ah. now i see. so if someone recruited doom, and i responded by playing ntz, i could call MP, and they wouldn't be able to get it off since doom really isn't in play yet. If that's it, then I've got it. Thanks.

Yep... you are correct... and that's why NTZ is so bad for the metagame (in my opinion of course).

Just to simplify everything here, did Monica recieve all of LB's effect, only part of LB's effect or none of LB's effect?

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but I don't really understand the final say on this matter.

She received none of LB's modifier.

There is no 'receiving part of a modifier' unless it is conditional.

Are ye sure about this?
I thought the whole point was that If I recruit Doom, you can respond with NTZ, and I can respond with RoT before you name a card.

So for it to work you have to NTZ before I recruit Doom.

IIRC the point was that as soon as a recruit effect is on the chain he counts as in play for all other effects on teh same chain.

A character does not come into play until his recruit effect resolves. Cards that require you to control or exhaust Dr. Doom cannot be used until he is in play, and so cannot be used while his recruit effect is still on the chain.

Reign of Terror, however, has a very different requirement from cards like Boris and Mystical Paralysis---Reign of Terror requires that you have recruited Doom, which has a very specific meaning within the rules. A character is considered recruited once you have finished the process of putting his recruit effect on the chain, paying costs, etc.; recruiting a character is the same as playing an effect, and it is done without waiting to let anything resolve.

While Dr. Doom's recruit effect waits on the chain, he is not in play, for any purposes. However, he has by definition been recruited. Reign of Terror is usable, but Mystical Paralysis is not.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

HeroComplex,

In the case of 4 drop Doom and NTZ - can I simply ask my opponent to hold on... as he puts his 4th resource down, I will react with NTZ in reaction to his putting down the resource.

Can he still recruit Doom on that note while his 4th resource is still on the chain? (as in, opponent will be putting down 4th resource... I will want to respond with NTZ.. can he say oh oh.. I'll recruit Doom in chain to that and well, RoT that! .. ok.. go ahead and name a card)

Or to make things simple, do I just NTZ on the draw phase instead to avoid all this trouble?

Also.. as for walk through walls... can I do it kind of like the way NTZ happens? I know the NTZ trick of not naming anything until the opponent lets it resolve.. but how about Walk Through Walls? (since it will grant a can't be targetted effect once it resolves)

Take for example - I have a 2 drop and a 3 drop. My opponent may have search and destroy. It's round 4, and I play WtW - can I show that first - then ask the opponent if he will allow to resolve or if he will react before showing who the target will be? It sure won't make sense to use it if I have to name the target and my opponent will just S&D it and fizzle out my WtW.

(somehow.. I get the feeling that I'll be disappointed by the answer because of the word "target"...) :(

For your first question, a recruit effect can only be played on an empty chain, so even if he plays his fourth resource, so long as NTZ is waiting to resolve, Dr. Doom can not be recruited. The best way to do it however, is to use NTZ at the beginning of the build phase BEFORE the resource step when both players have a priority point. That way you have the opportunity to NTZ before your opponent can even lay a resource to think about NTZ.

Since targets are chosen when the effect is put on the chain, if an effect targets it has to be declared when you play the effect. So Walk through Walls does indeed disappoint you.

A general note about the progression of the build phase---first, the draw phase comes before the build phase, so you cannot use Null Time Zone then. But as Ryan said, there is a point in the build phase before either player's individual steps have begun.

Next comes the first player's resource step; the absolute first thing in your resource step is the laying down a resource, or opting not to lay one. This happens before any player has priority. When both players pass on an empty chain, you move to that player's recruit step; since the game doesn't progress until both players pass, you absolutely have a chance to play effects after the opponent lays a resource, but before he has a chance to recruit.

Moving on to Walk Through Walls, whether or not it gives a benefit in your situation depends largely on if one of you has Total Anarchy in play, or if you generally expect the opponent to use KOing effects.

Assuming not---their using Search and Destroy does not negate Walk Through Walls. It makes it less useful, but the effect will all still take place, and your stunned 3-drop will now be safe from targeting effects like Hounds of Ahab's for a turn.