This section is where you get into the sinew and gristle of the rules. Okay, that sounds kind of gross. How about... um_ this is where we explain how to resolve corner cases and special situations.

Calculating Values for Breakpoints or Power

1. The printed value is the number printed on it, unless an ability specifically changes it (e.g. Matrix of Bossiness, Let's Finish This).

2. The starting value is the printed value, unless an ability resets it to a specific number (e.g. Overgrowth, Mimic). If more than one ability tries to reset the same number, the current player chooses one and the others are ignored.

3. All abilities and other effects that adjust the value up or down -- e.g. "gains +X", "reduced by Y", power counters, monsters on bases -- are added to or subtracted from the starting value.

4. If the final value is less than zero, raise it up to zero.

Using Card Abilities

On-play (i.e. unlabelled) abilities, and Ongoing abilities with no specified timing, are resolved immediately after playing the card.

Ongoing and Special abilities with a trigger (before/when/ after/if X) are only resolved when X happens. Talents and Ongoing abilities that say "on your turn" may be chosen to be resolved once per your Play Cards phase.

When you resolve an ability you must follow all its instructions even if it's bad for you, unless it specifically says you "may" do something.

If you cannot do everything an ability makes you do (e.g., discard a certain number of cards), do as much as you can.

If an ability says "any number", you may choose one, or even zero. You may play a card that says "all" even if there are no targets for it to affect.

If no limit is specified in the rules or on the card, there is no limit. For example, there is no limit to the number of cards that can be played on a base or on a minion; and while an ability only resolves once per trigger, there is no limit to the number of triggers it can respond to unless it says otherwise.

On-play abilities happen when you play a card from your hand, or any time a card says "play". When minions just move around, that's not playing them.

Unless otherwise stated (on the card or in the rules), the effects of an ability expire at the end of the turn. An Ongoing ability ends when its card leaves play, unless the ability stated another expiration time, like the end of the turn. Abilities that grant control of another card last while the controlled card is in play, or until another ability changes its control.

Conflicting Text & Timing

In a game as crazy as this, card text and rules text often conflict. When there's a fight, card text wins. So there's an implicit "unless stated otherwise" with every rule in this book. Exception: Minion power, base breakpoint, and VP rewards can never be reduced below zero.

If cards conflict, the one that says you can't do something beats the one that says you can.

If a card refers to a superlative, e.g. "the highest power here", then ties for that superlative all count.

If abilities from different cards that are in play can be applied at the same time, the current player chooses their order.

If several players can play a card simultaneously (e.g., a Special when a base is chosen to score), or if several players can use the abilities of the same card (e.g., tied winners at a base), the priority goes to the current player first, then around the table clockwise.

Multiple Effects

Multiple parts of a card's ability must be done in their stated order, unless it says otherwise.

If an ability lists multiple effects conditionally (examples: "If X, Y" or "Do X to do Y" or "When X, Y" or "Each time X, Y" or "After X, Y"), then if you do X, you must do Y. In addition, effect X must happen for effect Y to happen. If you can't do all of X, then you are not allowed do part of it, (for example, discarding some cards lower than the amount you were supposed to); and if X does not fully occur, you cannot do Y.

If an ability lists multiple effects independently (e.g. "Do X then Y" or "Do X and do Y" or "Do X. Do Y")., then you must do both X and Y if you can, in that order. If you cannot do one, you must still do the other.

Abilities that say "Do X until Z" (e.g. "Each of your minions gains +1 power until the end of the turn") only affect the cards currently in play, not those played after that ability triggers.

Abilities that say "Until Z do X" (e.g. "Until the end of the turn, cancel the abilities of all cards on the base"), and ongoing abilities with no time limit (e.g. "Ongoing: All your minions here have +1 power") do affect cards that are played or moved there later, and do not affect cards moved away.

Canceling or Preventing Effects

You can play a card even if its ability can't or doesn't happen. For example, you can play an action that destroys a minion even if no minions are in play, or if the minion you choose is immune to destruction.

If an ability affects multiple targets, resolve that effect on each target separately. For example, if several minions are destroyed by one action card, and one of those minions is immune, it survives the destruction while all the other minions are destroyed.

If ability X protects a minion from card effects when the minion's power is within a certain range (e.g. "power 2 or less"), and ability Y changes that minion's power to a value within that range (e.g. "-1 power" on a 3-power minion), then the power change takes precedence over the protection.

The change is what makes the minion fall in the protected range, so that effect is allowed despite the apparent protection.

Extra Cards

An extra card is one played in excess of the quota of one per card type (minion or action) per turn. Cards you play outside the Play Cards phase of a turn are counted as extra cards.

Extra cards must be played during the phase they are granted (usually the Play Cards phase).

You do not have to play the extra cards that you have earned. An extra card can, and in some cases must, be played before the normal quota card is played.

Some extra card plays granted may be held in reserve until later in the phase. These are the generic ones (e.g., "play an extra minion") that are granted by a non-Special ability during your Play Cards phase.

You may always play an extra card immediately. You must play an extra card immediately if:

• the extra card play effect refers to a specific card (e.g., "Reveal the top card of your deck. If it's a minion you may play it as an extra minion")., or

• another part of the ability follows the extra play (e.g., "You may play an extra minion and place a +1 power counter on it")., or

• the extra card play is granted outside the Play Cards phase (e.g., "When a base scores..")..

Attached Cards

Cards that say, "play on a base/minion" stay there until another card relocates them or the base or minion it is on leaves play.

When a minion is moved, cards attached to it move with it; when a minion is destroyed, returned or placed, discard any attachments it has. When a base scores, discard all cards on it.

If an ability says that a minion or base is not affected by cards or actions, any such cards that are already attached to the minion or base are immediately destroyed, since having a card attached is an effect.

Similarly, if you try to play such a card on a minion or base protected from its effects, that card is discarded instead.

An action played on a minion is controlled by the player who played the action, not by the controller of the minion. Changing control of a minion does not affect the control of actions on it, and vice versa.

You can attach two identical actions to the same minion.

Only cards that say, "Play on a base or minion" are considered played on that base/minion. Actions on minions are not on the base. Standard actions that affect a base or minion but don't get played on it (e.g., Rampage) are not on the base or minion.

Triggered and Tagged Abilities

Specials can be played at any time they are applicable, even on other players' turns.

If an event happens that triggers an ability, that single event triggers any and all such cards. But any card can be used only once per trigger. If the trigger is something like "on/during your turn", you can use it at most once per your turn.

Abilities can trigger at one point of time but take effect later. E.g. cards that say "after X do Y" trigger when X starts, but don't take effect until after X ends.

If a timing label (Ongoing, Special, Talent) appears in an ability description, that label applies to all text that follows the label up to the end of the description, or to another label (if there is one).

Text that precedes a label, and text without a label, are normal on-play ability effects that take place instantly when played.

Decks, Discards, and Searches

If you need to draw, reveal, search for, or look at a card and your deck is empty, shuffle your discard pile and put it on the table face down-that's your new deck. Start or continue drawing (revealing, searching) from there.

Drawing and revealing always start at the top of the deck or discard pile. Anyone may look through any discard pile at any time.

If you "look" at a card, show it to no one else. If you "reveal" it, show it to everyone else. If you "search" a deck or discard pile for a card, you must reveal the card chosen. After searching a deck, you must shuffle it.

In and Out of Play

When a card that others can see goes to the hand, deck, or discard pile, it goes to the one belonging to the card's owner (i.e., the player whose deck the card came from), no matter who played or controlled it.

However, if no one else can see the card, these restrictions are lifted. You can place a card from your hand atop your deck even if you don't own it, for example, since no one can see whose it is.

When a card leaves play, discard any cards and counters on it. This includes bases: no card on a base leaving play may stay for its replacement unless explicitly allowed.

When a card leaves play there is no memory of its previous status, so that even if it is replayed in the same turn it is treated as a new card, not the same card.

The power of a minion not in play is only the number printed on it, but once in play its power includes all modifications see Calculating Values for Breakpoints or Power.

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