Okay never had to worry so much about this but will have to soon,

Wife team and my own have lots of modifying variables in a few games comming up on both teams. So here is the question.

2) THE RULE OF THREE
Whenever the sum of all modifiers applied to a single combat value is greater than +3 or less than -3, the sum of all modifiers is instead +3 or -3, respectively. All modifiers continue to apply to the combat value; only their sum is changed. This rule only applies to modifiers, not to replacement values. Replacement values can alter the printed combat value by more than 3 before any modifiers apply, with modifiers still limited to a net modification of 3 on the replaced value.


REading this from rule book i am confused so here it is

Question 1 Rule of 3. What would happen if i perplexed a character damage down by lets say 1, now lets say they charge and pick up heavy object on the way for plus 2 damage. is it rule of three at this point? due to pervious player perplexing down 1 plus 2 for heavy object? or can the charger be use the close combat expert to increase damage by 1 or 2? depending if the previous turn perplex counts?

-1 (Perplex) +2 (Heavy object) = +1
Nothing to do with the rule of three here.

The rule of three simply caps any modifiers at +3 or -3.

So, if instead of Perplexing the damage down, it had been Perplexed up two times we would have
+1 +1 +2 = +4
And because 4 is more than 3, the modifier would be capped at +3.

Also, you can't use Close Combat Expert with Charge as CCE requires a power action to activate and Charge grants you a close combat action as a free action.

DOUBLE NINJA'D

PART ONE:

as outlined in the rule, apply all of the modifiers, coming up to a sum of the modifiers.

In your example, damage would have a -1 and a +2 modifier, for a net +1.

Then, following the rule, if the sum of the modifiers was more than +3, it's capped at "just" the +3.

So, if you had two figures perplex up your damage by +1 each and then attacked with the heavy object, your damage would have the following modifiers applied to it: +1 +1 +2 = +4. Limited to +3 by the rule.

If Kyle Raynor has the shield construct (+2 defense value to ranged attack) and has his defense perlexed twice by +1 each, the cap of +3 would apply.

So you need to be "judicious" - perplex up your defense, but not too much, if you're going to have more than +3 of adjustments, then perhaps some of them should be -1 to the attack value of your opponent.


PART TWO:

Note: you have to give your figure a "power action" to use charge. Charge allows you to (a) move and (b) make a close combat action during your turn.

Close Combat Expert requires you to give the figure a power action, not a close combat action.

So you can't use both Charge and CCE together (normally - there may be figures who can, but 99% of figures cannot).

The value can never be over +3, or under -3.

A 17 Defense can never be higher than 20 or lower than 14.

Regardless, all the modifiers applied to a value are still accounted before.

Like in your example:
Let's say you have a figure with 3 damage and Super Strength.
An opponent perplexes down his damage -1.
Next turn, you pick up a heavy and charge.
+2 from the object, 3 damage becomes 5.
-1 from perplex, damage becomes 4.

Now what if there are a LOT of modifiers?
You have the same guy with his damage perplexed up from 3, +3 to 6.
But your opponent perplexes it down 4 times!
Damage 3, +3 to 6.
Damage 6, -4 to 2.
Damage is 2.

They all count towards the total.
So a figure with a damage of 3 can't be higher than 6, or lower than 0, whether it has on modifier or one million.

Focus on just the first line you quoted:

"Whenever the sum of all modifiers applied to a single combat value is greater than +3 or less than -3, the sum of all modifiers is instead +3 or -3, respectively."

In your example the sum of the modifiers is +1. (-1 from you + 2 from the object = +1)

That is not lower than -3 or greater than +3.

A common example of capping would be when a character has two hammers (each giving a +2 to attack).
The sum of those is +4, so at the time of the attack if these are the only modifiers, then that +4 becomes +3.

Now, take the same example and say that you had Perplexed the guy's attack down by one on attack.
The sum at the time of use would be +3 (-1 from the perplex + 2 from one hammer + 2 from the other hammer = +3)
This +3 is within the range of the rule of three, so nothing is affected.

I'd like to take a slight detour here. Maybe I'm reading into your wording too much, but things like BCF are useable with Charge, correct? I can Charge and then choose to do BCF damage with the free close combat action.

Read the PAC.

Now ... read it again, paying attention to the precise words used by Heroclix.

Yes, you can use BCF with Charge.



Bolt them together and Charge and BCF to your heart's content.

1. declare Charge
2. move
3. declare giving a close combat action
4. make a close combat attack during that action
5. use BCF during that action

That's what I thought, but the way the answer above was worded I wanted to double check. The same is true for Running Shot and EE because EE says "Whenever this character is given a ranged combat action..."

there are some very good combos which are legal, and some which aren't.

two good ones:

running shot + pulse wave
running shot + pen/psychic blast

and EE can "stack" on either of these as both PW and PPB are ranged combat actions.

Enjoy!

Okay, now that I didn't know. I thought that since Pulse Wave/PB require you to give them an action they didn't "stack" like that. So you're saying that the "free ranged combat action" I give a character with RS can be Pulse Wave?

Sweet thanks for this makes sense now. modify up and down all day long but total cannot exceed 3 rather up or down.

As far as original question example change the close combat expert to having Reed Richards from starter set perplex +2 dam then

So lets say for example my opponent has managed to perplex my characters attack down by -5.

But because of rules of 3 its only at -3, but since he perplex it down by 5 I would need to perplex myself up 5 times to break even?

nope the sum of the total that is over 3 is instead now 3. so 4 or 5 become 3. so you only need to preplex 3 times to break even.

Yes.
No. it's only the SUM of the modifiers that is capped. Andy modiferes more than =/-3 don't just go away, they're still there and need to be taken into account to determine the total.

If you perplex down my attack by 5, I would have to increase it by 5 to get it back to the base value.

Any modifiers in addition to the =/-3 cap essentially serve as insurance against the value getting modified back in the other direction.

The free ranged combat action from RS can be used to activate any effect that requires a ranged combat action to activate.