allies and retainers clarification -LSJ

1) I read in an old post someone used burst of sunlight with his rafastio ghoul and was sent to torpor by it.  Is this even possible? i understand it when an ally plays as a vampire he will take the agg damage but i thought allies didnt consider agg damage as anything else diffeent from normal damage. Need a clarification please.
2) Charming lobby and herald of topheth question.  The herald can play charming lobby but since it isnt a vampire he cant play a political action card so it basically fizzles right?
3) Warghoul in the turn when it was just recruited and still not in the controlled region, can it be tapped to destroy a location?
4) Ghoul retainer's damage is considered enviromental right? so it cant be prevented by skin of steel or superior mettle right? What happens when he uses a gun while the opposing vamps have an immortal grapple in play, he can still play it right? and its considered enviromental damage right?
5) What happens when Dawn Operations is played by the acting vampire with ghoul retainer attached when he is blocked?  Does the retainer inflict agg damage in the resulting combat? I was thinking not but askig nonetheless.
6) Charnas the IMp says its immune to damge from the minion, so if thats the case its immune from damage from weather control if played by the minion its attached to?
7) I know allies can have retainers, so Grey Thorne can have the Crypt sons right? As he acts as an anarch vamp.  Also, having Grey Thorne does not count to having an anarch vampire when pertaining to Anarch Revolt right?
Thanks, thats pretty much about the questions that came to my mind.

blackday:

1) I read in an old post someone used burst of sunlight with his rafastio ghoul and was sent to torpor by it.  Is this even possible? i understand it when an ally plays as a vampire he will take the agg damage but i thought allies didnt consider agg damage as anything else diffeent from normal damage. Need a clarification please.

Rafastio can play Burst of Sunlight. He takes the agg and handles it by burning a blood. He doesn't go to torpor.

blackday:

2) Charming lobby and herald of topheth question.  The herald can play charming lobby but since it isnt a vampire he cant play a political action card so it basically fizzles right?

No. He plays Charming Lobby "as a vampire", so can call the referendum as a vampire.

blackday:

3) Warghoul in the turn when it was just recruited and still not in the controlled region, can it be tapped to destroy a location?

The War Ghoul is face up and controlled. Her text applies. She can tap to destroy a location.

blackday:

4) Ghoul retainer's damage is considered enviromental right? so it cant be prevented by skin of steel or superior mettle right? What happens when he uses a gun while the opposing vamps have an immortal grapple in play, he can still play it right? and its considered enviromental damage right?

Yes to all.

blackday:

5) What happens when Dawn Operations is played by the acting vampire with ghoul retainer attached when he is blocked?  Does the retainer inflict agg damage in the resulting combat? I was thinking not but askig nonetheless.

"all damage inflicted to all vampires in the resulting combat is aggravated"

blackday:

6) Charnas the IMp says its immune to damge from the minion, so if thats the case its immune from damage from weather control if played by the minion its attached to?

No. Damage from Weather Control is not "from the minion". It is environmental.

blackday:

7) I know allies can have retainers, so Grey Thorne can have the Crypt sons right? As he acts as an anarch vamp.  Also, having Grey Thorne does not count to having an anarch vampire when pertaining to Anarch Revolt right?

Grey can't recruit the Crypt Sons, since the Crypt Sons do not require Cel or Pot.
Grey doesn't count as an anarch for anything except cards he plays "as an anarch", correct.

1)So in clarification the herald can actually call an ancient influence with charming lobby? How about free states rant? Is he independent considered?
2) Can a minion play dodge and avoid the damage dealt by ghoul retainer? I was thinking no coz its not a strike right?

also does that mean the herald can burn life to play awe and voter captivation to regain life instead of blood?

blackday:

1)So in clarification the herald can actually call an ancient influence with charming lobby? How about free states rant? Is he independent considered?

He can call Charming Lobby -- Ancient Influence, yes (and, if it passes, his controller could choose him as a 5-cap vampire).

Yes, the default sect of a vampire is Independent.

blackday:

2) Can a minion play dodge and avoid the damage dealt by ghoul retainer? I was thinking no coz its not a strike right?

The dodge doesn't protect from non-strike stuff, right.

blackday:

also does that mean the herald can burn life to play awe and voter captivation to regain life instead of blood?

Herald can play Awe and Voter Captivation (and other cards that require Presence) "as a vampire", yes.

thanks for the quick reply

hey, just realized it so if i play bewitching oration and awe there is no telling what life a herald can reach with a voter captivation right?

LSJ:

blackday:

1)So in clarification the herald can actually call an ancient influence with charming lobby? How about free states rant? Is he independent considered?

He can call Charming Lobby -- Ancient Influence, yes (and, if it passes, his controller could choose him as a 5-cap vampire).

What make the herald a 5-cap vampire, card text "Demon with 5 life." or the current life?

It just pertains to the text that the herald is considered a 5 cap vamp, so when it calls a charming lobby ancient influence, you could use it as the vampire chosen if you dont have any other higher cap vamps.
The question i want to be answered, is if e herald plays a voter captivation at the end of that referendum, does it still act as a 5 cap vamp and the exc blood drains off, or does it treat it also as an ally which has no life maximums so he gains the excess life.
LSJ a ruling please?

Egothha:

What make the herald a 5-cap vampire, card text "Demon with 5 life." or the current life?

Neither. Rather, the reason is that his card text explicitly says he plays it "as a vampire with a capacity of 5."

blackday:

The question i want to be answered, is if e herald plays a voter captivation at the end of that referendum, does it still act as a 5 cap vamp and the exc blood drains off, or does it treat it also as an ally which has no life maximums so he gains the excess life.
LSJ a ruling please?

No ruling necessary.

Rulebook says, in section 1.6.3.:

Rulebook:

If the ally gains life in excess of his capacity, it doesn't drain off.