...

Does the cascade replacement from Habsburg Mining Expedition Level 1 apply to cascades caused by something other than adding Blight to a land with Blight *(e.g., the Sands effect of Varied Terrains)*? How about adding Blight to another land in a way that isn't called a “cascade” *(e.g., Scotland Level 5)*?
Yes and no, respectively.

If it's from a Ravage and called a “cascade,” Avarice Rewarded turns it into an upgrade. If it's either not called a cascade or not from a Ravage, resolve the effect normally and don't apply Avarice Rewarded.
Tags: Combining Adversaries, Blight, Kingdom of Scotland, Varied Terrains, 1 more...

For Scotland Level 5+, the oceans are in play for purposes of Blight only. How does that interact with Powers, Special Rules, Events, etc. that deal with Blight?
Powers, Events, etc can add, remove, or move Blight into/out of the Ocean, or count / check it (for, e.g.: The Land Thrashes in Furious Pain). If something messing with Blight in the Ocean also does other stuff, that other stuff doesn't happen. If an Event tells you, "Do X in a land with Blight", unless X is adding more Blight, you have to choose somewhere else.

There are currently no abilities which transform Blight, but if one existed, the resulting piece would be in an illegal state and follow those rules.
Tags: Blight, Illegally placed pieces, Kingdom of Scotland, The Land Thrashes in Furious Pain, 7 more...

How does "Invaders skip all actions" in a particular land interact with a Stage II Escalation affecting that land?
If the Stage II Escalation is an Invader Action (i.e., Ravage, Build, or Explore), it's skipped. Otherwise, it is an Adversary Action and not affected.

Specifically:

How does Farmers Seek the Dahan For Aid affect Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony) Level 1?
It doesn't — it changes the next Ravage Card to a Build Card, but doesn't affect the Invader Steps.

Likewise if the Build is entirely skipped by Immigration Slows, there is still a Build Step and Habsburg Lvl 1 still happens.
Tags: Build Step, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), Farmers Seek the Dahan for Aid, Immigration Slows, 1 more...

Does Ceaseless Mining (Habsburg Mining Expedition Level 1) cause Ravages in Mining lands from extra Build Steps (e.g., from High Immigration when combining with the Kingdom of England)?
No, Ceaseless Mining only affects the ordinary Build Step corresponding to the Build Space printed on the Invader Board, since it refers to the Build Step. Build Cards in extra Build Steps will Build normally.

Similarly, Mining Boom (Levels 3 & 5) won't trigger after extra Build Steps, and The Empire Ascendant (Level 6) won't affect Explore Cards resolved during extra Explore Steps.
Tags: Combining Adversaries, Build Step, Fortification, Kingdom of England, 1 more...