I tried searching for this, because I'm sure its been asked (at least something similar to it) but couldn't find it. We had incapacitated VOTM Plague Rat making his turn power "Destroy the Environment Target with the Highest HP." (or something very similar) Right after we incapacitated him the Mobile Defense Platform Propulsion Card came out (Sorry don't have the card here in front of me.) The card states that when it reaches 0 or below 0 HP then everyone dies Game Over. Now in my experience cards like this would normally say something like "If this card is destroyed" or "When this card is destroyed." They don't often say that thing about when they reach zero or below HP.
So my question is on Plague Rat's Turn he destroyed the Propulsion Card and everyone I was playing with said that didn't end the game becuase there was no damage done to it, the card was just removed. I think that we lost, because the propulsion was "destroyed" so we fell out of the sky. What say ye?
I wonder if it's phrased that way so it can be removed from the game (destroyed) without causing the crash. Take it out by a means other than reducing it to zero HP and the game doesn't end? Otherwise, having it come up would be harsher than lost in the past or self-destruct.
The card specifically only mentions the loss of hp and not being destroyed to prevent losing the game in these types of situations.
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard, "The Tower of the Elephant"
Yeah thats what we were discussing, because it does seem like unique language. However thematically it does make sense that the Plague Rat, who is going on a rampage, destroyed the engines and down we all go. I don't know!
Yes, you only die if it reaches 0 or less health. Your game would continue. Belle is correct that it's designed that way on purpose so that things like Devestating Aurora and Terraforming don't mean "You loose. Tough."
If it helps, imagine that the Propulsion System is accessed by a door. The card coming into play is someone banging the door open so that the fight enters that room, and destroying the card is the equivalent of forcing everyone out of the room and barring the door, rather than actually destroying the system itself.
Incidentally, Apostate has similar text regarding his destruction protection (Although I want to say he got some errata in the video game to change this - does anybody know for certain?) - he flips on being reduced to 0, not destruction, so Sucker Punch and Wrathful Gaze can get rid of him on his front side even with relics in play.
"Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?"
- Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Yeah thats what we said had happened, that the place of conflict had changed. But it still didn't quite fit seemlesly in with the theme of Plague Rat going wild and destroying the environment, for me. But I think thats enough of a concensus that we can call this one closed. Thanks everyone!
I've wondered that about Apostate, but haven't seen any official ruling or Forum concensus.
Not just a consensus but a confirmation. The card was designed that way in playtesting specifically to prevent those situations.
Also, Apostate was changed in the video game. You cannot Sucker Punch him on his front, but you still can on his back.
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard, "The Tower of the Elephant"
"Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?"
- Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
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