hand size increase optional?

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thorondor
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Part of Pallando´s text:
His controlling player may keep one more card than normal in his hand.
"May" means, it is optional, whether I want to make use of the hand size increase or not, right?
When do I decide, that I want to have one more card? do I need to stick to a decision for the whole game, once it is made? Or may I change, like: at the end of the m/h phase of company 1 I decide to have 9 cards, at the end of the m/h phase of company 2 I decide to have only 8 cards.

This could help to draw some more cards when squatting companies are involved.
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Bandobras Took
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CRF wrote:Effects which increase your hand size or allow you to hold one more card in your hand mean that you draw up to your new hand size or discard down to it at the appropriate points during the game.
The game is flawed, but this does not mean it cannot be loved.
thorondor
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Hmm, okay, so "may" means "must". thanks!
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CDavis7M
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I was recently browsing the rulings with respect to "when" hand size increases (e.g., at the end of the M/H vs at the beginning of the site phase) and I ran across this question several times. It is consistently ruled that hand-size IS increased (must be increased). There is no options.
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Khamul the Easterling
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I always believed the "may" was to be interpreted as "must", i.e. the extra card is not optional. Rechecking the CRF (from which I think I got this idea) now contradicts me.
Anyone who can confirm this ("may" is correct), please?
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CDavis7M
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Here are a few rulings on "may" and had size. I think there are even more. I am not aware of discussion on the term "may" in general, but this is a hard thing to search for.
NetRep #51 wrote:if you are allowed to increase your hand size (e.g. with pallando), is
it (a) optional to do so or is the player (b) obliged to do so?
*** b is correct.
NetRep #75 wrote:Player controling Pallando, Elrond in Rivendell, bearer
of Emerald of Mariner "may keep one more card than normal in his hand".
What exactly this mean:
a. at the end of movement/hazard phase and end of turn phase he
draw to increased hand size?
or
b.he do not draw, only if at the end of movement/hazard phase or
site phase he have more than 8 card he is not forced to discard rest?
If "a":
he must draw?
If "b":
he is not allowed to discard rest card?
*** You must draw up or discard down to your allowed hand size whenever
you reconcile your hand. If you hand size ever increases or decreases,
you have to deal with this the next time you reconcile your hand.
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Khamul the Easterling
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thank you. You're right and I was right, too :)
Thanks for quoting the sources!
dirhaval
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Okay, I see the rulings. I will follow them.

But,
I disagree with them.
Book of Mazarbul specifically mentions hand size. Pallando and Emerald say "may" to keep cards in hand.
Yes, a ruling was made that Pallando and Emerald compound, which is smart.

Not drawing a card may help you not exhaust when you want too or avoid keeping too many good cards in hand. IMHO.
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CDavis7M
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EZ PZ solution my friend. Just don't tap it.
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Bandobras Took
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dirhaval wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2019 11:14 pm Okay, I see the rulings. I will follow them.

But,
I disagree with them.
Book of Mazarbul specifically mentions hand size. Pallando and Emerald say "may" to keep cards in hand.
Yes, a ruling was made that Pallando and Emerald compound, which is smart.

Not drawing a card may help you not exhaust when you want too or avoid keeping too many good cards in hand. IMHO.
CRF wrote:Effects which increase your hand size or allow you to hold one more card in your hand mean that you draw up to your new hand size or discard down to it at the appropriate points during the game.
The CRF tells us what it means, and there is no "may" in "you draw up to your new hand size . . . at the appropriate points during the game."

Each effect allows you one more card than normal. You have your normal hand, then Pallando's one more card than normal, then the Emerald's one more card than normal.
The game is flawed, but this does not mean it cannot be loved.
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