Start Maneuver Phase vs Maneuver Phase

[Zoskan]

Is the action procedure happening at the start of the maneuver phase is the same than in the maneuver phase? If a player decide to pass the at the start action does it mean he won't have any other chance to do an at the start action. Let me set up an example:

We're at the start of the maneuver phase.
FP choose to pass.
SP transfer Saruman, Servant to Sauron to a minion.
Could the FP choose to transfer a follower OR since he has passed the first time he isn't allowed to take any other at the start of the maneuver phase action?

In other word does the at the start of the maneuver phase works like any other phase: When all players consecutively pass proceed to the next phase/step/sequence. 

[Thranduil]

Here is the quote from the rulebook:

action
Nearly everything that occurs during the game is some kind of action. Players perform actions to play cards, use special abilities, move their fellowships, reconcile, and so on.
Every action is either optional or required. An optional action is defined as: an action that uses the word "may," an event, or a special ability. All other actions are required actions.
If two or more required actions are occurring at the same time (for example, more than one "start of turn" action), the Free Peoples player decides in which order they occur.
All required actions responding to a particular trigger are performed before any optional actions. After all such required actions have resolved, players may perform optional actions responding to that same trigger using the action procedure. (See response.)

This is a bit unclear, however (no surprises there!), because it seems to treat all "at the start of..." actions as required, which is clearly not the case. My instinct would be that first all required "at the start of..." actions happen in an order decided by the Free Peoples player, then the normal action procedure starts for any optional actions, beginning with the FP etc. Once everyone has finished, it stops being the "at the start of..." part of the phase and becomes the normal part of the phase.

Thranduil

[Zoskan]

Once everyone has finished, it stops being the "at the start of..." part of the phase and becomes the normal part of the phase.

Do you mean by that after each player has consecutively pass? Another situation come to my mind.

We're at the start of the maneuver phase.
FP transfer a follower to companion who's already bearing two cards.
SP pass the at the start segment, having nothing to do or play, but he's itching to use Grima, Wormtongue soon
FP pass too, having nothing else to do or play.

Now, can the SP change his mind and decide to perform an at the start of the maneuver phase action, or since he passed on the first opportunity we're now assuming we're just slipping into the maneuver phase. If so, the SP will be able to use Grima, Wormtongue.
OR
SP must declare again that isn't performing any at the start of the maneuver phase action and then we moved in the maneuver phase and the FP has the opportunity to neutralize Grima with an event like Terrible and Evil / Fury of the White Rider (or any possibilies for that matter).

Don't know if you see where I'm going or if I'm only complicating things ...

[ket_the_jet]

Makes sense.

FP-At the start of the...phase...
SP-At the start of the...phase...
FP: Action 1, phase
SP: Action 1, phase
Continues until one passes.
-wtk

[Thranduil]

Once everyone has finished, it stops being the "at the start of..." part of the phase and becomes the normal part of the phase.

Do you mean by that after each player has consecutively pass? Another situation come to my mind.

We're at the start of the maneuver phase.
FP transfer a follower to companion who's already bearing two cards.
SP pass the at the start segment, having nothing to do or play, but he's itching to use Grima, Wormtongue soon
FP pass too, having nothing else to do or play.

Now, can the SP change his mind and decide to perform an at the start of the maneuver phase action, or since he passed on the first opportunity we're now assuming we're just slipping into the maneuver phase. If so, the SP will be able to use Grima, Wormtongue.
OR
SP must declare again that isn't performing any at the start of the maneuver phase action and then we moved in the maneuver phase and the FP has the opportunity to neutralize Grima with an event like Terrible and Evil / Fury of the White Rider (or any possibilies for that matter).

Don't know if you see where I'm going or if I'm only complicating things ...

Ah, I get this now. The action procedure always starts with the Free Peoples player. So it would look like this:

FP transfers follower
SH passes "at the start of action"
FP passes "at the start of action" - both players are now done with the "start of the maneuver phase".

FP gets the opportunity to use maneuver actions
SH can use Gríma

About whether you can still perform actions, the rulebook explicitly states that passing does not affect whether you can use actions later on in the same step, so in the above example, if the Shadow player had an "at the start of" action to perform after the FP passed, he could do so.

Does that answer your question?

Thranduil

[Zoskan]

About whether you can still perform actions, the rulebook explicitly states that passing does not affect whether you can use actions later on in the same step, so in the above example, if the Shadow player had an "at the start of" action to perform after the FP passed, he could do so.

Does that answer your question?

Thranduil

Aaaah, it clarify things for me, thanks Thranduil! 

[ket_the_jet]

Wait...now I'm lost. I thought both the free people and shadow player each get one "At the start of..." action and the Free People's player has to go first.
-wtk

[Thranduil]

No. All required actions happen (so could be more than one) in an order decided by the FP player. Then optional actions happen following the action procedure.

Thranduil

[ket_the_jet]

No. All required actions happen (so could be more than one) in an order decided by the FP player. Then optional actions happen following the action procedure.

Thranduil

Hm. Interesting. I don't make use of too many required action cards (don't have to worry about Followers in movie block), but that's good to know. Thanks.
-wtk

[Thranduil]

Followers are optional actions, not required (it uses the word "may" - just look at the helper text on, say, The Gaffer, Master Gardener). These follow the action procedure along with Grimbeorn, Pallando Deceived and Mearas of the Mark. These will always happen after cards like Mellon!, Whisper in the Dark or Madril, Defender of Osgiliath, whose order is decided by the FP player.

Thranduil