I recall a ruling that Feats are always optional.

So for Nova Blast, the character can use Pulse Wave normally without activating Nova Blast. Is this true?

-The Le

Yes and yes.

Not exactly - at least one feat is specifically non-optional. Pym Particles was ruled non-optional to prevent someone from turning on and off the Giant symbol at will.

HRm. Then what about SIDEKICK?
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"Choose two characters: The first character must have a point value at least twice that of the second character. The two characters must be adjacent in order to use this feat. Neither character may carry the other.

(optional) The second character uses the first character's defense value instead of its own when it is attacked by an opposing character."
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If feats are optional, then I can ignore the carry restrictions?

-The Le

Using the feats is optional, but their negative effects aren't.

You can choose to not use Sidekick (i.e. not sharing defense), but you still wouldn't be able to carry.
You can choose to not use Life Model Decoy (i.e. not reducing damage dealt), but you still wouldn't be able to be healed.
You can choose to not use Endurance (i.e. take pushing damage), but you'd still have to roll after taking a non-free action.
Etc.

Coordination also received errata that made it non-optional.

I was sure there were more, and started writing that at first, but couldn't remember which, so I decided not to overreach

All feats are optional, unless they're not

Alternate TA feats are also non-optional, so you can't cancel them to get back the regular TA.

But they are optional in the way TAs are optional... that is you don't have to use Alpha Flight or Guardians of the Galaxy, just like you don't have to use normal Avengers or Defenders.

Okey then, it sounds like all feats are optional, unless the feat itself specifies "non optional", or an Errata has has been issued to specify it.

In that case, the entire Sidekick would be completely optional, since there are not errata's issued for it.

Would this be correct?

-The Le

Drunky summed it up pretty good, I think:

Yes, but who makes the call on the negative effect? Seriously now. I ran into a situation where a player had NOVA BLAST, with one opponent near him. He wanted to ignore his own feat because it would have a "negative effect" on him when using Pulse Wave against one opponent.

I am not trying to be difficult -- I'm just looking for some consistency or official errata on this. While I understand that it "makes no sense" to ignore the negative and positive aspects of a card, I find it problematic that we players have to make those kinds of assumptions and treat one part of the card as optional and the other parts as non optional.

For the record, I accept your interpretation of those specific feats, but the lack of consistency will always bother me.

-The Le

You can always choose not to use Nova Blast; the "negative effect" (as you put it) is directly related to using that feat. But if he doesn't want to use that feat at that moment, he doesn't have to.

Other feats, like Coordination, that are non-optional are usually because you could use the feat and then, later, turn it off to avoid the negative repercussions. For example, I could use Coordination on my turn to draw LOF through characters and then, on my opponent's turn, simply turn off the feat and now LOF can not be draw back to me. There are literally no negative repercussions to using Coordination like that, which is totally against the original intent (as relfected by GD's willingness to clarify and by the cheap point cost). Now Nova Blast, as a counter example, if you want to use your full damage value against multiple characters, you must use the feat... but if you are content with your damage value at 1 for multiple characters (e.g. using PW normally), that is okay; you are not getting something for nothing here.

That really is the key, by the way: getting something for nothing. Chances are, if something seems like it would be too good to be true, it probably is (both in life and in 'clix ).

Except when it's not... like when you put Haymaker on Power Man & Iron Fist