- Q: Can you choose to unequip something ever or does it have to be destroyed?
- A: You cannot normally remove equipment, unless an ability causes you. The only time you can remove it is when you restore.
- Q: Do abilities like DODGE, relocating, and FEINT care about movement-impairing terrain effects?
- A: If an effect causes you to relocate one space, then the master affected is placed one space away. This ignores arduous terrain and ignores combat movement. If an effect allows you to move one space, then the master moves as if their speed is 1. Therefore arduous terrain and combat movement rules still apply. Example: if you dodge, you cannot move into a space that is arduous terrain. If you move away from an adjacent master you will have to exert once for the dodge and once again for combat movement. In summary: FEINT, FURY, and OVERRUN ignore combat movement and arduous terrain because they “relocate”, while DODGE and DASH do not because they “move”.
- Q: If I FOCUS as a part of an effect, will it trigger terrain effects (like healing on rejuvenating terrain)?
- A: No. Any FOCUS performed outside of a specific focus tome action will NOT cause terrain effects to trigger.
- Q: Are you forced to discard down to your hand max at the end of a round?
- A: No. You are not forced to discard down to your max hand size. That said, if you USE cards in the Reconcile Step and your hand size is above your max hand size, you do not get to draw beyond your max hand size.
- Q: Do friendly masters count for Combat Movement?
- A: No. The key is “opposing masters”, so teammates won’t incur this movement penalty. Per combat movement in the glossary, “If your master is in a space adjacent to an opposing master, to move to a space that is not adjacent to an opposing master, you must EXERT as an additional cost. Some cards have abilities that mention “relocating” (which is distinct from a “Move”) and therefore won’t cause combat movement rules to apply.”
- Q: If I am adjacent to two enemy masters and I use DODGE, do I exert once or twice?
- A: This one is a bit more situational… Per Combat Movement in the Glossary, “If your master is in a space adjacent to an opposing master, to move to a space that is not adjacent to an opposing master, you must EXERT as an additional cost.” Also found in the rules – “You can be locked in combat with multiple masters, meaning you must EXERT for each master you move away from.”
- If you are not adjacent to any opposing master when you DODGE, you need only exert once to pay for the DODGE defense effect, no matter where you move.
- If you are adjacent to one or more opposing masters when you DODGE, you need to exert once to pay for the DODGE defense effect and if you move to a space that is still adjacent to the same masters, you do not exert again. But if you move to a space away from one of the masters, you must exert a second time.
- If you are adjacent to one or more opposing masters when you DODGE, you need to exert once to pay for the DODGE defense effect and if you move to a space that is no longer adjacent to the same one or more opposing masters, you must exert again for each master you move away from.
- A: This one is a bit more situational… Per Combat Movement in the Glossary, “If your master is in a space adjacent to an opposing master, to move to a space that is not adjacent to an opposing master, you must EXERT as an additional cost.” Also found in the rules – “You can be locked in combat with multiple masters, meaning you must EXERT for each master you move away from.”
So it is also possible to exert from moving away from one opposing master, even if you end up next to a different one. If you are next to three opposing masters and you move away from them all at the same time, you must exert three times in total. Exert is also considered a cost, so if you cannot exert that many times, you cannot make the movement.
- Q: When you DODGE, do you have the opportunity to change facing?
- A: Yes. The basic rule of thumb is that whoever is moving the piece is also selecting the facing, so you can face any direction when you DODGE.
- Q: Can you make a FOCUS tome action, even if you are EXHAUSTED (no cards remain in your battle deck)?
- A: Yes. You may FOCUS even without having a card on top of your Battle Deck. This is similar to playing an attack without targets, just to trigger special effects. Additionally, if you perform a FOCUS action, you must place the top card of your battle deck into your karma pool. The only time you can perform this action without placing the top card of your battle deck into your karma pool is when you are exhausted.
- Q: Can you play a defense card against an effect?
- A: Normally no, with some limited exceptions. Spirit Shield may be played in response to an effect, because it specifically states such. If an effect requires a master to be “hit” you must deal 1 or more damage – So in this manner, if you prevent all of the damage you can essentially prevent that effect, so to speak.
- Q: Are masters affected by their own status effects, tome effects, or friendly fire?
- A: Yes, yes, and yes. Yes, masters are affected by their own statuses, you can target and hit allies with attacks, and anything that states “all masters” also hits yourself. “all other masters” is everyone but yourself, and “each opposing master” is all of your opponents masters.
- Q: What’s up with the Level Up cards?
- A: To clarify, it is not just an extra 3HP we’re talking about, these cards are more powerful in every category – Karma, Attack, Patterns, and effects that go great with that master. So they can be used in handicapping with a new player facing off against a veteran for an extra challenge. It can be used by a bunch of veterans who want a little extra spice. They will be used in scenario play (forthcoming). If you want to play fair – either noone includes them, or everyone must have them… otherwise things won’t be balanced! The intent of the Level-Up cards was to provide exciting new play options for players, and not to create a strange advantage due to one player owning them (and one not).
- Q: Can I play more than one defense effect in response to an attack?
- A: No. Effects like Sihara’s Kiss and Voltaric Shield are both considered “Defense Effects” and as such follow this rule of only being able to play one against an attack. This is why they have the shield icon on them as well. You can only play one defense effect per attack, from anywhere. See Defense Effect in the glossary.
- Q: Is the token limit in reference to the total number of statuses that came with a given master or is it limited to the total number of statuses you own?
- A: The correct limit is how many originally came with that master. Akiko comes with 12 BURN tokens in the core game, therefore her limit is 12 tokens in play (be they on the board or on masters). If you get additional tokens, from an expansion they can only be used to replace lost tokens. Same goes with 3D tokens – you can use them to replace lost tokens or swap them out for flat ones.
- Q: Can you enter spaces occupied or move through other masters?
- A: No.
- Q: Can you attack through solid terrain?
- A: Yes.
- Q: Can you attack even if you have no masters targeted?
- A: Yes. You may play an attack just to perform the effects of the card.
- Q: Can you activate defense effects during an attack, as in deal an extra 3 damage from a RIPOSTE or similar effect?
- A: No. Defense Effects, indicated by the shield, are only played in response to an effect.
- Q: What happens to statuses and equipment at restoration?
- A: The choice of what status and equipment to keep and lose is completely up to the master – they may keep any number of statuses and/or equipment they desire and remove the rest.
- Q: What if a slick terrain space is a part of the attack target pattern, you dodge into it, and relocate to a space no longer targeted by the attack?
- A: You prevent all damage since you first “pause” the defense effect with the slick relocation triggered effect, then proceed with the defense effect of no longer being in the pattern and preventing all damage as a part of the defense effect.