What happens first, The Beginning of the Game or Placing Characters in Your Starting Area?

I ask because of Copycat & Lydea Mallor.

Timing will change whose resource Lydea Mallor effects.

Or is this determined by the initial roll?

Good question.

If I'm not mistaken, the game has to start before you can pull your figures out, choose map, or roll the dice... but I may be wrong and I'd love to know if I am.

Placing Figs is the 3rd step in beginning of the game, so I'm guessing Lydea's power would kick off after each side has revealed their respective forces and Dice rolls for first player, then after map and sides are chosen Copycat's effect would trigger and finally proceed to step 3 placing figs and letting the first player start their turn

Exactly right.

STEP 1: REVEAL FORCES AND ESTABLISH THE FIRST PLAYER

(Lydea Activates her power)
...
STEP 2: CHOOSE MAP AND STARTING AREAS

(Copycat Activates his power)
...
STEP 3: PLACE CHARACTERS

(first players starts the game)

Thanks everyone

Ah my friend, the Meta will pay homage to you and your find...while no doubt Darklogos will curse it! Either way, a win/win.

Heck, I pay homage to you for the background in your avatar!

Yum!

Please also note that Highfather's ability happens before copycat's

Which means that if you build a team where copycat is the highest point figure, and the opponent uses the pact, the highfather player will end up controlling BOTH of the pacted characters.

This also means that once copycat has switched figures, it is now TOO LATE for the highfather player to declare a pact (they are implied to have said "not doing it", because it is a 'may' effect).

But in the Core rule book says:

"Once Steps 1–3 are complete, play begins with the first player."

Placing character's it's Step 3, Copycat power activates before Step 3 and Lydea's power after Step 3 or what I'm not understanding?

beginning of "play" and beginning of the "game" are two different times.

The game begins before you even reveal forces, technically, but since you can't do anything until forces are revealed all beginning of game effects need to wait until at least then to apply.

I think this is actually right, and even if it wasnt, nothing says copyxat must choose after step 1, only that she has to choose before step 3

You know you're a celeb when people mention you in passing. Bravo good chap.