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Are some pieces better than others in Blokus? Obviously the smaller pieces are generally easier to get rid of than the larger pieces, but I'd be interested to know which pieces I should aim to get rid of first, and which pieces I should save. I'm sure this largely depends on the gaps on the playing board, but are ther...	I've found that the 'better' pieces are the ones with more vertices. Like so many Blokus questions, the answer is: "It depends".
Can you use a planeswalker ability even if the planeswaker doesn't have enough loyalty? For example Tamiyo, the Moon Sage . Can I use the -8 ability even though she only has 4 loyalty? I understand it would kill her. Or would I have to get 8 loyalty first with the +1 ability? <Q> Wizard's wording on the matter is thu...	A loyalty ability with a negative loyalty cost can't be activated unless the permanent has at least that many loyalty counters on it
Where can I find the most reliable information on upcoming boardgame releases? Usually I just troll my FLGS to see what new has popped up and that works for me. However, right now I have a pressing need to figure out what games have been recently released, and which will be released very soon. Now I can (and have don...	Boardgamegeek has a section where you can look at games released within the last 1/3/6 months, as well as unreleased games based on their expected release. Somewhat less reliable: online game retailer websites, such as Boards & Bits , Thoughthammer or Troll and Toad .
How can I learn to play chess blindfold? I'm an intermediate-level amateur chess player. How would I go about learning how to accurately play a complete game of chess, blindfolded? What skills are needed, and how are they practiced? In particular, how can I maintain an accurate representation in my head of the board s...	My advice is try playing blindfold to weaker players.
Rival Executioner draws Robespierre...does this end the day? The Rival Executioner card requires that, upon his execution, you take the noble from the top of the deck and "collect" it. My friend drew Robespierre, who, when collected, ends the day. We didn't like the way it affected the game (my friend was in second pl...	Yes, you have to follow the rules and end the day.
Does the Battlestar Galactica game spoil the TV series? I've watched the first few episodes of Battlestar Galactica, and a friend recently got the game. We love The Resistance, and I'm eager to try a similarly deceptive game with more going on than just deception. But, I don't want to spoil the suspense of the TV sho...	The base game contains several spoilers that are not completely revealed until you finish the first season, and a couple of episodes into Season 2. Once you have seen all of Season 1, you are clear to play the base game.
How is the board game version of Words With Friends different from Scrabble? I like to play a game called Words With Friends, which is a freenium version of Scrabble. I thought it was however functionally the same. However, I've just seen that Zynga, the creators of the game, have released a boardgame version. Here is...	The board layout - the positioning of the bonus squares is different.
Avoiding stealing a resource when moving the robber in Catan Is it allowed to move the robber, but not take a random resource from another player? Avoiding stealing a resource may sound odd. One reason you might want to: you need to play a soldier card to move the robber, both to block another player from getting reso...	Yes, you can deliberately place the robber in a spot where you will not able to steal a card. No , From the rules : If you play a Knight Card, you must immediately move the robber.
Scrabble variation: use double and triple word scores (but not double/triple letter scores) twice? Is there a popular Scrabble variation that: lets you play double/triple word scores twice, once vertically and once horizontally? does NOT let you play double/triple letter scores twice? This is how I've always pl...	To answer your question directly - yes, I have come across many people, many times, who were unsure or even adamant that bonus squares should be considered following their intial play.
Is it possible to counter cards that boost a creatures power during the combat phase? For example, if someone attacks with a 3/3 creature, and you have a 5/5 creature that will ultimately block and destroy his creature. If they boosts their creature with a +3/+3 spell, can you counter the spell?If they boost their cre...	If the opponent is casting an instant/sorcery spell to provide the +3/+3 the answer is YES, you can play a counterspell and then block and destroy his creature.
When should a player decide to fold in Texas Hold'em Poker? In Texas Hold'em poker, when it is a player's turn, he tries to make a best hand out of his hole cards (private cards) and the communal cards. Now my question is: On what factors does he decide to add more chips and play for the next round or fold? <Q> It's a...	He may have a bad hand, with "long odds" to improve, and there are one or more bets from players that seem to have a better hand.
Should I buy Gold or Hoard? Hoard is a treasure worth 2 that also reads: While this is in play, when you buy a Victory card, gain a Gold. It costs the same as a Gold (i.e. 6) and while it's not immediately worth as much as a Gold, it obviously generates Golds. I get the impression that Hoard is suited to being bou...	In end game, if you have a lot of money, adding a Hoard can't hurt as every time you buy a Province/Colony with the Hoard out, you add another money card to help offset the additional Victory card in your deck.
Is there any economical game which demonstrates social-democratic economy rather than capitalism? As much as I enjoy games like Monopoly or Settelers of Catan, I'm very concerned about the way these games affect players' concept of economy, as they demonstrate extremly capitalistic economical rules where the goal of ea...	My favorite is currently Pandemic , but it is not an economic game like Monopoly/Catan (Pandemic's economic component consists mostly of making efficient use of limited actions and limited turns ).
What (if any) is the relationship between your Active and In Decline race? If the special power of the active race pertains to regions occupied by the race you have in decline, are you allowed to collect coins for that? For example, you control the Iron Dwarves which are in decline and occupy Mining regions. Your new ...	A Race does not share its Special Power with any other Race. The only relationship between your Active and In-Decline races is that you score Victory coins for both of them.
Where do Auras go when a card is put on top of its owner's library? Say a player casts a card that returns a permanent to the top of owner's library, for example Banishment Decree , and the targeted creature card he chooses has two Auras enchanting it. Where do the Aura enchantments go, to the players hand, graveyard...	Assuming when you say 'Enchantment' you specifically mean 'Aura', they are sent to the graveyard.
What is the maximum allowed number of repeats in a Pokémon deck? I've realised that, when playing Pokémon, the trick to winning is to evolve your Pokémon. This takes a bit of luck, in that you have to have the first level Pokemon on the table, then you have to have drawn its corresponding first evolve card, and then y...	Decks may not contain more than 4 copies of a single card , as defined by the card's English title, with the standard exception for basic Energy cards.
How can I practice my opening leads in bridge? After playing bridge for several months, I feel my declarer play and bidding have improved to a beginner-intermediate level. However, I think my skill at making an opening lead is that of a novice at best. I have memorized some basic rules about evaluating my hand and insp...	play a lot of bridge, make a note of the different leads that you considered before choosing one, asking your partner afterwards if another lead might have been better.
What should you do when someone mistakenly builds the same building twice? You're not allowed to build the same building more than once. I noticed that this rule is easily overlooked, especially in 7-player games and when the table is not that big (and so the cards need to be partly stacked). If a player has built a b...	Our group's practice has been to discard the extra building and treat it as if the player discarded the card for 3 gold.
Is splitting your 3 settlements allowed? Let's say I've placed settlements in two separate forests. In both forests there are still (more than) 3 fields free. Now I draw another forest card and have to place my 3 settlements. Am I allowed to split my 3 settlements and place 1 settlement in terrain A and 2 settlements...	As long as you are next to your existing settlements and the terrain types match the card, there is no requirement that the three settlements that you play be in the same physical piece of terrain.
Citadels: Can two Circus Tents be built in the same city? In the latest German edition of Citadels, there is an action card Circus Tent . It is played from your hand without paying any gold (and in addition to your normal building action). It's text says: You can put the Circus Tent in front of you. At the end of th...	I'd be inclined to say no for two reasons: first because allowing more than one of them seems to make them a bit too powerful; secondly, because unless the text on the card explicitly says you can build more than one of them, I'd suspect the intention should have been that no, you couldn't. Going from a purely literal ...
Is the Go! action card ever worth playing? In Monopoly Deal, there is a Go! Card which uses one of your three plays for the turn in order to draw two additional cards. It seems the key to winning in this game revolve around emptying your hand to draw 5. Let's start from that scenario: turn x : draw 5, play 3, leaves ...	This is a bad idea to play an action card for money (except if you run out of money of course).
Software to search for MTG decks based on a list of cards I haven't played MTG for a while, but I still own about 500 cards. Some of them were from pre-built decks, but now the cards are all randomized. I have the full inventory (quantity and name) on a text file. Although I've seen a lot of programs that allow you ...	If you're looking for competitive decklists, MtgTop8 has a nice deck database that you can query by card name (even several cards at a time).
"Diplomacy" rule clarification, unit under attack Referring to the original game. If a unit is under attack from Province X, can it still interfere with the actions of a unit on Province Y? For example: English fleet unit on "English Channel" ordered to convoy an army unit French fleet unit on "Mid Atlantic Oc...	In your case, Y has a Convoy order, which is unaffected by an attack that doesn't dislodge it.
Where can I purchase extra wood pieces for Settlers of Catan? I have two full sets of Settlers of Catan plus one 5-6 player expansion pack. Originally the second set was bought to replace the older one, which was missing a few pieces and cards. However, the epicness of the possibility of a huge SoC game entranced me, ...	There are a number of sellers on ebay that have replacement parts in a variety of colors, including a bunch that aren't part of the actual game (purple, pink, gold, etc).
Is it legal to take advantage of my opponent's priority mistakes? Suppose I attack with a creature with infect, and then my opponent tells me he won't block. My intent is to use Giant Growth on my infect creature regardless of whether or not my opponent blocks. HOWEVER, my opponent forgets that I have priority a...	Your opponent attempting to cast Lightning Bolt when they don't have priority is a legal shortcut as outlined in the comprehensive rules: 716.1.
How long can I wait before choosing to counter a spell? Today, I was playing a duel, and my friend played a Wall of Reverence , which he then ended up enchanting with an Ethereal Armor . Between those two actions he asked me if I would counter it, to which I answered that I would wait for him to play the rest of his ...	Most spells, like creature, enchantment, or sorcery spells can only be played while the stack is empty, among other things.
Adding money to a game of Risk A friend and I recently had a conversation around making a set of rules for a buy-in variant on Risk, and I wanted some help from experienced players to review them as they stand now. Risk is not a game that I know well, but well enough to ask some questions about. The example we talked...	I have come to the conclusion that playing this classic game should not involve money as people whom like money games will gravitate towards poker & people who like strategy & balance of power will gravitate to Risk.
Can I cast spells in the middle of another spell resolving? Say I had Vedalken Orrery and I used Cloudshift on something, could I respond to Cloudshift bringing the creature back into play with Day of Judgement or something similar? <Q> No, Cloudshift is resolved as a single, atomic event. <S> There is no time ...	I would say no, Cloudshift removes and puts back a creature as part of the same effect, so you cannot 'inturrupt' the effect in the middle of its action by casting some other spell.
Can a creature token represent a different creature token? I have quite a few cards that have the ability to create creature tokens when they're played or their ability is activated. The only problem is I don't have the specific token for each one, but I have a handful of other creature tokens. Can I substitute creat...	You can use whatever physical object you want to represent a token, including actual MtG cards.
Do you have to have exactly 60 cards in a Magic the Gathering deck? Do you have to have exactly 60 cards in a Magic the Gathering deck? Some people I've talked to at FNM say yes, others say no. <Q> No, not at all. <S> For limited (draft and sealed) events, your deck must have at least 40 cards [CR 100.2b] . <S> ...	For constructed events, your deck must have at least 60 cards [CR 100.2a] (plus an optional sideboard of no more than 15 cards [CR 100.4a] ). You certainly don't, not in any normal MtG format. You probably should keep it near the minimum since a deck of minimum size will provide more consistent results than a larger de...
What is e3 Feedback Implants good for? Whenever you break a subroutine on a piece of ice, you may pay 1 cred to break 1 additional subroutine on that ice. When would I need this card? With most icebreakers, it's 1 cred to break a subroutine. <Q> As of right now, there are two situations in which E3 feedback implants ...	If there are things added in the future that allow breaking subroutines via non-icebreaker methods, E3 implants would also be useful in those situations.
How to find a game of Munchkin? I've been playing Munchkin for about two years. I just moved to a new city, and now that I'm away from my friends, I've realized that not many people know the game even exists and most have no interest whatsoever. How do I go about finding people to play with? <Q> I'd start with store f...	Look for stores that sell board, CCG, or role playing games.
Can I activate a bloodrush ability at instant speed? Can I use a card with bloodrush in response to something? For example: If an evil opponent wants to kill my attacking Skarrg Guildmage with an Izzet Charm can I discard Scorchwalker and use it's ability to save my guildmage? <Q> Yes. <S> All activated abili...	So yes, you can activate Bloodrush abilities in response to instants like Izzet Charm .
When should a bridge defender return the second, rather than fourth highest card in suit? Against a bidding sequence of 1NT, 3NT, partner, West, opens with what looks like the fourth highest of a suit. Dummy goes down with two small cards in the suit. I have four to the king in the suit, two of them little ones, with t...	The most common reason you'd lead back your second highest card from four would be to smother a relatively high card in dummy.
How do you keep track of which units have already moved? Let's say you have fifty different units on the board. When it's your turn, you get to move each of them. How do you keep track of which units you've moved already and which ones you haven't? <Q> Avoid unnecesary moves in the combat move phase Belive it or n...	I use a pattern where I move the units on the front(s) first and work my way backward toward my industry(ies).
+Cards, do you have to draw right away? How do the +cards work in Dominion? Do you have to draw the card immediately or can you wait? For example, let's take the Spy cards where it says +1 cards, and then all players must reveal the top card of their deck, you decide whether they discard it or put the card on top of t...	You must immediately draw the cards.
Has online play testing been an important part of any boardgame designs? I am wondering if any game designers have used an online implementation of a game to balance and tweak it before commercial release. <Q> VASSAL offers a way to create on online version of a game easily. <S> I was involved in play testing Crown of ...	I was a beta tester for a few of David Sirlin 's card games.
Can extort be triggered for countered spells? Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay b/w. If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.) Questions: If my opponent has a creature with extort out, then casts a spell that I counter, can he still pay the 1 mana to trigger extort? And if...	The player whose spell is countered gets to choose whether or not to pay the extort after the counterspell resolves.
In A&A-Europe - When does an economic attack makes sense? I've been playing Axis & Allies Europe (first version) for a long time and have never found a real value in using my bombers to run Economic Attacks. It seems that the strength of the bomber is to inflict a lot of damage while supporting ground attacks. I'd ra...	The economic war works best when you have no good military targets to attack.
Why are Shocklands better than Guildgates? I recently read a review about Return to Ravnica and the reviewer says that, for example, Temple Garden is way better than Selesnya Guildgate . Can someone point out the reasons behind that? Additionally, why is Temple Garden called a Shockland? <Q> Oftentimes, getting yo...	Shocklands (which allow you to " Shock " yourself in order to get an untapped land) have many advantages: Good color depth without loss of tempo . It means you can fetch them up with Fetchlands, or any other spell that looks for a Forest or a Plains (though not of course "a basic Forest", or "a basic Plains').
In bridge, should a defender play differently with most, about half, or few of the partnership's points? This example is from Victor Mollo's "Test Your Defense, Where the Points are Won." You are East. The bidding has been 1NT pass 3NT pass. West leads what looks to be the fourth highest spade. You hold: (s) Axx (H) ...	If the two partners are comparable in strength, the one who leads their suit first has taken the first step to setting the suit up, so it is often advantageous to continue it unless you have a clear alternative.
Are there many mandated "time outs" in tournament bridge? In " Points, Schmoints ," Marty Bergen related an instance in which he announced "skip bid," before "jumping" his partner's two diamond bid to the five level (instead of three). According to him, his Left Hand Opponent had to wait ten seconds before reacting (in...	When RHO has announced a skip bid, the player following the skip bidder must wait for a suitable interval (about 10 seconds).
Can one creature block multiple attacks? I'm not much of a Magic player myself, although I do know a bit about the game. Recently, I got into an argument about whether one creature can block multiple creatures' attacks. It looks like rule 509.1a specifies that each blocking creature blocks one attacking creature: 50...	No sir, one creature can only block one creature, in any ordinary circumstances.
Unique and fun rules for UNO I know the regular rules for UNO, but over the years, playing with different people, I hear all kinds of different rules. I've hear different rules when a specific card is played, you and/or everybody does something. For example: When someone plays any '5' card, everyone must slap the di...	Right after drawing a card but before adding it to your hand, if you can play the card you just drew, you are allowed to.
When should you not place the robber to do the most damage in Settlers of Catan? If you have the robber and are playing against the field, you might want to place it where it can do the most damage. But my understanding is that sometimes the better use is to "sic" the robber on the player who is in the lead. How do ...	If a player is closer to winning than any other player, hurting them is usually a good course of action.
What happens when you blink a cipher-ed creature? if I have a cipher ability encoded on a creature, and I cast a Restoration Angel , thus exiling and returning the creature to play, does the creature still have the cipher ability? How about creatures returning from the graveyard (undying ability)? <Q> The creature ce...	The card with cipher remains encoded on the chosen creature as long as the card with cipher remains exiled and the creature remains on the battlefield.
How much money would I have to spend to play in tournaments? In posing this question, I realize that it may be out of scope for boardgames.SE; this question could be subjective and the monetary costs vary quite a bit between cheapest and most expensive decks. Having said that, I think this could have value if it falls ...	If you're just looking to play at some of the local FNM tournaments, you should pick up an event deck , they retail for about $25 , but sometimes they have more value than the MSRP so your Local Games Store might charge more than that. Some of the more expensive legacy decks, which run playsets of jace or moats can get...
How to store cards when game boxes don't have slots for them I have two board games which use a lot of cards, but their boxes don't have dedicated space to store them in an ordered manner and whenever I'd like to play them again I have to start with sorting all the cards by type. How can I store these cards so they do...	Plasters often come in boxes that are a good fit for cards.
Do Gather The Townsfolk's (or cards like it) tokens go on the stack separately? A friend of mine was playing a deck that uses Cathars' Crusade and Gather the Townsfolk (and cards like it) to pump his creatures. Another guy was watching and said that all the tokens went on the stack separately so each subsequent to...	Once Gather the Townsfolk resolves both tokens enter the battlefield simultaneously and then the Cathars' Crusade triggers go on the stack.
Can we fake-advance any card? Some Assets can be advanced (e.g. Project Junebug) and some can't (e.g. Snare!). Is it OK to advance any asset cards to make them look like Agenda? For example, with the ambush assets the Runner would be lured, but the advance token(s) would have no other effects. <Q> No, you cannot fake...	If a card does say you can advance it, you can advance it even when it is unrezzed, unless it says otherwise.
Where can I find price-lists for Star Trek CCG cards? I have some Star Trek CCG cards from the Decipher game in the 1990s. I'm looking to discover if any of these cards have economic value. I've tried looking at starcitygames.com and tcgplayer.com, but neither seems to cover older CCG games. I checked ebay but peop...	There is almost no market for single cards for any CCG that isn't played by a lot of people at the current time, so there's no reason for anyone to keep track of prices to sell them individually.
What is the appropriate way to snipe a king that castles through check? In lightning chess matches (matches with time controls of 3 minutes or less on each side), some players play with the rule of "king sniping" - that is, to save time, if the opponent played a move that left his king in check, the other player can si...	If the king is OUTRIGHT left in check, you may capture it and declare a win.
Do other players replenish their traded cards after a trading phase in Bohnanza? In Bohnanza say I have 5 cards during a round. Another player is in his trading phase and I trade a card with him, I put the traded card on my trading area and then plant it on my field. I'm now down to 4 cards so, do I have to take a card...	There is no where in the rules to indicate that this would be the case in any situation. The rules clearly state that The non-active players may only trade/donate cards from their hands.
Can I target an indestructible creature with a 'destroy target creature' spell? Of course the spell won't resolve, but is the indestructible creature a legal target for a spell with the effect "destroy target creature"? For example, can I target Gideon, Champion of Justice , animated by its second ability, with Rapi...	You can target anything that matches the description given for what's a legal target (unless Shroud, Hexproof or similar prevents you).
Preventing early elimination from ruining someone's first game of Diplomacy? I'm planning a game of Diplomacy with my friends for this weekend. The problem is, none of us have ever played before, so I'm trying to fill the gaps in my understanding so that our inexperience doesn't reduce the fun. One of the issues I'm w...	You might want to have other games on hand so that eliminated players can entertain themselves during the negotiation phase and check in on the Diplomacy game occasionally if they're interested in the final outcome. If everyone is new, there may be a lot of back and forth that will prevent people from being eliminated ...
How can I balance mandatory quests in two-player games of Lords of Waterdeep? I am looking for a variant to balance out mandatory quests when playing 2 player. I understand that normally they are powerful, and exist as a catch up mechanic, allowing all players to target the leader. This does not work in a two-player g...	Allow other quests to be completed, but at the end of every one of your turns when you have an incomplete Mandatory Quest in front of you, lose some VP.
Are counters (noun) physical things? Card example: Beckon Apparition (Gatecrash) There are a lot of cards that use counter as a noun. I did some Googling but I'm just not clear on what I need to use for counters. Are they physical things I can buy and if so, what is a good online resource? Can I just make do with c...	Any object will do to mark counters on a card.
Why does Wizards of the Coast print terrible MTG cards? I understand that there needs to be a wide variety of power levels in Magic: The Gathering. Even bad cards will see play in limited formats, some because they fill a specific niche ( flying removal , fat colorless flyer , providing a counter to certain decks ), ...	Some cards are “bad” because they’re designed for a less advanced player.
Why is card counting considered illegal in Blackjack? As far as I can see, a card counter is still subject to the same mechanic as any other players, but they are able to perform better then most people within these confines. So why is card counting a justification for casinos to kick people out? Obviously, a card coun...	Card counting is frowned upon because it violates the UNWRITTEN "law" (that the casino is supposed to have the edge).
Is there something like Gatherer but with inventory management? Gatherer is great (sort of) for building decks, but I'd like the additional filter of specifying the search specifically to the cards I own. Is this a feature I'm just not seeing or is there an app of some sort that does this? I'd also like if it were a...	Decked includes the ability to manage your collection so you can select cards and build decks exclusively using what you already own.
Are Basic Lands (Mana) Block/Set Agnostic? What is the point in Wizard creating RtR Forests and M13 Forests , for example? It seems like it would be a lot more efficient and cost effective to everyone involved if these basic land types were not specific to a set. Wizard wouldn't have the cost of manufacturing (as ...	As others have noted, lands fall under the same rule as any other Magic card - any version sharing the same English name is legal in any format where any version is legal.
Can one 40k army fight another of the same? My friend is starting a Necron army, and I was going to start a Space Marine army, but Necrons are really an interesting army to play, while the Space Marines are very generic. Could I build a Necron army and fight his Necron army? Is this against the rules? <Q> I would just ...	There is nothing in the rules to prevent two armies from the same codex from fighting one another. If you are just playing games, it won't be an issue.
Can somebody continue a road after it has been cut off/separated from its nearest city? I have - - - - - o (a settlement at the end of my road). Now an opponent builds -- x ---o (a settlement along my road). Can I do o - - x - - - - o (build a second settlement at the other end), or do I lose my road once it is...	The roads remain yours, and you can continue to expand them and settle on them.
When should Italy NOT take over Tunisia on its second turn in Diplomacy? Tunis is the only supply center that Italy is guaranteed to have by the first fall of the game, but are there any playable openings or situations where Italy should delay getting this guaranteed build? If Italy moved their fleet to the Adriatic Se...	Occasionally Italy will forgo the Tunis build to try to take Greece. But to answer the question in the title, there are certainly occasions when Italy does not take Tunis on the second turn (and is still playing intelligently), but these are rare.
How can I minimize Black Market set up and clean up time? The Black Market (promotional) card requires considerable set up time. From description: Before the game, make a Black Market deck out of one copy of each Kingdom card not in the supply. There are a few ways to approach this: 1) Follow directions literall...	Instead of using the normal randomizer cards, take one card from each kingdom stack and use those for randomizer cards.
Can I sacrifice a permanent to pay an ability cost while the permanent's spell is still on the stack? At what point does a creature/artifact/whatever become a legal candidate for being sacrificed to pay an activation cost? For example, suppose I cast an artifact creature spell, and my opponent responds with an instant...	If it's not a permanent, it's not a valid object for a sacrifice payment.
Is there a term for: "Doesn't untap during next untap step"? There are a lot of cards that have the effect Target permanent does not untap during next untap step For example: Kashi-Tribe Elite and Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger . Is there a term for this? Because it's kind of a mouthful to say "that permanent is not...	No, there is no official term for it.
How do Isochron Scepter and the Fuse mechanic interact? The split cards in the expansion set Dragon's Maze contain a new mechanic "Fuse". This mechanic allows you to cast both sides of the spell, a new option for cards of this type. Isochron Scepter allows you to imprint any instant card with casting cost 2 or less...	If a player casts a split card with fuse from his or her hand, the player may choose to cast both halves of that split card.
How well do sleeves protect against spilled drinks? People really like to have food around during long gaming sessions, to avoid the discomfort of hunger and dehydration. Sleeves are pretty useful for keeping crumbs and dirt off your gaming cards. Sometimes, however, a player will knock a drink over onto the table, ri...	My own experience is that, barring using a bag sealer on the sleeves, sleeving is not going to protect against direct spills nor large spills on a hard surface.
How can I used double-faced cards in casual play without checklist cards? I recently bought a "deck builders" kit that included, among other things, a Dark Ascension booster with Scorned Villager (a double-sided card) in it. It did not include a checklist card for me to use. If I wanted to use this in tournament p...	Use a different card from your collection as a proxy (whether you mark it or not is up to you).
Can someone Bioshift counters off a creature after combat damage has been assigned? A friend has a Primordial Hydra with 10 +1/+1 counters on it, giving it trample. I block it with a Vampire Nighthawk , causing it to die. My friend then uses Bioshift to take the counters off "in response to it taking lethal damag...	First of all, one can only do something in response to a spell or ability being added to the stack, so one can't cast Bioshift in response to damage. No he can not do this.
What is the meaning of "count your losers" at no trump, and "count your winners" for a trump contract? Are no trump bidders taught to "count your losers" because their 25-26 points represents enough material for nine tricks so that they should "play not to lose" (i.e. to prevent their opponents from getting five tricks...	While I'd argue that you should always count both your winners and losers regardless of whether you have a trump, I think this advice stems from the reduced control you have over the game in a no trump bid.
In Axis and Allies, how do you choose which player plays which country? Can players choose because there enough diversity of interest so that everyone can get their first or second choice? Do you use a bidding system where players "bid" for a country by specifying the "handicap" there are willing to take to play it? ...	It depends on the people you are playing with. In short, if your group agrees that either axis or allies are weaker; you start bidding the ammount of cash that the players will get if they get the weaker team (axis or allies):
Is it common in Munchkin to allow characters to reach higher than level 9 I only recently learned that you're not allowed to go above level 9, unless it's from combat (or some special cards). I had played for years allowing higher levels, except you didn't win until you killed a monster. Is this a common house rule? ...	You can set the victory level to whatever number you see fit as a house rule but allowing people to use, for instance, level up cards, or sell items beyond that victory point will unbalance a game that's precious already. By limiting you to 9 the game gives you a base level chance of defeating a monster.
How can we remember to score points for claimed routes? When we play Ticket to Ride we sometimes forget to score the points and move the score markers. You know; you're playing not only to get points , but to enjoy the game. And when someone realises they forgot to score a route, we need to recalculate all the routes ...	From the rules: «Some players like to add up the points for the routes they claimat game end, rather than each time a route is claimed. For each player: One player will examine each route and call out the score for the route.
Can people win at Diplomacy using a "Qin strategy?" The Qin was one of seven (yes, seven) "warring states" in China several hundred years B.C. During its rise to power, it often followed a policy of "ally with the three far states against the three near states." Has anyone won (or lost) a game of Diplomacy using such ...	There are tremendous advantages to allying with nearby countries; as there are tremendous advantages to allying with non-adjacent countries.
Is there a Diplomacy variant that does not contain stalemate lines? The standard Diplomacy game can often end up locked in a stalemate, with one player pushing for 18 territories, and two or more defenders trying to stop them. There are already many articles about this, including a useful visual index to stalemate po...	Until one could prove that there is indeed a stalemate line in the South America variant, the answers to your main questions should be positive: yes, it is possible to design a stalemate-free board and yes, it has been done before.
What is the point in disclosure of the bidding system to opponents? I fully understand and agree with the rule "do not communicate in illegal ways" (pose, tone of voice, etc), but I don't quite understand the point in requiring the disclosure of one's bidding system to one's opponents. What does this aim to achieve? T...	If the bidding system is not disclosed, then it becomes trivially easy to cheat.
Is it possible for players to gain an advantage from colluding in blackjack? Blackjack basic strategy makes the assumption that the player is playing independently, with one person's decision to hit/stand having no affect on another player's decision to hit/stand. If the results of every single hand were independent f...	Looking at it purely mathematically, given that there is no hidden information, there is no difference between a "team" of blackjack players playing as you describe, and one player playing multiple hands.
Implementing a map exploration mechanic cheaply I'm building a game in which players explore and steal from a castle. There needs to be an element of surprise and risk, so I've been considering a tile-based system like that used in Carcassonne. However, I'm not a fan of the (monetary) costs associated with producing su...	HeroQuest Descent Dungeon!
Can abilities with a [Click] cost be used during a run? Some abilities have a [Click] cost to them, such as Crypsis' ability to add a virus counter to it. Does it count as a "paid ability" for the purposes of the Run Timeline ? I.e. could I, mid-run, add a virus counter to Crypsis for the cost of one [Click]? <Q> No ...	No, the rules state that abilities with a Click cost can only be used as an action.
What reasons would a designer want to employ squares over hexes in a battle simulation game? In many games I have played, initial editions (eg the 1960s version of Midway) use squares for their boards. Often, later editions (eg the 1990s edition of Midway) change to a hex pattern. Hexes get around awkward movement ru...	If you are talking about a mostly open plain with very few obstacles, then a hex field is great as it avoids the diagonal rule cleanly.
What general approach should be taken opening hands with 3=1=4=5 and 1=3=4=5 shape? If my hand is not good enough to reverse, what should I do with a hand like KxxxKJxxAQxxx That is, a minimum opener with a singleton major, 4 diamonds, and 5 clubs (assuming that I'm playing Standard American or 2/1 with a strong NT o...	Open 1D, plan to rebid 2C over 1H (and maybe even 1S).
Is the four move checkmate the fastest way to win a game of chess? Is the four move check mate (1. e4 e5 2.Qf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5?? 4.Qxf7#) the fastest way to win a game of chess, or is there a quicker way? <Q> The moves that demonstrate the checkmate are: 1. <S> f3 e52. <S> g4 Qh4# <A> Fool's mate is the quickest wa...	There is a quicker checkmate called the Fool's Mate which only takes 2 moves.
Is there a way to beat Standstill? If your opponent has a standstill on an otherwise empty board, is there a way to remove it without your opponent drawing cards? krosan grip doesn't work because split-second doesn't apply to triggered abilities, and stifle or trickbind don't work either, because they themselv...	Also, if you have an effect like Boseiju, Who Shelters All (since Standstill decks are usually chalk full of counterspells), you can nullify the effects of standstill with cards like Wit's End or Mind Twist . Another way would be to destroy it without casting a spell.
How can I destroy Possibility Storm? If an opponent plays Possibility Storm , what would be the best way to destroy it? If I played a card which allowed me to destroy target enchantment, would this destroy Possibility Storm before my card becomes exiled or would I need to rely on one of the cards I need to draw? Al...	Also if the board is not empty you can easily use creatures that have abilites that allow you to destroy enchantments . To quote the answer I mentioned above: You can cycle Resounding Wave targeting [Possibility Storm] and a land, as cycling is an activated ability it won't cause [Possibility Storm] to trigger.
How can I keep Magic foils flat? Anyone who's collected Magic for a while knows the unfortunate tendency for foils — especially older foils and the heavier promotional foils — to curl up towards the foil side (presumably as the cardstock expands from moisture). Unfortunately, this not only makes it harder to use the f...	Additionally, there are "perfect" or "pro" fit sleeves, which fit cards tightly and can be inserted inside other sleeves. The difference in moisture absorption between the foil side and back of the card causes the card to curl.
Is there a card that protects me from a (self-)milling death? Is there a card with the ability: You do not lose the game being for unable to draw a card ? I've found one so far; Mine, Mine, Mine! but it applies to all players. A little back story; I have Reliquary Tower that has the ability; You have no maximum...	Various cards include a "you can't lose the game" effect, such as Platinum Angel and Angel Grace . Elixir of Immortality will do the same, cheaper for a gain of 5 life.
Keeping track of many independent variables on a physical board? I have a large number of independent variables which I would like to represent on a physical game board. One idea I had was to implement these using rotating disks, a little like the metal spinning mechanism used to select numbers on some types of lock. ...	Wits and Wagers gives each player a small plasticized card and a white board marker, you could have similar built in to the board. One solution I've seen to this is a cardboard disk with a hole cut out; the disk can be rotated to reveal any of several items below.
How are Swindler's effects resolved in a multiplayer game? I play Swindler in a 3-player game. Does each player reveal, trash, and gain in turn order, or all reveal, then trash and gain in turn order? I was thinking that it would matter in the following situation: the player to my left reveals and trashes a Province...	I think you would start with the player who played the Swindler, and then go around, starting with them.
Too few resource cards to distribute, but only one player receiving that resource type. Do they get the cards? Let's set up a simple example to illustrate what I'm getting at: A player has a city bordering an ore tile, and they are the only player with a settlement bordering an ore tile. There is only 1 ore resource...	Yes , the lone player gets the cards.
What are all the promo cards available for Dominion? What are all the promo cards available for Dominion? I found Black Market , Envoy , Walled Village , Governor , and Stash on the Board Game Geek Store . Are there more? Some of the promo cards are out of stock. Are they limited edition cards? Or do they c...	There is a german Dominion big box available at amazon.de which contains all promo cards.
Differences between Dixit versions? I'm concerned my niece, who's ten and has been raised on the likes of Hannah Montana, has little to no imagination or creativity. I want to find games we can play that will push her thinking out of the Disney drone-mold and I think that Dixit looks perfect for this. However, there's ...	Dixit Oddysey is nearly the same as original Dixit when it comes to rules.
Mechanism to balance all game stages I am designing a game in which players add tiles to the board (similar to Carcassone) in order to create sequences of symbols (which are on the tiles) - they are then used for playing cards. This mechanism works nice, but the problem is, that the first few rounds - there are just n...	I was thinking about dealing some tiles on the board in the beginning at random and limiting the total numbers of tiles available
Are there any non-green, non-artifact mana ramp cards? I have looked and can't seem to find any. I have seen many green cards and some artifacts that do this, but nothing in Red, Blue, Black or White. Are there any? Note: By "Mana Ramp" I mean a card that generates mana, or one that lets you play more than one la...	Dark Ritual is the classic mana acceleration card, in black.
Where can I learn to draft online? I'm new to MtG and I really want to go to Friday Night Magic, but I've never done a draft before. Are there online resources with good advice for what to pick and when? <Q> I would recommend http://www.channelfireball.com/all-strategy/ . <S> They have videos of expert player draftin...	I have found that a mixture of talking to friends, and reading articles about sets, and draft strategies really helped my draft skills a lot.
Can multiple Thorncaster Slivers grant multiple copies of the same ability? If I have two Thorncaster Sliver s, does their effect stack? That is, do the other slivers I have get the "1 damage" ability twice? If not, why? What rule makes it so they can't have the ability twice? If I had a different card with same abi...	As others have said, yes, the ability will exist twice on each of your Sliver creatures, and each of those creatures will trigger it twice upon attacking. If you control multiple Thorncaster Slivers and a Sliver you control attacks, each ability will trigger separately.
How can I counter Plasma Missiles? Our group has recently started playing Eclipse (without any expansions), however we have been having trouble with Plasma Missiles. More specifically, simple "nothing but plasma missiles and possibly a computer" ship designs have been completely dominating combat, which is making the...	Should you have a chance to play with the Rise of the Ancients expansion , it contains two rare technologies that act as hard counters to Plasma Missiles: the Distortion Field, which grants a -2 to all missiles that attack your ships, and Point Defense, which gives your cannons a free attack to shoot down incoming miss...
Are there any websites for keeping score of various boardgames? My friends and I are pretty competitive. We play a lot of various games with various scoring systems used by each (i.e. 7-wonders, Catan, Dominion, etc...). Does anybody know of any website or system that can be used for keeping track of who won which ga...	Boardgamegeek ( http://boardgamegeek.com ) has a play reporting feature which can include who played, what position each played, their score, and additional notes. I use the score geek app and it's pretty good.
What are examples of Go played on non-flat surfaces, like on a sphere? I know there was some thought put into how Go looks or feels like if it's not plaey on a flat, rectangular surface, but the surface of a 3-d object like a sphere or a donut. I'm mostly interested in: How is the grid mapped to the surface, so that ...	torus/sphere go has been played on actual spheres or tori.

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