The clockwork reads absorb's fine print

An automaton answered NO SPELL with an Absorb — which "has no effect
on duration-based spells." Afflictions sat outside the price table
and drew the phantom two-point default, tripping the point-soaking
rungs. An affliction's weight is now its duration, and the two
counters that touch only points — ABSORB and REVERSE — stand aside
for it, leaving the ones that genuinely bite durations: full shield,
remove curse, blunt, reflection, shieldstone numbers. Pinned: under
NO SPELL with both in hand, the bot blunts, never absorbs.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

packages/engine/src/automaton.ts

@@ -315,16 +315,19 @@ function respond(view: GameView, style: AutomatonStyle, tier: TierTraits): Comma
     return { type: "pass" };
   }
 
+  // An affliction's weight is its duration, not points it does not carry.
   const incoming = stack.attackCard
     ? 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)
+      : affliction
+        ? Math.max(2, stack.numberValue ?? 2)
+        : (atk ? atk.base + (atk.perNumber ? stack.numberValue ?? 1 : 0) : 2)
     : 1;
   if (stack.kind === "spell") {
-    // REVERSE turns the biggest blasts into a meal.
+    // REVERSE eats points; a pure duration offers it nothing.
     const reverse = find("reverse");
-    if (reverse && incoming >= 4 - flinch) return { type: "counteract", instanceId: reverse.instanceId };
+    if (reverse && !affliction && incoming >= 4 - flinch) return { type: "counteract", instanceId: reverse.instanceId };
     // ABSORB SPELL steals the good ones for later.
     const absorbSpell = find("absorb-spell");
     if (absorbSpell && incoming >= 3) return { type: "counteract", instanceId: absorbSpell.instanceId };
@@ -342,8 +345,10 @@ function respond(view: GameView, style: AutomatonStyle, tier: TierTraits): Comma
     const half = find("reflection");
     if (half && incoming >= 3) return { type: "counteract", instanceId: half.instanceId };
   }
+  // ABSORB soaks points only ("no effect on duration-based spells");
+  // BLUNT and the stones work on durations too.
   const absorb = find("absorb");
-  if (absorb && incoming >= 2 - flinch && incoming <= 3) return { type: "counteract", instanceId: absorb.instanceId };
+  if (absorb && !affliction && incoming >= 2 - flinch && incoming <= 3) return { type: "counteract", instanceId: absorb.instanceId };
   const blunt = find("blunt");
   if (blunt && incoming >= 2 - flinch) return { type: "counteract", instanceId: blunt.instanceId };
   // The berserker shares its pain out of spite.

packages/engine/test/automaton.test.ts

@@ -117,8 +117,7 @@ describe("automaton vs automaton", () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe("the clockwork does not waste counters on pointless targets", () => {
+function underAttackShared(attackId: string, defenderHand: { instanceId: string; cardId: string }[], rig?: (s: GameState, defender: string) => void) {
-  function underAttack(attackId: string, defenderHand: { instanceId: string; cardId: string }[], rig?: (s: GameState, 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++) {
@@ -143,10 +142,11 @@ describe("the clockwork does not waste counters on pointless targets", () => {
     });
     if (!r.ok) throw new Error(`setup: ${r.error}`);
     return r.state;
-  }
+}
 
+describe("the clockwork does not waste counters on pointless targets", () => {
   it("passes on drop-object rather than absorbing nothing", () => {
-    const state = underAttack("drop-object", [
+    const state = underAttackShared("drop-object", [
       { instanceId: "absorb#T", cardId: "absorb" },
       { instanceId: "blunt#T", cardId: "blunt" },
       { instanceId: "dagger#T", cardId: "dagger" },
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ describe("the clockwork does not waste counters on pointless targets", () => {
   });
 
   it("shields a drop-object aimed at its carried treasure", () => {
-    const state = underAttack("drop-object", [
+    const state = underAttackShared("drop-object", [
       { instanceId: "full-shield#T", cardId: "full-shield" },
       { instanceId: "dagger#T", cardId: "dagger" },
     ], (s, defender) => {
@@ -203,3 +203,14 @@ describe("a clogged hand gets shed, not hoarded", () => {
     throw new Error("never reached the end of the turn");
   });
 });
+
+describe("the clockwork honors absorb's fine print", () => {
+  it("answers NO SPELL with blunt, never absorb — durations soak no points", () => {
+    const state = underAttackShared("no-spell", [
+      { instanceId: "absorb#T", cardId: "absorb" },
+      { instanceId: "blunt#T", cardId: "blunt" },
+    ]);
+    const cmd = automatonCommand(viewFor(state, "bot"), "hunter", "archmage");
+    expect(cmd).toEqual({ type: "counteract", instanceId: "blunt#T" });
+  });
+});