Fifteen Birds in Five Firtrees

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kober
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Fifteen Birds in Five Firtrees wrote:Playable on a moving company facing a non‐unique hazard creature if Gates of Morning is in play. All attacks of the creature are canceled and all attacks of the next non‐unique hazard creature the company faces this turn are also canceled. An untapped character in the company must tap to face any strike from a subsequent hazard creature attack for the rest of the turn. The company must do nothing during its site phase unless it contains a Wizard or you discard Eagle‐mounts from your hand. Cannot be duplicated on a given turn.
I apologize if this is obvious, but how does the "an untapped character in the company must tap to face any strike" work? Does it mean that if a character wants to face a strike (s)he has no choice of not tapping (at -3 modification to prowess)? Can the strike be cancelled still?
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Bandobras Took
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Yes, that is what it means. An untapped target of a strike can choose to take a -3 penalty to avoid automatically tapping. Fifteen Birds removes this option.
The "strike sequence" is the time from when a player declares that one of his characters will resolve a strike until the strike die roll is made and any associated body checks are made.
Strikes are resolved one at a time as decided by the defending player (i.e., he chooses a strike to resolve, the strike is resolved, he chooses the next strike to resolve, the strike is resolved, etc.).
All of the factors affecting the strike must be decided before making the roll (2D6). Cards that do not affect the strike may not be played during the strike sequence. Address these factors in the following order:
1. The attacker may play hazard cards that affect the strike (these count toward the hazard limit against this company).
2. The attacker may decide to use any or all of his remaining (if any) -1 modifiers due to unallocated strikes (i.e., strikes in excess of the company's size).
3. A target untapped character may take a -3 modification so that he will not automatically tap following the strike sequence.
4. The defending player may play resource cards that affect the strike (up to one card that requires skill).
If the strike is cancelled, the strike sequence is aborted because no dice roll is made. Therefore, the character cannot automatically tap following the strike sequence as the strike sequence is not completed.
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Is it still possible to announce, that the character facing the strike takes the -3 penalty for not tapping, while he becomes tapped because of "15 Birds"?
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Konrad Klar
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" must tap to face any strike" is incorrect literally.
A character does not tap to face a strike. A character may take (or may not take) a -3 modification so that he will not automatically tap following the strike sequence.
But phrase "must tap to face any strike" is concise and phrase "may not take a -3 modification so that he will not automatically tap" is wordy.
ICE is known to use a compact wording that often deforms an original sense.

I think that it is not possible to announce, that the character facing the strike (from a subsequent hazard creature attack) takes the -3 penalty for not tapping.
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