My Axe Is Notched

[Tbiesty]

Based on the wording of My Axe Is Notched, it seems like the adding the token is a required action when Gimli wins a skirmish.  That seems strange since for Final Count, Stout and Strong, and Strength of Arms, adding a token when a character wins a skirmish is optional.

Just curious if anyone knew if there was a clarification somewhere that says that adding the token on My Axe Is Notched was optional.

[rubbercarp]

Good eye.
Yeah it is odd that there is a discrepancy between that and Final Count.

Is there any reason you can think of that you wouldn't want to add a token?
I guess in the later sets there there shadow cards that keyed off spotting tokens... weren't there?

[Tbiesty]

The reason isn't that I don't want to add the token to My Axe Is Notched.  It's because the action is required, it must take place before optional actions. 

Example 1: If Gimli wins a skirmish, and I used an optional action to play My Axe Is Notched, I would not be able to add the token because we've passed the point where required actions can trigger.  If adding the token to My Axe Is Notched was optional, I would be able to add the token after I play it.

Example 2: If Gimli wins a skirmish, and I used an optional action to play Stout and Strong, I would be able to add the token because the optional action of adding the token to Stout and Strong can still trigger.

Unless anyone knows if there is a rule that says if a card with a required action comes into play as a result of a optional action, you perform the required action on the just played card first, then resume with optional actions?

[Elessar's Socks]

An odd situation. If you can get My Axe Is Notched into play (Memories of Darkness?) before the "wins a skirmish" situation is over, I think MAIN can respond and would take priority over optional actions responding to that trigger. My reasoning is that you are returned to "All required actions responding to a particular trigger are performed before any optional actions."

For example, if you have MoD in play and four cards in hand (including MAIN and, say, Nobody Tosses a Dwarf):

- Gimli wins a skirmish
-- Op. action: Play NTaD (but don't perform effects yet)
--- Respond to losing initiative (step 5 of "playing a card") with MoD by playing MAIN
--- Perform effects of NTaD
-- Req. action: Perform effects of MAIN

[Tbiesty]

I'm cool with that reasoning.

So, if a card with a required action comes into play as a result of a optional action for the same trigger, you perform the required action on the newly played card first, then resume with any other optional actions for the trigger.

I just wanted to verify that "All required actions responding to a particular trigger are performed before any optional actions." doesn't mean that once optional actions are performed that you are not allowed to perform a required action if the card with the required action just came into play.

Works for me!