When do reinforcements get discarded?

[Big J Money 0]

I was playing the other day, and I was trying to use the Reserve Wild ability.  IIRC, it gave the ability to retrieve a reinforcements card when it has been discarded.

I was basically wondering if that means it gives me the ability to retrieve someone's card and use it against them in the same encounter they used it.

Thanks,

-- John

[Lizalfos 7]

I was surprised not to find the answer in the rule book.  I only glanced through the encounter and reinforcement sections though.  Probably just didn't look hard enough.

It seems reasonable to assume that reinforcements are discarded with encounter cards.  If they were instantly discarded, you would be stuck trying to remember the shifting totals of the encounter, which is difficult enough to keep track of when they're still in play.  I would suggest you cannot reuse the same reinforcement card in the same encounter.

[Kobold Curry Chef 30]

Reinforcements are discarded when their associated encounter cards are.  So no, you can't use the Reserve Wild to play a Reinforcement card twice in one encounter.

[Big J Money 0]

Where did you get this info?

[Kobold Curry Chef 30]

It's one of those things that's not explicitly called out in the rulebook because it makes no sense to do it any other way.  You put the reinforcement cards on the table next to the encounter cards they go with.  After everyone's done playing reinforcements, you add up both sides, and then move to Resolution, where you discard the encounter cards.  When you discard encounter cards is laid out explicitly in the rulebook, pg. 11.

In other words, reinforcements stay in play until Resolution, just like Encounter cards.  If there were a "Reinforcement Zap" card that cancelled a Reinforcement and caused it to be discarded, that'd be another matter...

[Big J Money 0]

Kobold Curry Chef said:

It's one of those things that's not explicitly called out in the rulebook because it makes no sense to do it any other way.

I guess I have a different perspective, coming from a TCG/CCG background.  I'm used to playing games where it's regular practice to play and discard card that adds a numerical value to a card already in play.  In M:TG, you might have a card on the table with Toughness 2, and then play and discard a card from your hand that gives it +3.  You simply have to remember the +3.

But I think I will agree with you because that's the argument the people I was playing with said.  I figure if most people see it this way, it's most likely what was intended.  I don't care how the rule goes, just as long as it's consistent.  When a card like the Reserve Wild comes into play, it's good to know ahead of time how you are going to handle this, because it matters.

[Lizalfos 7]

 It'd be nice if someone who has the Mayfair rules could comment on this.  I would assume they are intended to work the same way, but I've never owned Mayfair's version.

[Kobold Curry Chef 30]

I have the Mayfair set Reinforcements were introduced in that edition.  Mayfair had a whole separate "discard phase" at the end of the encounter.  All cards stayed on the table until then (including Flares, I believe, which were single-use for some bizarre reason).