Assume I have a character with a Shifting Focus trait who has a Resource attached.

I want to replace that character with another character on the Sideline through Shifting Focus.

I know that Equipment Unequips (either KOing or unattaching to fall in the square the character was in).

I know that Objects are dropped to the square that the character was in.

What happens to Resources in the following situations?

Question 1A: Assume a Resource like the Infinity Gauntlet or the Utitlity Belt, which is attached to one specific character from the beginning, or part of a Resource like a Power Battery Construct that attaches to a specific figure. Does that Resource or Resource attachment KO on the character's Shifting out to the Sideline, or is it in a limbo state until the character returns?

Question 1B: Assuming said Resource from 1A goes into a "limbo" of sorts, is it ever scored at any point in the game, either prior to the end of the game (such as when the Replacement figure is KOed) or at another time? If the user's entire remaining force is KOed and said Resource never returns to play, is it scored?

In the past, last September, our handy-dandy rules man Lantern Jordan 2814 stated this about the "Bang" tokens on a Shifting Focus Deadpool: click here

And, yes, I know the rules for replacements, about which specific things are meant to carry over from one character to another (carried status, action tokens, and having been given a costed action).

Thank you for your consideration on these matters. This came up the other night mid-tournament, and I honestly had no idea of how to rule the matter.

Page 17 from the comprehensive rules:

1A - KO'd. Treat the replaced character as KO'd when applying the resources rules.

1B - Not needed as the answer to 1A solves this. It never enters a "limbo" state.

Let me make sure I have all this correct?

Per the wording from the Power Batteries, "If a friendly Corps Member is KO'd, any Constructs on its card are re-attached to the Power Battery," then a Construct would go back to the Battery because it treats the original character like it has been KOed. Similarly, The Phoenix Force states, "When a character assigned a Phoenix Force Fragment is KO'd, attach their Fragment to the resource and immediately click the dial 5 times to the left, moving the dial to the same red click number in the next group," and its Fragments would go back to the Phoenix Force at that time.

Resources like The Penguin that are assigned to the entire force can recognize the newly replaced character from the Sideline as being on the force and then attach to it.

Resources like the Infinity Gauntlet and Utility Belt, which attach to specific figures, are KOed immediately as they treat the original character like it has been KOed.

Otherwise, The Book of the Skull states, "Any time a character equipped with a Hammer is KO'd, the player scoring victory points for that character scores an additional 3 points for each equipped Hammer and the Hammers are removed from the game," so those Hammers would be removed and gone.

Correct on all counts?

Nailed it!

These are the threads I like. Simple and non-runaway.

Correct on all, but I wanted to clarify one point... the batteries are somewhat unique in that most of the resources will just lose the effect with the original character once they swap out (the attachment or resource itself being KO'd and the connection to the resource going away), but you can give an action to give a new construct to any number of swapping figures as long as power #1 is showing in the window.

Personally, I really can't see how this balances anything out with the shifting focus figures, but that's what people keep saying without giving examples of how it could be abused if equipment or resources stayed... I don't think going this far was necessary.

One last thing!!

Do Equipment Characters like Proteus operate the same, treating the original figure as KOed, or not?

In Proteus' case, would there be a window when he couldn't see the replacement figure and thus come straight in on his last click?

Thanks again!

Yep, any equipment, whether figures or objects... the entry doesn't discriminate.

No, there's is never a point where the other character isn't on the map.

Ok. So, does Proteus get KOed when the replaced character leaves play, or does he move to his next target?

He would move to his next target.

If you can't meet this requirement, then he would pop out on the map.

So... wait.

Phoenix Force. Say you have 3 ADW C Wasps. Give them Colossus, Emma and Magik. Colossus "Changes clothes". That one goes back to the base. Followed by Emma and Magik. So now you have the Phoenix Force on it's last group (that starts with +2 spd and Invuln)? But never "lose" friendlies?

The wasps no longer have access to any part of the PF, but it sure is a faster power up.

Assuming you have a fourth Fragment on another character that you want to stay powered up, yeah that should work.

WizKids has made it pretty clear they don't care about old game elements and interactions with the new rules. Seeing as how a replaced character is treated as if they were KO'd for resource purposes, this is a turn-1 way to get your PF fully powered up on a character.

Yeah, you'd have a 4th on the map with either Cyke or Namor, who now is on the last grouping with +2 Speed. 4 KO's or doubles rolls and he's charged up, and you haven't lost any points. Plus the 5th already on the base to start. (obviously you could actually do this with one wasp, the one you want amped and 3 on the base

Dang. That's mean.

Aaaand i just now realize that that is actually kind of pointless because really you just don't assign all of them out.

Exactly what I was going to say... you can assign the PF too 1 figure and have 3 or 4 fragments on the base to start near the end.