And by extension, also applies to Idol of Anput.
The question is, when Rod of Anubis is in a player's play area, does it count towards their "cards in play" for the purpose of cards that target the player with the most cards in play and least cards and play?
I would say yes, since part of the text on the Rod and the Idol say they enter a player's play area. Now if the pin or effect specifies the amount of hero cards in play, then neither the rod nor the idol would count since they are both still environment cards even if they're in a hero's play area.
So by this assumption. Jinxes and Pins would also count towards that?
I'd say they don't count, because they're not the player's cards - they're the environment's cards which happen to be stationed in front of a hero at the moment.
So, Twist the Ether is not in Visionary's play area (it's played next to another target), does it count?
Is there a distinction between a player's play area and a hero's cards in play?
Jinxes and pins don't enter a hero's play area. You put them next to them simply so you know which pin is affecting whom. They are still villain cards being played by the villain. I'd put Twist the Ether into this category as well since it gets destroyed when hero ongoings are destroyed. My deal with the Rod and Idol is that they specifically say they enter the hero's play area. They are not cards that are played on the hero.
Interesting since I never noticed the difference before. I would also like to add the Talisman also acts like a Jinx except it also provides the Hero a power when "in front". I also was unable to find any other reference to play area outside of those cards.
Pesumably Jim's bounties all work the same as Twist, then, since they also get played in front of someone other than the hero playing them…and I would say all of those count as the heroes having cards in play because you have to play them, they're just not directly in your play area but against whichever target you played them against.
I just checked Gloomy's deck and it specifies on the Sable Pin that it's played next to the "hero with the most cards in play" - it doesn't specify that those cards must belong to that hero. So does that mean that the Rod and the Idol do count toward the number of cards with regard to this pin? I've had a look at both Kismet and Miss Information and they're the same - "the hero with the most cards in play".
And what about something like Embolden? Is that counted towards Fanatic's cards in play? Or the hero on whom it was played?
That'd come under the same category as Twist if Twist was played on a hero, I'd think.
i would go into the realm of difference between ownership and control. I would still count bounties, twist the ether, embolden, etc as being owned by the player/hero that is using that deck, so cards like the pin would count those for chrono, visionairy, fanatic,etc. Since cards like the rod and idol are still owned by the environ deck (even tho they are controlled by the player) dont count as actually being the heroes so pins, jinxes, etc dont consider those.
Thats my view at least.
I agree with most of this. I would probably still count the rod and the idol towards total number of cards in play since they enter the play area, but at this point, I think a fair case can be made for both sides. Those two cards though, have special wording that most others don't. I completely agree that simply because a card is affecting a target doesn't make that card belong to the target. The effect is still coming from the hero who played the card, and so the card would still belong to the hero who played it. If Twist the Ether is played on a villain target, it does not become a villain card and can still be destroyed by cards like Sedative Flechettes.
I suppose you could say that in the case of the Rod and the Idol, it only says to put it "in your play area", not to "play it", implying that you're basically just "borrowing" it from the Environment for now...therefore while it's in your play area, it isn't really "in play", nor is it your card anyway. Maybe?
It does still count as an Environment card for the purposes of cards... like Ra's Scorched Earth.
"What?! You are using the Rod of Anubis? That makes me so ANGRY!"
Ra and Anubis always trying to prove which one has the bigger Rod.