Thorough Search - stupid returning player question

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Bob654
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 2:02 pm

Scout only. Tap a scout during the site phase to allow another character in his company to play a minor, major, or gold ring item normally found at its current site. The company must face any automatic-attack for its current site at least once during this site phase. This does not tap the site, and Thorough Search can be played at a site that is already tapped.
Obviously I have to tap the scout to play Thorough Search, but do I have to tap the other character who is playing the item too?
i.e. if I want to play an item at a site and then use Thorough Search to play a second item, does that require 2 untapped characters or 3 untapped characters after I'm done facing the automatic attacks?
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Konrad Klar
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Bob654 wrote: Thu May 07, 2020 4:06 pm Obviously I have to tap the scout to play Thorough Search, but do I have to tap the other character who is playing the item too?
Yes.
Bob654 wrote: Thu May 07, 2020 4:06 pm i.e. if I want to play an item at a site and then use Thorough Search to play a second item, does that require 2 untapped characters or 3 untapped characters after I'm done facing the automatic attacks?
3.
We will not speak of such things even in the morning of the Shire.
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CDavis7M
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Playing an item requires an untapped site and it requires the character to tap and the site to be tapped. Thorough search just "allows" an item to be played at an untapped site or without tapping an untapped site. Thorough Search does not actually bring the item into play by its own effects. Playing an item still requires a character to tap.
Bob654
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2020 2:02 pm

Okay, so that's what I thought based on my general reading of the rules/URD file.

So, strategy/deck-building question then...
(I know some of these cards have been errata'd to be significantly less powerful, but for the sake of argument): how the hell do I keep enough characters untapped to pull off this infamous "Indiana Jones" strategy??
My understanding is that the goal is to:
1) play an item
2) use thorough search to play a second item
3) then play Rescue Prisoners
So that's 4 characters that need to be untapped after the Movement/Hazard phase and facing automatic attack at the site...
Also, I need to have Item 1, Item 2, Thorough Search, and Rescue Prisoners in my hand all at the same time, so that doesn't leave a lot of hand-space for other hazard/attack-mitigating resources.

Maybe I just need to work on my dice-rolling technique :roll: , but it seems really difficult to have that many characters survive untapped into the site phase to pull all of that off in one turn, even when it all lines up right in my hand.

But I know these cards were errata'd/nerfed down long long ago because it was such an effective strategy, so I get the sense that I'm doing something wrong (either strategy-wise, or potentially rules-wise).

Any help/thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!
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CDavis7M
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The main point is that pre-errata Thorough Search could be used to get Greater items. That's 11MP: 4MP greater + 4MP greater + 3MP for Rescue Prisoners. Since you started with 6-8MP from characters you were close to Calling the Council after 1 site phase.

Now with the Errata you can get 6MP: 4MP greater + 2MP major, and then maybe another 2MP if/when you eventually store Rescue Prisoners. It's about half as fast as it used to be. Still, at least the prisoners can be stored at a Free/Border hold when you go pick up an ally or faction.

There are many cancelers for Orc attacks and many characters good at fighting orcs (Elrond's sons, Dwarves, Beorn, Glorfindel, etc). And you're getting weapons as you go. Look at Moria, Carn Dum, and Gundabad, you have a 92% chance to go untapped without a weapon. Even if you do get tapped on the way there, it will be harder to tap them the next turn. Cram can be used to untap characters after facing the automatic attack. A Chance Meeting can be used to play a 2-mind scout after facing the automatic-attack. Risky Blow and Block are always playable and can be used to get through the deck faster.

You also used to just be able to dump a ton of corruption cards since you weren't required to have 10-12 creatures in your deck. So it was a lot easier to hold on to the cards that you needed. Plus, there wasn't the option to take a -3 modifier to remove corruption untapped. You can still create a hazard deck that can max out the hazard limit every turn, it's just not nearly as effective.

Some older decks here: http://www.meccg.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2685
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