Tsardom of Russia

Frequently Asked Questions

Adversaries

• 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...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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:

  • Directly skipped (Invader Actions): Kingdom of England, Habsburg Mining Expedition
  • Indirectly skipped (triggered by Invader Actions): Kingdom of Sweden
  • Unskippable: Kingdom of Brandenburg Prussia, Kingdom of France (Plantation Colony), Tsardom of Russia, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), Kingdom of Scotland.

  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Skipping Actions, Stage II escalation, A Year of Perfect Stillness (Vital Strength of the Earth), Paralyzing Fright, 9 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

Effect Rules

• If an Invader is saved from destruction (e.g., by the Tsardom of Russia Level 2+), does it count towards effects that check which pieces were destroyed?
  No, since it wasn't actually destroyed.
  Tags: Saved From Destruction, Tsardom of Russia, Never Heard From Again (Lure of the Deep Wilderness), Darkness Swallows the Unwary (Shadows Flicker Like Flame), 10 more...
• If your Incarna is the only Presence you have left on the island, do you need to continually count it as Presence to avoid losing?
  No. You can choose to count it as Presence for victory and defeat checks without having to count it as Presence for everything else.

  Similarly, pieces that can count as Beasts don't need to continuously count as such against the Tsardom of Russia, just for the victory and defeat checks.
  Tags: Victory and Defeat, Counts As, Incarna, Settle Into Hunting-Grounds, 3 more...
• When Blight is Added, what order do you perform all of the effects of Adding Blight? If you were in the middle of a Ravage, do you finish the Ravage first?
  Do the ‘Immediately’ effects on the Blight card, and then finish resolving whatever caused the card to flip (whether it's a Ravage or something else).

  More precisely, the order is:

  1. Take Blight off the card. If this empties the card, flip it, refill the Blight pool, and resolve any ‘Immediately’ effects on the card as a nested Action.
  2. Actually put the Blight in the land.
  3. Destroy Presence and do anything else that cares “when” this happens, like Kingdom of Sweden Level 5, Tsardom of Russia Level 1, or the Blight card All Things Weaken.
  4. If Blight was already present, cascade (returning to Step 1 in that adjacent land).
  5. Finish resolving the Action (usually the Ravage) that caused the Blight card to flip.
  6. Perform any Triggered Actions that care about Blight being added, like Kingdom of Scotland Level 5.

  In particular, if more Invaders are added to the land being Ravaged (e.g., with Promising Farmlands), they don't deal more damage, as that step has already happened; however, they are susceptible to a Dahan counterattack, and any new Dahan (e.g., with Unnatural Proliferation) would participate.
  (Discussion elsewhere) (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Blighted Island, Timing, Nested Actions, Blight, 13 more...

Event Cards

• For an Event that does something "for each Beasts", is it one Action for the whole board?
  No, it is one Action per land with Beasts (JE rulebook, "Each" exception sidebar).
  Tags: Saved From Destruction, Actions, Prey on the Unwary (Beasts Event), Beasts Attack (Beasts Event), 1 more...

Fear and Fear Cards

• At Terror Level 2 and 3, how many actions is Scapegoats? It's very relevant against, eg, Russia Lvl 2.
  One action per land with Towns/Cities - treat it as if it said:

  • Terror 2: In each land with (Town)/(City): Destroy 1 (Explorer) per (Town) and 2 (Explorer) per (City).
  • Terror 3: In each land with (Town)/(City): Destroy all (Explorer). Destroy 1 (Town) per (City).

  A strict reading of the Terror 2 text would be "one action in each land with Towns followed by one action in each land with Cities", which, when it matters at all, is super-fiddly and counter to the card's intent. A strict reading of the Terror 3 text would probably be similar (though there's a case to be made that the Explorer destruction would be a single action total, which is even weirder).
  Tags: Actions, Scapegoats, Tsardom of Russia, Observe the Ever-Changing World (Shifting Memory of Ages), 0 more...

General Play

• If a Spirit's Presence counts as Beasts (say, due to Settle Into Hunting-Grounds), and a "destroy Beasts" effect destroys their Presence, is it still considered destroyed Presence? More generally, if Piece A also counts as Piece B, and a "destroy/remove Piece B" effect destroys/removes it, does it go to the supply for A or B?
  It's considered destroyed Presence. When a piece is removed from the board, it goes to the supply (or other destination) for that physical type of piece.
  Tags: Presence, Pieces, Counts As, Beasts, 14 more...

Invader Actions

• When a Ravage changes which pieces are in other lands, can that cause additional Ravages from the current Ravage Card?
  No. Determine which lands will Ravage before resolving any of those Ravages. A land with no Invaders at this point won't Ravage even if Invaders are later added or moved there. However:

  • If a land already has Invaders participating in Ravage, the new Invaders will also participate in that Ravage. Depending on how well the land is Defended and how many Dahan are present, this could be good (more Invaders destroyed in the counterattack) or bad (the Ravage now adds Blight from the extra Damage). You can resolve the two Ravages in whichever order is more advantageous.
  • If there's another Ravage Card this turn, that card can now cause Ravages in any matching lands that are no longer empty.

  This applies both to lands that "naturally" match the Ravage Card (e.g., a Jungle when the Ravage Card is Sands+Jungles) and to lands that match the Ravage Card due to an extra effect (e.g., lands with 3+ Explorers against the Tsardom of Russia Level 3+). Thus, for instance, against the Tsardom of Russia level 3+, if a Ravage pushes an Explorer by the Level 2 effect A Sense for Impending Disaster, it will not cause a Ravage to happen by the Level 3 effect Competition Among Hunters from the same card, but can cause a Ravage from a following Ravage Card added by the Level 5 effect Entrench in the Face of Fear.

  Explore and Build Cards work similarly, albeit without the concern around the amount of Damage.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Ravage, Ordering, Do not participate in Ravage, Tsardom of Russia, 3 more...
• Do Stage II Escalations happen before or after the Explore?
  If it is not specified, it happens before the Explore.

  This means that, e.g., Brandenburg-Prussia can add a Town that then acts as a source for the Exploration that happens immediately afterwards.
  Tags: Stage II escalation, Kingdom of Brandenburg-Prussia, Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, 1 more...
• When a Stage II card shows up at an unusual time, when exactly do you resolve the Escalation effect?
  Unless otherwise specified, when the Invader card is resolved for the first time (JE rulebook, p. 27).

  For instance, Russia Level 5 will put Invader cards directly in the Build space. When that card is resolved for the first time (usually Building on the next Invader phase), it will also trigger the Escalation effect.

  Explorers are Reluctant at Level III specifies different behavior on the card, so you should follow that.
  Tags: Stage II escalation, Tsardom of Russia, Explorers are Reluctant
• What does the 2nd choice in Farmers Seek the Dahan for Aid modify: a Ravage Step, a Ravage Card, or Ravage Actions?
  Read "the next normal Ravage becomes a Build" as "the next normal Ravage Card (even on a future turn) becomes a Build Card".

  The step is still the Ravage Step, so anything that specifically happens before, during, or after the Ravage Step will still happen at its normal time (but no Build Step effects will apply). Nevertheless, the resolved Invader card will obey all Build Card rules (both normal and Adversary-driven), cause Build Actions, etc.

  See New Nomenclature Roundup for a list of how to read ambiguous older game items.
  Tags: Ravage, Build, Farmers Seek the Dahan for Aid, Kingdom of Scotland, 3 more...

Play Options

• When playing without Events, can you use the Stage II "Command Beasts" card during Invader Stage III?
  Yes, you can use the Stage II Commanding Beasts any time after it is first unlocked.

  Likewise, for an Invader that switches back and forth between Stage II and Stage III (e.g., the Tsardom of Russia at Level 4+), you can use the Stage III "Command Beasts" card anytime after you first reach Stage III.
  Tags: Playing Without Events, Beasts, Kingdom of Scotland, Tsardom of Russia, 0 more...

Power Cards

• If you have a choice between destroying a normal Beasts token and a Beasts token marked by Unearth a Beast of Wrathful Stone, can you pick the marked Beasts? If so, what happens?
  Yes, you can pick the marked Beasts, and it's generally advantageous to do so: if it would be destroyed, removed, or replaced, skip those effects.

  It won't count as destroyed, removed, or replaced for effects that scale off the number of Beasts that leave the board, like A Dreadful Tide of Scurrying Flesh or Pent-Up Calamity.
  Tags: Destroy, Remove, Replace, Unearth a Beast of Wrathful Stone, 12 more...
• If you do damage in multiple lands with a single instructions, does the damage happen simultaneously? Against Russia level 2+, if one of those lands is Isolated, can you attempt to Push an Isolated Explorer and thus destroy it?
  Damage instructions are simultaneous in all the lands where they apply. Russia's Sense for Impending Disaster effect requires you to Push an Explorer if you can (and generate 1 Fear); you cannot pick an Isolated Explorer as the one to Push if you have another choice.

  This applies to any effect that deals damage in multiple lands at once.
  Tags: Damage, Action Modifiers, Bloodwrack Plague, Fire and Flood, 12 more...
• How does Absolute Stasis interact with victory condition X or loss condition Y?
  It doesn't, per the text on the card. The land is an ordinary land for any game-end conditions.

  For instance, you can't win by using Stasis on the land with the last Cities, lose by using Stasis on the last of a Spirit's Presence, Beasts in that land count for Russia's additional loss condition, and the final Ravage in Dahan Insurrection will not affect that land, but any Invaders left there will count against the victory condition.
  Tags: Victory and Defeat, Absolute Stasis (Fractured Days Split the Sky), Tsardom of Russia, Kingdom of Scotland, 3 more...
• If you sink a board when playing against Russia Lvl 2+, does the Pushed Explorer have to leave the destroyed board?
  Technically, no — but if you try Pushing the Explorer to a land on the sinking board, it can't be destroyed a second time by the same action. It will end up in an illegal state and be placed in the closest legal land.
  Tags: Illegally placed pieces, Cast Down into the Briny Deep, Tsardom of Russia, Transforming Aspect (Heart of the Wildfire), 0 more...

Scenarios

• If playing Despicable Theft vs. Russia level 2+, do the Thieves get the benefits that Russian Explorers do?
  No. "They are not Explorers for any other rule or purpose", including Adversary rules.

  They're basically a new type of piece, and Spirit Actions which can interact with Explorers are retconned to be able to affect Thieves too.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Despicable Theft, Tsardom of Russia

Spirits and Innate Powers

• Can Lure of the Deep Wilderness prevent Russia *(level 3+)* from having an extra Ravage?
  Yes.

  Lure of the Deep Wilderness can make Explorers be ignored for the entire Ravage Step, including the portion where you determine which lands will Ravage.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Ignore, Enthrall the Foreign Explorers (Lure of the Deep Wilderness), Lure of the Deep Wilderness, Tsardom of Russia, 0 more...
• Against Tsardom of Russia Level 2+, if Bringer of Dreams and Nightmares uses a Power that would destroy Explorers, can it get the bonus Fear from Russia?
  Yes. Both Russia's Level 2 and To Dream a Thousand Deaths modify what happens when you destroy the Explorers; you get to choose which one to use.

  If not using the Violence Aspect, you could choose to use To Dream a Thousand Deaths if for some reason you didn't want the Fear.

  This interaction is a change from the normal modifier rules specifically for Russia + Bringer. In general, pieces can't be saved from destruction (as Russia Level 2 does) when Bringer would directly destroy or Damage them, since Bringer never directly destroys or Damages anything other than its own Presence.
  Tags: Action Modifiers, Saved From Destruction, To Dream a Thousand Deaths (Bringer of Dreams and Nightmares), Tsardom of Russia, 1 more...
• When Breath of Darkness Down Your Spine faces the Tsardom of Russia Level 2+, can Breath abuct lone Explorers by doing Damage to them or directly destroying them?
  Yes, it can and must, even if it'd rather let the Explorer flee to get 1 Fear.

  Terror Stalks the Land abducts lone Invaders if Breath would attempt to damage or destroy them, while A Sense for Impending Disaster only makes an Explorer flee if that Explorer would actually otherwise be destroyed.
  Tags: Action Modifiers, Breath of Darkness Down Your Spine, Terror Stalks the Land (Breath of Darkness Down Your Spine), Tsardom of Russia, 0 more...
• What Invader cards are "specially placed during Setup" for Visions of a Shifting Future or Rising Interest in the Island?
  Any card that was moved by Adversary or Scenario instructions.

  As of the release of Nature Incarnate, this includes:

  • The early Stage III card of Kingdom of Brandenburg-Prussia Level 2.
  • The early Stage II cards and Coastal card of Kingdom of Scotland Level 2, and the early Stage III card of Scotland Level 4.
  • The interleaved Stage III cards of Tsardom of Russia Level 4 (but not the Stage II cards they alternate with).
  • The Salt Deposits card of Habsburg Mining Expedition Level 4.

  The only Event that is currently specially placed is France's Slave Rebellion.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Invader deck, Visions of a Shifting Future (Fractured Days Split the Sky), Fractured Days Split the Sky, Kingdom of Scotland, 4 more...
• When Volcano uses Explosive Eruption vs Russia 2+, can it Push 1 Explorer from the origin land (when it does damage by destroying Presence) then destroy that Explorer using the thresholds of the innate which deal damage to nearby lands? Does it Push the Explorer again?
  No, and no. Powers can't destroy Invaders that were saved from destruction earlier in that same action, so the runaway Explorer is safe. And all the damage is part of a single action, so you only Push them (and generate Fear) once.

  The damage from destroying your Presence is part of the same action because the Special Rule says "When you destroy your Presence..." - it modifies how other actions work while they're happening.
  Tags: Destroy, Saved From Destruction, Action Modifiers, Explosive Eruption (Volcano Looming High), 2 more...