So we all know the rule of three.. my question is what exactly contributes towards "the Rule of three"?

For example.. can a character with ES/D in hindering have it's defense perplexed by three, then get the ES/D bonus AND the hindering bonus?

Same goes for CCE and RCE..

What about Feats like Haymaker, Monster hunter, Shell Head, Pounce, Etc.. that grant stat bonuses?

You are welcome to have the ES/D and hindering and three perplexes, but the combat value cannot be modified more than three from its starting value. So if you have a 16 defense, you can +3 perplex, +2 ES/D, +1 Hindering capped to a 19. BUT if you are facing a team of 4 hookers...er...con artists, they can also modify your values. So you can have all of your positive modifiers (perplex, ES/D, hindering) and they can negatively modify your numbers. So when the other player is calculating the to hit roll, you put in ALL of your modifiers and ALL of the other modifiers capped by the rule of three. So in this case 16 defense, ES/D, hindering, +3 perplex, and a -4 perplex. The end result would be that he would be rolling against an 18 defense value. Clear as mud!

In other words.. everything applies.. but +3 is the max bonus you're ever going to get.. heh.. thanks..

This came up a couple weeks back at one of my games.. I had a character with ES/D and was in indering and I wanted to perplex up his defense.. and we weren't quiet clear if the Hindering bonus was part of the rule of three..

Hindering bonus is not counted as part of the rule of three, only powers that increase stats are affected, so a 16 defence w/ esd would be an 18, you could perplex that to a 19 and then get the +1 for hindering, so 20 would be the max in this case.

This is wrong.

From the rulebook, p. 6:
"Rule of 3
The Rule of 3 limits how much a combat value can be modified: No combat value can be modified by more than 3. For example, if the combat value is 3, it can’t be modified to more than 6 or less than 0.
Although the effects of powers, team abilities, battlefield conditions, and
feats override standard HeroClix rules, the Rule of 3 takes precedence
over all those effects. Replacement values are not subject to the Rule of 3."

The hindering terrain modifier modifies the defense value of a character, therefore it is also subject to the rule of three.
Nowhere in the rulebook is said that only modifiers coming from powers are subject to it. All modifiers that affect a combat value are subject to it, wherever they come from.

Note that replacement values DO NOT count towards the rule of three.

Say Johnny Storm is in hindering. He had a printed 16 and ESD.

He can use the Alternate F4 ability to copy Sue's 19 Defense, then, on top of the 19, he can add the +2 for ESD and the +1 for hindering, getting a total defense of 22 at range.

Hindering modifer is not a part of the combat value but is extraneous, to whit, if you were to pulse wave someone, they would not get the +2 modifier for esd but they would still get the +1 for hindering. Therefore, I would rule that the hindering bonus would be above and beyond the rule of 3 as it is not dealt from the character or any power but by the contour of the map itself. I have yet to find anywhere in the rule book that indicates otherwise.

(it's a joke, right?)

Would a word from the Rules Arbitrator convince you?

(from the "Rule of 3 question" thread on the WizKids Heroclix: Rules forum)

No. This is wrong. Rule of Three applies to ALL modifiers on a combat value. Page 23 of FF rulebook defines Hindering Terrain Modifier as
"Modifying a target’s defense value by +1 when the line
of fire from the attacker to the target crosses the boundary line of hindering terrain."
So this is modifying a defensive value which is a combat value. Still capped by rule of 3.

What rules arbitrator?? If you hadn't heard, whizkids not longer exists.

What rules arbitrator?? If you hadn't heard, whizkids not longer exists.

No kidding?

...

The official rule has been stated already (official as in "before WizKids fell").
What I quoted is anterior to said fall, by the time there still was an official Rules Arbitrator.
(not to mention that it's supported by the latest version of the rulebook, as BigDaddyHub's quote and mine prove)

You want to play with your own rules, fine, no problem, have fun!
(I won't diss houserules, I use some myself)

But here, in the "Rules of Combat" forum, we're enforcing the official rules and rulings, as they were before WizKids fell.

Just backing up BDH and Drunky as being 100% correct...

...though their quotations of the rules which make their point crystal clear did a fine job of that already.

Not sure what whizkids has to do with Heroclix. Wizkids on the other hand...

If I'm not wrong, you can still modify values by more than 3, it's just that it caps at three. For instance someone with Energy Shield/Deflection can have their defense modified by +3, to a total defense value modifier of +5 when attacked from range. Rule of 3 makes the modifier into a +3. If the attacker then modifies the defense value by -2, the defense modifier is still +3 (+3+2-2=+3).