Just getting back into playing again after a little hiatus. Missed it and love coming back into the fold.

So I have a question about the rule of 3. The new Dust clix has her swirling sands ability which adds +1 to her defense for every one of her possible four smoke markers.

Can I really bump her Defense +4 if I'm adjacent to all four of her smoke markers? Or does the rule of 3 cap that at only +3?

Thanks in advance!

The rule of 3 caps it.

Note: the rule of three applies after calculation. So yes, against an attack, you can only gain a positive or negative modifier of 3, max.

However, if you had four of her markers adjacent to her and an opponent perplexed down her defense, she would still have a +3 to defense.

This is a minor detail that new (or returning players) some times over look and is incredibly important strategically.

Rule of 3 is pretty simple. If there's a + or a -, those adjustments can only go up to 3 one way or the other. You can still get amazing results with replacements first. If someone's got something like Combat Reflexes but a paltry 16 defense, someone with 18 and Defend can replace it to 18, which then gets modified to 20 up close.

You add +4; the Rule of Three only kicks in when calculating.

Example: Dust is adjacent to four markers and your opponent target her defense with a -2 Perplex. The net total of all modifiers is +2.

This example doesn't have anything to do with the Rule of 3.

Defend Replaces. You can have a figure with a 14 defense and someone with a 20 defense and Defend. The figure with 14 gets to take full advantage of that 20 defense because their defense is replaced not modified.

This point can't be reiterated enough. Dust receives a +4 to her defense. If an opponent had enough perplexes they could perplex her defense -4 and she would still be sitting on a 17 defense. The final result of all modifiers cannot be more than +3 or -3. In Dusts case this means that her final calculated defense can't be modified below a 14 or modified above a 20.

Thank you all very much!

That was pretty much how I read it as well and this helps clarify completely!

That's exactly why I included it. I made an example of how you could effectively get around the rule of 3 because replacements happen first, then get modified. It feels like it's going up +4, even if technically it's replaced to 18 then +2.

I get what you're saying, but in a game as technical as Heroclix I think bringing replacements into a discussion about the Rule of 3 just muddies the waters. You are not "getting around the Rule of 3." You are dealing with the rule of "Replace then modify." They are different discussions and while they may impact each other, equating them is likely to do a disservice to someone who is new or doesn't understand the rules as well as you.

or in simpler terms

The NET benefit or detriment is capped at + or - 3.

However you can modify in either direction as many times as you have a mechanism (perplex or power granted adjustment) to do so.

Exactly, exactly.

My thinking was why would a game mechanic give her a possible +4 if the rule is to cap at 3.

I see how it works now in that there is wiggle room depending on opponents perplex etc. she still gets to use her full bonus if possible yet still would cap at 3.

This...

Rule of three is a siver rule, not a golden one.

Golden rules cannot be broken. Silver rules can be broken. If an effect breaks a silver rule it will say which one.