Rules Question: obligated Postmaster

[Silene]

The rules state that if you have no card in hand, you MUST use the help of the postmaster and cannot use any other official.

But is this really true and implemented this way? Or is it only the case, if i have no card in hand and ALSO no card on my route? It would be quite painful if there is no card that fits my route and I am not allowed to use the administrator. Or if there's a card that fits my route but I would like to take that card, play it and then finish my route with the cartwright...

I didn't test it, but would be great to know before I run into the situation.

[psychomike]

You MUST use the postmaster when you have no cards in hand. That's exactly it. No exceptions.

[Silene]

Ok thanks!

Better always have a spare card then

[Hexameron]

This rule doesn’t often come into use - one usually has spare cards. If it means you lose a run, that’s poor planning: start building your next run and keep those cards, instead of scoring and having an empty hand.

The one occasion when I have felt the limitation this rule brings is in the final run (7 carriages). If you start this run with two cards in the hand, one would hope to be done in three moves: postal carrier, postal carrier, cartwright ; but it doesn’t work after those two postal carriers - one has no cards in the hand so cartwright isn’t permitted - you’re obliged to use postmaster.

Knowing that might affect choices in this situation - you can afford an administrator move, for example (unless you’re aim is to get a 7-card run, in which case he slows the pace).