Characters and the Fate track

[magister]

Started my first Battles of the Third Age game today, trying the Rohan scenario. I had a few questions regarding the character cards, tokens, and the Fate track.

The rulebook does not state what to do with the character markers/tokens. I assume that they are removed from the Fate track when the character is recruited, but the rules don't seem to say. (I almost removed them to make a "ready" pile when my brother told me not to, which he only knew because he had a card that allowed him to move the Fate marker back past a ready but unrecruited Character.) So, this is my belief:

Eomer's special ability is available from turn 1 until he is recruited. When he is recruited, his token is removed from the Fate track.

Is that correct? My brother believes that I should not have the character card until the character is ready, and as such can use Eomer's ability (and presumably Faramir's in the Gondor game) only once he is ready and until he is recruited.

As best I can tell, the rules say nothing about the cards and nothing about the disposition of the tokens on the Fate track. Can anyone clear this up?

[Krieghund]

The markers stay on the Fate Track until the Characters are brought into play. Characters that have abilities that can be used while the Character is on the Fate Track may be used as long as the Character remains on the Fate Track, whether they are ready or not.

[magister]

Thanks, that's what I thought. Appreciate the quick answer.