Welcome to the LnLP Forums and Resource Area

We have updated our forums to the latest version. If you had an account you should be able to log in and use it as before. If not please create an account and we look forward to having you as a member.

America Conquered Formation Activation Question

Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
63
Points
8
Age
62
Location
Cresson, TX
Okay,

Couldn't find my answer here or on BGG. I am thoroughly confused by paragraph 3.2.1 "Hey! My Formation Didn't Activate!", quoted here:

"If a Formation doesn't activate during a turn, its owner keeps all but one End Turn marker in his possession when the Formation and End Turn markers are returned to the cup. He returns any End Turn markers he possesses to the cup on the following turn immediately after the formation is activated. This means that if you have two, or even three, Formations that don't activate, you hold the End Turn marker/s until all three have activated. If both sides have Formations that don't activate, both sides will hold End Turn markers out of the cup on the following turn."

So, I'm playing a turn. Formations on both side activate and eventually an End Turn marker is pulled. Play continues until the second End Turn marker is pulled. At that time, I find that two of my Formations have not yet activated, but all of my opponent's Formations have activated.

At this point, we enter the Marker Removal Phase. This is where things get fuzzy for me. My understanding is that normally during the Marker Removal Phase, both Player's Formation markers and both of the End Turn markers get tossed back into the cup. However, in the case where a Formation(s) don't activate, does "its owner keeps all but one End Turn marker in his possession when the Formation and End Turn markers are returned to the cup" mean that I do not return any of my Formation markers to the cup while my opponent returns all of his? At this point, I envision a pile of Formation markers and an End Turn marker sitting in front of me while my two un-activated formations get dog piled by my opponent's Formation markers when he places all of his Formation markers back into the cup.

Play then continues with my two lonely Formation markers in the cup with all of my opponent's Formation markers and a single End Turn marker; the other End Turn marker and all of my remaining formations are sitting in front of me. The turn continues until both of my Formations are activated, at which point I place the End Turn marker I am holding back into the cup ("you hold the End Turn marker/s until all three have activated."). At this point, (1) I have no Formation markers in the cup, (2) my opponent may or may not have Formation markers in the cup, and (3) there are one or more End Turn markers in the cup.

I have not actually played a game yet, primarily due to my confusion over this paragraph. Is the intent to "punish" a side for not having all of its Formations to activate during a turn to simulate some sort of command and control failure? Or, am I just having an "English as a First Language" moment? ;)
 

Keith Tracton

Member
Staff member
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Messages
272
Points
28
Age
61
Location
Pennsylvania
Hi Scott, no sweat! First off the rule refers to all but one End turn marker because some scenarios in some modules have 3. Secondly ALL the formation markers go back in the cup during Marker Removal, none are removed. But if you had one or more formations that did not activate this turn, hold onto ONE of the end turn markers (or two if there were three). Return it (them) to the cup next turn, after the last of all your formations activate of those that did not activate this turn. For example, if you had two of your three formations not activate in a turn, next turn return the End Turn marker to the cup upon activation of the second of the two that did not activate the turn before. Does that make sense?

Sent from my SM-J320P using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Feb 24, 2015
Messages
63
Points
8
Age
62
Location
Cresson, TX
Keith,

Got it. Everything goes back into the cup except for an End Turn marker. That End Turn marker stays out until my last un-activated Formation from the previous turn is activated. So, it's conceivable that I could hold onto that End Turn marker for the entire turn if my last un-activated Formation is the last Formation marker pulled from the cup.

I'm now guessing the intent of 3.2.1 is to ensure that no Formation remains inactive for more than one turn?

Thanks again for your prompt response. I'm trying to get this on the table this weekend, life permitting....
 
Top