Initiative and Reconciling

[TheJord]

This question came up in a game on SdA

When you reconcile, does it count as losing and gaining initiative when you discard?

I say the answer is yes. What is everyones opinion on this?

[menace64]

Yes. Initiative doesn't care when your hand size changes. As far as I know, if you discard a card during the regroup and suddenly have 3 cards, it should trigger.

Maybe I'm wrong?

[Elf_Lvr]

I suppose, if you had exactly 4 cards in hand then discarded one to reconcile, you could lose/gain initiative. I can't really see why not.

[lem0nhead]

Its unconditional. When you drop below 4 cards; bingo! Regardless of when, you have just lost initiative.

[CCCORNIV]

I agree once you have 3 or less cards, you lose initiative regardless of the phase.

[Ulmo]

In the Comprehensive Rules 4.0:

initiative
At any time, either one side or the other side has initiative. The Free Peoples player has initiative while he has four or more cards in hand. Otherwise, the Shadow has initiative. If there is more than one Shadow player, then all of those Shadow players have initiative when the Free Peoples player does not.

Also, there is no mention of initiative in the definitions of regroup phase, reconcile, discard, discard pile.

From this, I'd agree that when discarding to reconcile, initiative can be lost.  I think the important text is "At any time".

[FingolfinFinwe]

I guess this fact is usefull if you are running Hardy Garrison or Glimpse of Fate and are trying to run.   

[CCCORNIV]

Hardy Garrison was the first card that came to mind. 

[FingolfinFinwe]

lol yeah now that I think of it Glimpse of Fate just cancels out because its already the regroup phase.  So yeah its all about the Hardy Garrison.

[SomeRandomDude]

Hardy Garrison usually manages to kill off everyone already. The most useful card is Brooding on Tomorrow, Smallman particularly loves the discard to reconcile strategy for trashing my precious Forestgul conditions .