A lot of people (including me) don't have this scenario yet, since adventure 3 is currently shipping. I'd be happy to help, and I'm sure others would too, but would need someone to post the scenario text.
The scenario specifically states "check EACH location deck"... it does not care if its open or closed.
In other words, if you close a location and empty it of cards, you will lose the scenario.
Given that, it also states "when you defeat an Enemy Ship henchman, place it on top of its location deck". So, if you defeat the henchman, you place it on top... unless I am understanding the timing incorrectly, you IMMEDIATELY attempt to close the location, which, if successful, means you empty it of cards and THEN place the Enemy Ship back on top.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Text for those that would like it:
After your move step, you may examine the top card of your location deck; you may shuffle that deck. If the blessings deck is empty, examine the top card of each location deck. You win the scenario only if each is an Enemy Ship
The scenario specifically states "check EACH location deck"... it does not care if its open or closed.
In other words, if you close a location and empty it of cards, you will lose the scenario.
Given that, it also states "when you defeat an Enemy Ship henchman, place it on top of its location deck". So, if you defeat the henchman, you place it on top... unless I am understanding the timing incorrectly, you IMMEDIATELY attempt to close the location, which, if successful, means you empty it of cards and THEN place the Enemy Ship back on top.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
If you close the location, you empty it of cards, which would include the enemy ship henchman where ever it was. Basically, you do not want to close location in this scenario. If you do, you will loose since it will mean you will have a location without an enemy ship henchman on top. Closing is optional (you MAY attempt it), so you just have to decide not to.
So, this would be correct, but bad:
Defeat enemy ship henchman.
Place enemy ship henchman on top.
Attempt and succeed at closing location.
Banish all cards, including enemy ship henchman.
Scenario is now unwinnable.
Also note, the scenario doesn't tell you to make the Enemy Ship henchman face up. It is still a face down card.
Can locations be closed in this scenario? I wasn't sure if the scenario would check an empty location and mark that as a failure, or not check it at all because there was no deck to check.
So the answer is yes you can close locations, but if you do so, you will loose.
A deck is a deck, a hand is a hand, and a pile is a pile whether or not it has any cards in it.
So you would still have to check the empty location decks, and thus you would loose.
The scenario specifically states "check EACH location deck"... it does not care if its open or closed.
...
See my remark in the other thread. The scenario doesn't ask to check each location deck but rather to examine top cards.
Therefore I wonder if the golden rule that says that if something (the top card) doesn't exist, the condition referring to it becomes irrelevant wouldn't kick in at that point... I would personaly think so (or is something lost in translation to French :-))