Council of Elrond

Alternatively, you may play this card as a resource on yourself if you have at least ten cards in your play deck. In this case, you and your opponent reverse roles.

3. Is Great Secrets Buried There considered to be a resource or hazard Permanent-event when in play and played as a resource on yourself?

*** It's a hazard card when it's resolved on the table as a permanent-event. It's a resource when it's played as such and not resolved yet.

Is this really true? Wouldn't the card remember how it was played as long as it remains in play?

I mean, Minion Agents played as hazards don't suddenly become characters when they resolve, even though they are characters that can also be played as a type of hazard.

If this is correct, does it mean that Gnawed Ways when played as a hazard reverts immediately back to a resource and therefore gives its stage points to the player who played it, even if they're not even a Fallen Wizard?

3. Is Great Secrets Buried There considered to be a resource or hazard Permanent-event when in play and played as a resource on yourself?

*** It's a hazard card when it's resolved on the table as a permanent-event. It's a resource when it's played as such and not resolved yet.

I think that it is not correct.

However even if certain hazard (resource) was played as resource it cannot be treated as resource (hazard) for other purposes, e.g. for purposes of discarding it. So Marvels Told can discard Great Secrets Buried There (cannot discard Gnawed Ways).

So a minion agent played as a character remains an agent and would be affected by Face Out of Sight, correct?

No. Agent is not "a character that can also be played as hazard" nor "a hazard that can also be played as character". It can be played as character or as hazard and both forms are equipollent.

EDIT:
"form" changed to "forms".

What is the functional difference? Either way, according the Great Secrets logic, they remain an agent, correct?

Face Out of Site wrote:All on-guard cards are returned to owner's hands. At the end of any turn, all wounded and tapped agents are returned to their owner's hands. Cannot be duplicated.

If card says just "agent" it refers to the hazard agent.
If card says "agent character" it refers to the agent character.

While in play agent is harard agent or agent character. It is never in both forms (while in play).

according the Great Secrets logic

This rule (and logic) only applies to the hazards that can be also played as resources or to the resources that can be also played as hazards.

Konrad Klar wrote:If card says just "agent" it refers to the hazard agent.

Is there a reference for that?

No. This is only my conclusion.
I think so because first appearance of words "minon agent", "character agent", "agent minion" was in texts of cards from Lidless Eye. In earlier edition agents could be played only as hazards (possibility of playing them as characters was only announced, along with Lidless Eye).

And other interpretation, that says that effects of card that refer to the "agent" may be applied also to the "agent character" leads to the results that does not make sens (in my opinion). Some of them are just not applicable in any way.

EDIT:
Also, cards (known to me) does not make a reference to the "hazard agents".

Hmmm . . .

Well, there are Dark Minion rules:

MEDM includes minion cards-a new type of card with a new type of template-the background is iron with a "rusted" purple tint. In MEDM, minions are used as hazards called agents. An agent is a hazard that represents an individual that has been sent on a covert mission by the Dark-lord or one of his Dark Lieutenants. However, not all agents are minions. The two agents on the normal hazard template are "non-Minion agents:" My Precious and Lobelia Sackville Baggins.

The concept of minions used in a non-agent fashion will be introduced in Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye (a stand-alone expansion due out in the Spring of 1997). In The Lidless Eye, minions will be used like characters, but each minion will be under the influence of one of Sauron's Dark Lieutenants.

So minions being used as characters and hazard agents were both concepts at the release of Dark Minions.

On the other hand, this same last paragraph indicates that agents played like characters happens instead of being played as agents, so to return to the original subject:

Great Secrets wrote:Alternatively, you may play this card as a resource on yourself if you have at least ten cards in your play deck. In this case, you and your opponent reverse roles.

I think the key is "alternatively." This indicates an either/or situation. If it is played as a resource permanent event, such play precludes it being in play as a hazard event.

It seems to me by nature of its being a permanent event, it is declared as a resource, it resolves as a resource and therefore comes into play as a resource -- meaning that it is a resource as long as it is in play. Once it is in the discard pile, I fully agree it must be treated as a hazard, but I do not see how it should be treated as in play as a hazard when it was not played as such -- some effect should be needed to change its status.

I'll think about it some more, though.

Can Great Secret be played as a resource by Ringwraith player? Rules says it can't be played as a hazard against Minion players.

Not exactly. The Lidless Eye rulebook says it will have no effect on a Ringwraith player.

CRF, Rulings by Term, Card Effect Limitations wrote:• Great Secrets Buried There: This card may be played against a Ringwraith or
Sauron player.