I got into a couple debates about the combat checks of the Lackadaisy board game, and if you would humor me I'd like to ask if you could possibly clear it up.
Scenario 1; Two players get into a combat check. One has the Bolt Action Rifle, which has been freshly stocked with ammo and has both uses available.
The card reads that 'for each use, add 1 die to the combat check.'
My fellow player's interpretation of that section of the card is he may use one of the Bolt Action Rifle's uses to add one die to the combat check, and that the aforementioned section of the item's description means he may add another die to the combat check that is not an ammo use. Thus, one use of the Bolt Action Rifle = two die added to the combat check. [This applies to any other gun/item that holds that excerpt.]
My interpretation of the item card's description is that the excerpt is simply telling you how many die is added per item use. One use of the Bolt Action Rifle = one die added to the combat check.
Scenario 2; Two players get into a combat check, one has the Hatchet and the other has the Wrench.
Both cards read 'add [1 / X] to any combat check.'
A certain interpretation was that unless the combat check by the Lackadaisy [player] crew already possesses any number of die to it, the Wrench cannot be used in the combat check - that the combat check they add to must have a dice roll in it. This is because the Hatchet says it may add 1 to any combat check 'even one with no dice,' while the Wrench says no such thing.
Therefore, in this combat check only the Hatchet may be used to defend with 1 or 3; dependent on the opposing check.
Another interpretation is that even though there are no weapons item like a gun to add a die to the combat check, both the Wrench and Hatchet may be used in battle.
Consequently both the Hatchet and Wrench may be used in this combat check, defending with a 3, 4, 5, or 6.
Scenario 3 [which has mostly been cleared up via the rulebook but still comes back to haunt confrontations]; Two players get into a combat check. Both have no defending items such as a gun, Hatchet, Wrench, bees, etc.
Interpretation 1 - Each player has one baseline die they may add to a combat check. Similarly to Scenario 1, this may also be added together with an attacking item use. Hence in this scenario where no one possesses a combat item, each player may still add one die to the combat check.
Interpretation 2 - you're screwed if you don't have any weapons and there is no baseline die; you will fail the check.
If you chose to take time to settle these debates, I heavily thank you for your time. Have a wonderful day/night.
Good questions! Conferred with the game designer, Tempo, to make sure I was answering these correctly:
Scenario 1: You are correct here. Using a use uses that use.
Scenario 2: The wrench may thwack alone. It only lacks the Hatchet's reminder text because the cards are finite in size.
The Hatchet only cares about the opposing check (made by the game), not the one made by the players.
Scenario 3: Without weapons, the players' combat check is 0, so it's an automatic failure. (This is why some characters start with weapons, or have abilities that make lost combat checks more endurable.)
I hope that answers your questions!
