Other Ring-bearers

[Pepin The Breve]

  In fact the word add "X instead" is not equal to prevent. From the rulebook: "When a card uses the phrase "instead" or "instead of", the stated effect is replaced with a different effect. This does not mean that the original effect is prevented. If the second effect cannot happen for any reason, then the original effect occurs.".

   So i guess it won´t fall in the "preventing" issue, and yes, you can add 2 burdens instead of 3.

[leokula]

Similarly... can Faramir, BoQ use the Ring of Rings for his wound gametext?

That's a different issue which is not Morgul Brute related. If he's wearing the ring, then he HAS to take a burden instead of the wound.

Also, I think the Boromir case is different from Morgul Brute because the case of preventing one action and being forced to do the other only applies in the specific case of "Do X. You may do Y to prevent X." Bearer of Council does not have that, it's simply "Do X or Y". Similarly, if you had Ulaire Toldea, Winged Sentry winning a skirmish, the Free Peoples player can choose to exert a companion and play Strength of Spirit: this does not mean that the burden is added instead, because the exertion is not "preventing" anything. If, however, Winged Sentry was worded "... add a burden. The Free Peoples player may exert a companion to prevent that." then playing Strength of Spirit adds the burden because the exertion was to prevent the burden and if you haven't exerted, you haven't prevented anything.

Thranduil

That's not how strength of spirit works, otherwise you couldn't use it with Legolas, Greenleaf, Aragorn's Bow or Trust me as you once did. It merely says ur not placing any token for the exertion, it doesn't mean ur character didn't exert.

[Thranduil]

Similarly... can Faramir, BoQ use the Ring of Rings for his wound gametext?

That's a different issue which is not Morgul Brute related. If he's wearing the ring, then he HAS to take a burden instead of the wound.

Also, I think the Boromir case is different from Morgul Brute because the case of preventing one action and being forced to do the other only applies in the specific case of "Do X. You may do Y to prevent X." Bearer of Council does not have that, it's simply "Do X or Y". Similarly, if you had Ulaire Toldea, Winged Sentry winning a skirmish, the Free Peoples player can choose to exert a companion and play Strength of Spirit: this does not mean that the burden is added instead, because the exertion is not "preventing" anything. If, however, Winged Sentry was worded "... add a burden. The Free Peoples player may exert a companion to prevent that." then playing Strength of Spirit adds the burden because the exertion was to prevent the burden and if you haven't exerted, you haven't prevented anything.

Thranduil

That's not how strength of spirit works, otherwise you couldn't use it with Legolas, Greenleaf, Aragorn's Bow or Trust me as you once did. It merely says ur not placing any token for the exertion, it doesn't mean ur character didn't exert.

You're right. Assume when I use the term Strength of Spirit, I mean a card that says "If a companion is about to exert, prevent that".

Thranduil

[Gerontius]

So if you have Armor on Boromir you have to add burdens?

[Elessar's Socks]

So if you have Armour on Borimer you have to add burdens?

Yes. That's covered by a separate rule that says if an effect requires you to choose one of several actions, you have to choose the one you can fully perform, if possible. BoC with Armor cannot take wounds, so you'd have to add burdens. A very dangerous combination!

[Tempest123]

All in all there is a diffrence with preventing with cards like sappling and not placing a token with intimidate or strength of spirit .
Anyway the big conclusion here is I think that decipher sux

[Imrahil]

So if I were to say, start Boromir, BoC with Arwen, Elven Rider, then equip him with Armor...could I assign him to a skirmish, prevent the first wound with Arwen's text, take the second wound, and thereby render him unable to take wounds until the end of the skirmish?

[HawkeyeSPF]

No; simply by bearing the Armor, Boromir must now take burdens instead of wounds at the start of the skirmish. Arwen's text could still apply if he were to be the target of Whirling Strike or if he lost the skirmish though.

[Thranduil]

All in all there is a diffrence with preventing with cards like sappling and not placing a token with intimidate or strength of spirit .
Anyway the big conclusion here is I think that decipher sux

Not quite. Intimidate "prevents" the wound. "Strength of Spirit" only prevents the placement of the exertion. The reason for the subtle difference is that if Strength of Spirit said "If a companion is about to exert, prevent that exertion" then you couldn't use it in conjunction with a special ability (like Greenleaf) because the cost will not have been paid (because it was prevented).

Thranduil

[MuadDib85]

Interesting debate.

Doesn't the fact that the ring of rings gametext is a response have something to with the original question?

'At the start of each skirmish involving Boromir add three burdens or wound him twice'..

Choose to wound him twice, then as all responses are optional you should either be able to leave the 2 wounds or take 2 burdens instead or take 1 burden and 1 wound..
This is the way I would read it anyway..

On another note: If 2 saplings were in play couldn't you just discard them both to prevent any wounds at all?