These were all more or less directly copied from the source attributed at the bottom of the answer:

Directly rolling a particular number (e.g. 2)    30.55%
Rolling a particular double (e.g. 3-3)   2.77%
Rolling a particular non-double (e.g. 5-1)   5.54%
Rolling any double   16.66%

Chance of getting off the bar with one or two pieces and X open points:

Open
Points  1 piece 2 pieces
1       31%     3%
2       55%     11%
3       75%     25%
4       89%     44%
5       97%     69%
6       100%    100%

Chance of moving X points in a single roll: (direct and indirect combined; direct alone is always 31% for 1-6 only).

Move    Direct and
        Indirect Chance
1       31%
2       33%
3       39%
4       42%
5       42%
6       47%
7       17%
8       17%
9       14%
10      8%
11      6%
12      8%
13       -
14       -
15      3%
16      3%
17      -
18      3%
19       -
20      3%
21       -
22       -
23       -
24      3%

SOURCE (and more stats): http://www.paulspages.co.uk/bgvaults/tips/dicerolls.php
More info on observed Backgammon statistics: http://www.bkgm.com/motif/stats.html


Does Summary Dismissal Send a Transformed Card to the graveyard?

If Summary Dismissal is cast in response to an ability that transforms a card that ability will be countered and thus removed from the stack. Since the ability to would transform the card no longer exists the card will not transform (it will not un-transform since it never transformed in the first place). If it was an activated ability that was countered it can still be activated again assuming the costs for it can be payed a second time. If it was a triggered ability it will trigger again the next time its condition is met.

If Summary Dismissal is cast after a card has transformed it will have no effect of the card at all since it only effects abilities that are currently on the stack, and can't do anything about ones that have already resolved.

  Only activated and triggered abilities on the stack are countered. Static abilities of objects remain unaffected, and activated and triggered abilities of objects may be activated or may trigger again later in the turn. Spells and abilities that have already resolved aren’t affected.

Countering transform abilities should never cause a permanent to go to the graveyard, the closest thing I can find is cards like Accursed Witch that die and return to the battlefield transformed, in this case they would stay in the graveyard.


Design for board to put on table to make it bigger?

It's a relatively simple project. While specific plans would need to be done using  the dimensions of the  table desired, it's very basic power-tool carpentry. It requires high precision, and the correct hinges, but isn't hard.
Essentially, you can just put the hinges outboard of the supporting table's width, on the underside. Let the table hold the panels up. So, if you have a desire for a 3'6" wide, 6' long surface, but a 2' wide table, and need it to fit into your 3x5' trunk, you rip a board to 3'6" wide, 6' long, then rip it to  two chunks 3' long. Finish the edges as desired, except the two which will face. Roundover the underside with a 1/4" roundover, and mount standard door hinges (4" wide) equally distant from the central table and the edge. (That should be 42-(2x4" hinges)-(24" central table)/4" from edge - 1.25" in from edge.) If being particularly fancy, you use a straight-cut bit and route out the hinges flush, so it folds truly flat...
If felting it, mount the hinges so that two compressed felt layers separate the two pieces, and the felt gets mounted so it covers the ends with the hinges. (This ensures that one only has a line between them, so stuff can't get under the felt easily.) also wrap it around the other edges.
Remember to both glue and either nail or staple the felt.
resource videos
Ask this Old House has a show that shows recessing door hinges. Uses a jig, two clamps, and a hand router. Or, alternatively, a wood chisel, and some patience. (if using engineered wood products, use the router.)
New Yankee Workshop, American Woodshop, Rough Cut, or The Woodsmith Shop all have covered hinges, as well.
advanced technique
If you make it thick enough, a Soss hinge could be used; their smallest one is 3/8" and needs 3/32" clearance on the folded-in side (and at least as much outside) for 9/16" wood thickness minimum. It will, however, affect the felting. Soss hinges require skill at mortising, which is a more advanced (and past my level) skill.


Can you buy a property after being sent by a chance card?

Yes. From the official rules, "whenever you land on an unowned property you may buy that property from the Bank at its printed price."


What is the proper Algebraic Notation for a pawn being promoted?

FIDE is not the arbiter of chess-notation.  By far the most common way to express promotion using algebraic notation is e8=Q (note that you do not write P for pawn, only the space it moves to).  This is also the only style supported by PGN, the most widely used format for recording games on a computer.

e8/Q and e8(Q) are also sometimes used, mostly by old-timers or old books.  I have never seen e8Q used (I guess I have seen it, I just never really noticed :) see below)

[Edit] By request, I did a small sampling of the literature I have available.

Of the 22 chess books I own, 14 use algebraic while 8 use descriptive (primarily because they are older books).  Of the 14 algebraic:

8 use the e8=Q style
2 use the e8/Q style
1 uses the e8(Q) style
1 uses the e8Q style

Another 2 use the related symbolic style e8♛

So it looks as those e8Q is not as unpopular as I originally thought, but e8=Q is still overwhelmingly the most popular.


(Note: I'm using the fan-revised and clarified rules. If you feel these answers contradict official rules, please update your question with quotes from the appropriate sections of the rules.)

Just that phase. When doing special defense actions (Duck, Block, etc.), record the defense letter "during the Combat Allocation Step". Quoted bit implies that it's for that phase, since you do this each phase: "Each combat phase, gladiators allocate their CF for attack, defense, net attacks and escape"
You allocate CFs for attacks and defenses to specific body areas, yes. And then: "ATTACK RESOLUTION: Conduct each attack by declaring the target body area and the attack CF allocated, then subtract any defense CF allocated to the same body area."
From the Shield Damage section (12) :

  When a gladiator suffers a shield hit (’S’ or ’S*’) from a
  non-net attack [see 9.6], add the Combat roll WHITE dice
  (2D6), the attacker’s ST, and the modified CF (+1 DRM for
  an ’S*’ result) for possible shield damage.
  NOTE: CF gained from a Weakened Defender do not modify shield
  damage rolls [see 9.4.7].
  12.2.1 Compare the result to the shield’s damage points
  (highest unchecked box) on the Shield Damage display [see
  3.14]. If the result is < the shield’s damage points, check
  off a number of shield boxes (right to left) equal to the
  shield damage result, minus the shield’s damage points [see
  3.18].
  12.2.2 If the shield edge (‘S*’) was hit [see 9.6], also add the
  Combat roll WHITE & BLACK dice (3D6) for shield drop.
  12.3 When the last shield damage point is checked off, the
  shield is battered useless, and must be discarded [see 13.1].
  12.3.1 If a ’P’ or ’H’ shield damage box is checked off, the
  defender suffers the appropriate CRT result [see 9.6].


Yes, you may choose modes and pay additional costs for a spell if you cast it through a Hideaway land.
Tooth and Nail is a modal spell; if you choose both modes, you incur an additional cost. You may choose modes if and when you cast a spell. As long as you do cast the spell (as opposed to copying it, or putting it on the stack in some other way), it does not matter where you cast it from or whether its mana costs have been altered in any way. Choosing to Entwine simply increases the cost of the spell from (in your case) {0} to {2}, after you paid {G} for the land's ability.
The Hideaway lands' activated ability reads:

You may play the exiled card without paying its mana cost if [..]

It allows you to play the exiled card (which means cast if that card is a spell) for no mana cost (the cost printed in the upper right of the card), if a certain condition is met. If you do, you proceed to cast the exiled card just like you would from your hand.

Casting Spells

601.1a Some effects still refer to “playing” a card. “Playing a card” means playing that card as a land or casting that card as a spell, whichever is appropriate.
601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. [..]
601.2b If the spell is modal, the player announces the mode choice (see rule 700.2). If the player wishes to splice any cards onto the spell (see rule 702.46), he or she reveals those cards in his or her hand. If the spell has alternative or additional costs that will be paid as it’s being cast such as buyback or kicker costs (see rules 117.8 and 117.9), the player announces his or her intentions to pay any or all of those costs (see rule 601.2f). [..]
601.2f The player determines the total cost of the spell. Usually this is just the mana cost. Some spells have additional or alternative costs. Some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay, or may provide other alternative costs. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana cost or alternative cost (as determined in rule 601.2b), plus all additional costs and cost increases, and minus all cost reductions. [..]
702.41a Entwine is a static ability of modal spells (see rule 700.2) that functions while the spell is on the stack. “Entwine [cost]” means “You may choose all modes of this spell instead of just one. If you do, you pay an additional [cost].” Using the entwine ability follows the rules for choosing modes and paying additional costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.


MTG: Indestructible creature with both damage and -1/-1 counters

It does not.

An indestructible creature will die from having 0 toughness.  It will not die from lethal damage (damage greater than or equal to its current toughness).

In your example, you have indestructible 2/2 (because of a -1/-1 counter), and it has 2 damage marked. It has taken lethal damage (as it has 2 toughness and 2 damage), but has toughness greater than 0, so it does not die.


In order to cast your Trap you must find a way to gain priority between the resolution of Thought Scour and the casting of Tasigur, as APNAP rules state your opponent gets priority (regardless of if the stack is empty or not).

  116.3b The active player receives priority after a spell or ability (other than a mana ability) resolves.

However, Tasigur can only be cast at sorcery speed. So if you could get an ability to trigger off of Thought Scour, then your opponent would receive priority with an ability on the stack. When he passes priority to you, you can cast your instant speed Trap**. The easiest way I can think of to cause a trigger would be off of the cantrip. Something like Mind's Eye should do the trick, although I'm sure there are plenty of others.

If you're unable to trigger an ability on the stack off of Thought Scour, then your opponent will be able to delve his graveyard to cast Tasigur.

** - Yes, I passed up the opportunity to say "activate your trap card". Shame on me.


Can I have multiple copies of a creature with Cipher?

Cipher copies the encoded spell, not the creature - have another look at the reminder text:

  Then you may exile this spell card encoded on a creature you control. Whenever that creature deals combat damage to a player, its controller may cast a copy of this card without paying its mana cost.

"This card" is referring to the card it's printed on, the spell with cipher. So if for example you cast Last Thoughts (allowing you to draw a card) and encode it on a creature, each time that creature deals combat damage to a player, you get to re-cast Last Thoughts for free (and draw another card). This can happen as many times as you can manage to deal combat damage to a player with the creature.

I should also point out: you can only encode it onto a creature, not anything else on the battlefield. (And, I know it sounds pedantic, but there's no such thing as a spell on the battlefield - things on the battlefield are called "permanents", a word you'll see on some cards.)

Hopefully this makes more sense to you than copying the creature - you're encoding the spell onto the creature, tying them together, so that the creature can cause the spell to be cast again.


In Backgammon, when can the dice be doubled?

I think you are confusing two uses of the word double.  If you roll doubles (e.g both dice show 3) you move not two but four counters three spaces ('Movement, 3' here).

You can also use the doubling die to increase the stakes at certain times; this has no effect on the game unless your opponent chooses to resign the game rather than play for (and lose) the higher stakes( 'Doubling').


How can I make Shadows Over Camelot play better with 3 or 4 players?

SoC is one of my favorite games.  I'm going to assume that the answer you're looking for is how to make it easier for 3-4 players.  I actually quite like three to four players games as there are more interesting decisions, risks, and strategies to playing and winning.

To make it easier consider mixing and matching any of these:

Play without a traitor.  Even
with three players you're likely
playing with 8 loyalty cards, so the
traitor isn't likely to be in the
game anyhow.  Removing infighting
and suspicion will make the game
easier.
If you're using a
traitor, don't look at loyalty cards
until 6 swords are around the table.
REMOVE whole sets of fight cards from
the white deck (1-5).  In higher
numbers of players, the game is
easier partially because the knights get to cycle through the white deck making multiple use of special white and merlin cards
Only require two merlin cards to cancel special black cards
Do not play with the grail.  Remove all despair, desolation, and holy grail cards from the decks.  This focuses the number of quests onto a smaller number of knights for balance.  Plus it eliminates a 'boring' quest.  (Grail duty!)
Increase the starting cards and hand limits, allowing longer quests for the knights.


When is my last opportunity to turn a manifested Kytheon face up and still cause his trigger?

The only restriction is that you have to do it before the End of Combat step, so you can do it after damage is dealt.

When Kytheon's ability says "if Kytheon, Hero of Akros attacked..." it means "if this creature attacked...". Specifically, rule 201.4 says

  Text that refers to the object it's on by name means just that particular object and not any other objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.

and rule 701.31a says

  "Manifest [a card]" means "Put [that card] onto the battlefield face down." That permanent is a 2/2 creature with no text, no name, no subtypes, and no mana cost. That permanent is a manifested permanent as long as it's face down. The effect defining its characteristics works any time the card is face down and ends when it's turned face up.

The point here is that Manifest is an effect that changes the creature's characteristics, including its name, but it's still the object that "Kytheon, Hero of Akros" refers to.

Rule 110.6 says

  A permanent's status is its physical state. There are four status categories, each of which has two possible values: tapped/untapped, flipped/unflipped, face up/face down, and phased in/phased out. Each permanent always has one of these values for each of these categories.

and rule 701.31b says

  Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested permanent you control face up. This is a special action that doesn't use the stack (see rule 115.2b). To do this, show all players that the card representing that permanent is a creature card and what its mana cost is, pay that cost, then turn the permanent face up. The effect defining its characteristics while it was face down ends, and it regains its normal characteristics. If the card representing that permanent isn't a creature card or doesn't have a mana cost, it can't be turned face up this way.

As both of these indicate, when a manifested creature is turned face up, it is the same object that it was when it was face down.

Finally, rule 511.1, the rule describing the End of Combat step says

  First, all "at end of combat" abilities trigger and go on the stack.

Therefore, as long as Kytheon's ability exists when the End of Combat step starts, and you met the requirements, it will trigger and Kytheon will flip. The last time you gain priority before the End of Combat step is during the Combat Damage step, after damage is dealt, so that is your last opportunity to turn Kytheon face up and have the ability trigger.


Your opponent was incorrect, you can counter creatures with Emerge. All Emerge does is gave the spell an alternative way of casting the spell, but you are still casting it.
Your opponent may have gotten confused because even if you counter their emerged spell the cast trigger will still occur, and their creature is still sacrificed. In order to stop that you need a card like Summary Dismissal that specifically counters abilities.

702.118. Emerge
702.118a Emerge represents two static abilities that function while the spell with emerge is on the stack. “Emerge [cost]” means “You may cast this spell by paying [cost] and sacrificing a creature rather than paying its mana cost” and “If you chose to pay this spell’s emerge cost, its total cost is reduced by an amount of generic mana equal to the sacrificed creature’s converted mana cost.” Paying a card’s emerge cost follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.
702.118b You choose which creature to sacrifice as you choose to pay a spell’s emerge cost (see rule 601.2b), and you sacrifice that creature as you pay the total cost (see rule 601.2h).


All trades must be between the active player and a single player.

Further, any traded beans must be immediately planted, so you cannot receive a bean in trade and then trade away that same bean.

The best you can do is

give your red bean to Mom (you are allowed to trade something for
nothing)
sister gives you a garden bean
when it is your mother or your sister's turn, hope that they complete the trade; note that there is no obligation to do so.


As the creator of the game, you can certainly change whatever rules you want. But consider that people will value the various cards on the relative strength of the hands they could go for. If you change the strengths, then they will change their betting patterns to adjust.

Ultimately, however, the real question is - do you need to change it? And by that I mean, as you playtest your game, do you identify that the precedence needs to change? When you're designing a game, you have to playtest, and then playtest some more, then make some tweaks and playtest some more. Game design is about 20% design and 80% playtesting. So what did your playtesting tell you?


Is the card "Outshine Them All" from the MLP CCG useless?

I wouldn't say it is useless, although it doesn't seem particularly useful. You may pay an action token now to receive possibly several action tokens in the future (by defeating several troublemakers at the problem and possibly again when you are in a problem faceoff at the problem). As a strategy, this is troublesome because of the opportunity costs of using the action token in the first place, the uncertainty of winning the final problem faceoff, and the fact that your opponent may not play multiple troublemakers at the problem to avoid giving you additional bonuses.

Here is the scenario where I would be inclined to play this card: It's the main phase and I now have what I consider to be an acceptable power at the troublemaker to win the faceoff next turn. I have a remaining action token after playing all of the other cards I wanted this turn. I can spend that action token now and I can expect to get it back during the troublemaker faceoff next turn. After that, I will have the opportunity to continue to collect additional action tokens for wins at the problem.

As for your second question, winning a faceoff with the card at a problem will earn you one action token plus the normal amount of bonus points.


How to reduce slow starts at the beginning of the game?

Don't forget, you get a resource card for each resource you touch when you place your second settlement.

If you're still finding things going slow, here's some random ideas you can use:

For each player, remove a Year of Plenty or Road Building card from the deck, shuffle them up, and deal one to each player.  That should get things really going.
Give each player one extra road as suggested.
Let each player pick one extra resource when starting.
NEW - The first time any player rolls a 7 (i.e. this will only happen once), after placing the thief the player has the option of taking a resource from the pile matching the tile they just played the thief on instead of taking a resource from a player (yes, it rewards a little bit of luck, but it also softens the blow of the first thief a little).
NEW - The first time each player rolls the dice in the game, if they get any resources, they may take one extra of a resource they just received.


Which board game is this token from with a number on the front and "SW" on the back?

The token is from Small World. You can see it in the pictures there.

Here's a photo taken of the Small World instruction manual laid on top of the box lid. Note the illustrations of the coins in the lower right, along with another two 10 point coins from the game laid on top showing front and back.


If planeswalkers aren't creatures, how does Gideon's defeat work?

Planeswalkers usually aren't creatures, but planeswalkers can sometimes turn into creatures. All iterations of Gideon can turn into a creature—it's kinda his thing—and sometimes other planeswalkers can too, like Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker who can turn into a dragon.

In Amonkhet, the Gideon planeswalker was Gideon of the Trials. His second loyalty ability says:

  Until end of turn, Gideon of the Trials becomes a 4/4 Human Soldier creature with indestructible that’s still a planeswalker. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to him this turn.

After using this ability his type line would say: Legendary Planeswalker Creature — Gideon Human Soldier. This makes him a legal target for "target creature", so if he then attacks, he'll be a legal target for Gideon's Defeat.

Since you usually can't activate loyalty abilities on someone else's turn, it's rare you'll see Gideon blocking like this, but if somehow that happens he'll be a legal target for Gideon's Defeat then too.


Yes

Unless the discard was a three or a wild card.  Those can never be picked up when they are on top of the pile.

http://www.canasta.net/canasta_rules.php


How do Yarok, the Desecrated and Doubling Season interact?

Doubling Season and Yarok, the Desecrated have no direct interaction. Doubling Season's ability creates a replacement effect. It is not a triggered ability on which Yarok's ability could trigger.
As per this Q&A, Doubling Season affects permanents as they enter the battlefield with counters already placed. These static abilites create replacement effects, which are different from triggered abilities. Yarok only affects affects triggered abilities.

603.1. Triggered abilities have a trigger condition and an effect. They are written as “[When/Whenever/At] [trigger condition or event], [effect]. [Instructions (if any).]”

Replacement effects have a variety of wordings. The most common wordings that apply to permanents are:

614.1c Effects that read “[This permanent] enters the battlefield with . . . ,” “As [this permanent] enters the battlefield . . . ,” or “[This permanent] enters the battlefield as . . . “ are replacement effects.
614.1d Continuous effects that read “[This permanent] enters the battlefield . . .” or “[Objects] enter the battlefield . . .” are replacement effects.
614.1e Effects that read “As [this permanent] is turned face up . . . ,” are replacement effects.

These are affected by Doubling Season if they involve placing counters on a permanent, but do not trigger Yarok.
If counters are placed on an object due to a triggered ETB ability, Yarok will double that ability, and Doubling Season will double both effects, for example if you choose the +1/+1 counters on Knight of Autumn


Where can I find the rules for Word Thief?

Rules for playing wordthief

Wordthief is a game for two to four players. The object of the game is to make or steal as many words as possible to acquire points. The game is over when the deck has been fully dealt and one player has used all his cards or no player is able to make or steal another word.
The Wordthief deck contains 108 cards: 104 letter cards and 4 Jokers. Each of the four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs) contains 26 cards.  Each of those cards has a value of from 1 to 10, based on the frequency of the letter’s usage in the English language.

A full game with four players tables about 50 minutes. If only two people are playing, the deck may be cut in half for a shorter game.

Getting started

The deck is cut and each player turns over a card. The player with the letter closest to A goes first. The cards are then returned to the deck and the deck is shuffled.
Each player is dealt seven cards face down.
A card is dealt face up to serve as the trump suit. It will be picked up as the last card from the deck.

Beginning the game

The first player uses the letters in his hand to make a word listed in a standard English dictionary. Any word of two letters or more is permitted.  Exceptions are abbreviations and words requiring hyphens, apostrophes or capital letters.
The value of all the letters in the word made is added up and registered under the player’s name on the score pad or the player takes the equivalent value in chips.
Words made in more than one suit can be stolen by other players. If a player steals your word, he also takes the point value of that word. If all the cards used in a word are of the same suit, the word is wordlocked and cannot be stolen by other players. Wordlocked words receive double points, triple points if the word is in the trump suit.
The player who has made a word replenishes his cards. Players must have at least seven cards in their hands.
Play passes to the left. The next player must either make a new word from the cards in his hand or steal one complete word from another player. If a player steals a word, he must increase its value by adding letters to it.  He may also increase its value by breaking it into 2 or more words, then adding or subtracting letters until +all* the stolen letters plus at least one from the player’s hand have been used in the new words. The player must use all the letters from the stolen word and each new word made must contain at least one letter from the word that was stolen.
Once a player has created a word, he cannot steal, change, add to or lock that word. Only other players may do so.
As mentioned in rule 5, the value of all the letters is added up and registered under the player’s name on score pad or taken in chips.
A bonus of 5 additional points is awarded for each word of 5 letters or more.  5 bonus points for a 5-letter word, 10 points for a six-letter word and so forth.
If a player is unable to make or steal a word, he loses 5 points, takes another card and misses a turn.
When a word is stolen from a player, the points are registered in the minus column as points lost or chips are returned to the bank.  Bonus points remain with the player.
A Joker is wild and can be used for any letter of any suit in creating, stealing or locking new words.  Jokers have no value.
A player who uses all the cards in his hand (a minimum of seven cards) in one turn receives a bonus of 20 points.

Scoring

White Chips = 1 point
Blue Chips = 5 points
Red Chips = 20 points

Ending the game

The game is over when all the cards, including the face-up trump card, have been dealt and one player has used all of his cards or, when no one can make or steal another word.  Any cards remaining in the players’ hands are subtracted from their scores or the equivalent value in chips returned to the bank.
The player with the highest total, arrived at by adding points (or chips) made and subtracting point wins the game.


Bay Window Defense Combat Strength Bonus

Looking at the rules here it says (emphasis mine):-

  Gain 1 Strength at both Wall sections adjacent to this Tower
  during Melee combat if there is at least one Marksman present.


What's the most intuitive way to use a die for a pass/fail test?

Whatever non-expert game you play (Monopoly, snakes and ladders, etc.), rolling a 6 is good, rolling a 1 is bad. So I'd say "You win if you roll a 4 or more" is the most intuitive way to speak to a non-gamer.


How to avoid the situation in which player 2 knows for sure that player 1 chose the King?

Remove the appropriate number of random characters face-up, if a King is revealed reshuffle. Then randomly select a character card and place it face-down

This will still have you reshuffling the character cards 25% of the time in a 4-Player game (if you remove the King from the face-up random cards, you reshuffle 100% of the time), but it is much better than The only two other possibilities that come to mind. In this way, the second player doesn't know if you chose the King or it was removed face-down randomly.

Remove the exception for choosing a new card if the King is revealed face-up
Allow the First Player to choose between the Last Players face-down discarded card, or their original choice

Both of these suggestions have their own issues. If you allow the King to be removed face-up, you are changing the odds that the First Player changes each round. In a 4-Player game, you have tripled the chances from 12.5 to 37.5, that the King is unavailable.

With the latter suggestion, the first player knows all the roles that were chosen. This means that they are certain to hit with the Assassin or Thief.

BTW, The first player sets aside one character card face-down with-out looking at it, according to the rules (not that this isn't easy to deduce).


+1/+1 counter, where does it go when my adversary bolts it's target?

Your Vastwood Hydra comes first if your opponent waits for the ability to resolve.

You distribute the counters upon resolution of the ability. This means that your opponent must choose to Shock your followers, before the Hydra ability resolves. The Hydra's ability doesn't use the word "Target", so you need not declare which creatures get the counters until the resolution of the Hydra's ability. From the cards rulings.

  The ability that triggers when Vastwood Hydra dies doesn’t target any of the creatures. You can choose to put counters on a creature with protection from green, for example.

  You choose how the counters will be distributed when the ability resolves.

Essentially, your opponent must choose what creature to target with Shock while the "distribute Vastwood Hydra's" ability is on the stack. If you have multiple 2/2s, your opponent can only Shock one and you can distribute the counters on the other.


Changing targets for a spell with a variable number of targets

You cannot change the number of targets. The rules about targets say the following:

  114.3. The same target can’t be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word “target” on a spell or ability. If the spell or ability uses the word “target” in multiple places, the same object, player, or zone can be chosen once for each instance of the word “target” (as long as it fits the targeting criteria). This rule applies both when choosing targets for a spell or ability and when changing targets or choosing new targets for a spell or ability (see rule 114.6).
  114.6. Some effects allow a player to change the target(s) of a spell or ability, and other effects allow a player to choose new targets for a spell or ability.

  114.6a If an effect allows a player to “change the target(s)” of a spell or ability, each target can be changed only to another legal target. If a target can’t be changed to another legal target, the original target is unchanged, even if the original target is itself illegal by then. If all the targets aren’t changed to other legal targets, none of them are changed.
  114.6d If an effect allows a player to “choose new targets” for a spell or ability, the player may leave any number of the targets unchanged, even if those targets would be illegal. If the player chooses to change some or all of the targets, the new targets must be legal and must not cause any unchanged targets to become illegal.


The Emblem will stay forever, even if Jace is destroyed.

  Emblems

    113.1. Some effects put emblems into the command zone. An emblem is a marker used to represent an object that has one or more abilities, but no other characteristics.

    113.2. An effect that creates an emblem is written “[Player] gets an emblem with [ability].” This means that [player] puts an emblem with [ability] into the command zone. The emblem is both owned and controlled by that player.

    113.3. An emblem has no characteristics other than the abilities defined by the effect that created it. In particular, an emblem has no name, no types, no mana cost, and no color.
    113.4. Abilities of emblems function in the command zone.

    113.5. An emblem is neither a card nor a permanent. Emblem isn’t a card type.

There is nothing in the game currently that can remove an emblem. (Other than restarting the game with Karn Liberated). There shouldn't be any rule preventing the existence of a card that said something like "Exile target Emblem", but no such thing exists.


When can upgrades be obtained or edited?

I think you're reading this too literally.
"Once runners have earned Karma..." is just an answer to "When do I start buying upgrades, in general?"

For each runner, their earned Karma is a permanent value.
If you earn 3 Karma from completing a mission, that's 3 Karma that this runner will always have. This runner "has earned karma", now and forevermore.
Each runner is always "worth" as much karma as he has ever earned.

Between missions, each runner can "spend" their karma to buy or swap abilities on their sheet (by the costing rules).  (the term "spend" isn't exactly right either; your karma is just your maximum capacity for upgrades, but it never goes away)
Even if they didn't gain any new karma on that specific mission.


Can Wall of Blood and Transcendence be used to gain infinite life?

Yes, that should work (with the caveat that you can never gain 'infinite' life, you have to specify an (arbitrarily large) number, how often you are going to repeat the cycle, upfront). It's important to note that you can't pay life you don't have (even with Transcedence on the field) but you've already accounted for that.

One may expect for a combination of three cards (two of which are rather bad/mediocre on their own) in three different colors to be so powerful. It's a rather risky one as well; if Nature's Claim gets countered, you'll lose the game.


6 power favor tile Town/Culture benefit order

Yes, if a Town would be founded by taking this tile, you get the key immediately, and may use it to reach 10 on the Fire Cult with the 2 Fire influence.

  we see that founding a town is not an active action you have to execute but happens automatically and instantly when the conditions are met.
  and by taking the favor tile(s) the conditions have been met.
  thus in the same moment you have a town and are allowed to advance to level 10 with the cult bonus shown on your favor tile(s).

(source: http://boardgamegeek.com/article/10450352#10450352)


Is death from deathtouch a state based action?

Death from deathtouch is a state-based action. Specifically, this one:

  704.5h If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and it's been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch since the last time state-based
  actions were checked, that creature is destroyed. Regeneration can
  replace this event.

The triggered ability from Dissipation Field will still go on the stack, but its target will be dead by the time it resolves.


In Elder Sign, after rolling, can I do both - complete a task AND use any dice previously secured by a spell to complete a second task?

Yes.  In your example, technically speaking, you are really performing another round of rolling - rolling zero dice - and then resolving the final task.  The die you have secured in your spell is a usable part of your dice pool, thus allowing you to meet the requirements of the adventure task even though you didn't physically roll any dice.  Remember that the spell is discarded after you use the reserved die in that way.

However, if you still have more unfocused/unreserved dice to roll, you do have to roll them.  In your example, you had exactly no dice left to roll after completing the first task and when moving on to the second.  If you did have dice left, however, you'd have to roll them, which gives the risk of rolling a Terror result, which could have consequences.  Thus it's important to note that, strictly speaking, you cannot complete multiple tasks at once (and in your example, you are not really doing so).


In chess, how many times can a piece be attacked at once?

There are 16 ways a piece can be attacked in chess, 8 positions where a knight can attack from and 8 directions which all other pieces use to attack. However there is no way in chess to fill all of these spots, as the bishops are on opposite colors. The most I have been able to find to answer this is 15, using pawn promotion to get more knights:

UPDATE as corsiKa pointed out, En Passant does exist as a 17th way a piece can be attacked, though it is limited to pawns attacking pawns, when the pawn being attacked has made it's fist move two spaces to come beside the attacking pawn. This can be done here, however it still leaves a maximum of 15 attacks. That would look like this:


Finding places to play Magic the Gathering games

As for your location-specific needs, I don't know that many people can speak to that.  However, for the more generalized "How do I find more places/people to play Magic with," here are a few answers:

Wizards of the Coast has a Store and Event Locator
Check your LGSs (Local Gaming Stores) - many will either run Friday Night Magic, regular events, or casual play days
Look online for people or groups that play in your area (e.g. something like Craigslist or http://www.meetup.com in the US - not sure about the UK)
Teach other people to play

Besides those, there's always Magic the Gathering: Online - yes, it's another place to spend money on Magic (and you don't physically own the cards), but lots of the older (and less-played newer) cards can be found very cheaply, and it shouldn't be hard to put together a decent collection and play online.


Under which controller does a stolen permanent come into play after being exiled?

Immortal Sun enters the battlefield under your control because Ixalan's Binding creates a special one-shot effect that has its own rules treatment. When flickering an object as a regular one-shot effect, its subsequent controller depends on the card used to flicker; both "you", the controller of the effect, and "the permanent's owner" are possible, and are always specified by the card.
Ixalan's Binding doesn't specify under whose control the permanent returns to the battlefield, so by default it's the owner of the exiled permanent, namely you:

610.3. Some one-shot effects cause an object to change zones “until” a specified event occurs. A second one-shot effect is created immediately after the specified event. This second one-shot effect returns the object to its previous zone.
610.3b An object returned to the battlefield this way returns under its owner’s control unless otherwise specified.

For Flicker effects, it depends on the specific card/effect that does the flickering, both variants are possible: you, or the owner, who may or may not be you


Might it be Crazy Eight? (or Crates, Switch, Swedish Rummy, Last One, Rockaway, Mau-Mau or Pesten).

It has the most rules you mention, like reverse, draw two. Looks like UNO.

The last card rule might be a kind 'house rule', because there are a lot of variants of this card game all over the world.

http://www.pagat.com/eights/crazy8s.html

In the japanese wikipedia article, its saying also Crazy Eights. Article translated by Google Translate.

https://translate.google.nl/translate?hl=nl&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fja.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B8%E3%83%BC%E3%82%A8%E3%82%A4%E3%83%88


What are the order of actions in Monopoly?

Given the way the rules are themselves ordered...

Throw the dice
move the indicated distance or to jail (if 3rd double in a turn)

collect $200 if land on or pass Go

resolve space

ownable properties

pay rent if owned and not mortgaged
buy it if unowned (optional)
aution property if still unowned (not optional)

non-ownable properties

resolve as indicated.
collect $200 if resolving puts you passing Go.

Pass the dice or roll again, as appropriate.

The only action which is doable outside one's turn (according to the instructions I've got off-line, in my deluxe box) are buying auctioned properties, buying or trading properties with other players, and using cards that say "use at any time."

All other actions (buying houses/hotels, selling houses/hotels, mortgaging properties, unmortgaging properties) can be done at any point in your own turn.


I have looked but not seen any rules for call your partner games in general where they discuss who wins when multiple people on the same winning hand break the mark for ending the game.

In general when I have been playing we have handled it in the following ways. In a friendly atmosphere it is considered a tie and anyone who hits the mark is considered a winner. In a more competitive atmosphere it is highest score wins. If there is a tie and the bidder is involved in the tie than the bidder wins. If the bidder is not in the tie the win is than considered a tie.

The reasoning for the bidder breaking ties is because they took the action and risk to make the bid. If they are not in the bid it gets a lot harder to determine a tie breaker other than another hand where they are the only ones who can win.


In Santorini, does a god power replace original win condition

You can win by reaching the third pillar with both those gods.

Per the rules, the win conditions of Chronus and Eros both start with:

  You also win if ...

Also indicates an additional win condition.  Completing either will earn you the win.

This is spelled out on page 2 of the rules as well

  Additional Win Conditions are
  specified by some God Powers. In addition to
  being able to win by moving up onto the third
  level during your turn, you can also win by
  fulfilling the “Win Condition” described.


One problem you may be facing is that you're trying to play this game strategically.  RftG is must more tactical than, say, Puerto Rico, since your choices of developments and planets is determined by the luck of the draw than being available for purchase.  If you 'set out' to do a produce consume before the game's begun you're putting yourself at a severe disadvantage.

A second thing that may be going wrong is that an engine strategy has a key point where you need to stop building the engine and start running it.  If you feel like you need too much time to build the engine up, perhaps you're building too big of an engine.  Aim for a smaller engine, and then work it that extra couple of times.  You'd be surprised at much even a 20% more 'efficient' engine costs.  Often it's two or more extra produce/consume cycles.


Does Bound by Moonsilver prevent crewing?

Bound by Moonsilver does not prevent crewing. Bound by Moonsilver has the ability

Enchanted creature can't attack, block, or transform.

Crewing a vehicle is none of those things, so Bound by Moonsilver does not affect it.
Here are the rules for Crew:

702.121a Crew is an activated ability of Vehicle cards. “Crew N” means “Tap any number of untapped creatures you control with total power N or greater: This permanent becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.”

702.121b A creature “crews a Vehicle” when it’s tapped to pay the cost to activate a Vehicle’s crew ability.

702.121c If an effect states that a creature “can’t crew Vehicles,” that creature can’t be tapped to pay the crew cost of a Vehicle.

So, the only way to stop a creature from crewing a vehicle is either with an effect that specifically says so, like Revoke Privileges as doppelgreener mentioned, or by keeping it tapped with an effect like on Malfunction.


We independently came up with @thesunneversets' idea, and found it a bit unsatisfying - it ends up being "Don Bell sometimes gets to use an extra Bang! card during his turn or can use a green bordered card immediately".

It's a fairly weak ability: since it's random, Don Bell can't plan for it and neither can any other player; even if he does get the chance, there's only a few "active" green cards for which this is useful in the first place (most of them are Missed! or Dodge equivalents); and players end up forgetting to use the power half the time anyway since he's the only character who regularly draws after the end of his turn.

The chance at an extra Bang is pretty good, but Doc Holiday already does that more reliably (and he pays any two cards instead of one Bang).

We decided that the interesting and unique part of his power was the interaction with green bordered cards, so we flat out changed his power to:

  Don Bell may play green bordered cards from his hand as if they were brown bordered cards.

This lets him use the various green misses when he's being shot at, along with doing things like using a Buffalo Rifle as a lower-cost Springfield or a Pony Express as a Wells Fargo. He still can't use the Canteen as a holdout beer, though.

It gives Don Bell interesting decisions to make (do I discard some cards and keep this green in my hand where people don't know I have it, or do I play it so I can keep more cards in hand?), and it gives other players interesting decisions to make related to him (do I play this Pony Express, or do I keep it in my hand since he would want to Panic it from me and use it immediately? Do I take the Conestoga from the general store even though I don't really want it to deny him?)

Finally, from a design standpoint (because this matters to us for some reason) it also provides a certain symmetry with Delgado's ability to interact with blue cards.


Do Cylon Leaders in Battlestar Galactica (Daybreak expansion) draw an extra card in sickbay?

No, Cylon Leaders are restricted to one card in Sickbay.

From the Daybreak rules

  An Infiltrating Cylon Leader draws one extra Skill Card from
  within his Skill set during his “Receive Skills” step for a total of
  three Skill Cards.

Hence, they only receive an extra card if they are receiving their normal 2 cards.  Sickbay overrides it to only allow one card per character in Sickbay.

The rules also note that the Infiltration card is a "summary" of the Infiltration rules.


In Elder Sign, what is the distinction between completing and defeating a task?

There is no difference between completing a task and defeating a task.

The difference in wording is - as suspected - for consistency. Additionally, because some tasks are in fact monsters, defeating is a better fit for being the general term than completing.


"Taking the rest" in the card game Hearts

This feature by Karman Games is called "auto-complete". It is also utilized in other games they make, such as Euchre.

Basically, if there is only one mathematical outcome, then there is no point in playing the rest of the hand out (or at least, that's how Karman Games sees it).

Although it doesn't (and can't) occur to the same extent, you can technically apply this feature on tabletop as well:

If you know you have the top X cards in Hearts (or Euchre), then some people will flop their entire hand down, rather than playing each card individually.

Note that you may not even have the top X cards in Hearts/Euchre to do this... if you do the math correctly and/or remember what cards have already been played, you can figure out the number of hands/tricks you are guaranteed to win (so long as you play them in the correct order).

If your calculation ends up being incorrect, and you flop down your hand mistakenly, it is called a "renege" and you will be penalized for it.


Do you lose/gain any life when you drain yourself

You still get the life gain/loss trigger. Even though the net result of the ability is 0, triggers can be "created" (pending priority) in the middle of abilities resolving.

  603.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability automatically triggers. The ability doesn’t do anything at this point.

    603.2a Because they aren’t cast or activated, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn’t legal to cast spells and activate abilities. Effects that prevent abilities from being activated don’t affect them.


What do the sides of the movement dice in Runebound look like?

As previously mentioned, someone made cards to replace the dice.

The following cards are in his deck: (Ignoring "city" he added to every card)

6x Road, Plains, Hills
3x Road, Plains, Mountain
3x Road, River
3x River, Forest
3x River, Swamp

So it's safe to say the following represent the face of the dice:

Road, Plains, Hills
Road, Plains, Hills
Road, Plains, Mountain
Road, River
River, Forest
River, Swamp

So you were correct.

If these dice are all identical, they have the following faces:

            +-----------+
            |       Ro  |
            |          >|
            |  Ri       |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+
|     Hi    |       Mo  |  Ro ^ Pl  |
|           | Rd       >|           |
|  Pl v Ro  |       Pl  |     Hi    |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+
            |       Ri  |
            |          >|   Ro Road
            |  Fo       |   Ri River
            +-----------+   Hi Hills
            |       Ri  |   Mo Mountain
            |<          |   Fo Forest
            |  Sw       |   Sw Swamp
            +-----------+

^, v, < and > denotes the top edge of the face. The icons are already correctly placed within the square. This indicates which way they should be facing. e.g. The Swamp will appear in the top-left corner of the face, while the Forest will appear in the bottom-right corner.


You can cast the creature just fine, since nothing prevents you from casting the creature here (rule 601.3 specifies when you can cast spells and when you can't, however its triggered abilities aren't part of what govern its "castability").

Its ETB ability isn't optional, but it's still highly unlikely for that to be negative for you. Note that the ability only mentions target creature, not target tapped creature, meaning  that you may target Sparring Mummy itself, or any other untapped creature, with the ability, even though on resolution, if the creature is still untapped, it won't do anything.

In general, keep in mind that you only have to follow instructions in a very procedural manner in MtG, and never have to "look into the future" to determine what would probably happen - the worst that can happen is that an ability will be countered by the game rules (for example because the creature you targeted with Sparring Mummy's ability was returned to its owners hand), but that never keeps you from choosing that creature as a target in the first place, or even casting it.


What is the penalty and procedure at Duplicate Bridge when a player revokes twice

From the description you provide, under The Laws of Duplicate Bridge (2017): the first revoke is established while the second is not and must thus be corrected. (Law 63 details the establishment of a revoke.)

Law 62 - Correction of a Revoke
A. Revoke Must Be Corrected
A player must correct his revoke if attention
is drawn to the irregularity before it
becomes established.

Further details on how to make this correction are in Parts B and C of Rule 62, but in summary the substituted revoke card becomes a major penalty card while any other substituted card by a defending partner of the revoker becomes a normal penalty card. Play continues after the correction to the completion of the hand, when additional law applications apply.
Then Law 64(A)2 is applied as a penalty for the established (first) revoke:

Law 64 - Procedure after establishment of a Revoke
A. Automatic Trick Adjustment
When a revoke is established:

and the trick on which the revoke occurred was won by the offending player (A trick won in dummy is not won by declarer for the purposes of this Law.), at the end of the play the trick on which the revoke occurred is transferred to the non-offending side together with one of any subsequent tricks won by the offending side.

and the trick on which the revoke occurred was not won by the offending player (A trick won in dummy is not won by declarer for the purposes of this Law.) then, if the offending side won that or any subsequent trick, after play ends one trick is transferred to the non-offending side.

It appears to me that none of the exceptional circumstances covered in Law 64(B) apply in this case, except for the clarification of the above here:

B. No Automatic Trick Adjustment
There is no automatic trick adjustment following an established revoke (but see Law 64C) if:
....

it is a subsequent revoke in the same suit by the same player, the first revoke having been established.

...

However the Director has access to further redress in the interest of fairness.

C. Redress of Damage

When, after any established revoke, including those not subject to trick adjustment, the Director deems that the non-oending side is insufficiently compensated by this Law for the damage caused, he shall assign an adjusted score.

(a) After repeated revokes by the same player in the same suit (see B2 above), the Director adjusts the score if the nonoffending side would likely have made more tricks had one or more of the subsequent revokes not occurred.

It is clear to me that the Director ought to make an explicit  decision under Law 64(B)2(a) in this instance - one way or another. He should also make clear to the players of both sides that his decision under this clause, being one of judgement rather than law, may be appealed after conclusion of the game and that the board should be maintained after completion of play.

LAW 83 - NOTIFICATION OF THE RIGHT TO APPEAL
If the Director believes that a review of his decision on a point of fact or exercise of his discretionary power could well be in order, he shall advise a contestant of his right to appeal or may refer the matter to an appropriate committee.

Aside:
It is a sad fact that many clubs do not have an appeals process in place, and ignore Law 83. This has unfortunate side effects:

There is no check on the authority of the Director, and I have seen Club Directors play favourites in exercise of their discretionary powers far more often than could be explained by lack of directorial skill.

The Director is required to study the hand, at the time of the ruling. This both makes it impossible for a playing Director to play the hand fairly in a subsequent round, and slows the game down by delaying the decision.


Enervating Mist vs Silent Wobby, which one is active?

From the ruling on Enervating Mist I see the following, emphasis mine:

If "Enervating Mist" and "Infinite Cards" are both active, whichever effect resolved last is dominant.

So yes, it will depend on the order of activation (and thus, order of resolution) which effect takes place.
A related fact is the "negative precedence over positive" rule (as in MTG IIRC). This means that if an effect says that someone can do X, and another effect says that someone cannot do X (they contradict each other), the cannot takes precedence over the can.
This is not the case for the specific cards you mentioned, but is worth mentioning nonetheless.


Can piercing damage be inflicted on a monster that is unaffected by monster effects?

The answer is yes. Piercing damage isn't an effect that affects the monster per-se, but it does affect the player. Think of piercing damage like burn that happens after the damage step, and just happens to be in increments of your monster's attack minus the opposing monster's defense. It is considered battle damage, but it's damage that is dealt to the player, not an effect that does anything to the monster.


Is there any way to get an instant or sorcery on the field as a permanent? What would happen if this occurred?

There's a clear boundary between the two types of cards (one having a 'lasting' effect, the other a 'momentary' effect), and as far as I can see that's intentional. In the history of Magic: The Gathering, a handful of instant/sorcery cards with transform and/or manifest have been printed, and with some other cards it would be possible to make permanents of them, except for some very specific rules (mentioned by @doppelgreener) preventing this:

304.4. Instants can’t enter the battlefield. If an instant would enter the battlefield, it remains in its previous zone instead.
307.4. Sorceries can’t enter the battlefield. If a sorcery would enter the battlefield, it remains in its previous zone instead.
701.27d If a spell or ability instructs a player to transform a permanent, and the face that permanent would transform into is represented by an instant or sorcery card face, nothing happens.
701.33f If a manifested permanent that’s represented by an instant or sorcery card would turn face up, its controller reveals it and leaves it face down. Abilities that trigger whenever a permanent is turned face up won’t trigger.

Even if those rules didn't exist, the text on an instant or sorcery indicates what happens when the spell resolves. So if you could somehow get a Lightning Bolt on the battlefield as a permanent, it won't do any damage, not even when it enters the battlefield.


What are desirable planeswalker characteristics?

In general, Planeswalkers are slow to do anything by themselves, so the ones that see tournament play are the ones whose early abilities complement the deck or give immediate card advantage.

Gideon, Champion of Justice

Gideon takes about 4 turns to get out (by mana cost). His +1 doesn't do anything useful immediately, and even when he does get big he can be stopped by 1 chump blocker a turn. His ultimate is good, and will probably win you the game, but it takes a long time to activate and it puts all of your eggs in one basket, making you very vulnerable to a Swords to Plowshares

Vraska the Unseen

Vraska, again, probably doesn't get out until turn 5. Her +1 ability does nothing but deter your opponent from going after Vraska, which does nothing to stop them from killing you. Her -3 is useful, but half of her loyalty is a bit of a steep price to pay to destroy just one permanent. And her ultimate, which you're optimistically getting off on turn 8, does nothing if your opponent has 3 bears to block with.

Domri Rade

Domri, on the other hand, gets out on turn 3 and immediately starts helping you get cards. With him on the field in a creature heavy deck, you are much more likely to be able to play a creature every single turn. And if you do manage to get his ultimate off, then the double strike+trample combo makes even a few moderate powered creatures into a major threat.

Jace, Architect of Thought

Jace, like Gideon, gets out on turn 4. However, his +1 ability immediately protects both you and him by weakening your opponent's creatures, and generally just slows them down, which is very useful for a control player. His -2 ability is also one of the best effects in the game (consider that it's strictly better than "Reveal the top 3 cards of your library. Put 1 into your hand and the rest on bottom in any order"). His ultimate is very situational, but you don't really need it when the other abilities are doing so much for you.

Conclusion

Domri and Jace share two major qualities. First, they complement existing major deck archetypes: Domri accelerates a Red/Green aggro deck, and Jace helps a mono Blue control deck both by slowing the opponent down and by getting the player the cards they need when they need them. Second, they both give the player card advantage. Getting more cards into your hand from your library every turn is very useful both because it helps you play more quickly by making it more likely that you'll hit land drops and have cards to play, and because it makes it more likely that you'll have the cards you need when you need them.


The discard pile should go face down. The rules are not super-clear about this, but in the "Sample Round", it says:

  The player draws 1 card from the
  junkyard (dig of 1) and places that card face-down in her discard pile.

You can find a discussion about this rule here.


MTG What happens if the player can't fulfil Iridescent Drake ability

If there's no valid target for the ability, nothing happens. After Iridescent Drake enters the battlefield, you put that triggered ability on the stack. This process includes choosing targets, and if you can't choose any valid targets, you simply don't put the ability on the stack.
The triggered ability rules describe exactly how this works:

603.3. Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that’s not a card the next time a player would receive priority. [...]

[...]

603.3d The remainder of the process for putting a triggered ability on the stack is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2c–d. If a choice is required when the triggered ability goes on the stack but no legal choices can be made for it, or if a rule or a continuous effect otherwise makes the ability illegal, the ability is simply removed from the stack.

601.2c The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires. [...]


You replace them, because otherwise we will end up with five copies of the 5-numbered tiles, which is not the intention of using red fives.


Why do player start with fighting for the corners in go?

Common starting practices are to open by placing stones on a Hoshi (4-4 point), or close to it, in order to "claim" that corner. As the players are trying to secure as much area as they can, it makes sense to start out in a place that is easily defended, and that is something that's true for corners more than for any other location on the board at the start of the game.

Taking control of the center is much easier if the player has a solid base or even a number of solitary stones already placed, which obviously isn't the case at the start of the game. Furthermore, by trying to gain control of the center, your opponent would likely take all or most of the corners for themselves, which will eventually result in having to defend the center against all flanks.

In a real game, of course none of this will be this clearly separated, but those are the essentials it comes down to. Generally, you're not looking to immediately engage with your opponent, but rather to define areas of advantage for yourself first.

Because this question, just like most questions about Go, pose a larger complexity than would be feasible to go into here, I'll leave it at that and provide a few links that are likely to be reachable in the future to read further:

First moves
Open in the corner
Why don't we open at tengen

It should be noted that this is true for 19x19 boards - on 9x9 boards, you will much more commonly see players starting out at the Tengen (center starpoint), or at the very least try to compete for it much earlier on, simply because there isn't as much area to gain in the corners by comparison, and approaching the same strategy as on a 19x19 board would have you run into your opponent much faster than you'd like.


Does a Myr Welder token created with Mimic Vat retain abilities added to the original?

No.

When an object refers to itself by name, it refers specifically to that object (regardless of its name). It does not refer to other objects with the same name.

The Myr Welder card in exile never exiled anything.

The Myr Welder token on the battlefield never exiled anything.

  201.4. Text that refers to the object it’s on by name means just that particular object and not any other objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.


Are weighted games in Goko Dominion adventures winnable by sheer strategy?

There have been numerous threads discussing this topic on the Dominion Strategy Forum, including this one. But, to boil it down, it seems like the answer to your question is "no, some levels are essentially unwinnable without using zaps". I think that all of them are beatable if you just use enough zaps to bring yourself back to even starting decks with your opponent, but many aren't beatable without using zaps.

One money quote:

  I would not try those levels with no zaps. You get free zaps though, usually five. Just click on cards to zap them. It's a decision as to what to zap - although using three on Provinces is mostly automatic. At first I was upset by it, but I mean, in the end it's a variant and there's nothing especially wrong with it.
  -- Donald X.

In addition, there appear to be ongoing efforts to modify/improve the adventure campaigns for better balance, and to create additional adventures. Current status of these efforts may vary. This being said, some reliance on zaps in most adventures is probably going to remain.


What is proper order of resolving players actions?

The rules seem very explicit.

"The captain turns his over and carries out the two actions"

"In turn, the other players do the same: they turn over their card and carry out the two actions"

I can't comment on what the effect of your house rule would be, but it clearly is not the intended way to play.


The latest core Settlers of Catan (link to PDF) rules state:

  If you have 10 or more victory points during your turn the game ends and you are the  winner! If you reach 10 points when it is not your turn, the game continues until any player (including you) has 10 points on his turn.

And the Traders and Barbarians (link to PDF) scenarios state:

  The normal rules for The Settlers of Catan apply. The changes are described below.

Therefore, we can infer that the rules for determining the winner apply here too, and while the amount of victory points required may change, when the winner is calculated is unaffected.

Even though Player 2 will have more victory points, it is NOT their turn, so Player 1 will win as soon as he/she has the necessary points.


Cards that restrict untapping of creatures

The Gatherer website is the official portal to the Oracle database, the final authority on cards and their wording. Gatherer has extensive search function. You can find it here.

In the Advanced search tab, you can set all kinds of search criteria and usually find exactly what you're looking for.

That being said, there are no cards that would match your exact description. The best match I could come up with is Meekstone. You might have to play around with the search parameters to find the cards you're looking for.


What happens if you have a Uba Mask and a Thought Reflection in play?

The rules for interaction of replacement effects specify that

  616.1. If two or more replacement and/or prevention effects are attempting to modify the way an event affects an object or player, the affected object’s controller (or its owner if it has no controller) or the affected player chooses one to apply, following the steps listed below.

then

  616.1e Once the chosen effect has been applied, this process is repeated (taking into account only replacement or prevention effects that would now be applicable) until there are no more left to apply.

Both cards create replacement effects so when they affect you, you choose the order (also the steps 616.1a-616.1c are not relevant here). If you apply the Mask effect first, the Reflection effect has nothing to apply to - you exile one card. If you apply the Reflection effect first the Mask effect will replace both draws with exiles.

This is also mentioned in a ruling on Thought Reflection:

  If two or more replacement effects would apply to a card-drawing event, the player who’s drawing the card chooses what order to apply them.


Should the basic resources from the first two Resident Evil boxes be combined?

The Resident Evil:DBG rules don't specify because you are not supposed to combine the other cards, just the mansion cards.

  Advanced Note 5: The Day-Killer - Feel like Resident Evil™ action all day long? Combine the Mansions from Set 1 and 2 and rejoice in the Infected hunting fun! The game ends when both “Albert Wesker” and “Uroboros Aheri” have been defeated.

It is your game, so you can play it however you like. Officially though, you are only supposed to combine the Mansion Cards for the Day-Killer variant.

As for what effect this might have, and if it would be any unbalancing, it depends.

A common tactic in a four player version of the game it to buy up the Ammo x30 (and sometimes Ammo x20) cards before your opponents have the ability to draw into a hand with enough cash to buy those cards themselves. This will deny them from buying the really expensive weapons in a particular 18 pile distribution. If you double the Ammo cards from fifteen to thirty copies, this tactic probably won't be possible.

Normally, there is only one Burst-Fire Handgun, and one Survival Knife. Players with additional buys have a greater chance of picking up those weapons for their own use, or to deny them from other players that might benefit from them more (i.e. Jack Krauser). Having multiple copies of the Survival Knife in the Basic Resources makes it harder to deny Jack Krauser at least one Survival Knife. If Jack happens to get two copies of the knife, things could get even worse. This is of course somewhat balanced by the fact that there are now twice as many regular knifes that Jack has to cycle through before he gets to the special one.

The other Basic Resources Green Herb and Ammo x10 will have little effect on the game when doubling their number.


Do you get two actions when you return from space with Starbuck?

Yes, she does. The rule is stated quite clearly, no need to second-guess it. Maybe she's on such a rush from piloting that for the rest of the turn she can still get stuff done, even on Galactica.


After my Nil bid was set, should I try to take or duck?

It's perfectly possible that having failed in the nil, your hand is still pretty weak in trick-taking value and plays better by trying to sandbag your opponents rather than trying to make them fail their bid (particularly if the hand was grossly underbid). Your partner presumably needs little assistance to make his.


Bohnanza - If no one wants the cards drawn in Step 2, does the active player HAVE to plant them in Step 3?

Yes,

They have to be planted by the active player if not traded to another player.  However,the active player can plant one (ripping out whatever was there) and then, if all his bean fields have no more than one bean planted, plant the second in the same field (ripping out the first bean).

Don't forget that the active player can donate those beans too.  Sometimes it is the best option.


How do Aether Rift and Library of Leng interact?

He would be able to put a card on top of his library in order to not lose, but not quite the way you are thinking it works.

What happens is a the beginning of your opponent's upkeep Aether Rift's ability goes on the stack, and when it resolves they discard a card at random. when the card gets discarded Library of Leng's replacement effect occurs allowing your opponent to put the card on top of their library. If they chose to put the card on top of their library the rest of Aether Rift's ability doesn't apply since as far as the game knows a creature card was never discarded (a card was discarded if anything else cares about that, but nothing is known about that card, including its type [CR 701.7c]). Your opponent will then draw the card they just "discarded" at the beginning of their draw step. They can keep repeating this process until you run out of cards in your library.


The stack does not matter here. Sacrificing a creature is part of the cost of casting Tormented Thoughts (it says so on the card). By the time your opponent has a chance to cast a spell, the creature you sacrificed will be in your graveyard, and therefore not a legal target for Disperse.


Do you have to have the destination card in hand to claim the destination?

You can claim any unoccupied route between any two locations (that does not require passing through a third location) at any time. You do not require a destination ticket showing either location, and it doesn't have to be connected to any of your other routes. You only need:

Sufficient trains to cover the route.
Sufficient cards to pay for it.
You don't already control the other route between the same locations.
No other player controls the other route between the same locations in [2-3 players only].*

* Note that the number of players that restrict the use of additional routes varies between versions of Ticket to Ride. For example, extra routes are only blocked in 2-player games of Ticket to Ride: New York and Switzerland.


Does Sultai Ascendancy interact with cards that care about surveil?

No, Sultai Ascendancy does not interact with cards that care about surveil. Surveil is a specific keyword ability defined in rule 701.41. Cards that trigger when you surveil only trigger if the instruction contains that keyword. The oracle text of Sultai Ascendancy describes an action that is the same as surveil, but it does not use the word "surveil".


When should you not place the robber to do the most damage in Settlers of Catan?

The robber is a political action.

If it's early days in the game, you may well want to shrug your shoulders and say "I don't care, I'm just going to put this where it will cause the most damage to the most players who aren't me. Nothing personal."

If it's later on, you might want to attack a player who's been giving you hassle, and make it clear that that's what you're doing.  Or you might want to avoid doing anything to hurt a player who's behind - they may be grateful to be "given a break", and return the favour later.

Naturally, if another player is about to do rather too well, putting the robber on him may be everyone else's last chance not to lose the game.  Or if you're about to grab the last few points necessary to win, then a well-judged resource-steal may be a timely action.

But in general I don't think you need to micro-analyse your robber plays.  Use the robber to make friends and punish enemies, and maintain some approximation of a status quo (until you're ready to break free of that).  Sometimes it can even be advantageous to place the robber where it will do the least harm.  Everybody likes a nice person, right?  Where I come from, it's not nice guys who finish last, but overly competitive ones :)


What is the difference between thickness and heavy stones?

You know your stones are thick when they form a safe group that secures some territory and/or build some influence, threatens to attack... or just give you some kind of advantage.

There is no official definition for "heavy stones", but I think the term was used instead of the term bad shape for a group of 5 stones or more.

In any case, if you have a group of stones all connected together that doesn't do much to secure some territory or reduce the opponent's, then you probably have a bad, heavy, over concentrated shape.

-----EDIT-----

To add to my answer, I found some good definitions and examples of heavy vs overconcentrated and heavy which might be useful to you.


Rivals For Catan – How do you draw a card when playing the Library

I would say that "choose a card" indicates you may look through a stack; otherwise, they would have been more specific and said to take a card from the top, or take a card at random, or something like that.  Admittedly, they could have been a little clearer.

According to this BoardGameGeek link, Professor Easy's Interactive Online Tutorial has an example where one of the players is shown using the library to look through a stack.  I must have clicked 100 "Next" links and didn't see that, but I spaced out near the end.


Race for the Galaxy has this kind of randomness in the action selection phase, although it has a lot of luck of the draw in it as well.  A typical early game example is the explore, settle, trade relationship in the early game.  Often, you want to explore if other players trade, settle if they explore, and trade if they settle.

On the other hand, I disagree that this is not inherently lucky.  If we play Rock Paper Scissors, and I play uniformly at random, the only way that you are going to beat me is luck.  Even if we introduce a little bit of information into the game, if I am making a decision that has any randomness in it, and I certainly should be if the game can be reduced to a mixed strategy, then the game still has some luck involved.


Monopoly Deal - property wild card queries

In answer to the first part of your question: we have always played that you can't move a card from a stack with a house/hotel expect to pay another player. However, I can't seem to find a rule written down that says this.

For the second part of the question: my initial assumption was that you can't do this. However, the rules say you can rearrange your cards in any way you choose during your turn. It is worth reading the section below from monopolydealrules.com who are usually very good and as close to an official rules site as the game has:

  Can a House or Hotel card be on the table without being apart of a full/completed set?

  Yes, but you cannot lay down a House or Hotel card unless you can play
  it on a completed set. However, if a player charges you money and you
  decide to pay with some of the property from your completed set that
  includes a House and/or Hotel, the House or Hotel must be placed on
  the table next to your property section until you complete another set
  and it can be placed on top. You can also pay with your house or hotel
  card if you choose.

I hope this answer helps and if anyone has a better answer I'd be very happy to be corrected!


In Euchre, Can a person of the opposing team go alone if trump was ordered up by the other team?

According to both the Bicycle Card Company Rules and the EuchreLinks.Com website Rulee only the person actually naming the trump denomination, termed the maker, has the option of going alone.

Playing Alone
If the player who fixes the trump suit believes it will be to his side's advantage to play without the help of his partner's cards, the player exercises this option by declaring "alone" distinctly at the time of making the trump. This player's partner then turns his cards face down and does not participate in the play.

Or

The player, who chooses the trump suit, either by accepting the up-card's suit as trump, or by naming a different suit, is called the maker. Before the play of the hand begins, the maker may announce; "Alone", in which case the maker's partner places his hand facedown and does not participate in the play.

Note that both these Rule compilations do not include your House Rule of a card being passed from maker's partner to the maker.


Is there a paid ability window before the runner can jack out after the last subroutine executes on a piece of ice?

Short answer, yes there is a window at 4.1 (before the runner decides to jack out after passing the last piece of ICE), or at 4.3 if the runner decides to continue.  If Komainu has another piece of ICE behind it, 2.1 also provides an opportunity for House of Knives to strike before the runner jacks out.

The run timing chart:

Runner starts, names server.
If there's ICE, goto 2.
If no ice, goto 4.
Approach outermost ICE.

2.1. Paid ability can be used (can be used if there is another ICE behind Komainu, and also kicks in before runner has a chance to jack out)
2.2. Jack out (Goto 6, cannot jack out if first piece of ICE encountered this run) or continue to 2.3.
2.3. Approached ICE can be rezzed, Paid ability can be used cards can be rezzed.
2.4. Check if ICE is rezzed.
If rezzed, goto 3.
If unrezzed, and there's another piece of ICE, goto 2.
If unrezzed, and there's no more ICE, go to 4.

Runner Encounters Ice if rezzed.

3.1. Icebreakers can interact, Paid abilities can be used
3.2. Resolve all unbroken subroutines
...Either the run ends, goto 6
Or it continues, and there's another piece of ICE, goto 2.
Or it continues, and there's no more ICE, go to 4.

Runner approaches attacked server

4.1. Paid abilities can be used.
4.2. Runner decides:
To jack out, go to 6 or to continue, go to 4.3
4.3. Paid abilities may be used, cards may be rezzed.
4.4. Run is successful. Trigger abilities if any.
4.5. Access cards. Trigger abilities if any.
Agenda : Stolen (Unless additional cost)
Trash cost present : may be paid to trash
Everything not trashed or stolen is returned to server.

Run ends. Trigger abilities if any.
Run is unsuccessful. Trigger abilities if any.


How many tokens do the survivors require in The Séance in Betrayal at House on the Hill?

Basically, it's saying you can do either token as you want. The number of either token must equal the given amount (this changes on different haunts).

Let's say you need number of tokens = number of players (6 in this example) to win. You can have 3 knowledge and 3 sanity, 2 knowledge and 4 sanity, or just all 6 knowledge. Those are all valid conditions.

The instruction to set them aside is just to get them out of your storage area for easy access (and as I explained earlier, some tokens could be used more than others).


How do you decide which way to finesse for an ace?

Playing low to Q, and then towards the K, covering RHO's card if RHO follows seems the right play.

If RHO shows out when you play towards the K, you can rise with the K and play towards the T the second trick.

This is basically 100% (caters to 3-2, 4-1 and 5-0 splits!)

The other option of playing to the K loses to the singleton A over the K, losing two more tricks to the J9x over the QTx.

This is intuitively similar to the combination

A9xx

opposite

KJxx

where you need 3 tricks.

The correct play is to play the K, and then play towards the A9x, covering whatever LHO plays. If LHO fails to follow suit, you go up with the A, and play towards the J.

The usual way to attack suit combination problems is to try and count the number of combinations where a line of play works. This can be time consuming at first, but in most cases, you can work out a reasonable line (not necessarily the best line) at the table.


What was the largest flop in board game history?

I'm going to use a bit of lateral thinking to answer this question - since our site is Board Games: Stack Exchange but we spend about half our time here talking about card games, hopefully a trading card game is a valid answer.

The biggest ever "board/card game flop" that I can think of is Netrunner.  Given that Magic the Gathering had recently been such a surprise smash hit, getting Richard Garfield back into the studio to produce a sequel based on ultra-cool-at-the-time Cyberpunk trappings must have seemed like a guaranteed moneymaker.  If I remember correctly, the consensus among the gaming cognoscenti was that it was a better game mechanically and production-values-wise than Magic.

And yet Netrunner sold terribly, and was cancelled a couple of years later, before its second expansion could even be released; in 1999 Pyramid magazine named Netrunner as one of "The Millennium's Most Underrated Games".  Of course there's been a happy ending to the story since then, with it having been rereleased in the form on Android: Netrunner to critical acclaim and I hope moderate success, but as gaming flop stories go, I think you'll have a hard time finding a game with bigger expectations behind it than Netrunner doing quite as badly as Netrunner did.


Is Klak's Infernal Artifact affected by powers that move monsters?

I found the following entry at the D&D Adventure Systems Wiki:

Attack one adjacent Monster.
If you hit, place that Monster (if it isn't destroyed) on a tile within 1 tile of you, and you can move to any square on your tile.

So you could use Tide of Iron to attack it (since its treated as a monster), but Klak's Artifact states:

Attacking Klak's Artifact will destroy it.

So what happens when something is destroyed?  Page 10 of the rules, under Destroying Objects (empahsis mine at the end):

An Adventure might specify that an object needs to be destroyed to win a particular scenario. If the object has an Armor Class and Hit Points, your Hero can target it just like a Monster.  If your Hero has a power that attacks all Monsters on a specific
tile, it can also attack an object on that tile. Once you deal damage equal to its number of Hit Points, you destroy the object and remove its marker from the tile.

So you can attack Klak's Infernal Artifact with Tide of Iron, but then there's nothing to move afterwards, since attacking the Infernal Artifact destroys it, and destroyed objects are removed from the tile.
Phew.


What effect do Strionic Resonator and Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger have together?

You can't use Strionic Resonator when you tap a land for mana. Mana abilities do not use the stack. According to rule 605.1, a mana ability is an activated ability that creates mana, or a triggered ability that triggers off of mana creation and makes more mana itself (such as with Overgrowth or the last ability on Gauntlet of Power). Since Vorinclex's ability is never on the stack, you can't target it.

If you copy the second ability, it won't have any additional effect. The ability doesn't have any targets, it simply affects the same land twice during the next untap step (my comment below indicating that this may not be the case is wrong).


Yes; each Drowned Secrets on the battlefield will trigger when the controller casts a blue spell. It is no different than 2 unrelated abilities both triggering upon the same event.

For example, if you had both a Drowned Secrets and a Merrow Levitator on the battlefield and you cast a blue spell, both abilities would trigger. It is no different with 2 separate Drowned Secrets.

Other abilities besides triggered abilities stack as well; such as if you had 2 copies of Honor of the Pure on the battlefield. In that case, White creatures you control would get a total of +2/+2.


If the starting card is a Wild, does the starting player still play after picking a color?

http://www.unorules.com/

  If the first card turned up from the Draw Pile (to form the Discard
  Pile) is an Action card, the Action from that card applies and must be
  carried out. The exceptions are if the Wild or Wild Draw Four cards
  are turned up, in which case – Return them to the Draw Pile, shuffle
  them, and turn over a new card.


Do you have to go around the board once to purchase properties?

Sounds like a house rule to me.

http://richard_wilding.tripod.com/monorules.htm claims to be a copy of the rules from the official rulebook.  The section on Buying Property reads only:

  Whenever you land on an unowned property you may buy that property
  from the Bank at its printed price. You receive the Title Deed card
  showing ownership. Place the title deed card face up in front of you.
  If you do not wish to buy the property, the Bank sells it at through
  an auction to the highest bidder. The high bidder pays the Bank the
  amount of the bid in cash and receives the Title Deed card for that
  property.

Nothing about having to go round once, and certainly I've never played a game of Monopoly in that way.  What would it even achieve, apart from slow what is already a potentially long-winded game down to an even more glacial pace?


Can a disease be eradicated at the beginning of the game?

No, a disease with no cubes at the beginning of the game is not eradicated.

For a disease to be eradicated, it must be cured in addition to there being no cubes left of its color. At the beginning of the game, it is clearly not cured. If you subsequently draw an infection card for that color, you still add a cube to that city. If you manage to discover the cure before that happens, then it's eradicated.

Various snippets from the rules:

  If the last cube of a cured disease is removed from the board, this disease
  is eradicated.

  [when discovering a cure] If no cubes of this color are on the board, this disease is now eradicated.

  To infect a city, place 1 disease cube matching its color onto the city, unless this disease has been eradicated.


Why do double-faced planeswalkers from Origins get exiled before being transformed?

There are two main reasons for this way of doing it, one mechanics based, and one flavor based.

The mechanical reason is that if they just transformed they would need to have additional text to put the loyalty counters on them, whereas if they exile then enter transformed they enter with the appropriate number of loyalty counters.

The flavor reason is it represents them Planeswalking when their spark ignites, then returning to help you out.


Making 2-player Starcraft more enjoyable

The Brood War expansion includes a number of scenarios, one of which is explicitly designed for two players.  The gameplay in a scenario is pretty much the same as the core game, except with predetermined galaxy layout and often some form of "capture the objective"-style mechanic added (the two-player scenario, for example, prevents either side from moving onto the Terran's home planet unless they have control of a "bridge" zone first).  I don't have the rulebook handy for reference so I don't know if the two-player scenario is entirely playable with only base-set pieces.

Fantasy Flight Games offers this scenario for free download, which is for four players (two teams of two players); there's no reason it can't be played with two players each playing both factions of a team.  It does however require pieces from the expansion.


Can doors be closed in Imperial Assault?

Players cannot close doors after they are opened, only game effects can close an open doorway.

From the Rules Reference Guide (page 11 under Doors)

  If an effect closes a door, place a door token on the map as
  shown on the mission’s map. Figures cannot voluntarily close
  doors.


There is no reason you cannot use a token as a tribute for a Ritual Summon. Ritual Summons typically require you to tribute monsters whose combined levels are equal to or higher than that of the Ritual Monster's, so Tokens, being monsters with levels, should count.


Tsumego intermediate problem 11 - possible without winning ko two times?


German card game that involves betting 'knocks'

It sounds like it is Twenty-One; one of the variants of Black Jack which does not involve actual money.
At least it is helpful to count cards in Black Jack, that would match what you wrote about probability.


Is it possible to download full tournament data including every card in each deck and wins losses?

I went and checked all the published data on wizards website and confirmed what you saw with your example and the following is all that is published.

top 8 full lists e.g.:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/ptgrn/top-8-decklists-2018-11-10
archetype percentages, e.g.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/ptgrn/3-0-drafts-day-1-2018-11-09

now this doesn't prevent you from ocring the frame by frame of the live matches to get all played cards [ with something like Googles vision api ] and then making your data set for which cards played in a match most often caused the deck to win. Unfortunately this is the only current way , I could find, to get win data for all decks in the tournament outside of the top 8
In response to your second question there is no established format by wizards for this information as they don't publish a public api for there data.


It doesn't auto defeat ALL locks. Only those described as Lock Puzzles on the Lock card but not wiring or rune puzzles for example.


Can Veil of Summer force an opponent to target their own creatures with Swift End when Lucky Clover is on the battlefield?

Lucky Clover's trigger is not optional, your opponent has to copy Swift End. But they don't have to choose new targets, even if the original target has become invalid by the time they copy it.

  115.7d If an effect allows a player to “choose new targets” for a spell or ability, the player may leave any number of the targets unchanged, even if those targets would be illegal. If the player chooses to change some or all of the targets, the new targets must be legal and must not cause any unchanged targets to become illegal.

If they don't choose new targets, the copy will not resolve (because its only target is illegal) and they won't lose 2 life from it.


The blank cards in UNO can serve a couple purposes. Their main purpose is to serve as a replacement for lost cards, just write the number on it and your good to go.

Alternatively, they can be used for house rules. So long as they made it clear that the card was wild it would be valid. The rules suggest writing any house rule on the card to make it clear what it may be used for.


I worked through the seven questions myself when I first bought them game, but as I don't remember the answers right off the top of my head, I'll preface this answer with the statement that I've gotten the following answers off of a thread BoardGameGeek.

Question 1: If you have to gain more evil than evilometer allows you, you are not gaining any. Can this theoretically happen in the second round of the game?

On round 1 and 2 you play food, getting on the third space (in round one two people do it before your first placement). Thats 4 evil.

On round 2 title envy event occurs. You collect 1 evil per title, for the following:
Most evil (from your 4 evil from food)
Most room (1 vs 0/0/0)
Most tunnels (You dug 2, no one else dug, 4/3/3/3 after the room)
Most monsters (1 vs 0/0/0)
Most imps (4 vs 0/0/0)
Most resources (you gained off the food, they spent some if needed).

Note that you cannot collect 'fewest conquered tiles'.

Thats 10 evil, maxing you out, but we still need one more, so your Monster that you recruited is a Witch for one evil. (Vampire not needed. Ghost doesnt count as a monster for monsterlord).

Your three actions each round combine to these 6 actions:
Food, Food, Tunnel, Imps, Monster, Room.

We go above the top of the evilometer on Title Envy when the final title is awarded. (Note: that Witch recruit was before the title payout, so yes it works).

Question 2: What is the theoretical maximum number of imps a player can accumulate during a 4 player game?

30
3 from the beginning of the game, 12 from magic room (4 x 1 in first year, 4 x 2 in second year), 15 from actions (the player have to take imps as first action each round except last round, so he will be at least once first and so obtain only one imp 7 x 2 + 1 x 1).

Question 3: What is the highest possible damage one trap can deal?

Nine. Poisonous food used onto eight life adventurer with one extra life because of magic food.

Question 4: Can it happen that an illusionary hero created by Second Year’s Illusion spell survives a combat round?

Theoretically, it can survive even a round in which was party conquering.
1st round – illusion is created. Party doesn’t conquer.
2nd round – illusion is boosted by magic food. Party doesn’t conquer.
3rd round – illusion survives one fatigue from conquering.

Question 5 What is the theoretical maximum number of actually healed damage in a single round of combat if there is no paladin involved?

Ten. Party composed from two priests with three hearts each and one wizard (three casting symbols). Initially an illusionary hero with two wounds is created (analogical to previous answer) in first two rounds. Also some damage is dealt among the adventures. In the third round slime hits the party, the wizard casts healing spell and one wound is healed to each member of the party including the illusionary hero. Two priests heal the rest six wounds.

Question 6 What is the lowest possible score you can achieve in the game?

-72. You can have sixteen tunnels which results in 8 x -3 points each year for unpaid taxes. Nine tunnels were destroyed by adventures 9 x -2 (once double conquering because of the spell) and the visiting minister of Dungeons was hungry (2 x -3).
Summary: -48 (unpaid taxes) -18 (destroyed tunnels) – 6 (visiting minister) = -72

Question 7 It is start of the last round of a 2 player game (fall of Second Year) and opponent has no production room. If scored now, you would win all 7 exclusive titles. May it happen you score no title (exclusive nor shared) at the end of the game?

Yes, even if your opponent does not perform one of his minion actions.

First player has all titles, second has none.
Second player dig four tunnels as his first action and hire monster as second action. First player’s actions are chosen so that they do not interfere with loosing titles.
Special event is an Earthquake. First player looses two rooms, second player looses two tunnels (Other option is the Extra tax special event).
The Lord of Dark Deeds – lost in the combat (because of destroyed tiles)
The Lord of Halls – lost because of an Earthquake
The Tunnellord – lost by the only minion action of the second player
The Monsterlord – lost in the combat (because of Dimensional gate)
The Lord of Imps – lost in the combat (two or three Kamikadze Ims)
The Lord of Riches – lost in the combat (two or more traps used)
The Battlelord – lost in the combat (because of destroyed tiles)
Second player doesn’t loose any tile or monster in the combat and he uses no traps (For example party of a paladin and three rogues (the case the first player has taken action Improve Reputation so the second player is the most evil from the beginning of the combat), first round a daemon and a dragon in the Anti-magic Room, second round a goblin finishes the three wounded rogues in Training Room).


Since Purphoros doesn't have enough devotion to make him a creature there is indeed a loop, but it's not a loss for any player, but a draw:

  104.4b If a game that’s not using the limited range of influence option (including a two-player game) somehow enters a “loop” of mandatory actions, repeating a sequence of events with no way to stop, the game is a draw. Loops that contain an optional action don’t result in a draw.