If I have one resource when attacking with Fire Axe, but fail the skill test, then play "lucky" to pass the test, will Fire Axe then do extra damage as I have no more resources?
Posted Apr 7, 2017, 12:39 PM UTC
Its not official but I would say no.
The card states: "Fight. If you have no resources in your resource pool, this attack deals +1 damage."
So take a fight action, if no resources after spending them for the fire axe effect, pull a token. then if token is bad, play lucky. When you used the fire axe, you had a resource, so that part doesn't trigger.
I see the +1 damage sentence as a modifier to the success conditions of the skill check, much like the "If this skill test is successful, draw one card" effect, since attacks only deal damage when they are successful. So I parse the sentence as "If this attack is successful, If you have no resources in your resource pool, this attack deals +1 damage.
Otherwise I don't think you could use the fire axe's other ability to boost your skill check and get bonus damage because you had resources when you initiated the attack action. Why should it matter which effects caused you to lose resources before the skill test completely resolved?
I would agree with this if Fire Ax didn't have that fast action below that intends for you to "interrupt" it and drain your resources.
Here's how I view the stack resolving:
-Fight with Ax and one resource in your pool
-Pull token. Compare the results. Fail by two or less
-Play lucky. Re-compare the results (that's the key part). Pass by zero or more.
-Check for damage. Normally 1, but since there are no resources...+1 damage.
So, since the +1 doesn't normally trigger until you actually pass the test, you don't check for resources until you've already played lucky.
Just my opinion.
It sounds like you agree with the person you responded to.
Cards referring to game state are dynamic, checking the reference value only once the effect is eligible to be applied.
Thus the extra damage part of the card is not 'activated' until the damage application step, at which point you are at 0 resources (thanks to Lucky) and get your bonus damage.