From 2950380e237c7f39eeacf03b3418518813703867 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Eric Wagoner <ewagoner@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:39:34 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] The clockwork stops absorbing nothing
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An automaton answered DROP OBJECT with an Absorb, then a Blunt —
two counters drained against a spell that carries no points. The
brain's price table listed only the classic damage spells; anything
unknown was guessed at 2 points, which tripped every damage-counter
rung. Utility attacks (dropping, dragging, swapping, peeking) now
route past those rungs entirely: the bot passes, or spends a full
stop when the effect actually threatens something — a shield for the
treasure it carries, a worrier's refusal to be dragged. Stone Dead,
Butt Head, Heave-Ho, and Illusionary Attack join the price table
while the hood is up.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 packages/engine/src/automaton.ts       | 26 +++++++++++++-
 packages/engine/test/automaton.test.ts | 49 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 74 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/packages/engine/src/automaton.ts b/packages/engine/src/automaton.ts
index 9622d48..29343b5 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/automaton.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/automaton.ts
@@ -53,8 +53,18 @@ const ATTACKS: Record<string, { base: number; perNumber: boolean; needsNumber?:
   "large-rock": { base: 2, perNumber: false },
   "blaster-wand": { base: 3, perNumber: false },
   disease: { base: 3, perNumber: false, sameSquare: true },
+  "butt-head": { base: 2, perNumber: false },
+  "heave-ho": { base: 2, perNumber: false },
+  "illusionary-attack": { base: 3, perNumber: false },
 };
 
+/** Attacks that carry no points: dropping, dragging, swapping, peeking.
+ * A damage counter drains against nothing — only a full stop denies them. */
+const UTILITY_ATTACKS = new Set([
+  "drop-object", "teleport-opponent", "mental-force", "mental-swap", "swap",
+  "swap-meet", "card-erasure", "telepath", "sticky-wand", "shift-wand",
+]);
+
 /**
  * Afflictions cast at an enemy: no damage, but a turn of misery. Cast with a
  * number for the duration where one helps.
@@ -269,8 +279,22 @@ function respond(view: GameView, style: AutomatonStyle, tier: TierTraits): Comma
   const attackId = stack.attackCard?.cardId ?? null;
   const atk = attackId ? ATTACKS[attackId] : null;
   const affliction = attackId ? AFFLICTIONS[attackId] != null : false;
+
+  if (attackId && UTILITY_ATTACKS.has(attackId)) {
+    const stopper = find("full-shield") ?? find("force-field");
+    const stakes =
+      (attackId === "drop-object" && me(view).carriedTreasureId != null) ||
+      ((attackId === "teleport-opponent" || attackId === "mental-force" || attackId === "swap") &&
+        style === "worrier");
+    if (stopper && stakes) return { type: "counteract", instanceId: stopper.instanceId };
+    return { type: "pass" };
+  }
+
   const incoming = stack.attackCard
-    ? (atk ? atk.base + (atk.perNumber ? stack.numberValue ?? 1 : 0) : 2)
+    ? attackId === "stone-dead"
+      // NUMBER times the stones in the victim's hand — our hand.
+      ? (stack.numberValue ?? 1) * view.yourHand.filter((c) => STONES.has(c.cardId)).length
+      : (atk ? atk.base + (atk.perNumber ? stack.numberValue ?? 1 : 0) : 2)
     : 1;
   if (stack.kind === "spell") {
     // REVERSE turns the biggest blasts into a meal.
diff --git a/packages/engine/test/automaton.test.ts b/packages/engine/test/automaton.test.ts
index 73a6fe6..6731cb5 100644
--- a/packages/engine/test/automaton.test.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/test/automaton.test.ts
@@ -116,3 +116,52 @@ describe("automaton vs automaton", () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe("the clockwork does not waste counters on pointless targets", () => {
+  function underAttack(attackId: string, defenderHand: { instanceId: string; cardId: string }[], rig?: (s: any, defender: string) => void) {
+    let { state } = createGame({ playerIds: ["human", "bot"], seed: 42, sets: ["basic", "expansion1"], deckRev: 13 });
+    // burn round 1
+    for (let i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+      const r = applyCommand(state, actingSeat(state), { type: "endTurn", draw: 0 });
+      state = r.state;
+    }
+    while (actingSeat(state) !== "human") {
+      state = applyCommand(state, actingSeat(state), { type: "endTurn", draw: 0 }).state;
+    }
+    const human = state.players.find((p: { id: string }) => p.id === "human")!;
+    const bot = state.players.find((p: { id: string }) => p.id === "bot")!;
+    bot.position = { ...human.position };
+    defenderHand.forEach((c, i) => { bot.hand[i] = c; });
+    human.hand[0] = { instanceId: `${attackId}#A`, cardId: attackId };
+    rig?.(state, "bot");
+    const r = applyCommand(state, "human", {
+      type: "cast", instanceId: `${attackId}#A`, target: { kind: "player", playerId: "bot" },
+      ...(attackId === "drop-object" ? { params: { cardId: "dagger" } } : {}),
+    });
+    if (!r.ok) throw new Error(`setup: ${r.error}`);
+    return r.state;
+  }
+
+  it("passes on drop-object rather than absorbing nothing", () => {
+    const state = underAttack("drop-object", [
+      { instanceId: "absorb#T", cardId: "absorb" },
+      { instanceId: "blunt#T", cardId: "blunt" },
+      { instanceId: "dagger#T", cardId: "dagger" },
+    ]);
+    const cmd = automatonCommand(viewFor(state, "bot"), "hunter", "archmage");
+    expect(cmd).toEqual({ type: "pass" });
+  });
+
+  it("shields a drop-object aimed at its carried treasure", () => {
+    const state = underAttack("drop-object", [
+      { instanceId: "full-shield#T", cardId: "full-shield" },
+      { instanceId: "dagger#T", cardId: "dagger" },
+    ], (s, defender) => {
+      const d = s.players.find((p: { id: string }) => p.id === defender)!;
+      const t = s.treasures.find((t: { owner: string }) => t.owner !== defender)!;
+      t.position = null; t.carriedBy = defender; d.carriedTreasureId = t.id;
+    });
+    const cmd = automatonCommand(viewFor(state, "bot"), "hunter", "archmage");
+    expect(cmd).toEqual({ type: "counteract", instanceId: "full-shield#T" });
+  });
+});