Five-Pointed Sun Location Complications

[Everae]

Just attempted the first scenario of Adventure 5 in Mummy's Mask. The rules for In Defense of Wati indicate that while displayed on a certain location "treat that location as if it had the same text as Five-Pointed Sun." Additionally, the When Permanently Closed text for Five-Pointed Sun indicates "This location is never permanently closed."
This led to some confusion on how to treat closed locations that the Five-Pointed Sun is currently on, and consequently if a villain could technically escape into a closed location.

1)If the Five-Pointed Sun is displayed on a closed location, is that location treated for all intents and purposes as being Open for the duration of that turn?
2)Can the villain escape into this now open location?
3)If you defeat the villain at the Five-Pointed Sun, does it escape into its own location (as the location cannot be permanently closed for the duration of this turn)?

[Frencois]

If the villain escapes to the pyramid location, while the pyramid is above a closed location, does he stays there when the pyramid moves? So now the villain is alone on a closed location?

[Everae]

Frencois wrote:

If the villain escapes to the pyramid location, while the pyramid is above a closed location, does he stays there when the pyramid moves? So now the villain is alone on a closed location?

Not necessarily alone. Due to the other scenario power, unoccupied locations that Five-Pointed Sun is displayed on drop down random monsters from the box.

We just failed this scenario again, despite every location being closed, partially due to the villain running away to a (closed) Five-Pointed Sun location that had 3 other monsters were in there. We ran out of time and couldn't move our characters to cover the ever-changing, random, temporarily open locations.

[skizzerz]

1. Yes, that location is open as long as Five-Pointed Sun is displayed next to it.
2. Yes, it is an open location. You can still temporarily close it to prevent the villain from escaping there.
3. Yes, it can escape back to its own location. If you defeat the villain at the Sun's location, you do not permanently close the original location (since the Sun card overrides the original location, and that one specifies that it can never be permanently closed). You still banish every card in that location deck. The end result is that if all other locations are closed, the villain will escape back to that same location and be the only card in the location deck.

A similar scenario to your question 3 happened in Wrath of the Righteous with the Abyssal Rift location, and there Vic confirmed that a defeated villain can escape back to the Rift if it was on its "always open" side. As such, I expect the Five-Pointed Sun works exactly the same way in that regard.

This scenario is pretty tough. You need to be lucky so that the Sun lands in an occupied location (occupied by someone that isn't you), so that you can move to encounter the villain at some other location to close it. Temp-close the Sun's location, hope that everything else is closeable as well, and then fight the villain. The best strategy seems to be to spread out; never stack more than one person in any given location so that you have the best chances of the Sun landing in an occupied location.

[Frencois]

skizzerz wrote:

3. Yes, it can escape back to its own location....

Except if all other locations are closed.

Until proven guilty this is how you win (defeating it at the five pointed sun while all other locations are closed), see other thread.
My first thoughts were the same as you skizzerz but that can't be right because then you couldn't win that scenario solo.

[Everae]

Frencois wrote:

Except if all other locations are closed.

My first thoughts were the same as you skizzerz but that can't be right because then you couldn't win that scenario solo.

Oh crap. I didn't even consider that.

So does the Five-Pointed Sun NOT re-open a closed location that it is displayed on (primarily for purposes of the villain escaping)?
Is that the alternative strategy to win, then? Close every location if you can't temp-close the Five-Pointed Sun because it's on an unoccupied location?

[Frencois]

We just won in playing it right this time.
1) Closed all locations. Not mandatory but it's how we did it.
2) Wait for Estra's turn.
3) Move Drelm, our best fighter, to the location of the five pointed sun.
4) Move Estra where we knew the villain was. Then let Estra examine then encounter it.
4) Blessed Drelm so he avoids the before you act of The pyramid denfensive henchman while trying to temp close.
5) Blessed Drelm to allow him to defeat the defensive hench.
6) Full support to Estra to defeat the villain.
pffff

[skizzerz]

If playing solo, I would rule that defeating the villain at the sun's location would let you win, as winning is otherwise impossible. That doesn't change that the scenario as-written works like my first post. I think the ideal solution to this quandary is a rule that a defeated villain can never escape to the location it was encountered in (the Rift was a continual source of frustration in Wrath, and I have a feeling this will be just as frustrating when I get to this scenario). However, that rule does not exist right now; there is nothing stopping a defeated villain from escaping back to the same location should it remain open.

As written, if the sun is next to a closed location, that location is now considered open for the purposes of villains escaping (and all other purposes that care about open vs closed locations).

[Calthaer]

This scenario is a pain. I've tried it like four times and still can't get it. Part of it is some unlucky rolls - on top of that stupid pyramid, the Ossumental Swarms don't let you close location, so you really have to burn through the whole deck (or chase the villain and hope you find her). I guess I'll just keep at it until I get lucky enough.

[Keith Richmond]

This Five Pointed Sun FAQ may be useful to you.

This scenario can be tricky, with the one non-closing henchman and the extra monsters from the 5PS. In a larger group, it's pretty easy to cancel out the extra monsters at least.

[Gambit001]

So... what if you fail against the villain, the 5PS is on top of a closed location, and is not temp closed. I would assume if the villain goes there, the location underneath becomes open once the 5PS is moved elsewhere, but how would you know the villain is there is you out random blessings in with it before seeding it into a random open location?

I assume the location just remains closed?