DC Origins FAQ

DC Origins Frequently Asked Questions

Rule specific FAQ

Locations, such as Lazarus Pit, in this set are not unique. They still follow the four cards per deck rule for deck construction.

Cards, such as Trigon, The Terrible, instruct you to move objects to your front, support or resource rows. As part of moving that object to one of your rows you gain control of that object.

Cards, such as Assassin Initiate, have you pay resource points as a cost for their payment power. You may only use a power that has “Pay 1 resource point” during your recruit step, because this is the only step that you have resource points.

This set introduces variable costs (denoted by X). The following rule was modified to explain variable costs.

505.1b If the effect is modal (has the words "choose one" or "target player chooses one"), the player instructed to choose will make a modal choice for the effect. If the effect has additional costs, the player announces his or her intention to pay additional costs. If the effect has a variable cost, represented by an X, the player announces the value of X.

Cards, such as Dinah Laurel Lance, reference unprotected characters. The following rule explains protected characters. A character that does not have the "protected" characteristic is said to be unprotected.

701.7 "Protected" is a characteristic that a support row character may have. A character is protected if there is a non-stunned character in the front row that shares the same column with it.

One card in this set requires a coin flip. The following glossary entry has been added to explain coin flips:

Coin Flip

Some effects may instruct you to flip a coin. To flip a coin, one player flips the coin with the other player calling "heads" or "tails" while the coin is in the air. Rolling a die or another method of randomization is an acceptable alternative if no coin is available.


Some characters in this set, such as Dick Grayson have the following name convention Card name <> Identity. The following rule has been added for Identity in the Comprehensive Rules:

201.2 Some character card names have the <> symbol appearing after the name followed by text. These characters have an identity. The naming format for those characters is name <> identity. A character's identity is ignored when determining uniqueness of that character.

Boost is a new mechanic introduced in this set. The following rule has been added for Boost in the Comprehensive Rules:

709.1 Boost is a key word that represents a continuous power that functions in all zones. The phrase "Boost [cost]" means "As an additional cost to play this card you may pay [cost], if you do, the text after the boost key word is active when this card becomes an object."

Loyal is a new mechanic introduced in this set. The following rule has been added for Boost in the Comprehensive Rules:

710.1 Loyalty is a key word that represents a continuous power that functions in the hand zone. The phrase "Loyalty" means "Recruit this card only if you control a character that shares at least one team affiliation with this card."

Transferable is a new mechanic introduced in this set. The following rule has been added for Transferable in the Comprehensive Rules:

711.1 Transferable is a key word that represents a triggered power that functions in the in-play zone. The phrase "Transferable" means "At start of the formation step, you may transfer this card."

Card specific FAQ

Barbara Gordon <> Oracle, Information Network
Character, Gotham Knights, Recruit 2
1 ATK/2 DEF
As an additional cost to recruit Barbara Gordon, reveal another Gotham Knights character card from your hand.
Pay 1 resource point >>> Draw a card. Use this power only once per turn.
Activate >>> Draw a card. Use this power only during the recovery phase.

You may only use a power that has “Pay 1 resource point” during your recruit step because this is the only step that you have resource points.

Batcave
Location, Threshold 1
Flip Batcave only if you control a Gotham Knights character.
At the start of the build phase, you may have target opponent gain control of the initiative. If you do, at the start of the combat phase, the player who started the turn with the initiative gains control of the initiative.

Batcave allows you to make your opponent complete his steps in the build phase before you do.

Example: Bruce has the Batcave in play and it is Bruce’s initiative. At the start of the build phase Bruce has Alfred gain control of the initiative. This sets up a delayed trigger that will trigger at the start of the combat phase. Alfred completes his resource, recruit and formation steps first, and then Bruce does the same. Now, once they move to the combat phase they will resolve the trigger and Bruce will get the initiative.

Beast Boy, Garfield Logan
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 3
3 ATK/3 DEF
Flight
Whenever Beast Boy attacks or is attacked, put a +1 ATK /+1 DEF counter on him.

Beast Boy’s triggered power triggers for every character attacking him. If Beast Boy is team attacked, he gets a +1/+1 counter for every attacker attacking him.

Black Mask, Roman Sionis
Character, Recruit 2
3 ATK/2 DEF
Range
Discard a character card with no team affiliation from your hand >>> Power-up Black Mask. Use this power only while Black Mask is attacking or defending. (A powered-up character gets +1 ATK and +1 DEF this attack.)

This power up is identical to the power-up game based effect. T-Jet will trigger on this power up.

Cassandra Cain <> Batgirl, Martial Artist
Character, Gotham Knights, Recruit 4
8 ATK/7 DEF
Loyalty. Discard a Gotham Knights character card from your hand >>> Cassandra Cain gets +1 ATK and +1 DEF this attack.

Though her power resembles a “power-up”, it is not one. Lost City will not replace this with +3/+3. T-Jet will not trigger.

Connor Kent <> Superboy, Tactile Telekinetic
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 6
12 ATK/10 DEF
Flight, Range
Exhaust a Teen Titans character you control >>> Connor Kent gets +2 DEF this turn.
Pay 2 endurance >>> KO target equipment an opponent controls.

You may exhaust Connor Kent to pay for his payment power.

Dick Grayson <> Nightwing, Titan Leader
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 5
8 ATK/8 DEF
While Dick Grayson is ready, Teen Titans attackers you control get +2 ATK.
Boost 2: When Dick Grayson comes into play, Teen Titans characters you control get +2 ATK while attacking this turn.

Dick Grayson's continuous power and Boost effect are cumulative. If you paid the boost, then while Dick Grayson is ready Teen Titan characters you control would get +4 ATK while attacking this turn.

Dr. Light, Arthur Light
Character, Fearsome Five, Recruit 6
11 ATK/11 DEF
Range
Activate >>> Stun target character with a cost less than the number of Fearsome Five characters you control.
Boost 3: When Dr. Light comes into play, put all Fearsome Five character cards in your KO'd pile into your front row.

Dr Light’s boost may result in your controlling two or more unique characters with the same name.

Dr. Tzin-Tzin, Master of Hypnosis
Character, League of Assassins, Recruit 4
5 ATK/5 DEF
Activate >>> Ready target attacker an opponent controls. That character gets -3 ATK this turn.

The readied attacker would be able to attack later if still able.

Dual Nature
Plot Twist, Threshold 3
As an additional cost to play Dual Nature, put a stunned League of Assassins character you control into your KO'd Pile.
Choose a League of Assassins character card in your hand with a cost less than the cost of the character you put into your KO'd pile. Put the chosen card into your support row.

Dual Nature may result in you controlling two unique characters with the same name. This happens because the unique character put under your control through Dual Nature’s effect was not recruited.

Firefly, Garfield Lynns
Character, Arkham Inmates, Recruit 2
3 ATK/1 DEF
Flight, Range
Activate, discard an Arkham Inmates character card from your hand >>> KO target location and KO a resource you control. Use this power only during your attack step.

You choose which resource you control to KO on resolution of this effect.

Fizzle
Plot Twist, Threshold 2
As an additional cost to play Fizzle, discard a Gotham Knights character card from your hand.
Negate target non-ongoing plot twist effect.

A non-ongoing plot twist effect is an effect generated from a plot twists that does not have the ongoing symbol. Fizzle is not a game term.

Heroic Sacrifice
Plot Twist, Threshold 2
As an additional cost to play Heroic Sacrifice, stun a non-defending Teen Titans character you control.
Exhaust target Teen Titans defender you control and remove all attackers from this attack.

When an attacker is removed from an attack, it is not readied.

Huntress, Helena Rosa Bertinelli
Character, Gotham Knights, Recruit 3
4 ATK/4 DEF
Range
While Huntress is attacking or defending, characters may not be the target of plot twists your opponents control.

While Huntress is attacking or defending all characters cannot be the target of plot twists your opponents control.

Jinx, Elemental Sorceress
Character, Fearsome Five, Recruit 4
7 ATK/7 DEF
Range
Exhaust a location you control >>> Each of your opponents loses 1 endurance.
Pay 1 resource point >>> Search your deck for a location card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck. Use this power only once per turn.

You may only use a power that has “Pay 1 resource point” during your recruit step, because this is the only step that you have resource points.

Lazarus Pit
Location, Threshold 1
Lazarus Pit is not unique.
KO Lazarus Pit >>> Recover target stunned League of Assassins character.
Activate >>> Target stunned League of Assassins character cannot be KO'd this turn.

If a character cannot be KO’d and is not recovered, leave it in play stunned.

Mad Hatter, Jervis Tetch
Character, Arkham Inmates, Recruit 2
1 ATK/2 DEF
Range
As an additional cost to recruit Mad Hatter, reveal another Arkham Inmates character card from your hand.
Pay 1 resource point >>> Move target character with a cost of 2 or less to your front row. At the start of the recovery phase, move that character to its owner's front row. Use this power only once per turn.

You may only use a power that has “Pay 1 resource point” during your recruit step, because this is the only step that you have resource points. As part of moving a character to one of your rows, you gain control of that character.

Mirage, Miriam Delgado
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 1
1 ATK/1 DEF
When Mirage comes into play, you may reveal a Teen Titans character card from your hand. If you do, choose a team affiliation. Mirage has the chosen team affiliation. (This is in addition to the Teen Titans team affiliation.)

You must choose a team affiliation that exists in the Vs System.

Mr. Zsasz, Victor Zsasz
Character, Arkham Inmates, Recruit 2
2 ATK/2 DEF
Whenever Mr. Zsasz stuns a defender, put a +1 ATK/+1 DEF counter on Mr. Zsasz.
Boost 1: When Mr. Zsasz comes into play, stun target character with a cost of 1. If you do, put a +1 ATK/+1 DEF counter on Mr. Zsasz.

You may still pay the boost cost even if there are no legal targets in play. When Mr. Zsasz comes into play, if there are no legal targets for his come into play effect to target, the effect will be negated by the game rules.

Mr. Zsasz will retain his counters when he is face down.

Museum Heist
Plot Twist, Threshold 2
Play Museum Heist only during the recovery phase.
Exhaust a ready character you control. If you do, draw two cards unless target opponent discards a card from his hand.

Your opponent chooses whether to discard a card from his hand or not after you choose if you exhaust a ready character you control or not.

Omen, Lilith Clay
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 1
Exhaust a Teen Titans character you control >>> Look at the top X cards of your deck, where X is the cost of the character you exhausted. Put those cards on the top of your deck in any order.

You may exhaust Omen to pay for her payment power.

Optitron
Location, Threshold 1
Pay 1 resource point, discard a Teen Titans character card from your hand >>> Search your deck for a Teen Titans character card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck. Use this power only once per turn.

You may only use a power that has “Pay 1 resource point” during your recruit step, because this is the only step that you have resource points.

Poison Ivy, Pamela Isley
Character, Arkham Inmates, Recruit 4
6 ATK/7 DEF
Whenever Poison Ivy stuns a character, if that character would be recovered this turn, instead that character is not recovered and that character cannot be KO'd during the recovery phase this turn.

Treat a character stunned by Poison Ivy as normal, however if that character would be recovered this turn (even during the wrap-up), leave the character stunned instead and do not KO it during the recovery phase.

Red Star, Leonid Kovar
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 4
7 ATK/6 DEF
Range
Whenever Red Star becomes powered-up, he cannot be stunned while attacking this turn.
Pay 1 resource point >>> Target player loses 5 endurance. Use this power only once per turn and only if you control another Teen Titans character.

You may only use a power that has “Pay 1 resource point” during your recruit step, because this is the only step that you have resource points.

Rigged Elections
Plot Twist, Threshold 1
Ongoing: Exhaust an Arkham Inmates character you control >>> Put a ballot counter on Rigged Elections. If there are 25 or more ballot counters on Rigged Elections, you win the game.

If Rigged Elections is turned face down, it retains its counter.

Roy Harper <> Arsenal, Sharpshooter
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 3
4 ATK/3 DEF
Range
Exhaust a Teen Titans character you control >>> Roy Harper gets +2 ATK this turn.
Activate, KO a resource you control >>> Stun target character with ATK less than Roy Harper’s ATK.

You may exhaust Roy Harper to pay for his payment power.

Talia, Daughter of the Demon's Head
Character, League of Assassins, Recruit 2
1 ATK/3 DEF
Activate >>> Reveal the top two cards of your deck. Put all revealed location cards into your hand. Put all other revealed cards on the bottom of your deck in any order. If you put at least one location card into your hand this way, discard a card from your hand.

You discard one card even if you put two locations into your hand.

T-Jet
Equipment, Recruit 1
Unique. Transferable. Characters you control have flight.
Whenever a Teen Titans character you control becomes powered-up, that character gets +1 ATK and +1 DEF this attack. (This is in addition to all other power-up modifiers.)

If Lost City replaces the power up with +3/+3 instead, T-Jet's triggered power will not trigger.

Teen Titans Go!
Plot Twist, Threshold 2
Ready all Teen Titans characters that have team attacked this turn. Those characters cause no breakthrough this turn.

Teen Titans Go! Will ready Teen Titans characters that are currently team attacking and any characters that have had the team attacker characteristic this turn.

The Demon, Etrigan
Character, Recruit 8
18 ATK/18 DEF
Range
When the Demon comes into play, each of your opponents KOs all resources he controls unless he pays 8 endurance.

This card’s official card text is: “When the Demon comes into play, each of your opponents KOs all resources he controls unless he pays 8 endurance.”

The Demon, Jason Blood
Character, Recruit 4
7 ATK/7 DEF
Whenever the Demon becomes stunned, search your deck for a different version of a card named the Demon, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck.
Pay 1 endurance >>> Reveal a face-down resource you control. If it is a non-ongoing plot twist, turn it face up and draw a card. Use this power only once per turn.

When you reveal a plot twist for Demon's payment power, you do not play that plot twist, so you do not get the plot twist's effect.

The Joker, Joker's Wild
Character, Arkham Inmates, Recruit 3
3 ATK/3 DEF
Loyalty. If you would mulligan and the Joker is in your hand, you may reveal the Joker instead. If you do, put your hand on the bottom of your deck in any order, and draw five cards. You may not mulligan.
Boost 2: When the Joker comes into play, discard your hand and draw five cards.

Joker's power replaces your mulligan with drawing 5 cards and also prevents you from further mulliganing this game instead. So even though you did not mulligan this game, you may not mulligan.

Because it is not on a separate line "you may not mulligan" is not a separate continuous power – it is part of the continuous power that creates the replacement modifier. The "you may not mulligan" modifier only applies if you chose to replace your mulligan with the whole continuous power.

If you have two or more Jokers in your hand, you choose which modifier would replace your mulligan if any. It doesn’t matter which one you choose – the result is the same.

The Joker, The Clown Prince of Crime
Character, Arkham Inmates, Recruit 7
13 ATK/13 DEF
Loyalty. Discard an Arkham Inmates character card from your hand >>> Stun target character if its cost is equal to the card you discarded. Use this power only once per turn and only during your attack step.

The target character is only stunned if its cost is equal to the cost of the card you discarded.

Tim Drake <> Robin, Young Detective
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 2
2 ATK/3 DEF
If a team attacker you control would become stunned, you may stun another team attacker you control instead.
Boost 2: When Tim Drake comes into play, Teen Titans characters you control cannot be stunned while attacking this turn.

Tim Drake affects even non Teen Titans that are team attacking.

Total Anarchy
Plot Twist, Threshold 1
Ongoing: Whenever a character with a cost of 3 or less becomes stunned, KO that character.

This includes your characters as well as your opponent's.

Tower of Babel
Plot Twist, Threshold 1
Play Tower of Babel only if you control a League of Assassins character.
During each player's attack step this turn, that player's characters that do not have the League of Assassins team affiliation have no team affiliation.

Once proposed team attackers become team attackers, Tower of Babel will not stop the attack.

Ubu, Ra's al Ghul's Bodyguard
Character, League of Assassins, Recruit 3
5 ATK/6 DEF
Loyalty. Characters protected by Ubu cannot be attacked.

Characters with flight cannot attack characters protected by Ubu.

USS Argus
Location, Threshold 3
If you would draw a card during the draw phase, skip that draw instead.
Activate >>> Look at the top four cards of your deck. Put one of them into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your deck in any order. Use this power only during the build phase and only if you control a Teen Titans character.

"Draw two cards," means, "draw a card, draw a card." This means that you will still skip your normal two-card draw during your draw phase.

Utility Belt
Equipment, Recruit 0
Equip only to a Gotham Knights character.
Equipped character can attack as though it had flight and range and has "Activate >>> Negate target payment power effect."

A payment power effect is an effect generated from a payment power. A payment power is identified by the arrow (>>>). Activated powers are a subset of payment powers.

Vic Stone <> Cyborg, Human Machine
Character, Teen Titans, Recruit 4
6 ATK/6 DEF
Range
Boost X: When Vic Stone comes into play, search your deck for an equipment card with a cost of X or less and equip it to Vic Stone. Shuffle your deck.

You may pay zero for the boost cost to search for a zero cost equipment.

Wayne Enterprises
Location, Threshold 1
Flip Wayne Enterprises only if you control a Gotham Knights character.
At the start of your formation step, you may transfer target equipment you control to an unequipped character you control.
Activate >>> Target equipped Gotham Knights character gets +1 ATK and +1 DEF this attack.

You may not transfer equipment to or from a stunned character.

Wheel of Plagues
Equipment, Recruit 1
Unique. Equip only to a League of Assassins character.
At the start of the recovery phase, each player who controls one or more characters with a plague counter discards a card from his hand.
Equipped character has " Activate, pay 5 endurance >>> Put a plague counter on target character."

Wheel of Plagues’s triggered power will only trigger once per player who controls a character with a plague counter regardless of how many characters with plague counters that player controls.

World's Finest
Plot Twist, Threshold 2
Choose two different team affiliations among characters you control.
Ongoing: Characters you control, as well as cards in your hand, deck, and KO'd pile that have either of the chosen affiliations have both affiliations.

You may choose any team affiliation among characters you control -- even Marvel team affiliations.