FC Accords - Article V: Rules of Engagement

[Mythonian]

Decided to keep a record of rulings and clarifications here, both to help the army planners keep track of them and also so I don't accidentally go back on one of them later in the war.

CLARIFICATIONS AND RULINGS

1) At the beginning of the war, neither army begins with any cards or card pieces.

2) A map captured in a Spartan Battle is considered Abandoned until a Brigade arrives at the territory. You earn the card piece from Spoils, but the map does not have any production that week. Brigades are required if the map is not going to be Abandoned. 2.4 allows for an escorting Brigade which bypasses this issue.

3) Brigades stationed on a territory which is under a Spartan Invasion do not suffer any damage or have any impact on the battle being fought. They freely retreat if the map is captured, or just chill if the map is defended.

4) Any retreating forces can split up to multiple friendly adjacent territories in any configuration desired.

5) Retreating forces cannot use Rapid Transport to retreat further. Battlegroups have a special case explained in 2.6.

6) While making movements, cannot "shuffle" Brigades. Since all movements are considered to happen simultaneously, the map would be temporarily Abandoned until they all arrive, and this is not allowed as per 1.9. The Warmap illustrates this by having 1 Brigade be a square, showing that it cannot move off the map. (NOTE: It can still retreat if the map is captured)

7) Auxiliary Battles are resolved with a single set of rolls. Each Brigade rolls once and only once.

8) Brigades spawned from Propaganda Campaign cards are not able to move immediately or participate in attacks. They can only be used defensively. (See Order of Events below for more clarification)

9) Card pieces that would be earned from Economic Surge or Propaganda Campaign are NOT earned if the map is captured.

10) It's not recommended to Sabotage a map you're attacking simultaneously. If you capture the map, the Sabotage is nullified. Additionally, if you make the map Abandoned/Barren, it is also nullified.

11) Sabotage acts after cards are earned from the Capital, Territories, Economic Surge, Propaganda Campaign, Spoils, and Skirmish rewards. This means that the full effect of the Sabotage card will almost always work out, so long as the previous paragraph doesn't happen. In the event that the targeted card type does not have 3 pieces that can be destroyed, the faction being targeted suffers the appropriate number of Emergency Resources instead.

12) Isolated territory (i.e., controlling a territory which is completely surrounded by enemy territories) has no special rules. Closest thing to a special rule would be that if the map is lost, the Brigades have nowhere to retreat to and would be instantly destroyed. (if an adjacent territory is simultaneously captured by friendly forces, though, it can be used as a retreat path)

13) 8.1 and 8.2: Games ended due to incorrect map/gametype DO NOT count as a situation under 8.2. 8.1 has no limitations like "only once per army," but if it seems that you are maliciously delaying the match then 9.1 can be employed. Additionally, if the gametype/map were actually correct and you try to claim it was ended via 8.1 falsely, it can be considered as warranting a forfeit as detailed in 9.3.

14) 8.3's Illegal Player Substitutions: If you feel the opposing team is maliciously substituting a player in order to gain an unfair advantage, contact a War Director or your Field Marshal BEFORE the game is started again. If the game starts and you only complain about it afterward, whether it is strictly enforced as a forfeit is undetermined. It's best to report it BEFORE the game restarts.

15) 5.4's Bonus Capital Invasion piece: For this to take effect, map cannot be Abandoned or Barren, and the 'maintain control' statement means that initially taking the map (such as via Aux to keep it from being Abandoned) doesn't count, as the bonus card is only earned each week thereafter if the map remains controlled and not Abandoned/Barren. Would also stack if multiple adjacent territories are controlled.

16) Order of Events: Each action, during both Attack Plans and Battle Results, has a distinct location in the ordering of events. All events of a specific type are considered to be happening simultaneously. Below is the full ordering of events:

1. Brigades via Brigade cards are spawned.
2. Minefield, Entrenchment, and Economic Surge cards are spawned onto the maps.
3. Rapid Transport movements occur.
4. Normal movements occur.
5. Emergency Resources are expended if necessary.
6. Capital Invasion card takes effect.
7. Spartan Invasions are launched.
8. Auxiliary Attacks are launched.
9. Brigades via Propaganda Campaign cards are spawned.
10. Orbital Bombardment, Sabotage, Tactical Assault, and Ambush cards are spawned onto the maps.
11. All Brigades and Battlegroups are considered to have arrived at their destinations, and the battles are ready to begin.

1. Effects of Minefield, Orbital Bombardment, and Entrenchment cards become active.
2. Auxiliary Battles are fought.
3. Effects of Tactical Assault and Ambush cards become active.
4. Spartan Battles are fought.
5. Any changes of map control are determined.
6. Losing troops retreat.
7. Maps are designated as Abandoned or Barren if applicable.
8. MF, OB, ET, TA, and Amb cards are considered expended and removed from maps fought over.
9. If Sabotage, Economic Surge, or Propaganda Campaign cards were active on a map which changed control or became Abandoned/Barren, they are removed from those maps.
10. Capital produces card pieces.
11. Emergency Resources take effect.
12. All territories neither Abandoned nor Barren produce card pieces.
13. Economic Surge and Propaganda Campaign produce their bonus card pieces.
14. Spoils of War from battles and Skirmish rewards are earned.
15. Sabotage takes effect.
16. If Capital Invasion card was active and the Capital was captured, war ends.
17. Capitals spawn free Brigade.

17) 2.4: For Brigade Escorts, the Brigade does not need to come from the same territory as the invading Battlegroup, nor even make the attack from the same direction. So long as it can reach the targeted territory, it can come form anywhere.

18) Propaganda Campaign cards are not allowed to target the territory which produces PC pieces. This is because it artificially raises the effectiveness of the card up to 110% of it's normal quality. Essentially, doing so would allow you to get 78% of the effect for only 71% of the cost, thereby providing a profit beyond what the card was intended for. This is why the possibility for doing so has been disallowed. Now you can only get 100% of the effect for 100% of the cost.

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More rulings and clarifications will be added as the war continues.