Wooden Cow Transport （木牛流马）

This post is long overdue, supposed to have been done when I wrote the update post on the Starter 2014 界限突破. Truth is, I got carried away with wanting to put up as much information I could find on this amazing invention but life happened and I put it away. Anyway, will be putting some more overdue updates on the game so enjoy!

Description:
When is a cow or horse not an animal?

When its a Wooden Cow Transport! (This is my name for it)

That's right, when its the Chinese name for a mechanical device used in the 3 Kingdoms! But don't let its usage in a game fool you, this seems to be an actual equipment devised by Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 and his wife Huang Yue Ying 黄月英. In fact, in the newer editions of the Huang Yue Ying card, there is actually a picture of this device behind her! Talk about linking and learning mandarin history with a game. :-)

This device is basically a transport tool that helps with transporting supplies to and from destinations. So you basically put stuff in it and move it along.

But this is no ordinary transport vehicle, it has a special feature in that if enemies try to steal it, the Wooden Cow Transport will destroy all the items inside! Woah cool stuff yo. What's mine is mine and if not...its gone!

Card Description:
Once a turn during your card playing phase, you may place one card from your hand facedown below this card which is in your equipment area. If you do so, you may transport this card together with the card placed below it to another character's equipment area. You may utilize the card below as via normal "use"（使用） or "play" （打出）

p.s I think most of you would find it a bit strange that I differentiated the two ways of utilizing the card. But obviously there is a reason. Read on below.

Abilities and Usage:
I scoured 桌游志 magazines and found this piece of writeup summarizing key guidelines that are understood from the game makers.

1) When you play this card, it belongs to the fifth spot in the equipment area.

2) The card below is called "supply" （粮). The "supply" has an "out of the game" status and hence cannot be affected by abilities that try to destroy or steal it. (顺/拆）

3) If you do not place a card below it (during card playing phase), then you cannot send this card away.

4a) "Use" of the "supply" refers to normal card usage as per following the card's abilities.

4b) "Play" refers to when you need to play ATTACK or DODGE when Barbarians , Duel , Raining Arrows are being played.

4c) So what can't you do with the card? Basically its what doesn't constitute the above 2: When the card abilities indicate "pass to" (交给) or "discard" （弃置）or "place into the equipment area" (置入装备区) or "compare" (拼点）

5) The only person who can look at the supply card is whomever has the device and card in their area.

6) Supply can be used to fulfill requirements for cards and abilities, but only if its a definite requirement for the card. Its a little difficult to explain so an example is in order. You can use it for eg. Serpant Halberd ability or Zhuge Liang's Scient (看破）ability. You cannot use it for Xun You's (旬攸) Contrivance ability.

7a) When Wooden Cow Transport moves to another equipment area, the supply follows below it
7b) When Wooden Cow Transport moves to other areas i.e the hand or to the discard pile, the supply will be moved to the discard pile directly.

Some thoughts:
This card brings a lot of change to the way the game can be played, basically by opening an additional vehicle (pun intended) to move cards around, and new strategies to use it. There's actually more to its usage but I think it might be more fun for you guys to discover them yourself. 杀！