Question on Wild Animal rules...

[The UniGoblin]

Ok, I think I got screwed in my last game, but was in a rush to finish it and didn't bother to argue it any longer...

I had a freebooted Rat Ogre. He got knocked down on the previous play. So on my turn, I picked him up first thing, and then went on to other things...but my opponent said "Nuh uh! You have to blitz with him now because he's in this dude's tackle zone!" I argued for a couple minutes, and didn't wanna hear him whine anymore, and wasted my blitz there instead of blitzing his ball-carrier, who, of course, scored on his next turn.

So, was this executed correctly? Does a coach get screwed out of his blitz automatically just because he HAS to pick up his WA, and HAS to block any players in his TZ? If so, then it sounds like something needs fixed there...

[dakkakhan]

That's a lame interpretation IMO, but it is being discussed in the Rules queries and hopefully someday will be clarified.

The LRB states that if a standing WA is adjacent to a standing player from the other team he must throw a block or blitz.

The correction would read something to the effect of "...standing WA starts his turn adjacent to a standing player..." The fact that he is upright after he began his turn is beside the point.

Several ways around this that I've come up with having a Minotaur myself is:
1. Declare he will stay on the ground. I don't think it is required that you stand him up, simply that he must move first.
2. The fact that you must declare his action first would invariably mean that if you state he is standing up (not blitzing) would mean that you cannot blitz with him.

Ok #2 is pretty lame, but so is your league's interpretation as far as I'm concerned. It seems they want everyone to have ogres.

[nouge]

#2 actually works fine, becuase you must declare the action before the RO does anything - including standing up (which is actually part of RO's move for his action). Since you're not standing you obviously can't declare a Block, and by the wording of Wild Animal you're not forced to declare a Blitz - you can declare whatever you want (blizt, move, pass, foul, handoff). So you just declare a move, then stand him up. Your opponent was wrong.

[Darkson]

You got screwed. The WA only has to Block/Blitz if standing at the START of the turn. If you have to stand it up from prone, it can do what it likes (dodge away, foul, do the can-can... ).

[Colin]

A Mino doing the can-can, ewww that's a really disgusting image.

[The UniGoblin]

Well, as the rulebook states....

"...if a standing Wild Animal is adjacent to a standing player from the opposing team then they must take either a Block or Blitz action, and throw a block at an adjacent player."

My interpretation of this rule is...my WA must be standing to start the turn in order for him to HAVE TO throw a block. Also, it doesn't say anything about if the WA moves into an opposing player's TZ, that they must then make a Block. That was the interpetation that my opponent and our "Commish" who was officiating the game had given me.

As far as #1 in dakkakhan's options, if a WA starts your turn prone, you MUST stand him up...the WA rule states that he must be "activated" which means he must take some sort of action (stand up, move at least one square, dodge, block, blitz, foul, pass or hand-off), so that option is incorrect.

In rule #2, again, there is a discrepancy in the interpretation on the rule concerning whether the "Standing in an opponent's TZ" means only at the start of his turn, or at ANY point in his turn, that he must block or blitz. Again, that's the description I was given...that at ANY point in his turn, if a WA is in or enters a TZ, he must throw a block.

If I get enough people behind me on this, I might tkae it to the "Commish" for a rematch, or a negation on that tournament game...

Yeah...it was a tournament game, too...

[dakkakhan]

What if you had declared a pass, once you stood up you would change the declared action to a blitz action? That makes no sense and you are definitely getting screwed by your Commish. You can't declare a blitz, hit the ball carrier, suddenly find yourself with the ball and declare a throw can you? no. So how could you declare a move, stand your mino up and suddenly have to Blitz? lame interpretation.

Also, my arguments where not meant to hold water, have you ever tried to argue with a girl using logic? <No offense, the fairer sex is more emotional, and less logical> Same principle with using my arguments above to try to convince someone that mistakenly beleives that WA applies to prone player.

[The UniGoblin]

...Also, my arguments where not meant to hold water, have you ever tried to argue with a girl using logic?...

...I suppose I never mentioned that I'm married, huh.

[Interpretation of my feable attempt to educate the Mrs. on the basics of a game I waste so much time on]

Me - "What do you mean you don't want to block him?!! He has the ball and he's gonna score on my next turn!!"

Mrs. - "He's too cute. I wanna go hit that ugly guy over there. Does he get extra points to damage because he has that little spike on top of his helmet?"

[/interpretation...]

Anyways, at my final tournament game, my commish told me he thought about the rule and he decided I was right...but it won't go into effect until next season.

[DoubleSkulls]

The whole point is sequence. You declare your action 1st. The WA is prone - so is not standing next to an opponent. Therefore he can declare whatever action he likes (apart from Block).