Cheatin' Resolution

Hey folks,

Can someone please explain to me specifically who can use cheatin’ resolution cards and against whom?

The reason I ask is because the base rulebook (unless there have been errata/changes made) states that you cannot use a cheatin’ resolution ability on yourself, neither can any one player have more than one card/ability used against them each hand round. However, the hex [Fetch] and the action [Magical Distraction] are directed at yourself, so based upon those cards the rule of not using an ability on yourself must be incorrect.

If you can use abilities on yourself, what counts as being “against you” as far as the one card rule goes? The example of Fetch, is that an action “against you” (even though it’s clearly positive)? Or has the rule been amended to state that that rule only applies to others using abilities against that player? Magical Distraction can very definitely benefit me, but it can also be against be if I get a bad pull.

Finally, what is the order of plays, and can a cheatin’ player play cheatin’ cards even if his/her opponent didn’t cheat? I assume we start from the Winner and go around as normal, but what if the Winner is the only one who cheated? Can those cards I mentioned be used by me if I was the one who cheated (it seems to make sense, if the outfit is an underhanded group, and there are some dudes who benefit you for cheating after all)?

(please note: I kept referring to two specific cards. Those two are currently at the top of my mind, since those two came into play a lot last night, and are two cards that seem to break the rules - as I understand them. Obviously, this thread applies to all cheatin’ cards - I’m not asking specifically about those ones only)

Regards,
Bojangles

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Sorry, I thought using the around a card name would link it to the card stats. I remember a Magic site where that was how you did it. I guess I’d better suss that out. :slight_smile:

Let’s assume there are two players - Player A and Player B.

  1. Let’s assume Player B cheats - in this instance only Player A can play a cheatin’ resolution as the rules state the cheating player (the person who reveals a cheating hand) cannot trigger their own cheatin’ resolution based on their own cheating.

When a cheatin’ resolution is played against someone, what it means is that the cheatin’ resolution is being played against another player’s instance of cheating (not necessarily the card effect). So if Player B cheats, Player A can play a cheatin’ resolution against them. Sometimes cheatin’ resolutions do not affect the cheatin’ player (One Good Turn as an example) but are considered played against them. The reason for this quirk is that Player A can only trigger a cheating resolution off of Player B (otherwise, Player A could cheat and target Player A!)

There are currently two instance when cheatin’ resolutions are relevant.

  1. During shootouts, if a player reveals a cheatin’ hand, there is the resolutions phase where players can use Resolution abilities and Cheatin’ Resolution abilities IF the opposing player played a cheating hand. The round winner (the person who won lowball) gets the first attempt to play a resolution. So for example, Let’s say Player B cheats during a shootout, by revealing a cheating hand (and let’s assume Player A won lowball), the following could occur

Action 1 - Player A plays Point Blank
Action 2 - Player B plays Hex Slingin’
Action 3 - Player A plays Coachwhip!
Action 4 - Player B passes as they have no more relevant actions
Action 5 - Player A passes as they have no more relevant actions

The playing of the Coachwhip! is being played against the instance of Player B cheating. The same could be applied if it was Magical Distraction or Fetch. It’s always against the instance of a cheatin’ hand (even if the effects of the Cheatin’ Resolution card don’t target the actual cheater!)

  1. Cheatin’ Resolutions (but not normal Resolutions) can also be played during lowball. The person who gets the first opportunity is the previous day (aka turn) winner of lowball. In the event it’s the first day of the tgame, you may pull the top card of your deck, and the person who pulls a lower value gets the first opportunity to use a cheatin’ resolution against the instance of cheating.

The most recent rulebook can be found here (The base set rulebook has been updated):
http://pineboxentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/doomtown_rulebook_v1.4.0.pdf

Apologies if that was confusing!

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Sorry for not replying sooner. I’m just pondering what you said and making sure I have it worked out in my own head and how I want to word any further questions. :slight_smile:

So, when someone cheats, the whole thing of only one play being able to be used against the player simply means every player except the cheater gets one cheatin’ resolution opportunity? So, if two people cheated (say it was a four player game, which most of ours are), then two players could use 2 resolutions each, and the cheaters could use one each? Do you have to specify which player is being resolved against? So, in the case of having 4 players, A and B cheat. Would you say, “We’re now resolving cheating against A”. B, C and D play an effect. “We’re now resolving against B.” A, C and D play an effect? Or doesn’t it matter?

Also, I noticed your example mixed cheatin’ resolution plays with resolution plays. Are they both lumped together? I thought it was kinda like Magic - if you didn’t play that Cheatin’ effect (or Instant in Magic) the moment after the cheat happened, and if you waited until other cards had been played, then it’s too late. Or isn’t this the case - as long as all the resolution/cheatin’ resolution abilities are used in that phase?

Almost. Each player can only have one Cheatin’ Resolution used against them. It doesn’t matter what order they resolve in, or who played them (except that you can’t play a Cheatin’ Resolution on yourself). So if Players A and B cheat, then Player C plays a CR on Player A, Player D can’t then also play a CR on Player A. However any of Players A C or D could play one against Player B (includng Player C playing a second one CR, but this time against Player B).

So I think you also have a misunderstanding of how Instants work in Magic (unless you are thinking specifically of counterspells or damage prevention, both of which would be Reacts and not Resolutions in Doomtown). Doomtown and Magic both have “play or pass” turn structure, in that each player is given an opportunity to make a play or pass during each phase of the turn. If all players pass, the turn advances to the next phase. As long as any player keeps making plays, the turn stays in the current phase. Resolution plays are made during the “Reveal and Resolve” step of a shootout, and Cheatin’ Resolutions are just Resolution plays that can only be made if a player has a cheatin’ hand. Each player has an opportunity to make a Resolution play or pass until all players have passed, and that can be a regular Resolution or a Cheatin’ Resolution. You can play them in any order, as long as only one Cheatin’ Resolution is played per cheatin’ player.

Four player game example:
Player A is the Winner, turn order is A B C D
Shootout with Players A and B
Both players cheat
Player A passes
Player B passes
Player C plays Coachwhip! on Player B. No more Cheatin’ Resolutions can be played against Player B.
Player D passes
Player A passes
Player B passes
Player C plays Coachwhip! on Player A. No more Cheatin’ Resolutions can be played against Player A.
Player D passes
Player A passes
Player B passes
Player C passes. The Reveal and Resolve step ends and the shootout moves on to the next step, Take Yer Lumps.

I hope that helps!

Thanks a lot for that! That was how we have always done it, not quite sure why I started getting confused then! Haha! :smiley: ‘twould be nice to be able to play Cheatin’ cards reacting to your own cheatin’ though… :wink: