March 31, 2009

Apparently I suck at drafting

In my defense however, I have only done it once (the details of this post being that once). While in Vancouver over the weekend I stopped in at Pow! Comix and was able to join some local players for a draft tournament using World's Finest.

I can't recall all of the details for each pack we opened, but for some reason I decided that Outsiders would be my main team at the start. I was easily able to get my character curve and two copies of Markovia, but it didn't dawn on me until mid-way through the second pack that I hadn't seen any attack pumps that I could use. From there on out I tried to keep an eye open for one, but I think by then it was too late.

We played three rounds. My first game was the best, as I had a strong early game...but lack of good ATK/DEF pumps really slowed me down and I just wasn't able to survive. My defeat in the first round spelled a bye in the second. I watched both matches and was impressed with the decks the other players had created. Draft definitely seems to be an art form all of its own.

The third match had me up against a really strong Team Superman deck. I drew poorly, only seeing two plot twists by the sixth round. Even had I pulled more I doubt that I'd have been able to compete against that deck.

Thanks to all the players for making me feel welcome and hooking me up with a few trades I was looking for. It was greatly appreciated.

March 26, 2009

JSA: Guest-Starring...Lobo!?

For last week's "Special Guest Star" tournament I wanted to really mix things up. Having never played the team, I'd been thinking about building a JSA deck for quite some time, but had never gotten around to it. With my team chosen, I tried to come up with something that was really off-the-wall, but could possibly happen in a comic book...provided the editorial staff had been plied with enough liquor before reading the premise. After wracking my brain a little bit, I thought that throwing Lobo in there just might be crazy enough to work!

JSA Guest-Starring Lobo
(60 cards)

Characters:
2x DCR-026 Terry Sloane <> Mr. Terrific (1)
2x DCR-002 Atom Smasher (1)
3x DCR-029 Wesley Dodds <> The Sandman (2)
3x DCR-023 Stargirl (2)
3x DLS-196 Jack Knight <> Starman (2)
4x DCR-017 Michael Holt <> Mr. Terrific (3)
2x DCR-020 Rex Tyler <> Hourman (3)
3x DLS-198 S.T.R.I.P.E. (4)
2x DCX-016 Alan Scott (4)
1x DCR-022 Sand (4)
3x DCR-006 Carter Hall <> Hawkman (5)
2x DLS-197 Power Girl (5)
1x DCR-028 Thunderbolt (5)
2x DLS-240 Lobo (6)
1x DCR-004 Black Adam (7)
Total = 34

Locations & Equipment:
4x DCR-042 T-Spheres
3x DCR-041 The Rock of Eternity
1x DCR-037 JSA Headquarters
Total = 8

Plot Twists:
4x DCR-198 Revitalize
3x MOR-210 Press the Attack
3x DCR-031 A Moment of Crisis
3x DCR-035 Double Play
2x DLS-185 Level 12 Intelligence
2x DLS-187 Mobilize
1x DCR-032 Advance Warning
Total = 18

This deck isn't exactly optimized for characters or plot twist abuse, and I'm actually not quite sure if what I tried to do works. The special rule for the event was that our guest star gains an affiliation of our choice, in this case Lobo gaining the JSA team affiliation. On turn 6 we want to have Lobo become stunned, allowing us to bring out the second copy of him from our deck. Using a copy of Revitalize we recover the first stunned copy and try to keep them both around for turn 7.

On turn 7, we team attack with the Lobos, using a copy of Double Play on each of them to ready and keep them from getting stunned for the turn. Another team attack, or exhausting effects should allow us to drop a copy or two of Press the Attacks on them both to attack for a total of three times each. It is possible to trigger this on turn 6, but much more difficult to do.

The glitch is simple and something I need to double-check the rules on. Since Lobo doesn't have an identity (marked with the <> symbol after his name), I think we also need to play Moment of Crisis to give him an identity before Double Play is legal. It's not an easy combo to pull off, but I was able to do it once in my four games of play. It was a lot of fun to see it all come together, even if it was only once!

With a little optimization I think the deck could work, but it needs some defense and a little tighter character selection earlier on. I do plan to tweak it a little bit for fun. A full set of Lobo would be beneficial too, but I haven't been able to round up another pair of them.

World's Finest FAQ

World’s Finest Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Ross, with contributions from Dave DeLaney, David Harris, and Edwin Teh
Last updated July 3, 2007

GENERAL

1. This set is legal for sanctioned Constructed tournaments from July 20, 2007.

2. Insanity: [insanity text]


This set introduces cards with the insanity keyword. You can include such cards in any deck. However, a card’s insanity text is active only if started the game in an insane deck (which is a deck with no more than one copy of each card). The first time an opponent sees one of your insanity cards, you must announce whether your deck is insane if you haven’t already.

An insane deck can include cards both with and without the insanity keyword, as long as there is no more than one copy of each. A card is a copy of another card if both have the same name and version.

Example: Burn Baby Burn reads, "Target Arkham Inmates attacker you control gets +3 ATK this attack. Insanity: You can play this card from your KO'd pile. Whenever you do, remove it from the game." You can include this card in any deck and play it from your hand. If your deck has no more than one copy of each card, you can also play Burn Baby Burn from your KO'd pile. If Burn Baby Burn is the first insanity card from your deck seen by an opponent, you must announce whether or not you're playing with an insane deck if you haven’t already.

3. Is discarded

Some cards have powers that trigger when they are discarded. A card can be discarded only from hand, so these powers trigger only when a card enters a KO'd pile from a player's hand. These powers don't actually allow you to discard a card; they trigger only if there is some other reason for you to discard, such as paying a discard cost (including powering-up) or being told to discard by a modifier.

Example: Harley Quinn reads, "Whenever Harley Quinn is discarded, you may remove her from the game. If you do, target character gets -2 DEF this turn." You have Harley in your hand while you are attacking a character. By itself, Harley's power doesn't allow you to discard her to give the defender -2 DEF this turn. However, if an attacker is also named Harley Quinn, you can discard the Harley Quinn card in your hand to power-up, causing its power to trigger. As the triggered effect resolves, you may remove that card from your KO’d pile. If it’s no longer in your KO’d pile at that time, nothing happens.

Example: The Penguin reads, "Whenever The Penguin is discarded, you may remove him from the game. If you do, return an Arkham Inmates character card from your KO'd pile to your hand." Slaughter Swamp reads, “Activate, discard a card >>> Return target character card from a KO'd pile to its owner's hand.” You discard The Penguin to activate Slaughter Swamp, which triggers The Penguin's power. Slaughter Swamp’s effect is added to the chain, then The Penguin’s. As the latter resolves, you may remove The Penguin from your KO’d pile. If you do, choose an applicable card in your KO’d pile to return to your hand. After successive passes, Slaughter Swamp’s effect resolves, returning the card you targeted as you activated it.


4. First attack and defense

Some card text applies "during your first attack and defense each turn." This means both during the first attack in which you control an attacker each turn and during the first attack in which you control a defender or are defending directly each turn.

Example: John Henry Irons <> Steel reads, "Ally: Whenever a character you control becomes powered-up during your first attack and defense each turn, it gets an additional +1 / +1 this attack." Your opponent has the initiative on the third turn and proposes his first attack into your Steel. You power-up Steel twice, so he gets an additional +2 / +2 (for a total of +4 / +4) this attack because this is your first defense this turn. Steel survives that attack and is still non-stunned as you propose your first attack later that turn. If you power-up your attacker, it gets an additional +1/+1 because this is your first attack this turn.

5. “Each other” cycle

Five cards (Birds of a Feather, Future Friends, Hell Breaks Loose, Iron Will, and Tied Down) modify a target’s stats and do additional modification for “each other” card of the same name in your resource row and KO’d pile.

Example: Future Friends reads, “Target Team Superman attacker or defender you control gets +1 DEF this attack and an additional +1 DEF for each other Future Friends in your resource row and KO'd pile.” As it resolves, it counts the number of other cards named Future Friends in your resource row and KO'd pile. If you have two in hand and play both on the same target, it will get +1 DEF from the first to resolve and +2 DEF from the second (because it gets an additional +1 DEF from the other Future Friends in your KO’d pile) for a total of +3 DEF. However, if you have two face down in your resource row instead, you can play one in response to the other so that each gives the other an additional +1 DEF, for a total of +4 DEF.

6. Clayfaces

Three characters (Basil Karlo, Matt Hagen, and Sondra Fuller) can be recruited from your KO’d pile. They can also be recruited from your hand like any other character. Recruiting them from your KO'd pile is the same as normal recruitment in all other ways.

7. Random

You can choose a random card from a group of one but not a group of zero. For example, you can't discard a card at random to pay a cost if your hand is empty, but you can if you have one card in hand.

Example: Basil Karlo <> Ultimate Clayface reads, “When Basil Karlo enters play, you may randomly select a character card with cost 4 or less in your KO'd pile and put it into play.” As his triggered effect resolves, first choose whether or not to put a card from your KO’d pile into play. If you choose to do so, set aside the character cards with cost 4 or less from your KO’d pile and choose one at random (by rolling a die, shuffling them face down and having an opponent choose one, or any other mutually agreeable method). You must put that card into play. The rest stay in your KO’d pile.

8. Rules Refresher

8.1 Position


A character you control is never in the same column as a character another player controls.

Two characters are adjacent if they are in the same column or side by side in the same row. A character you control is never adjacent to a character another player controls. A hidden character is never adjacent to a visible character.

8.2 Protection

While two characters in the same column are not stunned, the front row character is protecting the support row character and the support row character is protected by the front row character. Stunned characters can neither protect nor be protected.

8.3 Becoming an attacker or defender

Some modifiers cause a character to become an attacker or defender in the middle of an attack. In all such cases, the legality of the attack is not rechecked.

If a character "can't attack," it means only that it can't be proposed as an attacker; it can still become an attacker through such a modifier. Similarly, if a character "can't be attacked," it means only that it can't be proposed as a defender; it can still become a defender through such a modifier. However, a stunned character can’t become an attacker or a defender.

8.4 “Null Time Zone” cards

Some effects ask you to choose a name or number as they resolve. Both players must pass before such an effect resolves, and so responses are possible before the choice is made. Once the effect is allowed to resolve and the choice is made, no responses are possible based on that choice.

Example: Imprisoned in the Source reads, “Choose the name of a non-Team-Up plot twist from an opponent's resource row or KO'd pile.

Ongoing: Players can't play cards with that name while you control a Revenge Squad character.” You choose a name as this effect resolves. Players can respond before that choice is made. Once the choice is made, players can’t play cards with the chosen name (while you control a Revenge Squad character).

SINGLE CARDS

Aerie One
Equipment, 0
Concealed

Characters you control have flight.

Free >>> Move target Birds of Prey character you control with concealed to your hidden or visible area. Use only once per turn.

An equipment with the concealed keyword can be equipped only to a hidden character and can’t be transferred to a visible character. If a hidden character moves to a visible area, any equipment with the concealed keyword attached to it is put into its owner’s KO’d pile.

Aerie One can’t target a stunned character because a stunned character has a blank text box and so can’t have the concealed keyword. You can move the target within the same area if you want to.

Arkham Asylum, Team-Up
Location, 2
Flip only if you control an Arkham Inmates character.

To flip, choose two different affiliations.

Insanity: Crossover Arkham Inmates and those affiliations.

You can choose any two affiliations; they don't need to be among characters in play.

Batman, Cape and Cowl
Character, 6, Gotham Knights, 12/12
Concealed—Optional

Opponents can't use a payment power if it has already been used this turn.

Discard a Gotham Knights character card >>> Negate target payment effect. Use only once per turn.

Payment powers have an arrow (>>>) in their text. Using a payment power puts a payment effect on the chain. Evasion is a payment power. Discarding to power-up or exhausting to reinforce are not payment powers, and so can’t be negated by Batman’s second power or stopped by his first.

A payment power can’t be used again this turn even if the effect from the original use was negated. However, if a substitute or terraform payment effect is negated, the card returns to its owner’s hand and can be used again (because it’s no longer the same card, and thus no longer has the same power).

If opponents control multiple cards with identical payment powers, using one doesn’t stop the others from being used.

Example: Devil's Due reads, “KO a character you control >>> Put a +1 ATK / +1 DEF counter on target Doom character you control.” You control Batman, Cape and Cowl. Your opponent controls two copies of Devil’s Due and KO’s a character to one of them. That opponent can still KO one character to the other Devil’s Due but can’t reuse the payment power on the card that has already been used this turn.

Bat-Mite, #1 Fan
Character, 8, Arkham Inmates / Fifth Dimension, 18/20
Reservist

Insanity: When Bat-Mite enters play, gain the initiative at the start of the next phase.

Your opponents can't gain the initiative.

If you have the initiative and recover Bat-Mite during the wrap-up, his insanity text will apply in time to stop your opponents from gaining the initiative. If the initiative would pass to a player who can’t gain it, it stays where it is.

Batmobile, Burn Rubber
Equipment, 0
While targeting or equipped to Batman, Batmobile has concealed—optional

Free >>> Move target Gotham Knights character you control to your support row. It has reinforcement this turn. Use only once per turn.

Batmobile has concealed—optional while it is attached to a character named Batman or on the chain targeting a character named Batman. It can be attached to a visible character of any name. It can be attached to a hidden character only if it’s named Batman. While attached to Batman, Batmobile isn’t put into its owner’s KO’d pile as Batman moves between areas; while attached to any other character, it is.

If you have a way to transfer Batmobile, the following are true:

• It can be transferred from a visible character to another visible character as usual.
• It can be transferred between hidden characters only if both are named Batman.
• It can be transferred between characters in different areas only if both are named Batman.

Batzarro, World's Worst Detective
Character, 4, Arkham Inmates, 9/8
Reservist

Batzarro can't attack.

Insanity: Batzarro can't not attack instead.

Batzarro’s insanity text is “Batzarro can attack instead.” If your deck is insane, he can attack as usual.

Beside Myself
Plot Twist, 1
Play only if you control an Arkham Inmates character.

Ongoing: Insanity: Whenever you draw one or more cards, flip a coin. If you win the flip, draw an additional card.

This power triggers only once off the "draw two cards" at the start of each turn. If you win the flip, the additional draw triggers this power again, and so on until you lose a flip. This card is ongoing whether or not your deck is insane, but has its ongoing power only if your deck is insane.

Bizarro, Bizarro World's Finest
Character, 6, Revenge Squad, 14/14
At the start of your attack step, target opponent chooses a character. That character must attack if able in your first attack this turn.

Whenever one or more characters you control attack, target opponent chooses a character. That character must attack if able in your next attack this turn.

If a character has been chosen, you can’t pass priority during your attack step if you could legally propose an attack with that character, nor can you propose an attacker with which the chosen character can’t team attack. As usual, the chosen character is unable to attack if it’s exhausted, stunned, or positioned in the support row without range. You’re not prevented from exhausting or otherwise “disabling” the chosen character if you have a way to do so.

The target opponent need not choose a character that’s able to attack or even a character you control. If the chosen character can't attack in your next attack this turn, you're free to propose any attackers you choose (which will trigger Bizarro’s power again,) or pass on further attacks as usual.

Brooklyn HQ
Location, 2
Whenever one or more Outsiders characters you control stun a character with greater cost, its controller loses an additional 2 endurance.


Whenever multiple Outsiders team attackers you control stun a defender, this power triggers if one or more of them cost less than that defender. They don’t all need to be of lesser cost. If more than one is of lesser cost, this power triggers only once.

Burn Baby Burn
Plot Twist, 3
Target Arkham Inmates attacker you control gets +3 ATK this attack.

Insanity: You can play this card from your KO'd pile. When you do, remove it from the game.

Playing this card from your KO'd pile is similar to playing it from your hand, except a triggered effect goes on the chain immediately on top of it. When that effect resolves (before the plot twist effect does), this card is removed from the game, but its effect stays on the chain to resolve normally. If the plot twist effect is negated before the triggered effect resolves, this card goes back into your KO'd pile and can be played again.

Cassandra Cain, Death's Daughter
Character, 5, Birds of Prey / Gotham Knights, 9/9
Concealed—Optional, Substitute

Discard a Gotham Knights or Birds of Prey character card >>> Cassandra Cain gets +1 / +1 this attack.

Discarding a card with both affiliations gives Cassandra only +1 / +1 this attack.

Certifiable
Plot Twist, 0
Insanity: Discard your hand. Draw four cards.


If Certifiable is in your opening hand, you can play it before you draw your first two cards, because its cost is 0. All players must finish resolving any mulligans before any player can play Certifiable.

Crime Doctor, Bradford Thorne
Character, 2, Arkham Inmates / Villains United, 2/3
Reservist

Return Crime Doctor to his owner's hand >>> Exhaust two target characters. Use only during your attack step.

You can choose Crime Doctor as one of the two targets if, for example, your opponent controls only one character. If you do, the other target is exhausted on resolution even though Crime Doctor is no longer in play.

Deathstroke the Terminator, Wolf in Bat's Clothing
Character, 6, Deathstroke, 12/12
Concealed

Vengeance: Whenever Deathstroke the Terminator becomes stunned, you may KO target stunned character.

His triggered effect can target a character that became stunned in the same attack conclusion.

Double Team
Plot Twist, 3
Two target Team Superman characters you control each get +1 / +1 while in the same column this turn.


The targets need not be in the same column as you play this effect or as it resolves, nor stay in the same columns. This modifier continuously checks whether they are in the same column as each other throughout its duration (“this turn”). Affiliation and controller are checked once, only on resolution.

Early Edition
Plot Twist, 3
To play, discard a Team Superman character card.

Negate target effect from a non-ongoing plot twist that doesn't share a name with another card in its controller's resource row or KO'd pile.

A plot twist played from hand stays on the chain until its effect resolves or is negated. The target will be illegal on resolution if another card with the same name enters its controller’s KO’d pile or is turned face up in his resource row in response (meaning that player can negate Early Edition by playing another copy of the same plot twist in response).

[Advanced Note: If the target plot twist effect was played from a resource row, its controller can negate Early Edition by replacing that same plot twist card (if he has some way to do so), because that card becomes “another card” as it changes zones between play and KO’d pile.]

Executive Privilege
Plot Twist, 3
Ongoing: Discard a Revenge Squad character card >>> Reveal the top two cards of your deck. Put a revealed character card and a revealed ongoing plot twist card into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your deck. Use only once per turn.


You do as much as possible as this payment effect resolves. If only one of the revealed cards is a character, put it into your hand. If only one of the revealed cards is an ongoing plot twist, put it into your hand. If both are characters or both are ongoing plot twists, choose one and put it into your hand. Put two cards into your hand only if you reveal one character and one ongoing plot twist.

Faust, Sebastian Faust
Character, 1, Outsiders, 2/1
Free >>> Characters you control can team attack hidden characters this turn. Use only once per turn.


After this effect resolves, you can’t propose a direct team attack against an opponent who controls any non-stunned hidden characters. However, you can propose direct non-team attacks as usual. In other words, this modifier doesn’t force you to team attack hidden characters. It affects all characters you control throughout the turn, including those you recruit or gain control of after resolution.

Home Sweet Home
Plot Twist, 2
To play, exhaust a Team Superman character you control.

Recover target stunned character you control at the start of the recovery phase this turn.

You choose the target stunned character as you play Home Sweet Home. To be recovered, it must be a “stunned character you control” as Home Sweet Home resolves, as the recovery phase starts this turn, and as the triggered effect resolves.

It's a Hard Life
Plot Twist, 2
Play only if you control an Arkham Inmates character.

To play, discard a card at random.

Negate target effect from a non-ongoing plot twist that shares a name with another card in its controller's resource row or KO'd pile.

A plot twist played from hand stays on the chain until its effect resolves or is negated. The target will be illegal on resolution if no card with the same name is in its controller’s KO’d pile or resource row.

In addition, if your opponent plays a non-ongoing plot twist from his resource row and you have some way to replace it, you can target that plot twist effect with It’s a Hard Life after doing so, because that plot twist card becomes “another card” as it changes zones between play and KO’d pile.

Kara Zor-El <> Supergirl, Claire Connors
Character, 8, Team Superman / Legionnaires, 19/19
Cosmic: Whenever Kara Zor-El team attacks or becomes team attacked, you may stun target character that is not in combat.


A character is not in combat if it’s neither an attacker nor a defender. A character becomes team attacked if it becomes a defender during a team attack. Her power triggers only once if she is attacked by multiple team attackers.

A character that becomes an attacker in the middle of a team attack becomes a team attacker (but the defender doesn't become team attacked again). A character that becomes a defender in the middle of a team attack becomes team attacked (but none of the attackers become team attackers again).

Katana, Tatsu Yamashiro
Character, 2, Outsiders, 3/2
Pay 2 endurance >>> KO target character that was stunned by Katana while she was team attacking this turn. Use only during the combat phase.


Any defender stunned by a team attack which Katana concluded as an attacker was stunned by Katana. If Katana becomes stunned in the same attack conclusion, there’s no chance to use her power to target the defender (unless she recovers before the combat phase ends).

Koriand'r <> Starfire, Slumming
Character, 7, Outsiders, 16/14
Substitute

Activate >>> Stun target character attacking an Outsiders defender you control with lesser cost.

The target attacker must have a cost greater than that of the Outsiders defender.

Kryptonite Man, K. Russell Abernathy
Character, 2, Revenge Squad, 3/2
Vengeance: Whenever Kryptonite Man becomes stunned, move target character to a different front row position.


The target need not be in a front row. If it’s not, move it to any front row position in the same area.

Lady Shiva, Jade Canary
Character, 7, Birds of Prey / Gotham Knights, 15/15
Concealed—Optional

Whenever a plot twist is played, Gotham Knights and Birds of Prey characters you control get +1 ATK this attack.

A character with both affiliations gets only +1 ATK as this triggered effect resolves. Whenever a plot twist is played outside of an attack, this triggered effect is never added to the chain, because the trigger event didn’t happen within the duration specified in the effect (“this attack”).

Mr. Freeze, Cold Shoulder
Character, 5, Arkham Inmates, 10/10
Reservist

Characters adjacent to Mr. Freeze can't ready.

If Mr. Freeze is recovered during the wrap-up, adjacent characters can't ready that wrap-up.

Nine Lives
Plot Twist, 2
To play, discard a Gotham Knights character card.

Look at target face-down resource an opponent controls. If it's a non-ongoing plot twist, you may turn it face up.

Turning the plot twist face up does not play it.

SKREEEEEEE!
Plot Twist, 2
Target character gets -2 DEF while defending this turn and can be attacked as though it were visible this turn.


The target need not be hidden. This modifier doesn't make the target visible, but attacks can be proposed against it as though it were this turn

Standoff
Plot Twist, 4
Ongoing: Whenever a player plays a non-ongoing plot twist, he loses 2 endurance.


The ongoing power applies as soon as Standoff is played from a resource row. Plot twists played in response will trigger it.

Stryker's Island
Location, 3
Activate >>> Target attacker you control gets +1 ATK this attack for each different cost among face-up resources you control.


If you control four face-up resources with cost 1, 2, 2, and 3, then there are three different costs among them (1, 2, and 3). Costs other than the number printed in the top left corner are not checked.

Superman, Last Son of Krypton
Character, Team Superman, 7/7
Loyalty—Reveal

To recruit, pay 4 resource points.

• Superman has no cost. His cost is not odd or even, nor is it greater than, less than, or equal to any value. He can’t share a cost with another card, including another copy of himself. A character in combat with him is not in combat with a character with greater or lesser cost.

• You take no stun endurance loss as he becomes stunned. You still take breakthrough if he is stunned by an attacker with ATK greater than his DEF. He doesn’t have invulnerability, and so modifiers that remove invulnerability have no impact on him.

• He is neither a character with cost 4 nor a character with cost 0. He is not a card "with cost" of anything. Thus, he is neither a character with cost 10 or less, nor a character with cost 0 or more. He can’t be included in a group of cards "with combined cost" of anything.

Example: Commissioner Gordon, Gotham Central reads, “Discard a character card with cost X >>> Target attacker or defender you control with cost X gets +X ATK this attack.” Superman can’t be discarded to pay the cost of this effect, nor can he be targeted by it.

• Press can’t reduce his additional cost of 4 resource points because cost reductions are applied before additional costs are added.

• He can’t be substituted from play because his cost isn’t greater than or equal to any other cost.

Tally Man, Tax Time
Character, 2, Arkham Inmates, 2/3
Whenever Tally Man is discarded, you may remove him from the game and exhaust an Arkham Inmates character you control. If you do, KO target stunned character.


If there is no legal target, his effect is immediately removed from the chain. As his effect resolves, you may choose to both remove him from the game and exhaust an applicable character or do neither. If he is no longer in your KO’d pile at that time, you can’t remove him from the game, but may still choose to exhaust an applicable character. Similarly, if you don’t control an applicable character, you may still choose to remove him from the game. The target is KO’d only if both actions actually happen.

The Insiders, Team-Up
Plot Twist, 2
Play only if you control an Outsiders character.

Ongoing: Affiliated character cards you own gain the Outsiders affiliation.

This ongoing power affects character cards you own in all zones, including those in play under the control of your opponents. It doesn’t affect characters you control but don’t own.

Thunder, Anissa Pierce
Character, 1, Outsiders, 2/1
Other characters team attacking with Thunder have invulnerability.


A character is team attacking with Thunder if it’s a team attacker while Thunder is a team attacker.

Usual Suspects
Plot Twist, 2
Search your deck for two different Arkham Inmates character cards with the same cost, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Discard two cards at random.


Two cards are different if they aren’t copies of each other. Copies have the same name and versions.

World's Worstest, Team-Up
Plot Twist, 2
Play only if you control a Revenge Squad character.

Ongoing: Affiliated character cards gain the Revenge Squad affiliation.

All affiliated character cards in all zones gain the Revenge Squad affiliation in addition to any existing affiliations, regardless of who owns or controls them.

Marvel Legends FAQ

Marvel Legends Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Ross, with contributions from Dave DeLaney, David Harris, and Edwin Teh
Last updated August 13, 2007

GENERAL

1. This set is legal for sanctioned Constructed tournaments from September 14, 2007.

2. New card frame

• Concealed icons


Each character and equipment card now has a sun and a moon icon, each of which can be lit or unlit. Concealed cards have only the moon icon lit. Non-concealed cards have only the sun icon lit. Concealed-optional cards have both icons lit. If a card refers to a card “with concealed,” it’s referring to any card with the moon icon lit.

Concealed and concealed-optional are no longer keywords or powers, and are no longer printed in text boxes. A concealed or concealed-optional card remains so even while it is stunned or attached to a stunned character.

• Affiliation icons

Each affiliation now has an associated icon that can be used interchangeably with it. If such an icon is printed on a card, it’s the same as its associated affiliation being printed there.

• Activate () icon

This icon represents the word “activate.”

3. New rules (to take effect from September 14, 2007)

• Opposing


An opposing card or effect is one controlled by an opponent.

• Can attack hidden

A character can attack a player directly if he controls no non-stunned visible characters, even if he controls a non-stunned hidden character that attacker can attack.

Example: Wolverine reads, “Pay 2 endurance >>> Wolverine can attack hidden characters this turn.” Your opponent controls a non-stunned hidden character but no non-stunned visible characters. Even after his power has been used, Wolverine can attack that opponent directly.

• Fail to find

When searching a private zone (deck or hand), you can always “fail to find” a card of a specified description. However, you can’t fail to find:

o a card (without a description) in a private zone that isn’t empty.
o a card (with or without a description) in a public zone.

Example: Four Freedoms Plaza reads, “[Activate] >>> If you control Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, and Thing, search your deck for a card and put it into your hand.” If your deck isn’t empty, you can’t fail to find a card.

• Hats and clouds

The rules for continuous modifiers from effects have been greatly simplified. Previously, such modifiers were divided into those that flagged applicable cards as they were created (or gave them “hats” that they kept regardless of what happened subsequently) and those that didn’t flag (or created a “cloud” that cards could move in and out of regardless of whether they were in it to begin with.)

The simplification is that all such modifiers are now clouds. No cards are flagged as they are created. As a result, there is no longer any need for a list of qualities (which were used only to differentiate the two types of modifiers.)

Example: Robotic Offensive reads, “Choose an affiliation. Opposing characters with that affiliation get -2 DEF while in combat with Army Doom characters you control this turn.” As this effect resolves, it creates a “cloud” that:

o Initially affected characters can stop being affected by if they change control or lose the chosen affiliation (they don't keep their “hats”)

o Characters that enter an opponent’s control or gain the chosen affiliation later can still be affected by (they didn't miss out on a “hat”)


4. Legend characters

Some characters check whether “you have recruited another” character with that name this game.

• You have recruited a character once you have successfully added its recruit effect to the chain, before it enters play.

• Such characters don’t check whether that other character is still in play or under your control.

• If you recruit such a character, then that card leaves play and returns to play, the game considers it to be a different character to the one that was recruited, so it passes its own check.

Example: You control Cable, Askani'Son and Wolverine, Bloodlust, but you haven’t recruited another Wolverine this game. If you remove Wolverine from play with Bodyslide, you can use his power after he returns because he is considered a different Wolverine from the one you originally recruited.

Bodyslide
Plot Twist, 3
Play only if you control Cable.

Remove target non-stunned character you control from the game. Its owner puts it into play at the start of your next attack step.

Wolverine, Bloodlust
Character, 7, X-Men, 17/16
Stun Wolverine >>> Stun all opposing attackers and defenders. Use only if Wolverine is in combat and only if you recruited another Wolverine this game.


5. Reprinted cards

Marvel Legends includes cards from earlier sets, some with text different from their original text.

• If a Marvel Legends card is legal for a tournament, then any card from an earlier set with the same name and version as that card is also legal.

• The Marvel Legends text is used for each such card, even if different from its original text.

SINGLE CARDS

Assorted Aliases
Plot Twist, 3
To play, discard a character card.

Target character gets +3 / +3 this attack if it's a different version of the discarded card.

Two cards are "different versions" of each other if they have the same name but at least one version they don't share.

Blob, Immovable Object
Character, 6, Brotherhood, 10/15
Blob can't be moved.


Blob can't be moved during a formation step, or by any modifier.

Bodyslide
Plot Twist, 3
Play only if you control Cable.

Remove target non-stunned character you control from the game. Its owner puts it into play at the start of your next attack step.

You don't need to target a character named Cable. Uniqueness is not checked as that character returns to play. It returns to play ready under its owner's control, triggering any “enters play” powers or modifiers. A concealed character returns to play hidden. A concealed—optional character returns to play in the area of its owner’s choice.

Cable, Askani'Son
Character, 6, X-Men, 13/12
[Activate] >>> Whenever a Cable you control stuns target character this turn, remove that character from the game.


This modifier can be triggered by any character named Cable you control, whether or not that Cable was in play as it was created (and whether or not this Cable is in play as it triggers.)

Deadgirl, Dead Again?
Character, 4, Marvel Knights, 6/8
Whenever Deadgirl enters a KO'd pile from play, you may pay 4 endurance. If you do, return her to play at the start of the next phase.


This power triggers even if she is stunned as she leaves play. However, it doesn't trigger if she enters a KO'd pile from a resource row.

Desert Eagle
Equipment, 0, Concealed-Optional
Equip only to a Marvel Knights character.

Equipped character gets +2 ATK, has range, and can be equipped with two Desert Eagles.

In combination with cards that allow you equip a character with two equipment (like Pier 4 or Punisher, Guns Blazing) you can equip that character with one Desert Eagle and one other equipment, and then equip it with a second Desert Eagle for a total of three. This doesn't work if you start with two Desert Eagles equipped.

Dr. Doom, Gypsy King
Character, 4, Doom, 7/6
When Dr. Doom enters play, look at target face-down opposing resource. If it's a non-ongoing plot twist, you may turn it face up.


Turning a plot twist face up does not play it. Its controller may play it in response to negate this effect.

Force Field Projection
Plot Twist, 3
To play, exhaust an Invisible Woman you control.

Remove target defender you control and all attackers from this attack.

Because this targets a defender, it can’t be played during a direct attack. None of the removed characters ready as the attack concludes.

Franklin Richards, Child of the Cosmos
Character, 5, Fantastic Four, 10/9
[Activate] >>> If you control Invisible Woman or Mr. Fantastic, gain 5 endurance.


You gain only 5 endurance even if you control both of them.

Jean Grey, Phoenix Rising
Character, 5, X-Men, 9/9
Jean Grey enters play with a +1 / +1 counter for each Jean Grey card in your KO'd pile.


If another Jean Grey is put into your KO'd pile by the uniqueness rule, that card is included in the total.

Lilandra, Majestrix of the Shi'ar
Character, 4, Shi'ar, 6/7
[Activate], Discard a Shi'ar character card >>> Ready another target Shi'ar attacker or defender you control.


Readying an attacker doesn't remove it from the attack.

Magneto, Mutant Supreme
Character, 4, Brotherhood, 7/7
[Activate] >>> Stun target character with the lowest cost among characters in play. Use only during the combat phase and only if you control another Brotherhood character.


The target doesn't need to be the only character in play with that cost, as long as no character costs less (including stunned characters.)

Marvel Boy, Noh-Varr
Character, 3, Marvel Knights, 4/5
Transfer an equipment equipped to Marvel Boy to another character you control >>> You may equip to Marvel Boy an equipment card with cost 0 from your hand. Use only once per turn.


You can transfer equipment only to a legal recipient. You can do so whether or not there are any equipment cards in your hand.

Mimic, Exile
Character, 6, X-Men, 11/13
Pay 2 endurance >>> Mimic gains target character's payment powers this turn. Use only once per turn.


Mimic gains all payment powers the target character has (both printed and otherwise gained) as this effect resolves, and keeps them until end of turn, even if that character loses them. Any direct references to that target's name become references to Mimic in the copied powers.

Mr. Sinister, Visionary Geneticist
Character, 5, 9/9
Opposing characters lose and can't have powers and keywords during the combat phase.


Affected characters effectively lose all text as well as any other powers or keywords they have gained. Concealed and concealed-optional are no longer powers or keywords and so are not affected. If two or more opponents each control Mr. Sinister, the one that has been face-up in play the longest "wins" and all others lose their powers.

Mystique, Shapely Shifter
Character, 4, Brotherhood, 8/6
When Mystique enters play, choose a name. If you don't control a character with that name, Mystique loses all names and gains that name.


If you later recruit another unique character with the chosen name, the uniqueness rule will put this card into your KO'd pile as usual. You may choose the name "Mystique."

Nocturne, Talia Wagner
Character,2, Brotherhood, 2/2, Concealed
Whenever Nocturne causes breakthrough, you may KO her. If you do, move target stunned opposing character to your front row.


If Nocturne stuns a defender as she causes breakthrough, that defender is a legal target for her effect.

Only Human
Plot Twist, 2
Target opposing character loses and can't have flight, powers, and keywords during the combat phase this turn.


That character effectively loses all text as well as any other powers or keywords it has gained. Concealed and concealed-optional are no longer powers or keywords and so are not affected.

RAT-TAT-TAT
Plot Twist, 3
Discard any number of cards. Each opposing character with cost equal to the cost of a card you discarded gets -3 DEF this turn.


Each opposing character gets a maximum of -3 DEF, regardless of how many cards with that cost you discarded.

Reset
Plot Twist, 3
To play, discard a card.

If all characters you control share an affiliation, remove all defenders from this attack.

Check affiliations as this effect resolves. The condition is true if there is at least one affiliation that all characters you control have in common. Any attackers will usually ready as the combat concludes.

Sentinel Mark VII, Repurposed
Character, 6, Brotherhood, 13/12
While you control Magneto, whenever Sentinel Mark VII stuns another character, you may stun target character with the lowest cost among characters its controller controls.


The target doesn't need to be the only character controlled by that player with that cost, as long as no character controlled by that player costs less (including stunned characters.) Stunning a target causes this power to re-trigger, so ultimately it’s possible to stun all the lowest-cost characters a player controls. However, if you stun a character this way, there’s never an opportunity to KO that character in such a way that you can aim the re-trigger effect at a higher-cost character (because it is targeted.)

Sneak Attack
Plot Twist, 3
You may move target X-Men character you control. It can attack protected characters and can't be stunned while attacking this turn.


You may move that character only within its current area.

Sniper Shot
Plot Twist, 3
Ongoing: Exhaust a Punisher you control >>> Put an aim counter on Sniper Shot. Use only once per phase.

Remove three aim counters from Sniper Shot >>> KO target character.

The four phases of each turn are: draw, build, combat, and recovery. So, for example, you can’t use the first power during your recruit step and then use it again during your opponent’s recruit step that turn because both steps are during the same build phase.

Unstable Ground
Location, 2
When Unstable Ground enters a KO'd pile from play, target player loses 4 endurance.


This power doesn't trigger if Unstable Ground is face down as it leaves play.

Unstoppable
Plot Twist, 4
Whenever target Juggernaut stuns a front row defender this attack, stun the character behind that defender.


A support row character is behind a front row character only if they are in the same column.

Valeria Richards, Child of Light and Darkness
Character, 1, Fantastic Four, 0/1
[Activate] >>> Gain 4 endurance if you control Dr. Doom, Invisible Woman, or Mr. Fantastic.


You gain only 4 endurance even if you control more than one of them.

March 25, 2009

DC Legends FAQ

DC Legends Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Ross, with contributions from Dave DeLaney, David Harris, and Edwin Teh
Last updated December 19, 2007

GENERAL

1. This set is legal for sanctioned Constructed tournaments from January 1, 2008.

2. New card frame

• Concealed icons


Each character and equipment card now has a sun and a moon icon, each of which can be lit or unlit. All cards with concealed have the moon icon lit; concealed cards have only the moon icon lit, and concealed—optional cards have the sun icon lit as well. Non-concealed cards have only the sun icon lit.

Concealed and concealed—optional are no longer keywords or powers and are no longer printed in text boxes. A concealed or concealed—optional card remains so even while it is stunned or attached to a stunned character.

• Affiliation icons

Some affiliations have each been given an associated icon that can be used interchangeably with it. If such an icon is printed on a card, it’s the same as the associated affiliation being printed there.

• Activate () icon

This icon represents the word “activate.”

3. Reprinted cards

DC Legends includes cards from earlier sets, some with text different from their original text.

• If a DC Legends card is legal for a tournament, then any card from an earlier set with the same name and version as that card is also legal.

• The DC Legends text is used for each such card, even if that text is different from the original text.

SINGLE CARDS

Amazo, Power Duplication
Character, 6, Secret Society, 12/12
Whenever Amazo enters combat, he gains the powers and keywords of all opposing attackers and defenders this attack.


Amazo gains all powers and keywords of applicable characters (both printed and otherwise gained) as this effect resolves, and he keeps them until end of attack, even if those characters lose them. Any self-references become references to Amazo in the copied powers.

Aquaman, Lord of Atlantis
Character, 6, JLA, 13/12
When Aquaman enters play, return a character card and a non-character card from your KO'd pile to your hand.


This effect doesn't target, so you don't choose any cards to return until it resolves (by which time it's too late for opponents to remove the chosen cards in response). If your KO'd pile contains both character and non-character cards, return one of each. If it contains one kind but not the other, return one card of that kind.

Barry Allen <> The Flash, Crimson Tornado
Character, 4, JLA / Speed Force, 8/5
[Activate], Move Barry Allen to your support row >>> Barry Allen can't stun attackers or be stunned by attackers this attack.


You can use this power even if Barry is already in your support row. If you do, you may move him to a different position or the same one. You can use this power only during an attack, but regardless of whether Barry is in combat. Moving him won't change attack legality. You still take breakthrough.

Bart Allen <> Kid Flash, Generation Fourth
Character, 3, Teen Titans, 6/3
Bart Allen has the identity The Flash in all zones.

[Activate] >>> If you control one or more other attackers, Bart Allen becomes a team attacker.

Bart has the identity The Flash in addition to the identity Kid Flash. Bart becomes a team attacker regardless of whether he can legally attack the defender, or team attack with other attackers. If Bart becomes a team attacker, the attack becomes a team attack if it's not already, and other attackers become team attackers if they're not already.

Whenever Bart becomes a team attacker this way, any powers that trigger off of his attacking or team attacking do so. If another character becomes a team attacker this way, only powers that trigger off that character team attacking do so. Bart and all other attackers are now characters that have team attacked this turn.

Basil Karlo <> Clayface, Slimy Shapeshifter
Character, 5, Secret Society, 9/10
Reservist

When Basil Karlo enters play, you may remove a character card in any KO'd pile from the game. If you do, Basil Karlo gains that card's name and loses all other names.

Uniqueness is checked before Basil’s power triggers, so uniqueness will be invoked only on characters that share his original name rather than the name he gains.

Bizarro, Dark Mirror
Character, 6, Secret Society, 14/14
Whenever you draw a card, discard two cards.


This triggers off each individual card draw, so you will discard a total of four cards after drawing two at the start of each turn.

Bizarro World
Location, 2
Bizarro World is considered to be in all sets.

Flip only if you control a Revenge Squad character.

Characters you control named Bizarro have all character names and identities. (See bizarroworld.com)

Bizarro World isn’t reprinted in this set. However, its new first line means that it’s legal in any tournament where DC Legends is legal (and, in fact, any tournament restricted by set legality).

Characters you control named Bizarro (“affected Bizarros”) have every name and identity of every character ever printed. Cards named Bizarro not in play are not affected. Any card that refers to a character named [any name] or with identity [any identity] now also refers to affected Bizarros. Similarly, any conditions that check whether you control [any character] are satisfied. Any character card can be discarded to power-up an affected Bizarro, but a card named Bizarro can only be used to power-up a character also named Bizarro.

Uniqueness checks for characters with the same name, and cards have the same name only if they have the same number of names and they all match. However, uniqueness is checked before a character’s powers become active upon it entering play, so an incoming Bizarro will not invoke uniqueness on any affected Bizarros because they don’t have the same name. This effectively makes affected Bizarros “immune” to uniqueness.

Blinding Rage
Plot Twist, 3
Target attacker you control gets +4 / -4 this attack.


Blinding Rage was misprinted in DC Legends. It still costs 3.

Cassie Sandsmark <> Wonder Girl, Might of Atlas
Character, 4, Teen Titans, 8/5
You can't take stun endurance loss while Cassie Sandsmark is attacking.


You don’t lose 4 endurance if Cassie becomes stunned while attacking (including during the conclusion of that attack). Similarly, you don’t take stun endurance loss if any other characters you control become stunned while Cassie is attacking (including characters team attacking with her).

Charaxes, Moth Monster
Character, 2, Secret Society / Arkham Inmates, 3/2
Whenever you recruit a character with cost 5 or greater that shares an affiliation with Charaxes, if Charaxes is in your KO'd pile, you may put him into play if you don't control a Charaxes.


Compare the affiliations that the recruited character has while it's on the chain with those that Charaxes has in your KO'd pile. His power triggers only while he's in your KO'd pile.


Coup d’État
Plot Twist, 4
KO a character you control. If you control Gorilla Grodd, negate target recruit effect if its cost is less than or equal to the cost of the character you KO'd.


This targets a character or equipment recruit effect, not a character. You must choose an effect to target as you play it, and then choose a character to KO on resolution. Control of Gorilla Grodd is checked later, after that character is KO'd.

David Clinton <> Chronos, Timetwister
Character, 4, Injustice Gang, 7/7
Discard an Injustice Gang character card >>> Target opponent gains the initiative at the start of the combat phase this turn. Use only during the build phase.


The opponent that gains the initiative keeps it the rest of the turn, then passes it clockwise as normal. In a two-player game, this means that Chronos’ controller will start the next turn with the initiative after using his power. If both players control Chronos and use his power, the original initiative player’s triggered effect will resolve last, so the initiative will pass to the opponent he or she targeted.

Elasti-Girl, Rita Farr
Character, 1, Doom Patrol, 1/1
Elasti-Girl enters play with two + 1/ +1 counters.

Whenever Elasti-Girl becomes stunned, remove all +1 / +1 counters from her.

If you have a way to remove counters from Elasti-Girl, you may do so in response to her triggered effect.

Emerald Rebirth
Plot Twist, 2
To play, exhaust a Hal Jordan you control with cost X.

Exhaust target character with cost less than X, and it can't ready this turn.

You can target an already exhausted character. If you do, it can’t ready this turn.

Fearless
Plot Twist, 4
Power-up target Hal Jordan you control twice.


If the target is neither attacking nor defending, nothing happens. Otherwise, two power-up modifiers are applied to him, for a total of +2 / +2 this attack. Effects that trigger off him becoming powered-up will trigger twice.

Going Ape
Plot Twist, 4
To play, KO a character you control.

If you control Gorilla Grodd, target character gets -4 ATK this turn.

You choose the character to KO as a cost. Control of Gorilla Grodd is checked later, on resolution.

Graduation Day
Plot Twist, 3
To play, exhaust a [Teen Titans Icon] character you control.

Target opponent loses 2 endurance for each [Teen Titans Icon] character you control that was recruited this turn.

This checks the affiliations of characters you control as it resolves. It doesn't count characters that were Teen Titans as you recruited them this turn but have since lost that affiliation.

Hal Jordan, Fearless
Character, 7, JLA / Green Lantern, 16/15
Whenever Hal Jordan stuns a character, exhaust all characters in the same row as that character.


When Hal stuns a character in a player's support row, exhaust all characters in that player's support row (not all support row characters in play).

Headstrong Charge
Plot Twist, 3
To play, remove X +1 / +1 counters from a Beast Boy you control.

Target [Teen Titans Icon] attacker you control gets +X / +X this attack.

Counters can be removed from a stunned Beast Boy.

Hero’s Best Friend
Plot Twist, 2
If target defender you control is behind a character, it gets +2 / +2 this attack.


A support row character is "behind" the front row character in the same column, even if that front row character is stunned.

Injustice for All
Plot Twist, 3
Play only if you control an Injustice Gang character.

Ongoing: Whenever an Injustice Gang character attacks a player directly, put a chaos counter on Injustice for All.

Plot twists cost all players 1 more to play for each chaos counter on Injustice for All.

If there are multiple copies of Injustice for All in play, then a chaos counter is put on each one whenever an Injustice Gang character attacks directly, and plot twists cost all players X more to play, where X is the total number of chaos counters on all copies of Injustice for All.

King Shark, Jaws of Death
Character, 3, Secret Society, 6/6
Loyalty

You can recruit King Shark from your KO'd pile and only from there.

This doesn't break any other recruit rules—for example, you can recruit only during your recruit step, only if you can pay the required resource points, and so on.

Master Plan
Plot Twist, 2
Ongoing: Discard a Secret Society character card >>> You can recruit target character card from a KO'd pile this turn. Use only once per turn.


You target before paying costs, so you can't target the card you discard. You can recruit the target card only if it stays in that KO'd pile until you recruit it. You can recruit the target card even from an opponent’s KO’d pile, but this doesn't break any other recruit rules—for example, you can recruit only during your recruit step, only if you can pay the required resource points, and so on.

Mirror Image
Plot Twist, 3
Play only during your recruit step.

Choose an opposing character. Search its controller's deck for a copy of that character and remove that copy from the game. You may recruit it this step.

A copy of a card has the same name and version. You can recruit that copy only if it stays removed from the game until you recruit it. This doesn't break any other recruit rules—for example, you can recruit only if you can pay the required resource points, and so on.

Ra's al Ghul, Demon's Head Rising
Character, 5, League of Assassins, 10/8
Characters lose and can't gain affiliations while in combat with Ra's al Ghul.


A character defending against Ra’s al Ghul loses its affiliation immediately; there’s no opportunity for adjacent characters to reinforce beforehand. Characters team attacking with Ra’s al Ghul are not “in combat” with him.

Raven, Demon Spawn
Character, 5, Teen Titans, 8/10
Whenever Raven enters combat with an opposing character, its controller moves it to his hidden area.


Moving the opposing character won't change attack legality. Its controller chooses where to move it. It may be moved to a different row.

Ray Palmer <> The Atom, Tiny Titan
Character, 1, Teen Titans / JLA, 2/1
Discard Ray Palmer >>> Characters you control can team attack hidden characters this turn.


Ray's power doesn't let your characters break any other combat rules this turn (such as attacking from a support row without range). They can still directly attack a player with no non-stunned visible characters (even if that player controls a non-stunned hidden character).

Research and Development
Plot Twist, 3
Ongoing: Whenever a character enters play under an opponent’s control, if it has cost less than or equal to a Lex Luthor you control, put a +1 / +1 counter on that Lex Luthor.


If you control multiple applicable Lex Luthors, you choose which one gets the counter as this power triggers.

The Riddler, Riddle Me This
Character, 1, Secret Society / Arkham Inmates, 1/2
[Activate] >>> Put the top card of target player's deck into his KO'd pile. Your opponents can't play plot twists with the same cost as that card this turn.


Opponents can respond as usual before the top card is revealed on resolution. Once that happens, it's too late for them to respond with plot twists of that cost. Plot twist cards already on the chain aren't negated or otherwise impacted.

Strange Days
Plot Twist, 4
To play, remove X +1 / +1 counters from Doom Patrol characters you control.

Your opponents pay X more to play plot twists this turn.

Opponents can respond as usual before this resolves. Plot twist cards already on the chain aren't negated or otherwise impacted. Counters can be removed from stunned Doom Patrol characters.

Terminal Velocity
Plot Twist, 3
Target character with identity The Flash can attack directly on his next attack this turn.


The target can attack directly regardless of what characters the defending player controls.

Vandal Savage, Cro-Magnon Man
Character, 8, Injustice Gang, 18/18
Loyalty

At the start of the recovery phase, you may remove Vandal Savage from the game. If you do, your endurance becomes 1.

This raises (or lowers) your endurance to 1. Your endurance becomes 1 before the wrap-up checks for 0 endurance.

Wally West <> The Flash, Keystone Cop
Character, 5, JLA / Speed Force, 10/8
Free >>> Wally West can attack hidden and protected characters this turn.


Wally can attack hidden characters whether or not they are protected, and protected characters whether or not they are hidden. His power doesn't let him break any other combat rules (such as attacking from a support row without range). He can still directly attack a player who controls no non-stunned visible characters (even if that player controls a non-stunned hidden character).

Wonder Woman, Ambassador of Peace
Character, 4, JLA, 8/7
Discard a card >>> Change the target of an opposing effect with exactly one target. (The new target must be legal.)


“Effects with exactly one target” include equipment recruit effects. However, the new target must be legal, so you can’t target a character you control with opposing equipment.

March 24, 2009

Marvel Universe FAQ

Marvel Universe Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Paul Ross, with contributions from Dave DeLaney, David Harris, and Edwin Teh
Last updated June 10, 2008

GENERAL

1. This set is legal for sanctioned Constructed tournaments from June 27, 2008.

2. Rally


To rally for a [description] card is to reveal the top card of your deck. If that card matches the [description], the rally is “successful” and you put that card into your hand. Otherwise, put it on the bottom of your deck. If the [description] requires a choice, you must make that choice before revealing that card.

Example: You recruit Dr. Strange, triggering his power when he enters play. As it resolves, you first choose a card type (you choose “character”) and then reveal the top card of your deck. The card you reveal is Echo, who you choose to put into play. The rally was successful, so you must choose a second card type, and then reveal the next card from the top of your deck.

Dr. Strange, Secret Avenger
When Dr. Strange enters play, rally for a card type of your choice. Each time you're successful, repeat this process with a card type you haven't chosen yet.

Echo <> Ronin, Secret Avenger
If you would rally Echo into your hand, instead, you may put her into play if you don't control a character named Echo.


3. Illuminati

The members of the Illuminati are Black Bolt, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, and Sub-Mariner. A character is a member of the Illuminati regardless of its versions or identities.

To choose “two different members of the Illuminati”, choose two names from the above list, then choose two characters, each of which must have a different one of the chosen names (regardless of any other names it has).

If a member of the Illuminati refers to “different members of the Illuminati”, it means different as described above, not different from that member.

Example: You control Mr. Fantastic and The Captain, who has gained the names “Mr. Fantastic” and “Professor X.” You can exhaust those two characters to pay the cost of Mr. Fantastic’s power.

Mr. Fantastic, Protector of the Power Gem
Exhaust two different members of the Illuminati you control >>> Draw a card.

The Captain, Can't Remember His Real Name
At the start of the combat phase, choose a name that The Captain doesn't have. He gains that name, and then say all his names. If you do so correctly, draw a card.


4. Warbound

Some Warbound characters have a power that says “When [this character] becomes stunned, you may remove it from the game. If you do, characters you control named Hulk [are enhanced in some way].”

Such an enhancement:

• Lasts for the rest of the game, even if [this character] card somehow leaves your RFG zone.
• Affects any characters you control named Hulk regardless of when they entered your control.

5. Equip only to an opposing character

Some equipment can be equipped “only to an opposing character.”

• Playing such an equipment is otherwise identical to playing a normal equipment.
• The opposing character's controller gains control of the equipment as it attaches.
• If a modifier tries to transfer the equipment to a character, or tries to put it into play equipped to a character, it can do so only if that character is opposed to that modifier's controller.

6. Gaining a name

Some modifiers say that a character gains a name.

• A character can’t gain a name it already has. It keeps any other names it has.
• A character gaining a name while in play doesn't cause a uniqueness check.
• A card with multiple names has the "same name" as another card only if both have the same number of names and all match (regardless of the order in which those names were gained). Since the uniqueness rule applies only to cards with the same name, and cards outside of play can’t have multiple names, cards with multiple names are effectively “immune” to uniqueness.
• An equipment that can be equipped only to a character with a specified name stays equipped even if the equipped character loses that name.

7. Boostable plot twists

Some plot twists have a boost cost followed by boost text. You choose whether to pay the boost cost of such a plot twist as you play it. As it resolves, if you chose to pay its boost cost, you perform its boost text after its regular text.

Example: If you pay the boost cost of Avengers Reassembled, you follow the instructions in order on resolution. So you first search your deck for an Avengers character card and put it on top of your deck, then replace a resource, with no priority in between.

Avengers Reassembled
Search your deck for an Avengers character card, reveal it, and put it on top of your deck.

Boost—Discard a card: Replace a resource you control.

8. Nextwave

Nextwave? Never heard of them. Ask ben_seck@upperdeck.com :)

ERRATA

These cards have received errata. The updated text is italicized below:

Cable, Secret Avenger
Character, 3, Avengers ○ X-Men, 5/4
Reservist

Boost 2: When Cable enters play, if you control another Avengers or X-Men character, remove Cable and another target character from play. At the start of your attack step this turn, the owner of each of those character cards returns it to play.

Each of those character cards returns to play under its owner’s control. They are different cards from the ones that were removed. If the target is illegal on resolution, no characters are removed.

Hawkeye <> Ronin, Secret Avenger
Character, 2, Avengers, 3/2
Reservist

When Hawkeye enters play, rally for a character card. If you're successful, you may KO a character with cost 1 or less.

When Hawkeye enters play, you rally for a character card even if there are no characters with cost 1 or less in play.

Kang <> Iron Lad, Non-Unique ○ Young Avenger
Character, 6, Kang Council, 12/12
Kang can reinforce and team attack as though he had all affiliations.

Attackers can't be stunned while Kang is team attacking.

At the start of each opponent's attack step, if Kang team attacked this turn, ready him and all characters that team attacked with him this turn.

Defenders can be stunned while Kang is team attacking as usual.

Sentinel Squad O*N*E*, Army
Character, 5, S.H.I.E.L.D. ○ Sentinel, 9/9
Boost—Return a character you control to its owner's hand: When Sentinel Squad O*N*E* enters play, return up to three target Army character cards from your KO'd pile to your hand.

She-Hulk, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Character, 5, S.H.I.E.L.D. ○ Avengers, 8/9
Reservist

At the start of the combat phase, you may replace a reservist resource you control. If you do, put a +1 / +1 counter on She-Hulk.

Sub-Mariner, The Avenging Son
Character, 5, Atlantis ○ Marvel Defenders, 9/8
Boost—Exhaust X other characters you control: Sub-Mariner enters play with X +1 / +1 counters.


SINGLE CARDS

Atlantis
Location, 3
[Activate], Exhaust a Sub-Mariner you control >>> Remove target card in a KO'd pile from the game. You may play that card this turn.


You can target a card in any KO'd pile. You may play it this turn as long as it stays removed from the game. Playing a card from an RFG zone is otherwise identical to playing it from your hand. For example, you must be able to pay its recruit cost or meet its threshold cost, and you can’t play characters or equipment outside of your recruit step. If you play a plot twist you don't own, it goes to its owner's KO'd pile. You can “play” characters, equipment, and plot twists. You can't play a location, but you can still remove one from the game.

Bizarro World
Location, 2
Bizarro World is considered to be in all sets.

Flip only if you control a Revenge Squad character.

[Activate] >>> Reveal the top card of your deck and put it into your hand. If it has the word "Bizarro" in its name or game text, continue this process until you put a card into your hand without the word "Bizarro" in its name or game text. (See bizarroworld.com)

Bizarro World isn’t reprinted in this set. However, its first line means that it’s legal in any tournament where Marvel Universe is legal (and, in fact, any tournament restricted by set legality).

Blade, Independent Contractor
Character, 3, S.H.I.E.L.D. ○ Marvel Knights, 5/3
Reservist

Blade can attack hidden characters.

Whenever Blade attacks a character, you may have that character's controller move it to his other area.

If that character is hidden, you may have its controller move it to his visible area, and vice versa.

Bloodsport
Plot Twist, 4
Play only if you control a defending Hulk.

Target opponent chooses a team attacker he controls, removes all other attackers from this attack, and readies those other characters.

If played during a non-team attack, this removes the attacker from the attack and readies it.

Cammi, Annoying Sidekick
Character, 1, United Front, 1/2
Characters you control can reinforce and team attack as though they had all affiliations.

Whenever you recruit a character, you may move Cammi to your hidden area.

Unaffiliated characters you control can team attack together, and reinforce affiliated characters. However, this doesn’t allow unaffiliated characters you control to be reinforced (even by affiliated characters).

Captain America, Champion License
Character, 4, Avengers ○ S.H.I.E.L.D., 8/7
Loyalty—Reveal

Leader: Remove an adjacent defender from this attack >>> Target non-stunned, non-defending character you control becomes a defender. Use only once per turn.

Whenever Captain America becomes stunned, adjacent characters have invulnerability this turn.

Captain America’s payment power can target himself if applicable. Adjacent characters gain invulnerability only after his triggered effect resolves, so an adjacent character becoming stunned at the same time as Captain America causes stun endurance loss as usual. Characters have invulnerability this turn only while they remain adjacent to Captain America.

Captain America, Living Legend
Character, 6, Avengers ○ Invaders, 13/13
If another Avengers or Invaders character you control would become stunned, instead, you may exhaust Captain America.


If Captain America is already exhausted, you can’t exhaust him to replace a stun.

Captain America's Shield
Equipment, 0
Equip only to Captain America.

Return Captain America's Shield to its owner's hand >>> Exhaust equipped character. Target player exhausts a ready character he controls. Use only during the combat phase.

This payment effect can be played and will resolve successfully even if the equipped character is already exhausted.

Charging Star
Plot Twist, 2
Target Captain America gets +4 DEF this attack. Negate all other effects targeting him.


Charging Star can be played only during an attack, but its target need not be attacking or defending. As it resolves, it negates all other effects on the chain that have its target as at least one of their targets. Other effects can be added in response (or after Charging Star resolves) and will resolve successfully. Charging Star can’t disrupt effects that have already resolved.

Clandestine Operations
Plot Twist, 3
Play only during the recovery phase.

To play, exhaust two different members of the Illuminati you control. (The members of the Illuminati are Black Bolt, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, and Sub-Mariner.)

Ongoing: Whenever a character enters play, exhaust it.

This power affects all characters, not just opposing ones. Affected characters can be exhausted to pay costs before this triggered effect resolves.

Drax the Destroyer, Titan Slayer
Character, 5, United Front, 10/9
Cosmic: Remove an attacker you control from this attack >>> If Drax isn't attacking, Drax becomes an attacker. Use only once per turn.


This doesn't change whether or not the attack is a team attack, nor does it check whether Drax could be proposed as an attacker against the current defender. If the attack's already a team attack, Drax becomes a team attacker, regardless of whether he could be proposed as a team attacker with the existing attacker(s). His power can be used while he is exhausted. Using it doesn’t exhaust him.

Dr. Strange, Secret Avenger
Character,2, Avengers ○ Marvel Knights, 2/3
Reservist

When Dr. Strange enters play, rally for a card type of your choice. Each time you're successful, repeat this process with a card type you haven't chosen yet. (The card types are character, equipment, location, and plot twist.)

You must choose a new card type before each rally. Nobody gets priority between each rally. After four successes, you can’t repeat this process with a card type you haven’t chosen yet, so you stop.

Elloe Kaifi, Slave of the Empire
Character, 1, Warbound, 2/1
Whenever Eloe Kaffi becomes stunned, you may remove her from the game. If you do, characters you control named Hulk get +1 / +1.


If you've removed two copies of Elloe from the game this way, characters you control named Hulk get +2 / +2, and so on.

Extremis Upgrade
Equipment, 0
Equip only to Iron Man.

If equipped character would become stunned, instead, you may KO Extremis Upgrade. If you do, exhaust equipped character.

You may KO Extremis Upgrade to replace a stun even if the equipped character is already exhausted.

Falcon, Secret Avenger
Character, 3, Avengers ○ S.H.I.E.L.D., 4/5
Reservist

When Falcon enters play, rally for a character card. If it's named Captain America, put two +1 / +1 counters on Falcon.

If the rally reveals any character card, put it into your hand. If it’s named Captain America, Falcon also gets the bonus counters.

Fin Fang Foom, He Whose Limbs Shatter Mountains
Character, 8, 20/17
You may pay 4 resource points rather than pay Fin Fang Foom's recruit cost. When you recruit Fin Fang Foom this way, KO all resources you control and all other characters you control. Then, at the start of the recovery phase this turn, return each character you control to its owner's hand.


If you choose to pay 4 resource points, you KO all resources and characters you control as Fin Fang Foom’s triggered effect resolves, before he enters play.

Frog of Thunder
Plot Twist, 4
Play only during the build phase.

To play, discard a character card.

Target an opposing character. Reveal cards from the top of its controller’s deck until you reveal a character card with the same cost as that character. If you do, KO that character and put that card into play in the same position. Shuffle all other revealed cards into that deck.

The incoming card enters play non-stunned and ready unless otherwise specified, even if the outgoing card is exhausted or stunned. You ignore whether or not the incoming card has concealed.

Hercules, Secret Avenger
Character, 7, Avengers ○ Warbound, 15/15
Reservist

[Activate] >>> Ready another target character and put three +1/+1 counters on it. Use only once per turn.

You can target and put counters on a stunned character, but it won't ready.

John Walker <> U.S. Agent, Omega Flight
Character, 4, Alpha Flight, 7/7
When you play a plot twist from your hand targeting John Walker, you may return it to your hand. This power triggers only once per turn.


If you return a plot twist card from the chain to your hand this way, its effect stays on the chain and resolves normally. This power triggers only off the first applicable plot twist you play each turn.


Life Model Decoy, More Human than Human
Character, 0, S.H.I.E.L.D., 0/0
Loyalty

Boost X: When Life Model Decoy enters play, it gains the printed ATK, DEF, cost, flight, range, powers, and keywords of target opposing character with cost X.

Life Model Decoy gains the target's printed keywords and powers in addition to any it has already. It gains the targets printed cosmic powers whether or not the target has a cosmic counter, but they will be active only if Life Model Decoy somehow gains a cosmic counter. Its ATK, DEF, and cost are increased by the corresponding printed values of the target, and it also inherits the target’s printed flight and range information. Life Model Decoy’s actual printed information doesn't change. Any additional “enters play” powers it gains are gained too late to trigger as it enters play.

Loki, Loki Laufeyson
Character, 8, Asgardians, 19/20
If a character would attack a character you control, instead, you may have it attack a random character you control.


The random character need not be one that could be attacked by the attackers. (For example, it could be hidden or protected.) The random character could be the originally proposed defender. All the attackers in a team attack are redirected to the same random character. If a character becomes an attacker in the middle of an attack against a character you control, or a character you control becomes a defender in the middle of an attack, you may choose to apply this replacement modifier.

Maverick, Christoph Nord
Character, 3, Weapon X, 4/4
Reservist

When Maverick enters play, choose a name.

[Activate] >>> Target character with that name can't attack and its payment powers can't be used this turn. Return Maverick to his owner's hand. Use only during the combat phase.

The target character's payment powers can be used in response to this effect. This effect will resolve successfully even if Maverick is no longer in play. Activating Maverick won't negate any payment effects already on the chain, or remove the target character from combat if it's already attacking.

MODOC Squad, Army ○ A.I.M.
Character, 3, Crime Lords, 5/4
MODOC Squad has reinforcement while protecting a character.

A character protected by MODOC Squad can't be attacked.

A character protected by MODOC Squad can't be attacked, even by characters that can attack protected characters, or that can attack a character as though it were unprotected.

Natasha Romanoff <> Black Widow, Mighty Avenger
Character, 3, S.H.I.E.L.D. ○ Avengers, 5/4
Discard a character card >>> Target defender gets -X DEF this attack, where X is half its DEF, rounded up. Use only while Natasha Romanoff is attacking and only once per turn.


X is calculated once only on resolution. For example, if the defender has 5 DEF at that time, it gets -3 DEF this attack.

Phyla-Vell <> Quasar, Protector of the Universe
Character, 3, United Front ○ Kree, 4/5
Characters you control can reinforce and team attack as though they had all affiliations.

Cosmic: Whenever Phyla-Vell becomes stunned, recover her.

Unaffiliated characters you control can team attack together, and reinforce affiliated characters. However, unaffiliated characters you control can’t be reinforced (even by affiliated characters).

Power Dampeners
Equipment, 0
Play only if you control a S.H.I.E.L.D. character.

Equip only to an opposing character.

Equipped character loses and can't have non-activated powers.

A non-activated power is any power other than “a payment power with [activate] as part of its cost.” Because Power Dampeners doesn’t specify that keywords are lost, the equipped character loses only non-activated powers that are not represented by keywords. For example, Ronan the Accuser loses its triggered power but doesn’t lose cosmic, and Super Skrull loses neither cosmic nor invulnerability (even though both keywords represent non-activated powers).

Ronan the Accuser, Kree Emperor
Cosmic: Whenever Ronan becomes stunned, you may exhaust target character.

Super Skrull, Noble Sacrifice
Cosmic: Invulnerability


Quicksilver, House of M
Character, 0, Brotherhood, 4/2
When you recruit Quicksilver, at the start of your next recruit step, you lose the game unless you pay 3 resource points.


To avoid losing the game, you must pay 3 resource points at the start of your next recruit step even if Quicksilver is stunned or no longer in play.

Radioactive Man, Sheep in Wolf's Clothing
Character, 5, Thunderbolts ○ S.H.I.E.L.D., 10/8
Substitute

Pay 2 endurance >>> Target player moves his characters until none are adjacent to each other. Use only while Radioactive Man is in combat.

Nobody gets priority while the target player is moving his characters. Moving characters this way neither removes reinforcement nor negates any reinforcement effects on the chain. The target player may reinforce in response, before any characters move.

Reckless Youth
Plot Twist, 3
To play, discard a card.

Target an Avengers character that team attacked this turn. If it's stunned, recover it.

Boost—Discard an Avengers character card: Ready that character.

Reckless Youth can target an Avengers character that is currently team attacking. You must discard two cards to ready the target, and can do so even if it's not stunned.

Richard Rider <> Nova Centurion, Keeper of the Worldmind
Character, 7, United Front ○ Nova Corps, 16/14
When Richard Rider enters play, remove the top seven cards of your deck from the game.

You can play plot twist cards removed this way.

Playing a plot twist card from an RFG zone is otherwise identical to playing it from your hand. For example, you must be able to meet its threshold cost. As part of resolving off the chain, it enters its owner’s KO’d pile. "This way" means cards removed by this particular Richard Rider. If a Richard Rider leaves play, you may no longer play cards removed by that Richard Rider (even if that physical card later returns to play).


Rick Jones, Monster's Best Friend
Character, 2, Warbound, 2/3
[Activate] >>> Rally for a card with the word "Hulk" in its name or game text.

[Activate] >>> Return Rick Jones to his owner's hand. Use only during the combat phase.

Game text is any non-italicized text in a text box. For this rally to be successful, “Hulk” must be an individual word, so Hulkling, Hulkbuster Armor, and She-Hulk will all be unsuccessful.

Ruthless Aggression
Plot Twist, 1
Target Thunderbolts attacker gets +2 ATK this attack and an additional +1 ATK for each time an opposing character was stunned or KO'd this turn.


The ATK bonus is calculated once only on resolution. An opposing character that was both stunned and KO'd this turn counts twice, as does an opposing character that was stunned twice.

Silver Surfer, The Silver Savage
Character, 3, Heralds of Galactus, 5/4
A character in front of or behind Silver Surfer has reinforcement.

Cosmic: Discard a card >>> Move Silver Surfer and he gets +1 / +1 this turn.

Silver Surfer reinforces a character that shares a column with him. Opposing characters never share a column with him.

Speed, Thomas Shepard ○ Young Avenger
Character, 1, Avengers, 2/0
Reveal Speed from your hand >>> If you control an Avengers team attacker, put Speed into play exhausted and team attacking if you haven't controlled a character named Speed this attack.

Whenever Speed stuns a defender, return Speed to his owner's hand.

As this effect resolves, if you don't control an Avengers team attacker, or you control or have controlled a character named Speed this attack, put Speed back into your hand (from the chain); otherwise, you must put him into play. Speed becomes a team attacker as he enters play, regardless of whether he could team attack with any existing team attackers. However, he doesn't "become exhausted."

Superhuman Registration Act, Team-Up
Plot Twist, 3
Ongoing: Character cards you own gain the Pro-Registration affiliation and lose and can't gain the Anti-Registration affiliation.

Play with the top card of your deck revealed.

You can recruit a character card revealed this way if you haven't recruited a card with that name this turn.

Recruiting a character card from the top of your deck is otherwise identical to recruiting it from your hand. For example, you must be able to pay its recruit cost, and it must be your recruit step. If you recruit a character card from the top of your deck, you don't reveal the next card until all costs have been paid.

Switching Sides
Plot Twist, 4
To play, exhaust an Avengers character you control.

Move target stunned character to your front row. It gains the Avengers affiliation.

You can target a front or support row character. If that character is hidden on resolution, move it to your hidden area, otherwise move it to your visible area. You gain control of that character. It gains the Avengers affiliation until it leaves play.

The Elektra Situation
Plot Twist, 4
To play, exhaust two different members of the Illuminati you control. (The members of the Illuminati are Black Bolt, Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, and Sub-Mariner.)

Choose a name.

Ongoing: Opposing characters with that name lose and can't have powers and keywords.

The ongoing power does nothing until the plot twist effect resolves and a name is chosen. Flight and range are neither powers nor keywords. If an opposing character with the chosen name has a power that triggers when it enters play, that power will be lost before it triggers. However, characters that enter play exhausted, stunned, or with counters will continue to do so.

Thing, Conscientious Objector
Character, 6, S.H.I.E.L.D. ○ Fantastic Four, 15/15
Thing can't attack.

A character protected by Thing can't be attacked.

A character protected by Thing can't be attacked, even by characters that can attack protected characters, or that can attack a character as though it were unprotected.

Thor, Donald Blake
Character, 8, Asgardians, 20/19
Whenever Thor stuns an opposing character, you may discard your hand. If you do, stun each character with cost equal to the cost of a card discarded this way.


Thor’s effect stuns each applicable character, not just opposing ones. Discarding zero cards doesn't stun each character with cost 0.

Vision, Young Avenger
Character, 4, Avengers, 8/6
While Vision is team attacking with exactly one other character, team attacks can cause breakthrough.


Team attacks with Vision and exactly one other character attacking a defending character conclude as follows. First the attacking player chooses one of the two attackers and applies its ATK (A1) against the defender's DEF (D).

• If A1 is greater than or equal to D, that attacker causes (A1-D) breakthrough and the second attacker causes breakthrough equal to its ATK.
• If A1 is less than D, that attacker causes no breakthrough, and the second attacker's ATK (A2) is applied. If (A1+A2) is greater than D, the second attacker causes (A1+A2-D) breakthrough.

Weapon Omega, Michael Pointer ○ Omega Flight
Character, 6, Alpha Flight, 12/12
Whenever an opponent plays a plot twist from his hand, remove it from the game. (This doesn't negate it.)

You may play cards removed this way.

See Richard Rider.

Apologies

Welcome back everyone. I feel I should apologize for the lack of solid writing I've put on the blog here lately. My focus has been elsewhere and even during our events I haven't been paying as much attention to detail as I should have. Case in point: I can remember the teams most of our players were using last Friday, but only a few of their guest stars. Please post up some comments to remind me what you were playing.

However, I do remember the top three finishers from our guest-star event. In a four round game with seven players we ended up with three going 3-1. MANTIS ranked the players to give us our top three.

First place: Roy - an X-Force deck using The Captain and some nasty beats. I think I lost my match against him on turn five.
Second place: Will - sorry...I am blanking on this one. :(
Third: Jon - Exiles craziness with Mimic and Blink non-unique swarm. Longshot was the guest star.

Vern, Harry, Jordan and myself rounded out the 7 players. I'll post up my "JSA featuring Lobo" deck list another day.