[Cults Across America] Necronomicon Question

Games Discussion ARCHIVE: Card Games & Board Games
1

Hi Folks -

We were playing "Cults Across America" last night and ran in to the following rules dispute.
My opponent had the Necronomicon and summoned a Byakhee. He claimed that, per the rules, this makes his high priest a non-combatant and therefore, could not be attacked. I claimed that if I destroyed the Byakhee, that would make his high priest helpless and I should be able to kill his high priest automatically. He disagreed. I countered that if he were correct, this would not only make his high priest immortal, but it would make him an unstoppable monster making machine for the remainder of the game.
Unfortunately, the rules did not clairify.

The rules say:
Necronomicon: Though any active counter may possess the Necronomicon, only a High Priest may use it according to the rules below. A High Priest possessing this tome may summon a Dimensional Shambler, Hunting Horror, or Byakhee during its controller’s Action phase instead of moving and fighting. A creature summoned in this manner appears immediately, in the same city as the High Priest, initially under the control of the High Priest’s faction. The summoned creature may not take any actions (save to fight if attacked) until the next Game Turn.

Can you help?

Thanks much!

John

2

Hi, John! Thanks for your question. Always love to hear from people playing Cults.

When your opponent summons a creature on his turn with the Necronomicon, his High Priest can't be an attacker during his own Action phase. However, there's nothing to prevent you from killing the High Priest during your action phase. Assuming that you have the larger force in that city, your opponent will be forced to choose the High Priest as the defender at some point before the end of your Action phase.

Make sense?

Thanks again!

3

Perfect sense!
That's pretty much the way I saw it.

Thank you!

John