Assignment - new player question

[cdwalkley]

Hi All

I am just getting into LoTR CCG and found this forum after asking questions on BoardGameGeek.

I was wondering if there was a FAQ for new players, but have not been able to find anything. So apologies for asking questions which may have been asked several times before (i searched the forums and didn't find anything either). I have also read the CR 4.0 document and not found anything in there.

My question is  about when a minion/companion becomes 'unassigned'. The question arose from this:

1) A skirmish was resolved between an Uruk-Hai and a companion which the Uruk-Hai won, killing the companion.
2) Another Uruk-Hai was skirmishing a companion, and this was the next skirmish chosen to be resolved.
3) I had in my hand a card which said soemthing like "Skirmish: Exert an unassigned Uruk-Hai to give another Uruk-Hai +3 strength.

Could I play this card on the Uruk-Hai from the first skirmish? Did it become 'unassigned' when it killed the companion, or does it only becume unassigned after all skirmishes have been resolved?

Another question about assignment: I'm thinking effects saying 'when [this card] is assigned' don't work both ways. So if a companion is assigned to a minion, the minion's 'when [this card] is assigned' ability won't have an effect as it is the companion being assigned, not the minion.

Sorry I can't reference specific cards, I'm writing this at work and don't remember the details.

Thanks for your help.

Chris

[lem0nhead]

Skirmishes happen one at a time, so if one skirmish finishes it is resolved and the companions and minions become unassigned. So your uruk that killed a companion is no longer assigned. So it can use the event your talking about.

Also on your second numbered point you say "Another Uruk-Hai was skirmishing a companion". This is not true and is an important distinction in LOTR TCG. A companion/minion are not "skirmishing" until you say "I am resolving this skirmish", instead they are only assigned. These 2 terms are vital when sorting out the skirmish phase. When you started the explanation in your example the uruk that kills the companion is the one skirmishing (along with the companion it eventually kills), the uruk fight you resolve second is still under the heading "assigned" whilst this fight is going on and definately not "skirmishing".

Also assignments do work both ways. An uruk gets assigned to aragorn. This means aragorn gets assigned and so does the minion. Thus any actions that say when a minion is assigned, or when a companion is assigned, both trigger on this.

Hope that clears it up.

[Thranduil]

Sorry I can't reference specific cards, I'm writing this at work and don't remember the details.

That's why we have Kralik's awesome database! If you look at the top left-hand corner of a page of this forum, you'll see a link to it. It's awesome!

Lem0n is all over your questions, so I'd listen to him.

Thranduil

[lem0nhead]

Lem0n is all over your questions, so I'd listen to him.

Dont make a habit of it though 

[cdwalkley]

Skirmishes happen one at a time, so if one skirmish finishes it is resolved and the companions and minions become unassigned. So your uruk that killed a companion is no longer assigned. So it can use the event your talking about.

Also on your second numbered point you say "Another Uruk-Hai was skirmishing a companion". This is not true and is an important distinction in LOTR TCG. A companion/minion are not "skirmishing" until you say "I am resolving this skirmish", instead they are only assigned. These 2 terms are vital when sorting out the skirmish phase. When you started the explanation in your example the uruk that kills the companion is the one skirmishing (along with the companion it eventually kills), the uruk fight you resolve second is still under the heading "assigned" whilst this fight is going on and definately not "skirmishing".

Also assignments do work both ways. An uruk gets assigned to aragorn. This means aragorn gets assigned and so does the minion. Thus any actions that say when a minion is assigned, or when a companion is assigned, both trigger on this.

Hope that clears it up.

Fantasic! Thanks very much for your reply. That does indeed clear everything up. and is a great help.

[cdwalkley]

Sorry I can't reference specific cards, I'm writing this at work and don't remember the details.

That's why we have Kralik's awesome database! If you look at the top left-hand corner of a page of this forum, you'll see a link to it. It's awesome!

Lem0n is all over your questions, so I'd listen to him.

Thranduil

Thanks. Unfortunately I cannot remember anything about the cards really except the culture and type... The weekend seems like a lifetime away already! Hopefully I'll get better at this the more I play!

[CCCORNIV]

Glad you made it to the forum Chris.

[cdwalkley]

Glad you made it to the forum Chris.

Hi!

Yeah, I had a look as soon as you sent me the link, lurked a bit and then worked up to my first post!

Thanks again for pointing me towards here!

Chris

[CCCORNIV]

The more the merrier.  I try to invite people that ask questions over there when I can.  Every now and then I'll reel one in. 

[cdwalkley]

Very nice use of a link to a card! I gave you a gold 

[CCCORNIV]

I'd like to take credit for that but it's an automatic feature of the forum.

[cdwalkley]

Haha. Even better. I might make a post and discover a card I have not heard about!

[cdwalkley]

Almost a year after my original post, I have actually found the answer to my original question in the Comprehensive rule book.

From page 16: "A skirmish phase ends after all actions triggered by winning or losing that skirmish have resolved. At this point, characters who were involved in that skirmish are no longer assigned."

Quite clear really!