I have a number of rules interpretation questions which I was hoping the good people at Atlas games would be able to answer for me.
The Standard Game is won when a faction accumultes ten victory points by the beginning of any initiative phase. What if two or more factions both accumulate ten or more points by the beginning of the same iniative phase? Is the game a tie? Or is whoever scored the MOST victory points the winner?
The Far Left card states that "for the rest of the current game turn, every Cultist Cell in each adjacent city (plus Celephais) must move into the target city and do nothing there in order to recieve a handout." Does that mean the Cultist Cells cannot attack each other during that turn in the chosen city, since they must "do nothing"?
The Dream card states that "Any active counter of your choice automatically succeeds in making a dream roll during its next movement phase. The counter's owner chooses which gate the counter arrives at."
This card was played on one of my Cultist Cells. I was told that counter had to move into the Dreamlands. I argued that the card only guaranteed the success of the dream roll and did not force me to make a dream roll with that counter if I didn't want to. What is the correct interprataion? Does playing this card on an enemy active counter FORCE that counter into the Dreamlands, even if the controller doesn't want to make a dream roll?
Is it possible to send a Creature into a city occupied by a rival cult and in the same turn, with cultists from a different city, attack and try to destroy the creature for racial purification points? I would say no, because even though your cultist cells are coming from a different city, they are still coming into the same city as your creature in the same turn and so you would maintain control of the creature. Am I right, or not?
Question 1: My reading is that, in the standard game, victory occurs immediately when one faction accumulates ten victory points (under "Victory Point Victory," page 11). This makes a tie even less likely; I've never seen it happen. In any case, I'd say that if two players did manage to simultaneously achieve victory, I'd say it's a tie. (According to the rules, they've both won. There's no provision for greater or lesser levels of victory.)
Question 2: Correct; since they must do nothing, they may not attack.
Question 3: Innovative use of the dream card, first of all. Very nice. In any case, I'd rule that it can be used to force an unwilling counter into the dreamlands, because it seems to me that "automatically suceeds in making a dream roll" presupposed that a roll is made. Essentially, my reading is that according to the card text, the roll is forced, and success is guaranteed.
Question 4: Yes, I would rule that the scenario proposd is legal. (That is, that the creature can be pawned off on the enemies, and then killed.) The way the minder rule is written, control is lost immediately when the creature stops being in the presence of a minder. The faction could easily retain control by moving a cultist to the destination city in advance of the creature, but they could just as easily give up control by sending the creature first.
Thanks for posting the questions! I'm glad that Cults Across America is still going strong.
Actually, Victory in the Standard Game does NOT occur immediately when one side gains ten victory points. To quote the bottom left paragraph of page 11, "A player wins the Standard Game if he or fulfills either of the following conditions at the beginning of any Initiative phase." The rules then go on to talk about the Hands Across America victory and the Victory Point Victory.
sour lookMore innovative than you realize. The counter he played the Dream card on was my champion for the Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden, equipped with Guns and Knives and my Holy Relic. Since I was forced to leave the city I assumed I was out of the running for the Victory Points. The card says, "The last of these counters to remain in New York City gains its controller three Victory Points". Would it have been possible to return from the Dreamlands to New York and still triumph if there were at least two other competitors left there? Or by leaving do I assure that I can't be the last, even if I come back?
You're welcome. I'm glad to report that CAA remains one of my favorite games.
Clearly, it's been a while since I've played. But, anyway, I think that all players who achieve the victory conditions at the time when victory is adjudicated are equal winners, as touchy-feely as that sounds.
Wow, that's a good one. This one actually sent me to the dictionary, but from that definition of remain ("stay in the place that one has been occupying") it seems clear that returning after your ouster to the dreamlands would not cut it.
In any case, I'd rule that it 
Clearly, it's been a while since I've played. But, anyway, I think that all players who achieve the victory conditions at the time when victory is adjudicated are equal winners, as touchy-feely as that sounds.