From b4adb975369ff1a2849c086d859a2c1d2f94af55 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Eric Wagoner <ewagoner@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:53:28 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] The mid-round democratic monster claws when its turn comes
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Every creature is born with attackUsed spent — the right way to say
"cannot attack the turn created" for monsters whose flag refreshes
next turn. But the democratic monster's flag budgets its ROUND, so a
mid-round summon arrived pre-spent and bumped harmlessly until the
round rolled over. Creation-turn pacifism now rides justCreated
alone for the monster (checked at the touch), and its round-claw
starts live — folded into rev 18 with the boundary refresh.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 packages/engine/src/game.ts            |  8 ++++++--
 packages/engine/test/creatures.test.ts | 24 ++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 30 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/engine/src/game.ts b/packages/engine/src/game.ts
index 4f47893..c4670fa 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/game.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/game.ts
@@ -2543,7 +2543,11 @@ function spawnCreature(
     maxDamage: stats.maxDamage,
     movesPerTurn: stats.moves,
     movementUsed: 0, // "It may move on that turn." (Exp1 sheet)
-    attackUsed: true, // "cannot attack the turn they are created"
+    // "Cannot attack the turn they are created" is justCreated's job; the
+    // democratic monster's attackUsed budgets its ROUND, so spending it at
+    // birth would mute a mid-round summon until the round rolled over
+    // (rules rev 18).
+    attackUsed: !(kind === "democratic-monster" && (state.config.deckRev ?? 1) >= 18),
     justCreated: true,
     wallPassesPerTurn: stats.wallPasses,
     wallPassUsed: 0,
@@ -2666,7 +2670,7 @@ function doMoveCreature(prev: GameState, creatureId: string, direction: Side): C
         events.push({ type: "cardsDiscarded", player: p.id, cards: [card!] });
       }
     }
-    if (creature.kind === "democratic-monster" && !creature.attackUsed) {
+    if (creature.kind === "democratic-monster" && !creature.attackUsed && !creature.justCreated) {
       creature.attackUsed = true; // "may attack only one player per round of turns"
       events.push({ type: "creatureTouched", creatureId: creature.id, kind: creature.kind, player: p.id });
       if (rev4) {
diff --git a/packages/engine/test/creatures.test.ts b/packages/engine/test/creatures.test.ts
index 8c85046..0d25822 100644
--- a/packages/engine/test/creatures.test.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/test/creatures.test.ts
@@ -616,3 +616,27 @@ describe("the democratic monster's claw survives the first wizard's death (rules
     expect(state.creatures[0]!.attackUsed).toBe(false);
   });
 });
+
+describe("a mid-round democratic monster claws on the next turn (rules rev 18)", () => {
+  it("creation spends the turn, not the round", () => {
+    let { state } = createGame({ playerIds: ["a", "b"], seed: 42, sets: ["basic", "expansion1"], deckRev: 18 });
+    state = toRound2(state);
+    const creator = activePlayer(state);
+    const r0 = summon(state, creator.id, "democratic-monster");
+    state = r0.state;
+    const dm = state.creatures.find((c) => c.kind === "democratic-monster")!;
+    expect(dm.attackUsed).toBe(false);
+    expect(dm.justCreated).toBe(true);
+    // Next player's turn: justCreated clears; the claw is live.
+    state = must(state, creator.id, { type: "endTurn", draw: 0 });
+    const mover = activePlayer(state);
+    const victim = state.players.find((p) => p.id !== mover.id)!;
+    const fresh = state.creatures.find((c) => c.kind === "democratic-monster")!;
+    expect(fresh.justCreated).toBe(false);
+    // March it onto the victim: the touch must open.
+    fresh.position = { x: victim.position.x - 1, y: victim.position.y };
+    const r = applyCommand(state, mover.id, { type: "moveCreature", creatureId: fresh.id, direction: "E" });
+    if (!r.ok) throw new Error(r.error);
+    expect(r.state.stack?.creatureId ?? null).toBe(fresh.id);
+  });
+});