Season 3, using Loot to pay traders?

[ryric]

When visiting traders at the beginning of a scenario in Season 3, can we use Loot cards we've substituted into our decks to "pay" for the card we get? I'm seeing that I have a lot better AD numbers on my loot than on my other cards.

[cartmanbeck]

This has been a debate in our Hawkcon group as well... can you trade for loot cards and then visit the trader, using the AD# of those loot cards instead of your own? The consensus we reached, I believe, was "No, that's cheating." but it's by no means a ruling.

[zeroth_hour2]

I would also say no; this includes other card substitutions (but since the ones in MM are all B this doesn't matter)

However, the substitutions never specify a timing (at least to put them into your deck. They do remind you every time that you should put it back into the game box, for which I am grateful). PFSACG Traders do specify a timing: right before you build locations.

It's probably something to clarify in the next version of the Guild Guide.

[Maelwys0]

I was just discussing the same question both ways with my group, and it looks like it's an issue that's never been worked out.

First option - As asked above, can you trade away loot to traders?

Second option - If the above isn't an option, it's presumably because you process traders first, then loot. But if that's the case, then can you upgrade the item you traded for to a loot? So if I wanted an extra suit of loot armor, but already had really good armor in my deck and didn't want to swap out any of them, could I trade a couple items for an armor (at the trader), and then swap out that traded armor to a loot armor?

It seems to me that one of these two things should be true... I'm just not sure which one. ;-)