Twilight Struggle

#16BGG8.2RATING

Updated Sep 10

PLAYERS

120–180

MINUTES

BEST WITH

3.6

HEAVY

Ask Mira about Twilight Struggle

ERRATA1

Cuban Missile Crisis and the meaning of "Germany"designer
RULING
"The last line of the card 'Germany' refers to 'West Germany.'"
AUTHOR: JasonMatthews (Jason Matthews, designer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(59 replies, 18 thumbs)DATE: 2005-12-27

DESIGNER CLARIFICATIONS2

Red Scare/Purge and Junta in the same Headline Phasedesigner
CONTEXT
Because both cards are revealed simultaneously in the Headline Phase, players argued that Junta was not a "further Operations card played" and therefore escaped the Red Scare/Purge reduction.
RULING
"4.5.C 'reveal' does not have the same meaning as 'play.' This step does not exist to create a simultaneous headline phase where events can't impact one and other. Rather, 4.5.C exists because we realized headline cards WOULD react with each other. […] Red Scare/Purge modifies Junta when they are played in the same Headline Phase, just as it would in the regular action rounds."
AUTHOR: JasonMatthews (Jason Matthews, designer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(36 thumbs)DATE: 2021-04-03
Olympic Games boycott is subject to Red Scare/Purgedesignercommunity high-engagement
CONTEXT
The Deluxe Edition rewrote the card from "may use 4 Operations Points to Conduct Operations" to "may conduct operations as if they played a 4 Ops card," which newly exposed it to Operations modifiers. Jason Matthews confirmed in-thread that the rewording was an unintended consequence of a consistency edit before Ananda Gupta settled the question.
RULING
A boycott of the Olympic Games is subject to Red Scare/Purge.
AUTHOR: theory (Edward), reporting a ruling by Ananda Gupta (designer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(35 replies, 34 thumbs)DATE: 2011-03-07

Q&A39

Headline events that instruct you to conduct Operationscommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
The Headline Phase does not allow playing cards for Operations. If a headline Event's text tells you to conduct Operations, may you?
ANSWER
Yes. If the headline Event says to use Ops, you use those Ops, even though you cannot normally play a card for Ops in the Headline Phase.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Headlining an event whose prerequisites are not metcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Can you headline a card whose Event conditions cannot currently be satisfied?
ANSWER
Yes. The Event has no effect in that case, and the card is not removed from the game.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
UN Intervention in the Headline Phasecommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
May UN Intervention be played during the Headline Phase?
ANSWER
No. This restriction is stated explicitly on the Second Edition printing of the card.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Defectors as the US headlinecommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Does Defectors only cancel the Soviet headline if it has a higher Operations value?
ANSWER
No. If the US plays Defectors as his headline Event, it cancels the USSR headline Event no matter what Operations value the Soviet headline card has.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Order of dealing cardscommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Who receives the first card when hands are dealt each turn?
ANSWER
The Soviet player receives the first card of every deal. The deal alternates back and forth between the players until both have their full hand size. A player may receive consecutive cards if they require more cards than their opponent.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Ending a turn holding more than one cardcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
If you finish a turn with several cards left in hand, must you discard down to one held card?
ANSWER
No. It is possible to end the turn with more than one held card. You simply hold what you have.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Both players holding a scoring card at the end of a turncommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Holding a scoring card at the end of a turn loses the game — so what happens if both players do it simultaneously?
ANSWER
The US player wins.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Scoring cards, Missile Envy, Containment and Brezhnev Doctrinecommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Are scoring cards treated as Operations cards for the purposes of other cards?
ANSWER
Scoring cards are Operations cards, so they can be retrieved by Missile Envy. They are not affected by Containment or Brezhnev Doctrine.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Space Walk and discarding held cardscommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Once a player reaches the Space Race box that lets him discard a held card at the end of the turn, how many cards may he discard, and may one be a scoring card?
ANSWER
He may discard only one held card, even if he is holding more than one, and he cannot use the ability to discard a scoring card, since scoring cards cannot be held under 4.5.D.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Splitting one card's Operations across two Space Race attemptscommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
A player who has advanced far enough may play two Space Race cards per turn. Does that allow splitting the Operations from a single card into two Space Race attempts in one action round?
ANSWER
No. The two attempts require two separate cards.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Event cards that move your Space Race markercommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Do events that advance a player on the Space Race track — such as Captured Nazi Scientist or One Small Step — count against that player's Space Race attempts for the turn?
ANSWER
No. Event cards that modify a player's marker on the Space Race do not count against that player's Space Race attempts.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
One Small Step and the VPs of the space passed throughcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
How does using One Small Step to move two spaces differ from making two successful Space Race attempts?
ANSWER
The only difference arises when the first space gained would grant VPs: those VPs are not awarded when using One Small Step.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
North Sea Oil after winning the Space Racecommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
If the US has already won the Space Race extra-action-round benefit and then plays North Sea Oil, does he get nine action rounds?
ANSWER
No. He still gets eight actions that turn, not nine.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Realignment and Influence in the target countrycommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Can you make a Realignment roll in a country where your opponent has no Influence?
ANSWER
No. To attempt a Realignment roll, your opponent must have some Influence in the target country.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Brush War die-roll modifiercommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
How do adjacent enemy-controlled countries affect the Brush War roll?
ANSWER
Subtract one from the roll for each adjacent enemy-controlled country.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Military Operations capcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
What happens when Military Operations would advance beyond the fifth space?
ANSWER
Military Operations are capped at five. If the marker would be moved beyond five, it remains at five.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
How far War events move the Military Operations markercommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
When a War card is played as an Event, does the Military Operations marker move by the card's Operations value?
ANSWER
No. Apply only the War event's own effect, which includes a fixed number of spaces to move the marker. The Military Operations gained from a War Event are the same even if the card's Operations value has been modified.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Playing a War card where the opponent has no Influencecommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
May a War card such as Brush War or Korean War be played against a country where the opposing player has no Influence?
ANSWER
Yes, for a shot at the VPs.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Asia Scoring and Southeast Asiacommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Does the Asia Scoring card include the Southeast Asia countries?
ANSWER
Yes. Asia Scoring scores for all of Asia, including Southeast Asia.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Europe Scoring and the two halves of Europecommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Does Europe Scoring cover Eastern Europe, Western Europe, or both?
ANSWER
Both. Europe Scoring scores for all of Europe.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Shuttle Diplomacy and final scoringcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Does Shuttle Diplomacy apply during end-of-game final scoring?
ANSWER
No. Shuttle Diplomacy does not affect final scoring.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Shuttle Diplomacy and Southeast Asia Scoringcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Does Shuttle Diplomacy apply to the Southeast Asia Scoring card?
ANSWER
No. It affects only Asia Scoring and Middle East Scoring, as the card says.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
"Uncontrolled" on Truman Doctrinecommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
What does "uncontrolled" mean in the text of Truman Doctrine?
ANSWER
Not controlled by either player.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Formosan Resolution in final scoringcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Does the Formosan Resolution effect still apply during final scoring?
ANSWER
Yes. It counts in final scoring as well, as indicated in rule 10.3.2.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
When Formosan Resolution is discardedcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Formosan Resolution is discarded when the US player plays the China Card. Does that include China Card plays made before Formosan Resolution came into effect?
ANSWER
No. It is discarded the next time the US player plays the China Card; it does not look back to see whether he has ever played it.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Red Scare/Purge played twice in one turncommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
If Red Scare/Purge is played twice in the same turn — through SALT Negotiations or Star Wars, for example — do both instances apply?
ANSWER
Yes. The effect is cumulative.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Number of Realignment rolls from Juntacommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
How many Realignment rolls may the Junta event make?
ANSWER
As many as the player has Operations for — typically three.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Order of operations within Juntacommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
With Junta, may a player coup first and then place the Influence?
ANSWER
No. The player must place Influence first, then make the coup attempt or Realignment roll(s).
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Geographic limit of Latin American Death Squadscommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Does Latin American Death Squads modify the opponent's coup attempts outside Latin America?
ANSWER
No. It does not affect the opponent's coup attempts outside of Central and South America.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Ties on the Summit rollcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
What happens when both players roll the same number on Summit?
ANSWER
Ties have no effect. Do not re-roll.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Terrorism after Iranian Hostage Crisiscommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Once Iranian Hostage Crisis has been played, is Terrorism doubled for both players?
ANSWER
No. Terrorism is only doubled when played against the US player.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
U2 Incident and who plays UN Interventioncommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
U2 Incident awards the USSR a VP if UN Intervention is played later in the turn. Does it matter which player plays it?
ANSWER
No. The USSR player gains the VP if either player plays UN Intervention later in the turn.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
UN Intervention played on its owncommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Can UN Intervention be played as an event by itself?
ANSWER
No. It cannot be played on its own as an event; it must be played simultaneously with a card carrying your opponent's associated event. (This reverses an earlier ruling.)
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Wargames and the final scoring roundcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
If Wargames ends the game, is there still a final scoring round?
ANSWER
No.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Wargames when DEFCON is above 2community high-engagement
QUESTION
Can the Wargames event be applied when DEFCON is higher than 2?
ANSWER
No. Treat the "If" as a prerequisite for the event.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Declining the Wargames victory-point awardcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
At DEFCON 2, must the Wargames player give the opponent 6 VP and end the game?
ANSWER
No — "may" means it is optional. Because the event was still applied, however, the card is removed from the game, unlike the case where the "If" prerequisite is not met.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
The China Card stolen while face downcommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
If an event transfers the China Card while it is face down, does it stay face down?
ANSWER
No. It is turned face up, per rule 9.4.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Chernobyl and coup attemptscommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
Does Chernobyl stop the USSR from gaining Influence in the named region entirely?
ANSWER
No. The USSR player may still add Influence markers via coup attempts. Only "Marker Placement" as described in rule 6.1 is restricted.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Grain Sales when the Soviet hand is emptycommunity high-engagement
QUESTION
If Grain Sales to Soviets was the Soviet player's last card and there is no card for the US player to draw and return, can the US player still use the card?
ANSWER
Yes. The US player may use the card to conduct Operations normally even though there is no card to return.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13

EDGE CASES25

Headlining an event associated with your opponentcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player headlines a card whose Event is associated with the opposing superpower.
RULING
Your opponent does not become the phasing player for resolving the event; in all other respects the event resolves exactly as it would if your opponent had played the card. If DEFCON drops to 1 during your headline event, you lose — even though the event is your opponent's.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Being forced to hold a scoring card but winning before the turn endscommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player takes actions that will leave him holding a scoring card at the end of the turn, but reaches 20 VP before the turn ends.
RULING
A player may perform actions that result in being forced to hold a scoring card, and will lose the game at the end of that turn. If he wins the game prior to the end of the turn, the win stands.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
"Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You" forcing a held scoring cardcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
The US player discards his hand to "Ask Not" and draws only scoring cards, leaving him holding one at the end of the turn. Rule 10.1.5 says a player may not be forced to hold a scoring card through the effects of an event.
RULING
This is an explicit exception to 10.1.5. The effect is allowed to cause the player to hold a scoring card, and the US player consequently loses the game at the end of the turn.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Bear Trap and Quagmire: the discard replaces your actioncommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player under Bear Trap or Quagmire discards a card to attempt to escape the effect.
RULING
The discard replaces the player's action for that round. He does not also get to take a normal action.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Bear Trap and Quagmire with no legal card to discardcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player under Bear Trap or Quagmire holds no card that satisfies the discard requirement.
RULING
The effect repeats until a roll is successful (less than 5) — not "until successful or no appropriate cards remain." With no appropriate card, the player does not discard and therefore does not roll, and gets no action that round, unless the action is to play a scoring card.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Playing a scoring card instead of discarding to Bear Trap or Quagmirecommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player under Bear Trap or Quagmire would have to discard the only card that is keeping him from holding a scoring card.
RULING
He may play a scoring card in lieu of the discard, forgoing the die roll, if discarding would force him to violate the "May Not Be Held" stipulation of scoring cards.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Missile Envy forcing the recipient to hold a scoring cardcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
The recipient of Missile Envy must play it for Operations on his next action round, but doing so would leave him holding a scoring card.
RULING
He may play the scoring card instead.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Missile Envy received while under Bear Trap or Quagmirecommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player receives Missile Envy while under Bear Trap or Quagmire, which prevents him from playing cards for Operations.
RULING
He is only obliged to use Missile Envy for Operations on his next action round if he still holds it and is allowed to play cards for Operations. Under Bear Trap or Quagmire he is free to discard it for that effect, and if he cannot play it for Operations he must discard it at his earliest opportunity.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
When Missile Envy enters the opponent's handcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player plays Missile Envy and takes a card whose event then resolves against the hand Missile Envy just joined — for example receiving Grain Sales to Soviets, whose event makes the opponent reveal a random card.
RULING
Missile Envy goes into the opponent's hand before the event on the exchanged card is resolved, so it is among the cards eligible to be selected.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Missile Envy retrieving your own unplayable cardcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player plays Missile Envy and the highest-Ops card in the opponent's hand is one of his own associated events, but that event has been made unplayable by another effect such as North Sea Oil or Camp David Accords.
RULING
He gets nothing out of Missile Envy — the retrieved card is simply discarded.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Aldrich Ames ordering across a turn boundarycommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
The US player still holds ordered cards when the turn ends.
RULING
Any cards held at the end of the turn are no longer ordered. The effect of Aldrich Ames does not extend into the next turn.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Aldrich Ames ordering versus the scoring-card prohibitioncommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
Playing the next card in the Aldrich Ames order would leave the US player holding a scoring card.
RULING
The order is overridden by the prohibition against holding scoring cards. The US player must play the scoring card — in sequence if there is more than one — or otherwise the next card in the sequence whose play would not cause a scoring card to be held.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
UN Intervention among cards ordered by Aldrich Amescommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
UN Intervention is one of the cards whose play order Aldrich Ames has fixed.
RULING
It can only be played for Operations, and only when it comes up in the order.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Aldrich Ames combined with Quagmirecommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
The US player is under Quagmire and has also had his hand ordered by Aldrich Ames.
RULING
He must discard the earliest card in the order that satisfies Quagmire each action until the Quagmire ends or the order is exhausted. If Quagmire ends before the order is exhausted, the remaining cards must still be played in order.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Aldrich Ames and Ask Not in the same Headline Phasecommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
Both Aldrich Ames and "Ask Not" are played in the same Headline Phase.
RULING
Ames is fully implemented, then Ask Not is fully implemented. If the US player discards his entire hand to Ask Not, he escapes the ordering imposed by Ames, though the China Card play restriction remains. Any cards he keeps from the earlier hand must still be played in the indicated order.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Aldrich Ames and the China Card with an empty handcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
Aldrich Ames bars the US player from playing the China Card, and he has no other cards left to play in his action round.
RULING
He still cannot play the China Card, by the explicit restriction in the card's text.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Nuclear Subs and events that affect DEFCONcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
Nuclear Subs is in effect and the US player triggers something that would normally degrade DEFCON.
RULING
Only US Operations — such as spending Operations on coup attempts — are exempt from affecting the DEFCON track. Other US actions, specifically the effects of events, affect the DEFCON track normally.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Tear Down This Wall under a restrictive DEFCON levelcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
Tear Down This Wall grants a coup or Realignment rolls in Europe while the DEFCON level prohibits coups and realignments there.
RULING
The attempts may still be made. If the coup attempt is made in a Battleground country, DEFCON is degraded as normal.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Cuban Missile Crisis and a coup that would reach DEFCON 1community high-engagement
SITUATION
Cuban Missile Crisis is in effect, the USSR is the phasing player, and the US player makes a coup that would reduce DEFCON to 1.
RULING
The US player loses. Attempting the coup causes him to lose before the reduction of DEFCON can cause the phasing player to lose.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Flower Power and cancelled war eventscommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
Flower Power is in effect and the US player plays a war card whose event has been cancelled by another effect, such as Camp David Accords.
RULING
The USSR player gets 2 VP when the US player plays a war event either for Operations or for the event, unless the event portion would have been cancelled by another effect — including one played earlier.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Playing an opponent-associated card for Operationscommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A player plays a card carrying his opponent's associated event and uses it for Operations.
RULING
The event still occurs, either before or after the player uses the Operations, at the player's choice. If he chooses to conduct Operations first, those Operations are conducted and fully resolved before the event is applied, as stated in rule 5.2.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
CIA Created and Lone Gunman Operations valuescommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
CIA Created or Lone Gunman is played for Operations by the player whose opponent the event favours, while an Operations modifier such as Red Scare/Purge is in effect.
RULING
The opponent conducts Operations using the Operations value the card would have had if he had played it himself, without regard to the value the playing player received for it.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Operations modifiers and events that grant use of the card's Operationscommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
A card is played as an event, and the event itself grants the ability to use that card's Operations, while a modifier such as Red Scare/Purge is in effect.
RULING
Cards that modify the Operations value of other cards do so for all purposes when the player for whom the modification applies uses the points, including when the card is played as an event and the event grants the ability to use the Operations from the card.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
When the Defectors victory point is not awardedcommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
The Soviet player parts with Defectors in a way other than playing it as an event during his own action round — either discarding it during the US player's action round (to a Bear Trap or Quagmire effect, for example) or spending it on a Space Race attempt.
RULING
In neither case does the US gain a VP.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13
Timing of the "We Will Bury You" victory pointscommunity high-engagement
SITUATION
"We Will Bury You" awards the USSR 3 VP unless the US plays UN Intervention that turn, and the US player has an intervening action round.
RULING
The 3 VP are awarded as soon as it is clear that the US player will not play UN Intervention as an event. The VP are therefore awarded before the US player's event, unless that event could itself lead to the play of UN Intervention.
AUTHOR: Rulemonger (L. Scott Johnson)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(86 replies, 152 thumbs)DATE: 2008-03-13

Last researched: 2026-08-09

Not an AI guessing rules. A curated archive.

Every answer Mira gives is grounded in an official rulebook — not in what a language model thinks the rules probably say. Our team reads, structures, and curates each game's rulebook before Mira can answer a single question about it.

An opponent's settlement blocks your road network — your road cannot be built through or past an occupied intersection.

◆ Catan — Roads & Building, p. 7

At the end of each round, the player with the most of the goal trait scores points equal to their amount; the player with the second most scores fewer.

◆ Wingspan — End of Round, p. 11

Null cards deal 0 damage regardless of base value or any bonuses applied.

◆ Gloomhaven — Attack Modifier Deck, p. 23

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