Is flipping the qc marker part of the casting step?

[Sailor Vulcan]

I feel like it shouldn't be for the sake of consistency, since flipping the regular action marker isn't part of the action you take with it. When you flip a regular action marker, you are "spending an action" in order to cast a spell or do something else. I feel that this should be the case for the quickcast action too; you "spend a quickcast action" which then allows you to cast a spell.

The reason I'm asking this is because I'm in the middle of a game and I revealed a magebane immediately after my opponent flipped his quickcast action marker. I did not know what spell he would cast when I revealed my magebane, only that he was about to cast something. The spell he was about to cast turned out to be a seeking dispel, which was flipped face up immediately after my magebane. He intended to cast it on my magebane.

If flippping the marker is part of the casting step, then what I did was illegal. If flipping the marker is not part of the casting step, but rather happens before the casting step, then what I did was a legal move. Could someone please clarify this?

Thanks!

[jacksmack]

You can not reveal magebane in this example.

[Sailor Vulcan]

Um, could you pls explain a bit more than that? Is flipping the marker part of the casting step or not?

[Zuberi]

On page 19 of the English rulebook it lists when you can reveal an enchantment. Using the quick cast marker is not one of the steps of spell casting, nor is it a separate phase from the spell its used to cast. I could see someone trying to make an argument for it counting as a form of activation since it is similar to the action marker and is itself referred to as a special action in both the rulebook and FAQ, but such a person would also be wrong. Activating a creature is well defined and only done with the action marker.

Thus, the quick cast marker doesn't meet any of the criteria listed on page 19 and you can not reveal an enchantment between the flipping of the marker and the cast spell step. which would have prevented your mage bane.

Technically you could also reveal before the quick cast marker is flipped though, assuming you had initiative or your opponent was willing to allow you. But after it is flipped you have to wait until after the cast spell step.

[ringkichard]

Probably no, which surprises me a little.

The relevant rule is that

"You can reveal an enchantment immediately after
any action or event in the game:"

We know what actions are, but what are events? The only definition of events I can find occurs at the bottom of the sidebar:

You cannot interrupt an event to reveal an enchantment. Example: You cannot reveal an enchantment on a creature in the middle of its Move Action, or in the middle of rolling dice during an attack. You would have to wait until that “event” (step or action) has finished.

Which is weird, because that rule can now be re-written as "you can reveal an enchantment immediately after any action or step or action." Something odd's happening here.

Anyway:

We know that you can reveal an enchantment after a creature is activated, before it chooses its actions for the turn (because this sidebar says so), but the reasons for that aren't clear, because flipping an action marker is neither an action (like moving or making a full attack) nor a step (like step 3 in an attack rolls dice). So why is flipping an action marker an event?

The rules aren't clear on this, other than "because it says you can."
However, nowhere in the rules can I find any statement that says you can reveal an enchantment after flipping a quickcast marker but before the quick spell, and the rules are at pains to point out the many other opportunities to reveal an enchantment.

So, what alternate interpretations might let you reveal the enchantment before the spell?
1. If flipping an creature's action marker is an event, even though it's not an action or a step, maybe flipping a quickcast marker is too.

2. The rules don't list the steps involved in taking the quickcast action. It's possible that there are steps in taking a quickcast (as there are steps for attacks, spells, and movement). If this were the case (and there's no written reason to think this would be true except consistency) you could be revealing the enchantment after the 1st step, which would be an event.

3. Alternately to #2, the rules don't actually say when the Quickcast action ends. I've always assumed that the  quick spell occurs during the quickcast action, but the rules just say that taking a quickcast action lets you cast a quick action spell. It's possible, but not consistent, that the rules literally mean that the mage takes a quickcast action which ends, which then lets the mage cast a quick spell. If this were the case, you could reveal an enchantment after the quickcast action, but before the quick spell. I think this interpretation is grasping at straws, but the rules as written are sufficiently silent about the nature of the quickcast action that it's not precluded by anything but the principle of parsimony.

[sIKE]

the rules don't actually say when any action ends.

fixed

[ringkichard]

Good point.

[HeatStryke]

Flipping an Action or QC marker is one of two things: either a cost or a side effect of taking an action.

In either case it doesn't happen as an independent event, it's just part of casting a spell or taking an action.

Note: As soon as you activate a creature and flip its action
marker, your opponent can reveal any hidden enchantments
(see “Revealing Enchantments” on page 18). You must give
your opponent a chance to reveal his enchantments before
you decide which action you want to take with your
creature.

The marker acts like a cost. The moment you pay it the action starts and enchantments cannot be revealed until the first step ends.

It basically would break down like this.

• Previous action ends, active player decides if he want's to take a QC action or reveal something
• inactive player makes the same decision, if he choses to do something his opponent can't do anything until the next opportunity.

An action ends when it's finished resolving. Move actions end when you finish moving. Attacks end after the last attack finishes, etc. etc. Then starting with the active player both players get chances to do something.

[Zuberi]

The markers are just that, markers. They are there to mark when something has or has not occurred. They are nothing more than a reminder.

In the case of the Action Marker, it reminds us whether or not a creature has been Activated, which is separate from the movement and actions that a creature performs but is required before they are able to perform such. Flipping it merely indicates that you have activated this creature.

In the case of the Quick Cast Marker, it reminds us whether or not you have cast your bonus quick action spell that your mage is allowed each round. This bonus spell does not have any separate or additional steps to it than any normal casting action. It begins with the Cast Spell Step and ends with the Resolve Spell Step. Flipping it merely indicates that you have cast your bonus spell.

There is not a pause between flipping your action marker and activating your creature. The first pause happens between activation and action. There is also not a pause between flipping your quick cast marker and casting your spell. The first pause happens between the Cast Spell Step and Counter Spell Step.