9 replies to this topic

[GamingLama]

If you draw an Encounter card and draw an Enemy with the Prey Keyword, do you engage it (because you drew the card) or do you already have to apply the Prey Keyword, if there are other investigators at your location.

(Or does Prey only account when re-engaging after evasion or possible Hunting?)

 

Arguments made so far:

 

Rules Reference Page 19 – Spawn
“If an enemy has no Spawn instruction, it spawns engaged with the investigator who drew it.”

Rules Reference Page 17 – Prey
“Prey has no immediate effect on where an enemy will spawn.”


As well as:

Rules Reference Page 17 – Prey “Prey has no immediate effect on where an enemy will spawn.”

WHERE is a definition of locality. Not WHOM it will engage.


Prey also says:
"If an enemy that is about to automatically engage an
investigator at its location has multiple options of whom to
engage, that enemy engages the investigator who best meets
its “prey” instructions (if multiple investigators are tied in
meeting these instructions, the lead investigator may decide
among them) (see “Enemy Engagement” on page 10)."      

 

[987654321]

When you draw an enemy, it doesn't have multiple options where to choose, because it engages you. Therefore, it seems logical to me that it engages you as normal. Also, The Masked Hunter spawns engaged with Prey, which would not be necessary if what you said was the rule.

[BDFlory]

When an enemy is drawn from the encounter deck, it doesn't have "multiple options of whom to engage." It wngages with the investigator who drew it unless it has spawn.

If an enemy does have spawn, the normal instructions are ignored, so if there are multiple enemies in its spawn location, prey applies.

[Gaffa]

When an enemy is drawn from the encounter deck, it doesn't have "multiple options of whom to engage." It wngages with the investigator who drew it unless it has spawn.

If an enemy does have spawn, the normal instructions are ignored, so if there are multiple enemies in its spawn location, prey applies.

 

Not quite; if you draw an enemy, you encounter it unless its Spawn overrules that. Prey has no effect on minty-fresh newly-drawn enemies; you draw it, you tank it is the rule unless a Spawn effect overrides it (see Enemy Cards, p. 10, RR). So even if you are standing among three friends and you draw a non-Spawn-limited enemy with a Prey that would normally leave you alone, you still end up engaged with it.

 

If you manage to shake off an enemy with Prey, then Prey will come into play if there's two or more investigators at their location, as normal, once they are readied.

 

Prey really isn't used much in the game; it's the tie-breaker of last resort. Hunters move towards the nearest investigator, ignoring Prey. Drawn enemies ignore Prey. Prey only matters if there's two immediate choices for engagement, and then the enemy gets to pick its buffet option.

[BDFlory]

Matt Newman actually ruled on this after several people asked thanks to a bgg thread.

The rrg says, "if the encountered enemy has no spawn instruction, the enemy spawns engaged with the investigator who drew it" (p 24).

If it has a spawn instruction, it spawns in the appropriate location, and uses the engagement rules on page 10 (although there is one case where card text overrides this and a monster with spawn also engages with its prey).

Usually, if there are multiple investigators, this means it's the lead's choice. Prey overrides that, though, and the newly spawned monster would engage with whomever best meets the prey qualification.

I'll see about pasting his answer into the FAQ sticky here.

[DadouXIII]

What about enemies which are put into play NOT by drawing them from the encounter deck?

 

###### SPOILERS ######

 

Like the Ghoul Priest who has a Prey: Investigator with the Highest Strength. who is put into play in the Hallway where all the investigators are. If Agnes and Roland are present when he is put into play, I automatically engage him to Roland. Is it correct?

[Gaffa]

Like the Ghoul Priest who has a Prey: Investigator with the Highest Strength. who is put into play in the Hallway where all the investigators are. If Agnes and Roland are present when he is put into play, I automatically engage him to Roland. Is it correct?

 

Correct. The Ghoul Priest isn't drawn by anyone, he (she?) is just spawned in the Hallway. As such, then Prey kicks in, and Roland takes the brute.

[Friman]

What about enemies like the Mob enforcer or the Detective? Will they engage you even if they're not your weakness, if you're the only investigator at their location because of standard rules, or will they ignore you because their prey instruction is only the investigator whose deck they're part of?

[BDFlory]

"Prey only" enemies (including all of the basic weakness enemies) ignore anyone who isn't their prey when engaging.

Other investigators can still voluntarily engage and/or attack them with actions.

See RRG 17, under Prey.

[Friman]

That one went under my radar, thank you!