Enabran wrote: ↑Thu Aug 05, 2021 4:59 pm
I could play Nog, Eager Cadet, or Worf, Principled Warrior or Spock, Science Officer to get that information
You could, but that's not the point.
The rule states you have to use the information available in the context of playing the card. Players might have access to additional information, but cards don't.
So P'Tol doesn't know you played Nog or whoever and saw the top 4 cards of your opponent's dilemma pile, he just knows he costs 5 until he sees the top 4 dilemmas in the context of playing him for the cost reduction, which means you need 5 going in.
Contrast that with, say
Julian Bashir, Rebel Captain. Julian costs -3 for each HQ an opponent commands. As such, you can look across the table, see your opponent's HQ, and know that Bashir costs 3 so you only need 3 counters available instead of 6.
I've seen this argument before, and it's fair to say maybe the rules *should be* changed to something else, but until/ unless we do, the above explanation is what the rules *are* - for better or for worse.