Are Shove effects from a combat tree Options mandatory?

[Robert McCowen]

I’m stuck on some apparently contradictory rules language regarding Shoves. 

The description of the Shove directed effect on page 31 says “The affected character may be Pushed… then the shoving character may immediately Pull itself”. That’s pretty clear! I don’t have to perform effects if they “may” happen. 

But on page 29 of the rules, Ahsoka helpfully explains that “Once a player has chosen to apply an Option from their combat tree, they must apply all the listed effects in that Option.” So a Shove isn’t a “may” effect after all, but rather a “must”?

Muddying the water further, searching the forum turned up a topic (https://forums.atomicmassgames.com/topic/12327-combat-tree-options-do-i-have-to-apply) that agrees with Ahsoka that you can’t skip directed effects once you’ve chosen an Option. But another (https://forums.atomicmassgames.com/topic/11596-shoving-attacker-pulls-itself-forward-without-pushing-the-defender-away) implies that both the Push and the Pull are optional. 

So before I play it wrong in another game… which is it? Is Shove a “may” effect or a “must” effect? (Or, perhaps, is Shove is a “must” that consists of a “may” Push and a “may” Pull?)

 

 

[Thoras]

7 hours ago, Robert McCowen said:

Or, perhaps, Shove is a “must” that consists of a “may” Push and a “may” Pull?)

This is correct, yes.