Must the chosen characters be adjacent when the action is given? Or does the restriction simply apply to whether said characters get the DV bonuses?

Example: In a 400-point game, Gimli makes the epic action, picks Hawkgirl and Skaar. Hawkgirl carries Gimli next to Skaar. Does Skaar get the bonus now?

They have to be adjacent when the action is given.

I don't think anything in power states that they must be adjacent when Gimli is given the epic action.

HOLD YOUR GROUND!: Give Gimli an epic action. Until your next turn, Gimli and up to 1 other friendly character per 200 points of the game's build total (each of whom must be adjacent to Gimli and/or at least one other chosen character) modify their defense values by +2 and may choose to ignore knockback.


So when you use it you choose 1 character then all characters adjacent to Gimli and that chosen character gets +2 to their defense and ignore knockback.

No, you a character for every 200 points of the build total. Those characters only must be adjacent to either him or another chosen character, and they get the bonuses.

This is where I'm seeing the wiggle room...the "and/or" bit. It seems to suggest adjacency to Gimli isn't absolutely required IF the chosen pieces are adjacent to each other. And by the same token, perhaps the adjacency isn't necessary at the time of the action. But I'm thinking MisterId is right and I played it wrong today.

I would agree with your assessment of the wiggle room.

I think the two characters must be adjacent to each other or adjacent to gimli when the action is given in order to get the bonus.

That's really not how and/or works.

The character can be adjacent to Gimli AND another friendly character. Alternatively, the character can be adjacent to Gimli OR another friendly character.

Any way you cut it, the character has to be adjacent to a friendly character (Gimli or not). If they aren't adjacent to anyone friendly, then they don't satisfy the and nor the or.

Think of it like this....

When you start choosing figures 1 has to be adjacent to Gimli or another chosen figure. Well since you have not chosen another figure yet, so you can only pick one adjacent to Gimli.

I've been using it all wrong, I thought this was the special power that gives you legal permission to shoot someone if you feel vaguely threatened.

I think that's what KJS said.
I'd say the choice of characters has to happen when the action is given. it's open to some debate if you have to choose one at a time or as a group, and that would matter because:
If I have to choose Fig A and then choose Fig B, Fig A will have to be adjacent to Gimli since there is no other chosen figure to satisfy the "or". If I can choose "Figs A and B" and they are adjacent then neither need be adjacent to Gimli (for the record, I expect this works as the former.)

Another thing: is the adjacency only required when the choice is made, or is the bonus dependent on the adjacency?

It would be both.