Am I just so dense to the way this game works or is anyone else surprised by this ruling. Is there some reason that the power doesn't just say "after the token clearing phase"?

THE CAPE PROTECTS ME: Nightwatch can use Plasticity. After clearing action tokens choose an edge of the square he currently occupies. Lines of fire drawn to him that cross that edge are blocked until your next turn.

Does Nightwatch need to clear action tokens to use this effect or does this work at the end of every turn after when you would normally clear action tokens? Does this work even if he or anyone else doesn't clear any action tokens?

The choice for THE CAPE PROTECTS ME is made after the clearing action tokens phase of the turn, regardless of whether or not Nightwatch, or any other friendly character, actually cleared action tokens.

Which can be found here.

There is no actual defined "clear action token phase". That's why it doesn't say that. Go ahead and Ctrl+F "phase" in the rulebook and you will not get a single hit.

The ruling is simply using other terminology to illustrate the difference.

Clearing action tokens is a part of your turn. It is literally the last thing you do before your turn ends and your opponent's turn begins. So when you hit that part of your turn, and you would go to clear actions tokens after finishing everything else, that's when you pick an edge of his square.

That's it.

I get that and thank you for trying to clear it up for me. My issue is that, had it not been for reading this ruling, I would not have realized that it happened if no token were cleared.

Nowhere in the effect does it specify that Nightwatch has to actually clear the tokens. Compare to:



Healing Factor specifically calls out that Wolverine must clear the tokens.

I appreciate your attempt to help. It must just be my brain. Thank you.