# Alpha Clash Comprehensive Rulebook v8.0 Source: submodules/alpha-clash/.agents/skills/alpha-clash-rules/references/comprehensive-rulebook-v8.0.txt, submodules/alpha-clash/.agents/skills/alpha-clash-rules/references/rulebook-summary.md, submodules/alpha-clash/.agents/skills/alpha-clash-rules/references/source-review-v8.0.md Effective September 21, 2026; verified October 8, 2026. Includes local mechanic and source-review notes. Clash Buff limits and other source conflicts remain unresolved; see the source review. --- Local source: submodules/alpha-clash/.agents/skills/alpha-clash-rules/references/comprehensive-rulebook-v8.0.txt Publisher document: [Rising Empire Studios](https://alphaclashtcg.com/s/Alpha_Clash_TCG_Comprehensive-Rulebook-80.pdf) (local copy: 8.0) Alpha Clash Trading Card Game Comprehensive Rulebook Version 8.0 These rules are effective as of September 21st, 2026. Introduction This document is the ultimate authority for Alpha Clash Trading Card Game competitive gameplay. It consists of a series of numbered rules followed by card-specific rulings and a glossary. Many of the numbered rules are divided into subrules, and each separate rule and subrule of the game has its own number. Changes may have been made to this document since its publication. You can download the most recent version from the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game Comprehensive Rulebook at www.alphaclashtcg.com If you have questions, you can get the answers from us at support@alphaclashtcg.com or in the official Alpha Clash TCG Discord. Contents • 1. Game Concepts • 100. General • 101. Golden Rules • 102. Players • 103. Starting the Game • 104. Ending the Game • 105. Colors • 106. Resources • 107. Numbers and Symbols • 108. Cards • 109. Objects • 110. Permanents • 111. Tokens • 112. Card Effects • 113. Targeting • 114. Action Windows & Priority • 115. Costs • 116. Health • 117. Damage • 118. Drawing a Card • 119. Counters • 120. Ready / Engaged • 2. Parts of a Card • 200. General • 201. Name • 202. Resource Cost and Color • 203. Artwork • 204. Type and Subtype Line • 205. Character Name • 206. Location Name • 207. Planet • 208. Affiliation • 209. Rarity • 210. Text Box • 211. Attack / Defense • 212. Information Below the Text Box and Type Line • 3. Card Types • 300. General • 301. Contender • 302. Clashground • 303. Clash card • 304. Accessory – Trap • 305. Accessory – Weapon • 306. Action – Clash Buff • 307. Action – Basic • 308. Action – Quick • 309. Accessory – Relic • 310. Accessory – Contender Weapon • 311. Action – Empowerment • 312. Action – Omen • 380. Token • 4. Zones • 400. General • 401. Deck • 402. Hand • 403. Oblivion • 404. Contender Zone • 405. Clashground Zone • 406. Clash Zone • 407. Accessory Zone • 408. Resource Zone • 409. Standby • 410. The Portal • 411. Banished Zone • 5. Turn Structure • 500. General • 501. Start of Turn Phase • 502. Expansion Phase • 503. Primary Phase • 504. Clash Phase • 505. End of Turn Phase • 6. Cards and Effects • 600. General • 601. Playing Cards • 602. Activated Effects • 603. Triggered Effects • 604. Static Effects • 605. Card and Effect Resolution • 606. Effect • 607. One-Shot Effects • 608. Continuous Effects • 609. Replacement Effects • 610. Prevention Effects • 611. Forced Attack Effects • 7. Additional Rules • 700. General • 701. Events • 702. Modal Cards and Effects • 703. Keyword Actions • 704. Keyword Abilities • 705. Turn-Based Actions • 706. State-Based Actions • 707. Rolling a Die • 708. Copying an Object • 709. Taking Shortcuts • 710. Handling Illegal Actions • 8. Multiplayer Formats • 800. Gambit Multiplayer 9. Other Formats • 900. General • 901. Draft Appendices • Appendix A - Glossary • Appendix B - Clarified Card Reference • Appendix C - Frequently Asked Clarifications (FAC) • Appendix D - Change Log Credits 1. Game Concepts 100. General 100.1. These Alpha Clash Trading Card Game rules apply to any game with two or more players, including two-player games and multiplayer games involving Alpha Clash Trading Card Game cards. 100.1a. A two-player game is a game that begins with only two players. 100.1b. Multiplayer formats are in development and are coming soon! 100.2. To play, each player needs their own deck of Alpha Clash Trading Card Game cards, small items to represent any tokens and Counters, and some way to clearly track Contender health totals. 100.2a. In constructed play (a means of playing in which each player creates their own deck ahead of time), each deck has a required deck size of 50-60 cards after sideboarding plus one Contender. (see 401.1) This deck is also referred to as a player’s Main Deck. 100.2b. A constructed deck may contain no more than four of any card with a unique English name (including Sideboard) 100.2c. A constructed deck may contain either: - Up to one card with the Unrivaled ability (including Sideboard). - Up to four copies of any unique English named card with the Rivaled ability (including Sideboard). 100.2d. A constructed deck may contain no more than four Clash Buffs (including Sideboard). 100.2e. A deck may not contain more than one Contender card (including Sideboard). 100.2f. For the purposes of deck construction, cards with interchangeable names have the same English name (see rule 201.3). 100.2g. A deck may not include any cards with a deck building restriction unless their Contender fulfills that restriction. Deck building restrictions are any names or role symbols within brackets [] at the top of the card’s text box. 100.2g.1. A double sided contender, for the purposes of deckbuilding, is the colors of both sides, as well as the names, planets, and factions on both sides. 100.2g.2. Deck building restrictions have no impact on the game during play. Example: Fangyin, Warden of the inferno states “[(Destroyer)]/[Khagan]” which means that your Contender must be a Destroyer or named Khagan to include that card in your deck. Example: Shadowlight, Bright Beacon/Dark Absence is a dual sided contender who is white on their front side and black on their back side. You may include Annhilation in your deck because Shadowlight is black and you can play it when Shadowlight is on either side since deck building restrictions aren’t play restrictions. 100.3. Some cards may require coins or traditional dice. Additionally, cards may require additional items, such as specially designated tokens. 100.4. Each player may also have a Sideboard, which is a group of 0-15 cards the player removes from their deck before each game of a match. 100.4a. In constructed play, a Sideboard may contain no more than 15 cards. The four- card limit, Rivaled limit, Unrivaled limit, Clash Buff limit, and Contender limit applies to the combined Main Deck and Sideboard (see rule 100.2a). 100.4b. In constructed play, 0-15 cards in the Main Deck are removed and put into a Sideboard before each game of a match. Players return all cards in their Sideboard to their Main Deck between matches. 100.5. If a deck must contain at least a certain number of cards, that number is referred to as a minimum deck size. 100.6. Most Alpha Clash Trading Card Game tournaments (organized play activities where players compete against other players to win prizes) have additional rules covered in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game Tournament Rules Manual, found at alphaclashtcg.com. These rules may limit the use of some cards, including barring some or all cards from specific sets. 100.6a. Tournaments usually consist of a series of matches. A two-player match usually involves playing until one player has won two games. A multiplayer match usually consists of only one game. 100.6b. Players can go to play.alphaclashtcg.com to find tournaments in their area. 101. Golden Rules 101.1. Whenever a card’s text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. The only exception is that a player can concede the game at any time (see rule 104.3a). 101.2. When a rule or effect allows something to happen, and another effect states that it can’t happen, the “can’t” effect takes precedence. When an effect says something “must” happen, that effect takes precedence over “can’t”. Example: If one effect reads “You may draw one additional card during your draw step” and another reads “You can’t draw cards this turn,” the effect that precludes you from drawing cards wins. Example: If one effect reads “This card can’t attack.” And another reads “All cards must attack each turn if able”. The effect with “must” wins. 101.3. Any part of an instruction that’s impossible to perform is ignored. 101.4. If multiple players would make choices and/or take actions at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it is) makes any choices required, then the next player in turn order (usually the player seated to the active player’s left) makes any choices required, followed by the remaining nonactive players in turn order. Then the resulting action of those choices happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the “Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) order” rule. Example: A card reads “Each player may reveal the top three cards of their deck. If they do, they may put a non-Clash card with an initial resource cost of three or less from among them into their hand. Then put the remaining cards on the bottom of their deck.” First, the active player chooses whether to reveal the top three cards of their deck. Then each of the nonactive players, in turn order, chooses whether to do the same. Then all players who chose to reveal do so simultaneously. Then the active player may choose a card from among them to add to their hand. Then each of the nonactive players (who chose to reveal), in turn order, chooses whether to do the same. Finally, all cards chosen are added to their owners’ hands simultaneously. 101.4a. If an effect has each player choose a card in a hidden zone, such as their hand or deck, those cards may remain face down as they’re chosen. However, each player must clearly indicate which face-down card they are choosing. 101.4b. Any text that includes a “may” phrasing indicates a choice of an optional effect to be made. 101.4c. A player knows the choices made by the previous players when making their choice, except as specified in rule 101.4a. 101.4d. If a player would make more than one choice at the same time, the player makes the choices in the order specified. If no order is specified, the player chooses the order. 101.4e. If a choice made by a nonactive player causes the active player, or a different nonactive player earlier in the turn order, to have to make a choice, APNAP order is restarted for all outstanding choices. 101.4f. If multiple players would make choices or take actions while starting the game, the starting player is considered the active player and each other player is considered a nonactive player. 101.5. If a ruling does not exist within these chapters, reference the Specific Card Rulings at the end of this document for more clarification. 102. Players 102.1. A player is one of the people in the game. The active player is the player whose turn it is. The other players are nonactive players. 102.2. In a two-player game, a player’s opponent is the other player. They are also referred to as the opposing player. 102.3. In a multiplayer game, a player’s opponents are the other players. These are also referred to as opposing players. 103. Starting the Game 103.1. At the start of a match, players should use a random method for determining which player will start the first game. These methods can include rolling dice, flipping a coin, or any other similar method of chance. The winner will determine which player goes first. In subsequent games the player who went second in the previous game goes first in the current game. The game’s default turn order begins with the starting player and proceeds clockwise. 103.2. Some games require additional steps that are taken after the starting player has been determined. Perform the actions listed in 103.2a–b in order, as applicable. 103.2a. Both players simultaneously reveal their Contender. 103.2a1. If those Contenders have effects that occur at the start of the game, such as putting cards into play, players perform those actions now. 103.2b. If any players are using a full 60 card deck, they will remove cards until their deck is 60 cards including any cards that they started the game with in 103.2a (if applicable). After this happens, each player’s deck is considered their starting deck. 103.3. After the starting player has been determined and any additional steps performed, each player shuffles their deck so that the cards are in a random order. Each player may then shuffle or cut their opponents’ decks. 103.3a. At the start of the game and whenever a player shuffles their deck, that player is required to offer their deck to their opponent to be cut and/or shuffled. 103.4. Each player’s Contender begins the game with a starting health total as indicated on that Contender’s card. 103.5. Each player draws cards equal to their starting hand size, which is normally eight. (Some effects can modify a player’s starting hand size.) A player who is dissatisfied with their initial hand may take one mulligan. First, the starting player declares whether they will take a mulligan. Then each other player in turn order does the same. Once each player has made a declaration, all players who decided to take mulligans do so at the same time. To take a mulligan, a player shuffles any number of cards from their hand back into their deck, then draws that many cards. If a player chooses not to take a mulligan, the remaining cards become that player’s starting hand. Players are only permitted to take one mulligan. 103.6. The Portal begins the game closed (see rule 410). 103.7. The starting player takes their first turn. 103.7a. In all game formats, the player(s) who plays first may not initiate a Clash (see 503.1d) during their Primary phase on their first turn. (see rule 502.1). 104. Ending the Game 104.1. A game ends immediately when a player wins the game. 104.2. There are several ways to win the game. 104.2a. A player still in the game wins the game if that player’s opponents have all left the game. This happens immediately and overrides all effects that would preclude that player from winning the game. 104.2b. An effect may state that a player wins the game. 104.2c. In the event where both Contender’s health is reduced to zero by clash damage, the active player (the attacking player) wins the game (see rule 301.2c). 104.2d. In the event where both Contender’s health is reduced to zero by non-clash damage, the player controlling the effect that caused the damage wins the game (see rule 301.2d). 104.2e. In tournament play, if a game goes to time, a winner is determined after the five additional turns based on which Contenders' current life total is closer to their starting life total. 104.2f. In tournament play, if a State-Based action causes both players to lose but one is from health reduced to 0 and one is from drawing from an empty deck then the player with health remaining wins the game. 104.3. There are several ways to lose the game. 104.3a. A player can concede the game at any time. A player who concedes leaves the game immediately. That player loses the game. 104.3b. If a Contender’s health total is 0 or less, the player who owns that Contender loses the game. This is a state-based action (see rule 706). 104.3c. If a player would draw a card from their deck and can’t, they lose the game. An empty deck can’t prevent you from drawing from a card effect. 104.3c.1 If an effect causes both players to draw from an empty deck, then the Active Player will lose the game due to draw order (see rule 118.2c) 104.3d. An effect may state that a player loses the game. 104.3e. If a player would both win and lose the game simultaneously, that player loses the game. 104.3g. In a tournament, a player may lose the game because of a penalty given by a judge (see rule 100.6). 105. Colors 105.1. There are five colors in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game: white, blue, black, red, and green. 105.2. An object can be one or more of the five colors. The color of a card is indicated in numerous areas: the color(s) of the hex where a card’s initial resource cost is indicated; the color of the ATK/DEF background for a Contender or Clash card; and finally, the color is spelled out in a card’s identification at the bottom right of the card. All these areas are of equal authority in a card’s color determination. 105.2a. A monocolored object is exactly one of the five colors. 105.2b. A multicolored object is two or more of the five colors. 105.2c. There are colorless objects. They never count as one of the five colors. 105.3. Effects may change an object’s color or give an object a new color. If an effect gives an object a new color, the new color replaces all previous colors the object had (unless the effect said the object became that color “in addition” to its other colors). 105.4. If a player is asked to choose a color, they must choose one of the five colors. “Multicolored” is not a color. 106. Resources 106.1. Players generate resources to pay costs, usually when playing cards and activating effects. 106.1a. There are five colors of resources: white, blue, black, red, and green. 106.1b. There are colorless resources. A resourced, colorless, card or a facedown resource both produce Colorless. Colorless resources can never be used to pay for a colored specific resource cost. 106.2. Resources can be represented by gem symbols within a card’s text (see rule 107.4 and/or rule 202). Gems can also be referred to as pips. 106.3. Resources are generated by cards in your Resource Zone (see rule 408.7). 106.4. Resources may only be generated if the game state requires you to do so. In other words, you may not engage a card in your Resource Zone for no reason (see rule 408.7a). 107. Numbers and Symbols 107.1. The only numbers the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game uses are integers. 107.1a. You can’t choose a fractional number, deal fractional damage, gain fractional health, and so on. If a card or effect could generate a fractional number, the card or effect will tell you whether to round up or down. 107.1b. Most of the time, the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game uses only positive numbers and zero. You can’t choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative health, and so on. However, it’s possible for a game value, such as a Clash card’s attack power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison needs to use a negative value, it does so. If a calculation that would determine the result of an effect yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect doubles or sets to a specific value a Contender’s health total or the attack and/or defense power of a Clash card. Example: If a 3/4 Clash card gets -5/-0, it’s now a -2/4 Clash card. It doesn’t deal clash damage in a Clash. Its total attack and defense power is 2. Giving it +3/+0 would raise its attack power to 1. 107.1c. If a card or effect instructs a player to choose “any number,” that player may choose any positive number or zero. 107.2. If anything needs to use a number that can’t be determined, either as a result or in a calculation, it uses zero instead. 107.3. Many objects use the letter [X] as a placeholder for a number that needs to be determined. Some objects have effects or abilities that define the value of [X]; the rest let their controller choose the value of [X]. 107.3a. If a card or effect has a resource cost, alternative cost, additional cost, and/or activation cost with an [X], or [-X] in it, and the value of X isn’t defined by the text of that card or effect, the controller of that card or effect chooses and declares the value of X as part of the playing of the card or activating of the effect (see rule 601.1b). While a card or effect is in Standby, any X in its resource cost, or in any alternative cost, or additional cost it has, equals the declared value. 107.3b. If a player is playing a card that has an [X] in its resource cost and the value of X isn’t defined by the text of that card, or an effect lets that player play the card while paying neither its resource cost nor an alternative cost that includes [X], then the only legal choice for X is 0. This doesn’t apply to effects that only reduce a cost, even if they reduce it to zero (see rule 601.1b). 107.3c. If a card or effect has an [X], or [-X], in its cost and/or its text, and the value of X is defined by the text of that card or effect, then that’s the value of X while that card or effect is in Standby. The controller of that card or effect doesn’t get to choose the value. Note: The value of X may change while that card or effect is in Standby. 107.3d. If a card or effect refers to the [X] in the resource cost, alternative cost, additional cost, or activation cost of another object, any X in that card or effect’s text uses the value of X chosen or defined for the other object. 107.3e. Sometimes X appears in the text of a card or effect but not in a resource cost, alternative cost, additional cost, or activation cost. If the value of X isn’t defined, the controller of the card or effect chooses the value of X at the appropriate time; either as it’s put into Standby or as it resolves. 107.3f. If a card in any zone other than Standby has an [X] in its resource cost, the value of [X] is treated as 0, even if the value of X is defined somewhere within its text. 107.3g. If an effect instructs a player to pay an object’s resource cost that includes [X], the value of X is treated as 0 unless the object is a card or effect in Standby. In that case, the value of X is the value chosen or determined for it as the card was played or the effect was activated. 107.3h. Normally, all instances of X on an object have the same value at any given time. 107.3i. If a delayed triggered effect created by a resolving a card or effect refers to X, X is not defined in the text of that triggered effect, and the card or effect that created it had a value of X chosen for any of its costs, the value of X for the triggered effect is the same as the value of X for the card of effect that created it. 107.3j. Required resources do not define a mandatory minimum for [X] as a resource cost. 107.4. Symbols include the resource gem symbols [⯁], [⯁], [⯁], [⯁], and [⯁]; the variable symbol [X], {30} / {10} Contender ability health threshold symbols, and [AH], [A], [R], [H], [D], and [P] affiliation symbols. Also the Elite, Guard, and Portal open and closed symbols. 107.4a. There are five colored resource symbols: [⯁] is black, [⯁] green, [⯁] white, [⯁] blue, and [⯁] red. These symbols are used to represent colored resources, and to represent colored resources in costs. Colored resources in costs can be paid only with the appropriate colored resource (see rule 202). These symbols can also be referred to as pips. 107.4b. The {30} Contender ability health threshold symbol indicates that at {30} or less health, that ability is active. This also applies to any other Contender ability health threshold symbol. A Contender ability is active only while that Contender is at or below the corresponding health indicated for that ability (see rule 116.7). 107.4c. The symbols are used to indicate or reference a specific affiliation (see rule 208). 107.4d. The symbol [0] represents zero resources and is used as a placeholder for a cost that can be paid with no resources (see rule 115.5). 107.4e. The Elite and Guard symbols prefix card effects. They are active as long as a card is in play with the respective type. 107.5e. The Portal open and closed symbols prefix card effects. They are active as long as the Portal is in the matching state. 108. Cards 108.1. Use the Clarified Card Reference (see Appendix B) when determining a card’s correct wording. A card’s Clarified text can also be found in the official card database at alphaclashtcg.com 108.2. When a rule or text on a card refers to a “card,” it means only an Alpha Clash Trading Card Game card, or an object represented by an Alpha Clash Trading Card Game card. 108.2a. Most Alpha Clash games use only traditional Alpha Clash Trading Card Game cards, which measure approximately 2.48 inches (6.3 cm) by 3.46 inches (8.8 cm). 108.2b. For the purposes of deck building, Tokens aren't considered cards -- even a card- sized game supplement that represents a Token. They can never be in your deck or sideboard and do not count towards their limits. 108.3. The owner of a card in the game is the player who started the game with it in their deck. If a card is brought into the game from outside the game rather than starting in a player’s deck, its owner is the player who brought it into the game. If a card starts the game in the Contender Zone, its owner is the player who put it into the Contender Zone to start the game. Legal ownership of a card in the game is irrelevant to the game rules. 108.4. A card doesn’t have a controller unless that card is represented in a valid game zone; in those cases, its controller is determined by the rules for that card (see rule 110.2). 108.4a. If anything asks for the controller of a card that doesn’t have one, use its owner instead. 108.5. For more information about cards, see Chapter 2 - Part of a Card. 109. Objects 109.1. An object is an effect in Standby a copy of an effect in Standby, a card, a copy of a card, or a token. 109.2. If a card or effect uses a description of an object that includes a card type or subtype, but doesn’t include the word “card,” or “source,” it means an object of that card type or subtype in play as a Permanent. 109.2a. If a card or effect uses a description of an object that includes the word “card” and the name of a zone, it means a card matching that description in the stated zone. 109.2a.1 The term ‘Clash card’ is used to mean a Clash card in play as a Permanent unless it specifies a zone other than the Clash Zone. 109.2b. If a card or effect uses a description of an object that includes the word “effect,” it means an effect matching that description in Standby. 109.2c. If a card or effect uses a description of an object that includes the word “source,” it means a source matching that description (a source of an effect, of damage, or of a card) in any zone. 109.3. An object’s characteristics can include name, resource cost, specific resource cost, color, card type, subtype, text, character name, location name, planet, abilities, attack power, and defense power. Objects can have some or all these characteristics. Any other information about an object isn’t a characteristic. For example, characteristics don’t include whether a permanent is engaged, a card effect’s target, an object’s owner or controller, an attached Weapon or Clash card, and so on. 109.4. Only objects in Standby or in play have a controller. Objects that are neither in Standby nor in play aren’t controlled by any player (see rule 108.4). There is one exception to this rule: 109.4a. A triggered effect that has triggered but is waiting to be placed into Standby is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered unless it’s a delayed triggered effect. To determine the controller of a delayed triggered effect, see rules 603.7. 109.5. The words “you” and “your” on an object refer to the object’s controller, its would-be controller (if a player is attempting to play, or activate it), or its owner (if it has no controller). For a static effect, this is the current controller of the object it’s on. For an activated effect, this is the player who activated the effect. For a triggered effect, this is the controller of the object when the effect triggered, unless it’s a delayed triggered effect. To determine the controller of a delayed triggered effect, see rules 603.7. 110. Permanents 110.1. Permanents of various types enter play into their corresponding zones. There are four types of permanents that this rule applies to: Contenders, Clash cards, Clashgrounds, and Accessories. 110.1a. An object is only considered a permanent if it is in play in a valid public game zone. A permanent in play remains in play indefinitely until it is removed by a State- Based action or sent to Oblivion or otherwise removed from play by an effect. 110.1b. Permanents of the appropriate type can only exist in the Accessory, Contender, Clashground, or Clash Zones. (See rule 400) 110.1c. Objects in Standby are not yet considered to be in play until they leave Standby and enter their specific zone as a Permanent. 110.2. Every permanent has a controller. 110.3. If an effect causes a player to gain control of another player’s permanent, the player who took control of the permanent is now the controller of that object. That object does not leave and re-enter play, it simply changes zones. The change is permanent until that particular object leaves and re-enters play 110.4. If an effect instructs a player to put a permanent into play, that permanent enters play under that player’s control unless the effect states otherwise. 110.4a. If an effect instructs a player to put a card into play without specifying from where, it means to put that card into play from their hand. 110.4b. If a permanent enters play through a means other than playing that permanent as a card, that permanent does not enter Standby. It may still activate any triggered effects it may have such as Trigger - Enter. (see rule 606.6) 110.4c. Cards with Ambush that are set into the Accessory row enters play via their Ambush Ability. 110.5. Action cards may only enter Standby and thus do not become Permanents. 110.6. If a permanent somehow loses all its card types, it will remain in play and is still a permanent. 110.7. If an effect would attach a permanent they control to a permanent they don't control, each player retains control of each of their permanents. 110.7a. If a weapon a player controls is attached to a Clash card they don't control and that Clash card would leave play for any reason, that Weapon returns to its owner's Accessory Zone. 110.7b If a Clash Card changes controllers has a weapon attached, that weapon remains attached to that Clash Card, but control does not change. The controller of the weapon may pay the attach cost to unattach/detach it or attach it to a Clash Card they control. (see rule 305.8 and 305.9) 110.8. A permanent’s status is its physical state. There are two status categories, each of which has two possible values: ready/engaged and face up/face down. Each permanent always has one of these values for each of these categories. 110.8a. Status is not a characteristic, though it may affect a permanent’s characteristics. 110.8b. Permanents enter play ready and face up; except for Traps, they enter face down. 110.8c. Only permanents have status. Cards not in play do not. Similarly, cards not in play are neither ready nor engaged, regardless of their physical state. 111. Tokens 111.1. Some effects create tokens. A token is a marker used to represent any permanent that isn’t represented by a card. 111.2. The player who creates a token is its owner. The token enters play under that player’s control in the ready position in that card’s corresponding zone, based on its type indicated in the creation effect for that token. 111.3. The card or effect that creates a token may define the values of any number of characteristics for the token. This becomes the token’s “text”. The characteristic values defined this way are functionally equivalent to the characteristic values that are printed on a card; for example, they define the token’s copiable values. A token doesn’t have any characteristics not defined by the card or effect that created it. 111.4. A card or effect that creates a token may set its name, type, affiliation, or any other card characteristics associated with a card. 111.5. If a card or effect would create a token, but a rule or effect states that a permanent with one or more of that token’s characteristics can’t enter play, the token is not created. Similarly, if an effect would create a token that is a copy of an Action card, no token is created. 111.6. A token is subject to anything that affects permanents in general or that affects the token’s card characteristics. While a token is in play, it is considered a card. 111.7. A token that’s in a zone other than the Clash Zone, Clashground Zone, Accessory Zone, or Resource Zone ceases to exist. This is a state-based action (see rule 706). If a token changes zones for any reason (except weapons, see 111.9) it is removed from play. Note: If a token changes zones, applicable triggered effects will trigger before the token ceases to exist. 111.8. A token that has left play can’t come back into play. It ceases to exist the next time state- based actions are checked (see rule 706). 111.9. A token that has the subtype Weapon may change zones (Clash Zone and Accessory Zone). 111.10. A token with no initial resource cost is considered to have an initial resource cost of 0. 112. Card Effects 112.1. A card effect can be one of two things: 112.1a. A card effect can be a characteristic an object has that allows it to affect the game. An object’s card effects are defined by its rules text or by the source that created it. Effects can also be granted to objects by other cards. Effects that grant effects/abilities usually use the words “gets,” or “get” (see rule 112.7). 112.1b. A card effect can be an activated or triggered effect in Standby. This kind of effect is an object. 112.2. Effects can affect the objects they’re on. They can also affect other objects and/or players. 112.2a. Effects can be beneficial or detrimental. Example: “[This Clash card] can’t be obstructed” is a card effect. 112.2b. An additional cost or alternative cost to play a card or activate an effect is a card effect. 112.2c. An object may have multiple effects. If the object is represented by a card, then aside from certain defined abilities that may be strung together on a single line (see rule 704), each paragraph break in a card’s text marks a separate card effect. If the object is not represented by a card, the source that created it may have given it multiple effects. An object may also be granted additional effects by a card or effect. If an object has multiple instances of the same effect, each instance functions independently. This may or may not produce more effects than a single instance. 112.2d. Card effects can be one-shot effects or continuous effects. Some continuous effects are replacement effects or prevention effects (see rule 609 and 610). 112.3. There are three general categories of card effects. 112.3a. Activated effects have a cost. A player may activate such an effect whenever they have priority. Doing so puts it into Standby, where it remains until it’s negated, it resolves, or it otherwise leaves Standby (see rule 602). 112.3b. Triggered effects have a trigger condition. They are written as “[Trigger condition], [effect],” and include (and usually begin with) the word “when,” “whenever,” “at”, or “if.” Whenever the trigger event occurs, the owner of that effect gains priority and the effect is put into Standby and stays there until it’s negated, it resolves, or it otherwise leaves Standby (see rule 603). 112.3c. Static effects are written as statements. They’re simply true. Static effects are continuous effects which are active while the permanent with the effect is in play and has the effect, or while the object with the effect is in the appropriate zone (see rule 604). 112.4. Card effects have additional functions. 112.4a. An effect that states which zones it functions in functions only from those zones. 112.4b. An effect that states which zones it doesn’t function in functions everywhere except for the specified zones, even outside the game and before the game begins. 112.4c. An object’s effect that restricts or modifies how that object can be played functions in any zone from which it could be played and in Standby. An object’s effect that grants it another effect that restricts or modifies how that object can be played functions only in Standby. 112.4d. An object’s effect that restricts or modifies what zones that object can be played from functions everywhere, even outside the game. 112.4e. An object’s effect that modifies how that object enters play functions as that object is entering play. 112.4f. An object’s effect that states Counters can’t be put on that object functions as that object is entering play in addition to functioning while that object is in play. 112.4g. An effect whose cost specifies that it moves the object it’s on out of a particular zone function only in that zone, unless its trigger condition or a previous part of its cost or effect specifies that the object is put into that zone. The same is true if the effect creates a delayed triggered effect whose effect moves the object out of a particular zone. 112.5. The source of an effect is the object that generated it. The source of an activated effect in Standby is the object whose effect was activated. The source of a triggered effect (other than a delayed triggered effect) in Standby, or one that has triggered and is waiting to be put into Standby, is the object whose effect triggered. To determine the source of a delayed triggered effect, see rules 603.7. 112.6. The controller of an activated effect in Standby is the player who activated it. The controller of a triggered effect in Standby (other than a delayed triggered effect) is the player who controlled the effect’s source when it triggered, or, if it had no controller, the player who owned the effect’s source when it triggered. To determine the controller of a delayed triggered effect, see rules 603.7. 112.7. Card effects can add or remove effects of objects. A card effect that adds an effect will state that the object “gets” or “get” that effect, or similar. A card effect that removes an effect will state that the object “lose” or “loses” that effect. 112.7a. A card effect that adds an activated effect may include activation instructions for that effect. These instructions become part of the effect that’s added to the object. 112.7b. Card effects that remove an effect remove all instances of it. 112.7c. If an effect gives or removes a modifier via “get(s)” or “lose(s)” and that effect happens during the Primary Phase. If there is no duration for the effect, it expires at the end of turn. 112.7d. If an effect gives or removes a modifier to a card via “get(s)” or “lose(s)” and that effect happens during the Clash Phase. If there is no duration for the effect, it expires at the end of the clash. 112.8. Effects can stop an object from having a specified effect. These effects say that the object “can’t have” that effect. If the object has that effect, it loses it. It’s also impossible for an effect to add that effect to the object. If a resolving card or effect creates a continuous effect that would add the specified effect to such an object, that part of that continuous effect does not apply; however, other parts of that continuous effect will still apply, and that resolving card or effect can still create other continuous effects. Continuous effects created by static effects that would add the specified effect won’t apply to that object. 112.9. An effect that sets an object’s characteristic, or simply states a quality of that object, is different from an effect granted by a card effect. When an object “gets” an effect such as this, that effect can be removed by another card effect. 112.10. If a card or effect references “you” or “your…” it is referring to the player that controls that card or effect (see rule 109.5). 112.11. All card effects are non-interruptive, meaning each effect that has triggered or activated and has been placed in Standby will fully resolve before any subsequent triggered effect resolves. This is not to be confused with replacement effects (see rule 609). 113. Targeting 113.1. Some cards and effects require their controller to choose one or more targets for them. The targets are object(s) and/or player(s) the card or effect will affect. These targets are declared as part of the process of putting the card or effect into Standby. The targets can’t be changed except by another card or effect that explicitly says it can do so. 113.1a. An action card is targeted if its card effect identifies something it will affect by using the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object and/or player. The target(s) are chosen as the card is played (see rule 601.1c). If an activated or triggered effect of an action card uses the word target, only the effect is targeted. Example: An Action card has the effect “Target Clash card you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn.” This triggered effect is targeted, but that doesn’t make the card it’s on targeted. 113.1b. An activated effect is targeted if it identifies something it will affect by using the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object and/or player. The target(s) are chosen as the effect is activated (see rule 602.2b). 113.1c. A triggered effect is targeted if it identifies something it will affect by using the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object and/or player. The target(s) are chosen as the effect is put into Standby (see rule 603.3d). 113.1d. Some keyword actions, such as “attach”, represent targeted activated or triggered effects. In those cases, the phrase “target [something]” appears in the rule for that keyword action rather than in the ability itself. The keyword’s reminder text will often contain the word “target” (see rule 703). 113.1e. The “attach” effect of a Weapon is a targeted activated effect. 113.2. Only permanents are legal targets for cards and effects, unless a card or effect (a) specifies that it can target an object in another zone or a player, or (b) targets an object that can’t exist in play, such as a card or effect. 113.3. The same target can’t be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word “target” on a card or effect. If the card or effect uses the word “target” in multiple places, the same object or player can be chosen once for each instance of the word “target” (if it fits the targeting criteria). This rule applies both when choosing targets for a card or effect and when changing targets or choosing new targets for a card or effect. 113.4. Some cards and effects that refer to damage will always refer to either a Clash card or a Contender. Other game objects, such as Accessories or Clashgrounds, can’t be chosen as the target of damage. 113.5. A card or effect in Standby is an illegal target for itself. 113.6. A card or effect that requires targets may allow zero targets to be chosen. Such a card or effect is still said to require targets, but that card or effect is targeted only if one or more targets have been chosen for it. 113.6a. If a card effect says “may” then the player controlling that affect may choose not to target anything. Conversely, if a card effect does not say “may” then the player that controls that effect must target an eligible target. 113.6b. An effect that requires a target cannot be played or activated unless there is an eligible target for all instances of targeting in that effect. 113.7. Some effects allow a player to change the target(s) of a card or effect, and other effects allow a player to choose new targets for a card or effect. 113.7a. If an effect allows a player to “change the target(s)” of a card or effect, each target can be changed only to another legal target. If a target can’t be changed to another legal target, the original target is unchanged, even if the original target is itself illegal by then. If all the targets aren’t changed to other legal targets, none of them are changed. 113.7b. If an effect allows a player to “change a target” of a card or effect, the process described in rule 113.7a is followed, except that only one of those targets may be changed (rather than all of them or none of them). 113.7c. If an effect allows a player to “change any targets” of a card or effect, the process described in rule 113.7a is followed, except that any number of those targets may be changed (rather than all of them or none of them). 113.7d. If an effect allows a player to “choose new targets” for a card or effect, the player may leave any number of the targets unchanged, even if those targets would be illegal. If the player chooses to change some or all the targets, the new targets must be legal and must not cause any unchanged targets to become illegal. 113.7e. When changing targets or choosing new targets for a card or effect, only the final set of targets are evaluated to determine whether the change is legal. 113.7f. A card or effect may “divide” or “distribute” an effect (such as damage or Counters) among one or more targets. When changing targets or choosing new targets for that card or effect, the original division can’t be changed. 113.8. Modal cards and effects may have different targeting requirements for each mode. An effect that allows a player to change the target(s) of a modal card or effect, or to choose new targets for a modal card or effect, doesn’t allow that player to change its mode (see rule 702). 113.9. Some objects check what another card or effect is targeting. Depending on the wording, these may check the current state of the targets, the state of the targets at the time they were selected, or both. 113.9a. An object that looks for a “[card or effect] with [a number of] targets” checks the number of times any object or player was chosen as the target of that card or effect when it was put into Standby, not the number of its targets that are currently legal. If the same object or player became a target more than once, each of those instances is counted separately. 113.9b. An object that looks for a “[card or effect] that targets [something]” checks the current state of that card or effect’s targets. If an object it targets is still in the zone it’s expected to be in or a player it targets is still in the game, that target’s current information is used, even if it’s not currently legal for that card or effect. If an object it targets is no longer in the zone it’s expected to be in or a player it targets is no longer in the game, that target is ignored; its last known information is not used. 113.9c. An object that looks for a “[card or effect] that targets only [something]” checks the number of different objects or players that were chosen as targets of that card or effect when it was put into Standby (as modified by effects that changed those targets), not the number of those objects or players that are currently legal targets. If that number is one (even if the card or effect targets that object or player multiple times), the current state of that card or effect’s target is checked as described in rule 113.9b. 113.10. Cards and effects can affect objects and players they don’t target. In general, those objects and players aren’t chosen until the card or effect resolves. 113.10a. Just because an object or player is being affected by a card or effect doesn’t make that object or player a target of that card or effect. Unless that object or player is identified by the word “target” in the text of that card or effect, or the rule for that keyword ability, the card or effect is not targeted. 113.10b. In particular, the word “you” in an object’s text doesn’t indicate a target. 114. Action Windows & Priority 114.1. Players only have priority to respond to their opponent’s actions during specified action windows, based on an effect’s trigger tag and timing rules. 114.1a. A player may only respond to an “incoming attack” with a card or effect with the Counter – Attack tag. This can only occur in a clash during the Counter Step. The defending player has priority in the Counter Step. 114.1b. A player may respond when an opponent “plays a card” with a card or effect with the Counter – Play tag. This can occur during any phase. After a card is played, it enters Standby, and each player in turn order has priority to respond with Counter – Play effects. If a player does respond with a Counter – Play effect, that will start a new response window, giving priority to the next player in clockwise order. 114.1c. A player may respond when an opponent “activates a Trap” with a card or effect with the Counter – Trap tag. This can occur during any phase. After a Trap is activated, it’s effect enters Standby, and each player in turn order has priority to respond with Counter – Trap effects. 114.1d. A player has priority to resolve a triggered effect when that effect’s specific trigger condition has been met. That player gains priority to resolve their triggered effect, then priority is returned to the active player. This can occur during any phase. 114.2. Which player has priority is determined by the following rules: 114.2a. The active player receives priority at the beginning of their turn. 114.2b. Non-active players (in turn order) receive priority after a card or effect enters Standby. 114.2c. If a non-active player has priority and chooses not to take any actions, that player passes. Then the next non-active player in turn order receives priority. 114.2d. The active player regains priority after the active card or effect in Standby has resolved. 114.3. If a player with priority plays a card or responds with an effect while another card or effect is already in Standby, the new card or effect that has been played or activated “in response to” the earlier card or effect will resolve first (see rule 605). 115. Costs 115.1. A cost is an action or payment necessary to take another action or to stop another action from taking place. To pay a cost, a player carries out the instructions specified by the card, ability, or effect that contains that cost. 115.2. A player can’t pay a resource cost without having the necessary resources to pay it fully. For example, a player with only one ready resource can’t pay a cost of two resources, and a permanent that’s already engaged can’t be engaged to pay a cost (see rule 202, 120 and 602). 115.3. The activation cost is denoted in the text of the card, usually before the sentence beginning with, “If you do...”. The resulting effect is usually contained in the sentence beginning with “If you do…”. Some effects are worded as “You may (do some action) and (do some other action).” The activation cost is the action before the and. Example: [Flare] states, “Once per turn, during your Primary Phase, you may engage this card. If you do, deal one damage to target Clash card or Contender.” Engaging [Flare] is the activation cost and dealing one damage to a target Clash card or Contender is the resulting effect. Example: Outside Dr. Reynolds Office states, “During your Primary Phase, you may engage this card and deal one damage to target Clash card you control.” 115.3a. The cost outlined in the first example is “Once per turn, during your Primary Phase, you may engage this card…” and the resulting effect (if the cost is paid) is “deal one damage to target Contender or Clash card.” The cost outlined in the second example is “you may engage this card” and the resulting effect (if the cost is paid) is “deal one damage to target Clash card you control.” 115.3b. Paying resources is done by engaging the indicated colored cards in a player’s Resource Zone according to the specific resource cost. Additional resources may be paid with any color resource or colorless resources. A player may not engage a resource for no reason. The game state must require a resource cost to be paid. (Players can always pay 0 resources.) 115.3c. Paying health is done by subtracting the indicated amount of health from a Contender’s health total. (Players can always pay 0 health.) This never counts as damage. 115.4. Some costs include an [X] (see rule 107.3). 115.5. Some costs are represented by [0] or are reduced to [0]. The action necessary for a player to pay such a cost is the player’s acknowledgment that they are paying it. Even though such a cost requires no resources, it’s not automatically paid. 115.5a. A card whose resource cost is [0] must still be played the same way as one with a cost greater than zero; it won’t play itself automatically. The same is true for an activated effect whose cost is [0]. 115.6. Specific resource costs can be reduced by card effects. Example: This card costs [⯁] less to play for each unattached Weapon you control. 115.6a. A card or effect can only be discounted by its specific resource cost. 115.6b. Reducing a specific resource cost reduces the total cost of that card or effect AND reduces the specific resource cost of that card or effect. Example: Applying the discounted cost from the example above, if you have a card that has an initial resource cost of 8 and a specific resource cost of [⯁ ⯁], it will now cost 7 and its specific resource cost would be [⯁]. 115.6c. The cost of a card or an effect can only be reduced by an amount of specific resources indicated on that card or effect. Example: If a card has an initial resource cost of 3 and a specific resource cost of [⯁ ⯁], and you apply an effect that makes it cost [⯁ ⯁] less, that card would only be discounted by [⯁ ⯁] and would cost 1 resource of any color. 115.7. Some cards and effects have additional costs. An additional cost is a cost listed in a card’s text or applied to a card or effect from another effect, that its controller must pay at the same time they pay the card’s resource cost or the effect’s resource cost. 115.7a. Any number of additional costs may be applied to a card as it’s being played or to an effect as it’s being activated. The controller of the card or effect declares their intention to pay any or all those costs as described in rule 601. 115.7b. Some additional costs are optional. 115.7c. If an effect instructs a player to play a card “if able,” and that card has a mandatory additional cost that includes actions involving cards with a stated quality in a hidden zone, the player isn’t required to play that card, even if those cards are present in that zone. 115.7d. Additional costs don’t change a card’s resource cost, only what its controller must pay to play it. Cards and effects that ask for that card’s resource cost still see the original value. 115.8. Some cards and effects have alternative costs. An alternative cost is a cost listed in a card’s text, or applied to it from another effect, that its controller may pay rather than paying the card’s resource cost. Alternative costs are usually phrased, “…you may play this card from your hand without paying its resource cost.” 115.8a. Only one alternative cost can be applied to any one card or effect as it’s being played or activated. The controller of the card or effect declares their intention to pay that cost as described in rule 601.1f. 115.8b. Alternative costs are generally optional. An effect that allows you to play a card or activate an effect may require a certain alternative cost to be paid. 115.8c. An alternative cost doesn’t change a card or an effect’s resource cost, only what its controller must pay to play it. Cards and effects that ask for that card or that effect’s resource cost still see the original value. 115.8d. If an alternative cost is being paid to play a card or activate an effect, any additional costs, cost increases, and cost reductions that affect that card or effect are applied to that alternative cost (see rule 601.1f). 116. Health 116.1. Each Contender begins the game with a specified health total as indicated on that Contender’s card. Some Contenders may have different starting health totals. 116.2. Damage dealt to a Contender normally causes that Contender to lose that much health (see rule 117). 116.3. If an effect causes a Contender to gain health or lose health, that Contender’s health total is adjusted accordingly. 116.4. If a cost or effect allows a player to pay an amount of health greater than 0, the player may do so only if their Contender’s health total is greater than or equal to the amount of the payment. If a player pays health, the payment is subtracted from their Contender’s health total; in other words, the Contender loses that much health. 116.4a. Players can always pay 0 health, no matter what their Contender’s health total is, and even if an effect says players can’t pay health. 116.5. If an effect “sets” a Contender’s health total to a specific number or says that a Contender’s health total now “is [X], the Contender’s health is changed to match the indicated number. 116.5a. Setting a Contender’s health total is not gaining or losing health, therefore if an effect states that Contenders can’t lose or gain health, the effect of “setting” a Contender’s health to a specific number will still resolve. Similarly effects that trigger from gaining or losing health will not trigger from the effects of “setting”. 116.6. If a Contender has 0 or less health, that Contender’s controller loses the game as a state- based action (see rule 706). 116.7. Contender abilities are triggered static effects that are only active when a Contender is at or below the indicated health threshold (see rule 107.4b). Example: Your Contender is at 10 health and your bottom ability is active. If you Contender were to gain two health, your bottom ability would become inactive and would not become active again until your Contender is at or below 10 health. 117. Damage 117.1. Objects can deal damage to Clash cards and Contenders. This is generally detrimental to the object or Contender that receives that damage. An object that deals damage is the source of that damage. 117.1a. Damage can’t be dealt to an object that’s neither a Clash card nor a Contender. 117.2. Damage does not persist upon an object based on the type of damage dealt. There are two types of damage: clash and non-clash damage. 117.2a. Damage may be dealt to Clash cards as a result of a clash (clash damage) or a card effect (non-clash damage). Clash cards are dealt damage equal to the attack of an opposing Clash card or Contender, or the amount of damage stated through a card effect. Clash damage and non-clash damage only persist for the phase in which the damage is dealt to a Clash card. 117.2b. Damage may be dealt to a Contender as a result of a clash (clash damage) or a card effect (non-clash damage). Contenders are assigned damage equal to the attack of an opposing Clash card or Contender, or the amount of damage stated through a card effect. Subtract the total remaining defense of the Contender from the total assigned damage to calculate the remaining damage to be dealt to the Contender as life lost. Clash damage and non-clash damage only persist for the phase in which the damage is assigned to a Contender. Example: Player A controls a Contender with attack/defense value of 0/1. Player B plays [Solar Smash] and assigns three damage to Player A’s Contender. Player A’s Contender has one defense for the phase which prevents the first point of assigned damage, making the Contender now a 0/0 for the phase, leaving the last two damage from [Solar Smash] as damage dealt reducing the Contender’s health by two. Player A’s Contender will return to a 0/1 as soon as the Primary Phase ends. 117.3. Excessive damage, such as that from Breakthrough (see rule 704.4), is dealt as an additional instance of clash damage to an opponent’s Contender. Example: If an attacking Clash card with Breakthrough has an attack/defense of 4/2 and the obstructing Clash card is a 1/1, then three (excessive) damage “breaks through” and is dealt as an additional instance of clash damage to the defending Contender. If that Contender has a defense of 1, that Contender takes two clash damage, thus reducing that Contender’s health by two. 117.4. A Clash card is considered defeated if its defense is reduced to zero by any means. Once an effect has resolved, resulting in the reduction of a Clash card’s defense to zero, that card is defeated and is put into its owner’s Oblivion (after all Trigger – Defeat effects for that card have resolved). This is a state-based action (see rule 706). 117.4a. When a Clash card is defeated, if it had the Trigger – Defeat tag, that effect will enter Standby and resolve per the rules of state triggers (see rule 603.8). 117.5. If the source of the damage applied to a Clash card defeats it, that source is considered to have “defeated” the Clash card. 117.6. If an effect triggers on damage being dealt by a specific source or sources, and the effect refers to the “damage dealt,” it refers only to the damage dealt by the specified sources and not to any damage dealt at the same time by other sources. 117.7. Lethal damage is defined as a sufficient amount of damage to “defeat” a Clash card. 118. Drawing a Card 118.1. A player draws a card by putting the top card of their deck into their hand. This is done as a turn-based action during each player’s draw step. It may also be done as part of a cost or effect of a card or effect. 118.2. Cards may only be drawn one at a time. If a player is instructed to draw multiple cards, that player performs that many individual card draws. 118.2a. An instruction to draw multiple cards can be modified by replacement effects that refer to the number of cards drawn. This modification occurs before considering any of the individual card draws. 118.2b. Some effects say that a player can’t draw more than one card each turn. Such an effect applies to individual card draws. Instructions to draw multiple cards may still be partially carried out. However, if an effect offers the player a choice to draw multiple cards, the affected player can’t choose to do so. Similarly, the player can’t pay a cost that includes drawing multiple cards. 118.2c. If more than one player is instructed to draw cards, the active player performs all of their draws first, then each other player, in turn order, does the same. 118.3. If there are no cards in a player’s deck and an effect offers that player the choice to draw a card, that player can choose to do so. However, if an effect says that a player can’t draw cards and another effect offers that player the choice to draw a card, that player can’t choose to do so. 118.3a. The same principles apply if the player who’s making the choice is not the player who would draw the card. If the latter player has no cards in their deck, the choice can be taken. If an effect says that the latter player can’t draw a card, the choice can’t be taken. 118.4. A player who attempts to draw a card from a deck with no cards in it loses the game. This is a state-based action (see rule 706). 118.5. If an effect moves cards from a player’s deck to that player’s hand without using the word “draw,” the player has not drawn those cards. This makes a difference for effects that trigger on drawing cards and effects that replace card draws, as well as if the player’s deck is empty. 118.6. Some effects replace card draws. 118.6a. An effect that replaces a card draw is applied even if no cards could be drawn because there are no cards in the affected player’s deck. 118.6b. If an effect replaces a draw within a sequence of card draws, the replacement effect is completed before resuming the sequence. 118.6c. Some effects perform additional actions on a card after it’s drawn. If the draw is replaced, the additional action is not performed on any cards that are drawn because of that replacement effect or any subsequent replacement effects. 118.7. Some replacement effects and prevention effects result in one or more card draws. In such a case, if there are any parts of the original event that haven’t been replaced, those parts occur first, then the card draws happen one at a time. 118.8. If an effect gives a player the option to reveal a card as they draw it, that player may look at that card as they draw it before choosing whether to reveal it. 119. Counters 119.1. A Counter is a marker placed on an object that modifies its characteristics and/or interacts with a rule, ability, or effect. Counters are not objects and have no characteristics. Notably, a Counter is not a token, and a token is not a Counter. Counters with the same name or description are interchangeable. Counters are typically denoted and tracked with a d6. 119.2. Counters are properly named with a specific identifying word or phrase. There are various types of Counters in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game. 119.2a. A Streak Counter is generated by effects that say so. Streak Counters do nothing and grant no effects unless a card or effect states they do. If that effect is no longer in play or active, then Streak Counters do nothing. 119.2b. A Collection Counter is generated by effects that say so. Collection Counters do nothing and grant no effects unless a card or effect states they do. If that effect is no longer in play or active, then Collection Counters do nothing. 119.2c. A Toxic Counter is generated by effects that say so. Toxic Counters do nothing and grant no effects unless a card or effect states they do. If that effect is no longer in play or active, then Toxic Counters do nothing. 119.2d. A Bounty Counter is generated by effects that say so. Bounty Counters do nothing and grant no effects unless a card or effect states they do. If that effect is no longer in play or active, then Bounty Counters do nothing. 119.2e. A Temper Counter is generated by effects with the Temper keyword. Temper Counters can only be put onto Weapon Accessories. A card may only have a single Temper Counter unless otherwise specified. A Temper Counter on a card has two effects. A card with a Temper Counter on it is considered to be Tempered. 119.2e.1. For each Temper Counter on a card, it gets, “The attached card gets +1/+0.” 119.2e.2. Each Tempered card gets, “When you attach this card, you may remove any number of Temper Counters. For each one removed reduce the attach cost by X resources of any color where X is the number of counters removed during this attach.” 119.2f. A Scarab Counter is generated by effects that say so. Scarab Counters do nothing and grant no effects unless a card or effect states they do. If that effect is no longer in play or active, then Scarab Counters do nothing. 119.3. If an effect says to “move” a Counter, it means to remove that Counter from the object it’s currently on and put it onto a second object. If either of these actions isn’t possible, it’s not possible to move a Counter, and no Counter is removed from or put onto anything. This may occur if the first and second objects are the same object; if the first object doesn’t have the appropriate kind of Counter on it; if the second object can’t have Counters put onto it; or if either object is no longer in the correct zone. 119.4. Some cards and effects refer to Counters being put on an object. This refers to putting Counters on that object while it’s in play and to an object that’s given Counters as it enters play. 119.4a. If an object enters play with Counters on it, the effect causing the object to be given Counters may specify which player puts those Counters on it. If the effect doesn’t specify a player, the object’s controller puts those Counters on it. 119.5. An effect that triggers “When/Whenever the Nth [kind] Counter” is put on an object when one or more Counters of the appropriate kind are put on the object such that the object had fewer than N Counters on it before the Counters were put on it and N or more Counters on it after. 120. Ready / Engaged 120.1. Any card in the upright position is considered “ready”. A card that is ready can’t be readied as part of a cost (see rule 703.11). 120.2. Any card in the horizontal position is considered “engaged”. A card that is engaged can’t be engaged as part of a cost (see rule 703.11). • Parts of a Card 200. General 200.1. The parts of a card are name, resource cost, specific resource cost, color, artwork, artist credit, type line, subtype line, character name, planet, affiliation, text box, attack and defense, rarity, legal text, and card identification. Some cards may have more than one of any or all of these parts. 200.2. Some parts of a card are also characteristics of the object that has them (see rule 109.3). 200.3. Some objects that aren’t cards (tokens, copies of cards) have some of the parts of a card, but only the ones that are also characteristics (see rule 111 and rule 703.5). 201. Name 201.1. The name of non-Contender cards is printed in its upper left corner. 201.1a. The name of Contender cards is printed in middle left 201.2. A card’s name is always considered to be the English version of its name, regardless of printed language. 201.2a. Two or more objects have the same name if they have at least one name in common, even if one or more of those objects have additional names. An object with no name doesn’t have the same name as any other object, including another object with no name. 201.2b. Some cards and effects refer to two or more objects with different names. Those objects have different names only if each of them has at least one name and no two objects in that group have a name in common. 201.2c. If a card or effect refers to a name in brackets, for example [Moxie], it can apply to any card with that character name (see rule 205). 201.2d. If the full name of a card is displayed in brackets, that card or effect only corresponds to that exactly named card. 201.3. If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the player must choose the name of a card in the Clarified Card Reference (see rule 108.1). A player may not choose the name of a token unless it’s also the name of a card. 201.4a. If a player is instructed to choose a card name with certain characteristics, the player must choose the name of a card whose Clarified text matches those characteristics (see rule 108.1). 201.4. Text that refers to the object it’s on by name means just that object and not any other objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects. 202. Resource Cost and Color 202.1. A card’s initial resource cost is indicated by the number within the colored hex near the top right of the card. 202.1a. The initial resource cost of an object represents the total amount of resources needed to pay for that object. 202.1b. Some objects have no initial resource cost, such as tokens. In all cases where an initial resource cost needs to be compared, they are treated as 0. 202.1c. The initial resource cost includes any specific resource cost that card may have. You cannot pay an initial resource cost without fulfilling the specific resource cost, if any. If an effect asks you to pay resources “equal to the cost” of something, that can be fulfilled with resources of any color. 202.2. A card’s specific resource cost is indicated by the colored gems illustrated below the initial resource cost along the right edge of a card (see rule 107.4). 202.2a. The specific resource cost of an object indicates how many specific-colored resources must be included in paying the initial resource cost of that object. Example: [Menacing Magnate] has an initial resource cost of 2. Of that 2, one of those resources must be green, as indicated by the one green gem in the card’s specific resource cost. 202.3. An object is the color or colors as indicated by the hex in the upper right corner of the object, the color of the gems in that object’s specific resource cost, the color indicated in that object’s attack and defense box, or the color as indicated in the object’s card identification in the lower right corner of the card. 202.3a. The five colors are black, green, white, blue, and red. The resource symbols are represented as follows: [⯁] is black, [⯁] green, [⯁] white, [⯁] blue, and [⯁] red. 202.3b. Effects may change an object’s color or give a color to an object (see rule 105.3). 202.4. Any additional cost listed in an object’s card text or imposed by an effect isn’t part of the object’s resource cost (see rule 601). Such costs are paid at the same time as that object’s other costs. 203. Artwork 203.1. The artwork displayed on a card has no effect on game play. For example, a creature doesn’t have the Flight ability unless stated in its card text, even if it’s depicted as “flying”. 203.2. The artist credit for a card follows the paintbrush icon displayed above the card’s text box. 204. Type and Subtype Line 204.1. The type and subtype line are printed at the very bottom of a card. It contains the card’s type(s) and the card’s subtype(s) as well as any applicable character name, location name and planet. 204.2. Card Types 204.2a. The card types (indicated at the bottom right of the card) are Clash, Accessory, Action, and Clashground (see Chapter 3). Contender is another card type but is located at the top right corner of a card. 204.2b. Tokens have card types even though they aren’t cards. The same is true of copies of cards. 204.3. Subtypes 204.3a. Accessory and Action cards can have one or more subtypes printed on its type line. 204.3b. Subtypes of each card are shown in the bottom left of a card. 204.3c. Accessories have a unique set of subtypes to include Relics, Traps and Weapon, and Contender Weapon. 204.3d. Actions have a unique set of subtypes to include Basic, Quick and Clash Buff. 204.3e. An object can’t gain a subtype that doesn’t correspond to one of that object’s types. 204.3f. If an effect instructs a player to choose a subtype, that player must choose one, and only one, existing subtype, and the subtype must be for the appropriate card type. 205. Character Name 205.1. The name in brackets in the lower left of a Contender or Clash card indicates the character name of that card. 205.2. If an effect refers to a name in brackets that is found in the following list, it refers to the character name of the card, not the actual name of the card. • [Magnate] • [Moxie] • [Mean-Streak] • [Webber] • [Edwards] • [Morac] • [Rizlac] • [Kilimanjaro] • [Sonoro] • [Avenging Guy] • [Khagan] • [Clarity] • [Haven] • [Shadowlight] • [Cao Ling] • [LINN] • [Warcry] • [T-Bone] • [Plasmax] • [Apex] • [Torque] • [Flare] • [Machina] • [Alpha Aster] • [War] • [Pestilence] • [Death] • [Conquest] • [Paul] • [Genesis] • [Zhao Li] • [Gur] • [Cherry Bomb] • [Krung] • [Dean] • [Trugg] • [Thragor] • [Cadavros] • [Sinai] • [Shadowblade] • [Windhoof] • [Gearwin] • [Iron Piston] • [Master Zephyrion] • [Fangyin] • [Anzudak] • [Valen Solariel] • [Doomcaster] • [Percival Pendervick] • [Kheprius] • [Harmonisworn] • [Amalgamight] • [The Absence] • [Entropy] 205.2a. A character name sometimes has a hyphen followed by additional types. These types are generic and any card referring to one or more of them can refer to any card with the appropriate types. Currently, the generic Clash card types are: Boss, Elite, Guard, and Minion. Some Clash cards are generic and only contain generic types. Example: “Krung – Elite Boss” is a [Krung] card as well as an Elite card and a Boss card as well as an Elite Boss card. Example: “Guard Minion” is both a Guard and a Minion type card as well as a Guard Minion card. 206. Location Name 206.1. The name in brackets in the lower left of a Clashground indicates the location name of that card. 206.2. If an effect refers to a name in brackets that is found in the following list, it refers to the location name of the card, not the actual name of the card. • [Amazon] • [Antarctica] • [Chicago] • [Denver] • [Detroit] • [New York] • [San Francisco] • [Grimveil] • [Outer Space] • [Galespire] • [Unknown] • [New Mexico] • [Chicago] • [Russia] • [Wastelands] • [Cogheim] • [Eldralore] • [Evelon] • [Mecha Drailia] • [Mindscape] • [Bardaga] • [Drak’aroth] • [Zenith Prime] 207. Planet 207.1. The name in brackets in the lower left of a Contender, Clash card, or Clashground indicates the planet associated with that card. 207.2. If an effect refers to a name in brackets that is found in the following list, it refers to the planet of the card, not the actual name of the card. • [Earth] • [Bardaga] • [Zenith Prime] • [Plagueholme] • [Arghor] • [Evelon] • [Drak’aroth] • [Unknown] 208. Affiliation 208.1. The symbol in lower right of a Contender or Clash card indicates the affiliation that card belongs to. Affiliation is characteristic of a Contender or Clash card and is used to apply certain card effects or to meet various criteria for card effects. The affiliation of a Contender or Clash card is represented by a symbol (see rule 107.4c). 208.1a. There are seven affiliations in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game: • Alpha • Alpha Hunter • Rogue • Discarded • Harbinger • Progenitor • Dragon 209. Rarity 209.1. The color of the crystal at the bottom center of a card indicates the rarity of that card. 209.1a. A white crystal indicates the card is common. 209.1b. A green crystal indicates the card is uncommon. 209.1c. A blue crystal indicates the card is rare. 209.1d. A purple crystal indicates the card is epic. 209.1d.1. A yellow crystal indicates the card is iconic rare, which is an alternate art of another rarity. 209.1d.2. An iconic art rare also has a yellow crystal but has no relevant card information, thus iconic art rare cards are legal in tournament play for the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game as long as the player has a non-iconic art rare with the same name on hand. 209.1e. An orange crystal indicates the card is legendary. 209.1e.1. A black crystal indicates the card is an alpha rare, which is an alternate art of a legendary. 209.1f. A pink crystal indicates the card is either a promo or starter rare. 209.2. Rarity has no effect on gameplay. 210. Text Box 210.1. The text box is printed on the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text defining the card’s effects and abilities. 210.2. The text box may also contain italicized text that has no game function. 210.2a. Reminder text is italicized text within parentheses that summarizes a rule that applies to that card. It usually appears on the same line as the ability it’s relevant to, but it may appear on its own line if it applies to an aspect of the card other than an ability. 210.2b. An ability keyword appears in bold and italics usually at the top of a card’s text box. Ability keywords represent a predefined effect (see rule 704). Ability keywords include, Awe Factor X, Barrage X, Bound, Breakthrough, Brutal, Close Combat, Daunting, Enrage X, Exclusive, Flight, Fortitude, Interception, Irrefutable, Magnitude, Necrotic, Observant, Recover, Restore, Rivaled, Superspeed, Undisputed, and Unrivaled. 211. Attack / Defense 211.1. A Contender or a Clash card has two numbers displayed in its lower left corner. The first number is its attack power (the amount of clash damage it deals in a Clash); the second is its defense power. For clash cards this is the amount of damage needed to defeat it. Example: 2/3 means the object has an attack power of 2 and defense power of 3. Attack and defense can be modified or set to particular values by effects. 211.1a. Some effects refer to an object’s “initial attack power,” or “initial defense power,” This refers to the number listed on the card before any alterations to that value. 211.1b. Some effects check an object’s “attack power” and/or “defense power”. These effects see the object’s characteristics after applying any continuous characteristic defining effects and alterations to that predefined value. Example: A Clash card with an attack/defense of 2/3 means the object has an “initial attack power” of 2 and an “initial defense power” of 3. Then an effect states, “target Clash card gets +1/+1 until end of turn.” This effect modifies the initial attack/defense of that Clash card, and it now has an “attack power” of 3 and a “defense power” of 4. 211.2. If a Clash card’s defense power is reduced to zero or below by any means, that Clash card is considered “defeated” (see rule 117.4). 211.3. If a Contender or Clash card somehow has no value for its attack power, its attack is considered to be 0. The same is true for defense power. 211.4. If a Contender of Clash card has a modifier applied to its attack and defense power, you apply all increases before applying decreases. 211.4a. A Contender or Clash card can have negative values for attack and defense. However, if a Clash card has a negative defense value, it is considered defeated. 211.4b. A clash card can have a negative attack value and any positive or negative effect will be adjusted from the state of the attack value. 211.4c. A Contender that has negative values for defense does not receive additional damage from Clash or non-clash damage. Attack and defense reducing effects do not affect Contender Health. 211.4d. A Contender that has negative values for attack and defense is able to apply positive or negative stat values. Example: A Contender with an attack/defense of 0/1 receives an effect that states, “Target Contender gets -2/-2 until the end of the Clash.” This would put the Contender’s attack/defense to -2/-1 for the duration of the Clash. Attack/defense will be adjusted from the state of the attack/defense value. Clash damage and/or non-clash damage would affect a Contender as if it were 0/0. 212. Information Below the Text Box and Type Line 212.1. Each card features text printed below the text box that has no effect on game play. 212.2. A card’s identification is displayed in the bottom right of the card. Example: [Piercing Strike] has a card identification of AC1-117 (UC) Red. • “AC1” indicates that this card was released in Alpha Clash Set 1. • “117” indicates that this card is the 117th card printed in that set. • “(UC)” indicates the rarity of this card is Uncommon or UC for short. • “Red” indicates the color of that card is red. 212.3 Legal text (the fine print at the bottom-left of the card) lists the trademark and copyright information for the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game produced by Rising Empire Studios LLC. 213. Card Name Referencing 213.1. Cards may reference words within card’s name. 213.2. A reference from this kind would be an exact word within the card’s official name. Example: [Grenade Launcher] has a card name reference within the effect. ● Eligible targets would include cards with [Grenade] in the name such as [Incendiary Grenade], [Frag Grenade], [Smoke Grenade] 3. Card Types 300. General 300.1. The card types for the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game are Contender, Clashground, Clash, Accessory, and Action (see rule 204.2a). 301. Contender 301.1. Each player may only control one Contender and that Contender starts the game in play, in that player’s Contender Zone. Contenders can have any of the following characteristics: colors, abilities, card effects, an affiliation, attack/defense power, character name, planet, and a maximum health value. 301.2. Contenders have a starting health listed in the top right corner of the card. 301.2a. This is the game score. A player loses the game when their Contender’s health is reduced to zero. This is a state-based action (see rule 706). 301.2b. Contenders may gain health, but their health total can’t surpass the maximum health total listed on their card. For more rules around Health see rule 116. 301.2c. In the event where both Contender’s health is reduced to zero by clash damage, the active player (the attacking player) wins the game. 301.2d In the event where both Contender’s health is reduced to zero by non-clash damage, the controller of the effect that reduced both Contender’s health value wins the game. 301.3. Contenders have various “contender abilities” listed in their text box. These abilities are active so long as that Contender’s current health is less than or equal to the indicated number of the ability. Example: At thirty or less health, the (30) ability of [Torque, the Diabolical] is active. At ten or less health, Torque’s bottom (10) ability will become active. Additionally, if Torque’s health rises above ten, his bottom ability is now inactive. 301.4. Contenders may attack but are not eligible to obstruct attacks. 301.4a. Contenders can’t be used to attack your own Clash cards. 301.5. Non-Contender Weapons may not be attached to a Contender unless otherwise specified. 301.6. Contenders can’t be sent to Oblivion. 301.7. From the start of the game, if a Contender’s card effect requires that you engage it, you may do so during that effect’s specified time. (e.g., During your Primary Phase…) 301.8. Contenders have one of the listed Affiliations as listed in rule 208. 301.9. Contenders have an attack and defense power (see rule 211). 301.9a. Attack power is the amount of damage it assigns to a contender or deals to a clash card. 301.9b. Defense power is the value used to reduce assigned damaged to calculate damage dealt. Defense power is reduced by damage until the end of the current phase. 301.9b.1. If the damage assigned to a Contender reduces its defense power to zero, all excess damage is dealt and reduces that Contender’s health by that amount. 302. Clashground 302.1. Clashgrounds have colors, resource costs, location name, planet, and various effects. 302.2. Clashgrounds effects apply to all players and clash cards unless otherwise specified. 302.2a. If a Clashground has a card effect that references “you” or “your”, it only applies to the controller of that Clashground. 302.3. Clashground cards are played into your Clashground Zone only during a player’s own Primary Phase. 302.3a. Clashgrounds enter play in the ready position unless otherwise stated. 302.4. Only one Clashground may be in play among all players at any given time. 302.5. The current Clashground in play is considered the “active” Clashground. 302.6. When a Clashground is played, it goes into Standby (see rule 409). While a Clashground is in Standby, your opponents have priority to respond with Counter - Play cards and effects (see rules 304.8, 308.3 and 602.5). After resolving all effects, put the active Clashground into its owner’s Oblivion, then put the Clashground from Standby into its owner’s Clashground Zone. 302.7. A player may not play a Clashground that has the same card name as a Clashground they control. However, a player may play a Clashground with the same name that an opponent controls. Example: Player A plays [Amazon Rainforest]. They control that Clashground. Player A can’t play another Clashground named [Amazon Rainforest]. However, Player B may play a Clashground named [Amazon Rainforest] since they do not control the active Clashground. 302.8. Players may play over their own Clashground, so long as that Clashground has a different name. 302.9. Some Clashgrounds have a specific location name and planet that correspond to various in-game effects. Example: [Sinister San Francisco] has a location name of [San Francisco] and is on planet [Earth]. 302.10. Some Clashgrounds have “Event” in place of a location name. These Clashgrounds have additional rules. 302.10.a. Event Clashgrounds can’t be prevented from entering play and can’t have their effects negated. 302.10.b. In order to play a non-Event Clashground while an Event is in play the cost of that Clashground must meet or exceed the cost of the Event. 303. Clash card 303.1. Clash cards are played into your Clash Zone during your Primary Phase. 303.1a. Clash cards enter play in the ready position unless otherwise stated. 303.2. Clash cards have colors, resource costs, an affiliation, character name, planet, attack/defense power and various effects. 303.3 Clash damage dealt to a Clash card reduces their defense power by that amount (for the duration of the Clash in which that damage was dealt). 303.4. Non-clash damage dealt to a Clash card reduces their defense power by that amount (for the duration of the phase in which that damage was dealt). 303.5. If a Clash card’s defense is reduced to zero (or less) by any means, that Clash card is considered “defeated” and is put into its owner’s Oblivion (after all Trigger – Defeat effects for that card have resolved). This is a state-based action. Trigger - Defeat effects of the defeated Clash card resolve per the rules of state triggers (see rule 117.4a and 603.8). 303.6. A Clash card may attack or engage to activate its effects the turn it enters play. 303.7. Attacking Clash cards are placed in the engaged position (see rule 504.2a) and must declare a target of their attack. 303.7a. Your Clash cards may not attack your Contender or any Clash cards you control. 303.8. Clash cards in the ready position may not be attacked unless an effect otherwise states (e.g., Close Combat). 303.9. A player’s Clash cards in the ready position may obstruct an attack (targeted at your Contender or a Clash card you control) by engaging during the Obstruct Step of a Clash. When obstructors are declared, the attacking Clash card is now attacking the obstructors, not the original target of the attack. 303.10. Clash cards may not obstruct an attack targeted at themselves. 303.11. Clash cards have one of the listed Affiliations as listed in rule 208. 303.12. Clash cards have an attack and defense power (see rule 211). 304. Accessory – Trap 304.1. Traps are a subtype of Accessory. 304.2. Traps have colors, resource costs and various effects. 304.3. During your Primary Phase, you may set a Trap from your hand face down into your Accessory Zone. Setting is not the same as playing. There is no limit to the number of Traps you may set in a turn. Setting a Trap does not have a resource cost. 304.3a. Traps are set in the ready position unless otherwise stated. 304.4. Traps are activated and their effects resolve one at a time. 304.5. A player must pay the resource cost of a Trap they control in order to activate that Trap. 304.6. Players may only activate Traps from their Accessory Zone when they have priority to respond. Players may activate as many Traps as they like (activated and resolved one at a time) before they pass priority back to their opponent. 304.7. Traps can’t be activated on the turn they were set. 304.8. Traps may only be activated from the Accessory Zone in response to the proper condition based on their trigger tag and timing rules (see rule 114.1). • Counter - Attack: Activate this effect in response to an opponent attacking you. • Counter - Play: Activate this effect in response to an opponent playing a card. • Counter - Trap: Activate this effect in response to an opponent activating a Trap. 304.9. After the effects of a non-Ambush Trap have resolved, that Trap is put into its owner's Oblivion. 304.10. Face down cards in the Accessory Zone are considered Accessories and Traps. If a Trap is turned face up for any reason it still functions as a Trap. 305. Accessory – Weapon 305.1. Weapons are a subtype of Accessory. 305.2. Weapons have colors, resource costs, attach costs and various effects. 305.3. Weapons can only be played and/or attached during your own Primary Phase. 305.4. Weapons are played into your Accessory Zone during your Primary Phase. 305.4a. Weapons enter play in the ready position unless otherwise stated. 305.5. A Weapon’s attach cost is color specific and must be paid to attach that Weapon to a Clash card you control. 305.6. The attach cost of a Weapon can only be paid if that Weapon is in play. 305.6a. Attach costs of Weapons are activated effects (see rule 703.2). 305.7. When a Clash card leaves play, any attached Weapons are returned to the Accessory Zone of that card’s owner. 305.8. While a Weapon you control is attached to a Clash card, you may pay the attach cost of that Weapon in order to attach that Weapon to a Clash card you control (in play). 305.9. You may pay the attach cost of a Weapon you control to unattach that Weapon and return it to your Accessory Zone. 305.10. Only one Weapon may be attached to a Clash card at any given time unless otherwise stated. 305.10a. If a Clash card has a Weapon currently attached, they can’t attach another Weapon unless otherwise stated. 306. Action – Clash Buff 306.1. Clash Buffs are a subtype of Action. 306.2. Clash Buffs have colors, resource costs and various effects. 306.3. A Clash Buff can only be played during the appropriate steps in a Clash. 306.3a. …during Step C4 of a Clash, while you’re the attacking player. 306.3b. …during Step C5 of a Clash, while you’re the defending player. 306.4. A player may only have a total of four Clash Buffs in their deck list (Main Deck + Sideboard). 306.5. Only one Clash Buff can target a specific Clash card, Contender, or player per turn. 306.5a. Players may choose to play additional Clash Buffs on different eligible targets. 306.6. A Clash Buff can target any Clash card or Contender you control, unless otherwise stated. 306.7. When an Action is played, it is put into Standby where all opponents get priority to respond to it (See rule 601). After Standby, an Action card’s effects resolve and then the Action card is put into its owner’s Oblivion. Standby is considered in play for Action cards. 307. Action – Basic 307.1. Basic Actions are a subtype of Action. 307.2. Basic Action have colors, resource costs and various effects. 307.3. Basic Actions can only be played during your own Primary Phase. 307.4. When an Action is played, it is put into Standby where all opponents get priority to respond to it. (See rule 601) After Standby, an Action card’s effects resolve and then the Action card is put into its owner’s Oblivion. Standby is considered in play for Action cards. 308. Action – Quick 308.1. Quick Actions are a subtype of Action. 308.2. Quick Action have colors, resource costs and various effects. 308.3. Quick Actions may only be played from your hand in response to the proper condition based on their trigger tag and timing rules (see rule 114.1). • Counter - Attack: Play this card in response to an opponent attacking you. • Counter - Play: Play this card in response to an opponent playing a card. • Counter - Trap: Play this card in response to an opponent activating a Trap. 308.4. Quick Actions are played, and their effects resolve one at a time. 308.5. When an Action is played, it is put into Standby where all opponents get priority to respond to it. (See rule 601) After Standby, an Action card’s effects resolve and then the Action card is put into its owner’s Oblivion. Standby is considered in play for Action cards. 309. Accessory – Relic 309.1. Relics are a subtype of Accessory. 309.2. Relics have colors, resource costs and various effects. 309.3. Relics can only be played during your own Primary Phase. 309.4. Relics are played into your Accessory Zone during your Primary Phase. 309.4a. Relics enter play in the ready position unless otherwise stated. 310. Accessory – Contender Weapon 310.1. Contender Weapons are a subtype of Accessory. 310.2. Contender Weapons have colors, resource costs, attach costs and various effects. 310.3. Contender Weapons can only be played and/or attached during your own Primary Phase. 310.4. Contender Weapons are played into your Accessory Zone during your Primary Phase. 310.4a. Contender Weapons enter play in the ready position unless otherwise stated. 310.5. A Contender Weapon’s attach cost is color specific and must be paid to attach that Contender Weapon to a Contender card you control. 310.6. The attach cost of a Contender Weapon can only be paid if that Contender Weapon is in play. 310.6a. Attach costs of Contender Weapons are activated effects (see rule 703.2). 310.7. You may pay the attach cost of a Contender Weapon you control to unattach or detach that Contender Weapon and return it to your Accessory Zone. 310.8. Only one Contender Weapon may be attached to a Contender card at any given time unless otherwise stated. 310.8a. If a Contender card has a Contender Weapon currently attached, they can’t attach another Contender Weapon unless otherwise stated. 310.9. Any card effect that affects a Weapon may also affect a Contender Weapon. 311. Action – Empowerment 311.1. Empowerment Actions are a subtype of Action. 311.2. Empowerment Action have colors, resource costs and various effects. 311.3. Empowerment Actions can only be played during your own Primary Phase. 311.4. When an Empowerment Action is played, it is put into Standby where all opponents get priority to respond to it. (See rule 601) After Standby, an Empowerment Action card’s effects resolve and then the Empowerment Action card is attached to a card in play. 311.5. Empowerment Actions once attached to a card in play cannot be moved and go to Oblivion if the attached card leaves play. 312. Action – Omen 312.1. Omen Actions are a subtype of Action. 312.2. Omen Actions have colors, resource costs, and various effects. 312.3. Omen Actions can normally only be played during your Primary Phase. 312.4. When an Omen Action is played, it is put into Standby where all opponents get priority to respond to it. (See rule 601) After Standby, an Omen Action comes into play, triggers any Trigger – Enter effects it might have and then stay in play until the start of its controllers next turn. At that point it will be put into Oblivion. 312.5. While in play Omens have one or more continuous effects on the game that last until it leaves play. While it is in play it is still an action card and can be interacted with through any effect that affects Action cards in play. 380. Token 380.1. Tokens are represented normally by cards in the Alpha Clash Card Game. Tokens are never allowed to be a part of a Deck, even if that token has a cost. Tokens are named entities that are created in play, and when leave play go to Oblivion as normal. They are treated as cards when in play. 380.2. Card effects will create tokens in play under control of a player. Some cards will define the characteristics of a Token. If they do, those characteristics override any defined values of the token if it exists in the CR or if it’s a copy of another card. If the effects omit a defined value then you can refer to the Token Reference entry for that value. Example: An effect says, “Create a 2/2 token copy of target Clash card.” Even if this effect targets a card that is a 5/5 the token that is created will be a 2/2 even if all other characteristics of the card are copied. 380.3. For tokens that are only referred to by name, such as “Create a [War Minion].” You can refer to the token reference in this section for all tokens. 380.80. Token Reference 380.80a. [War Minion] is defined as a 1/1 red Harbinger Clash token. 380.80b. [Nova] is defined as a red Relic Accessory token. 380.80c. [Badge] is defined as a red Weapon Accessory token with the text, “Attach: R. The attached card gets +0/+1 and can attach one additional non-token Weapon.” 380.80d. [Streak] is defined as a 0/1 blue Alpha Clash token with the text, “This card’s attack and defense cannot be modified and cards cannot be attached to this.” 380.80e. [Nanoshield] is defined as a red Weapon Accessory token with Exclusive and the text, “When the attached card would take damage, detach this and prevent that damage instead. This card cannot leave play.” 380.80f. [Synthorian] is defined as a 0/1 green Clash token with a home planet of Synthoria. 380.80g. [Illicit Goods] is defined as a 2-cost colorless Contraband Relic Token Accessory with the following card effects: 380.80g.1. “Action (1): Send this to Oblivion. If you do, draw a card. You may only spend resources of a color you haven't already used to activate an [Illicit Goods] this turn for this effect.” 380.80g.2. “Action (2): Send this to Oblivion. If you do, draw a card.” 380.80g.3. “Action: Discard a card. If you do, send this to Oblivion.” 4. Zones 400. General 400.1. A zone is a place where objects can be during a game. There are normally eleven zones: Contender Zone, Clash Zone, Clashground Zone, Accessory Zone, Resource Zone, Oblivion, Standby, hand, deck, the Portal and the Banished Zone. Each player has their own Contender Zone, Clash Zone, Clashground Zone, Accessory Zone, Resource Zone, Oblivion, Banished Zone, hand, and deck. 400.1a. Standby and the Portal are shared zones, shared by all players. 400.2. Public zones are zones in which all players can see the cards’ faces, except for those cards that some rule or effect specifically allow to be face down (e.g., Traps). Contender Zone, Clash Zone, Clashground Zone, Accessory Zone, Resource Zone, Oblivion, Standby, Banished Zone and the Portal are all public zones. Hidden zones are zones in which not all players can be expected to see the cards’ faces. Deck and hand are hidden zones, even if all the cards in one such zone happen to be revealed. 400.3. If an object would go to any deck, Banished Zone, Oblivion, or hand other than its owner’s, it goes to its owner’s corresponding zone. 400.4. Cards with certain card types can only enter certain zones. 400.4a. Clash cards can only enter play in the Clash Zone. 400.4b. Clashgrounds can only enter play in the Clashground Zone. 400.4c. Accessory cards can only enter play (or be set) in the Accessory Zone. 400.4c.1. Cards with Ambush may be set in the Accessory Zone. 400.5. The order of objects in a deck, or in Standby can’t be changed except when effects or rules allow it. 400.5.a. Face-up objects in other in-play zones can be arranged however their owners choose, although who controls those objects, whether they’re engaged or upside down, and what other objects are attached to them must remain clear to all players. 400.5.b. Face-down objects may not be re-arranged but may be consolidated for space. They must maintain the relative position in which they were placed from left to right. 400.6. A known object that moves from a public zone to a player’s hand, deck, Banished Zone, or Oblivion becomes a new object with no memory of, or relation to, its previous existence. 400.6a. If an object moves from a public zone to a hidden zone and then returns to a public zone, that object is considered a new object. 400.7. An object is outside the game if it isn’t in any of the game’s zones. Outside the game is not a zone. 400.8. Cards in a player’s Sideboard are outside the game (see rule 100.4). 400.8a. Cards outside the game can’t be affected by cards or effects. 400.9. Some effects instruct a player to do something to a zone (such as “Shuffle your hand into your deck”). That action is performed on all cards in that zone. The zone itself is not affected. 400.10. A card that is “banished” is sent to its owner’s Banished Zone and is no longer considered in play. 400.11 Some card effects will allow a player to extend certain zones to other cards. These effects use the phrase “as if” or “as though”. The ability will allow a player to interact with a card in a different zone like it were in the specified zone. Even though the card acts like it is in the specified zone for the effect, it is not in that zone for any other effects. Example: Players with Genesis, Emissary of Chaos as a Contender can play one ready resource card in their Resource Zone “as if” it was in their hand. This will not trigger any other effects looking for “from hand” and would trigger any effects looking for “from Resource Zone”. Example: Krung’s Plan can be used as a Counter - Play to extend the Accessory Zone to the player’s hand for Ambush cards. Players with Lord Krung, Leader of the Horde Contender who choose to play an Ambush from hand would not draw due to their effect “Whenever a (Discarded symbol) Clash card you control enters play from anywhere other than your hand, you may draw one card” as the card did enter play from hand. 401. Deck 401.1. At the start of each game, each player must remove 0-15 cards from their 50-75-card deck and present a deck of 50-60 cards. 401.2. Each deck must be kept in a single face-down pile. Players can’t look at or change the order of cards in a deck unless otherwise specified. 401.3. Any player may count the number of cards remaining in any player’s deck at any time. 401.4. If an effect puts two or more cards in a specific position in a deck at the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. That deck’s owner doesn’t reveal the order in which the cards go into the deck. 401.5. Some effects tell a player to play with the top card of their deck revealed or say that a player may look at the top card of their deck. If the top card of the player’s deck changes due to a card effect, the new top card won’t be revealed and can’t be looked at until that effect triggers and resolves again (static effects are the exception). The same is true with relation to an effect being activated. 402. Hand 402.1. The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn. Cards can be put into a player’s hand by other effects as well. At the beginning of the game, each player draws a number of cards equal to that player’s starting hand size, normally eight (see rule 103). 402.2. Players have no maximum hand size. 402.3. A player may arrange their hand in any convenient fashion and look at it at any time. A player can’t look at the cards in another player’s hand but may count those cards at any time. 403. Oblivion 403.1. A player’s Oblivion is their discard pile. Any object that's discarded, defeated, or “sent to Oblivion” is put on top of its owner’s Oblivion, as is any Action card that’s finished resolving. Each player’s Oblivion starts the game empty. 403.2. Each Oblivion is kept in a single face-up pile. A player can examine the cards in any Oblivion at any time and the order of the cards in a player’s Oblivion does matter and must be maintained in the same order unless the Oblivion order is directly affected by an in-game effect. 403.3. If an effect or rule puts two or more cards into the same Oblivion at the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. 404. Contender Zone 404.1. Only Contender cards can be in this zone. 404.2. Players begin the game with their chosen Contender in this zone. 405. Clashground Zone 405.1. Only Clashground cards can be in this zone. 405.2. When a player plays (and resolves) a Clashground card, send all active cards in all Clashground Zones to Oblivion. 405.3. Clashgrounds enter this zone in the ready position. 406. Clash Zone 406.1. Only Clash cards and Weapons attached to Clash cards can be in this zone. 406.2. Clash cards enter this zone in the ready position. 407. Accessory Zone 407.1. Only Accessories can be face up in this zone. 407.2. Traps are set into this zone face down. 407.3. Weapons can be moved from this zone to the Clash Zone when their attached cost has been paid. 407.4. When a Clash card, with one or more attached Weapons, leaves play, all of their attached Weapons return to this zone in the state in which they were in (either engaged or ready). 407.5. Cards with Ambush may be set into this zone face down. They are considered Traps until they leave the Accessory Zone. 408. Resource Zone 408.1. In your Expansion Phase, during your resource step, you may put up to one card from your hand into your Resource Zone. You must decide whether to put a card into your Resource Zone in this step. You can’t put a resource into your Resource Zone during your Primary Phase, unless otherwise stated. 408.2. Cards are put in the Resource Zone ready and in the upside-down (or inverted) position. 408.3. Cards in the Resource Zone do not enter play but are considered to be in play. 408.4. Cards in the Resource Zone are considered blank except for their color. 408.4a. They have no effects or characteristics except for their color. 408.4b The Keyword ability Bound does function in the Resource Zone. 408.5. You pay resources to play cards and activate effects. 408.6. Cards in the Resource Zone can be engaged to generate one resource of that card’s color. 408.7. You may engage a card in your Resource Zone to generate resources if the game state requires you to pay for a card or effect. 408.7a. Resources may only be generated if the game state requires you to do so. In other words, you may not engage a card in your Resource Zone for no reason. 408.7b. If you engage a card that is more than one color to pay for a resource cost, you may choose any of that card's colors and generate a resource of the chosen color. 408.8. To impact the game state, you must follow these steps: • Declare a card to play or an effect to activate by placing it into Standby. • Generate resources for that card/effect. • Pay the corresponding resources for that card/effect. • Once all opponents have had priority to respond to the card/effect in Standby, resolve that card/effect. 409. Standby 409.1. When a card is played, the physical card is put into Standby (see rule 601.1a). When an effect is activated or triggers, that effect goes into Standby without any card associated with it (see rules 602.2a and 603.2). 409.2. Standby keeps track of the order that cards and/or effects were added to it. Each time an object is put into Standby, it’s put on top of all objects already there. 409.3. If an effect puts two or more objects into Standby at the same time, those controlled by the active player are put on lowest, followed by each other player’s objects in APNAP order (see rule 101.4). If a player controls more than one of these objects, that player chooses their relative order in Standby. 409.4. Cards do not have abilities in Standby. Abilities are outlined in rule 704, Keyword Abilities. 409.5. When all players pass priority in succession, the top (last-added) card or effect in Standby resolves. 409.6. Some things that happen during the game don’t go into Standby. 409.6a. Static effects continuously generate their effects and don’t go into Standby (see rule 604). 409.6b. Engaging a resource does not go into Standby. 409.6c. Turn-based actions don’t go into Standby; they happen automatically when certain steps or phases begin. They’re dealt with before a player would receive priority (see rule 114). Turn based actions also happen automatically when each step and phase ends; no player receives priority afterward (see rule 705). 409.6d. State-based actions don’t go into Standby; they happen automatically when certain conditions are met (see rule 706). They are dealt with before a player would receive priority (see rule 114). 409.6e. A player may concede the game at any time. That player leaves the game immediately. This action does not go into Standby (see rule 104.3a). 409.7 Objects that will become permanents in Standby are not considered in play. Action cards in Standby are considered in play. 410. The Portal 410.1. The Portal is a public zone. It is not a physical game zone, but rather a zone where the status of the Portal is tracked. 410.2. The Portal can either be “open” or “closed”. 410.2a. The Portal starts the game closed. 410.3. A player may “activate” (see rule 703.16) the Portal by paying two resources of any color (during their Primary Phase). 410.3a. A player may also “activate” the Portal with a card effect that states, “activate the Portal”. 410.3b. When a player activates the Portal, if it is open, close it. 410.3c. When a player activates the Portal, if it is closed, open it. 410.3.d “Trigger – Portal” condition is met whenever the Portal is activated by an effect or ability. 411. Banished Zone 411.1. A player's Banished Zone exists outside of the game. Cards "banished" by game effects are put into their owner's Banished Zone. 411.2. Each Banished Zone is kept in a single, face-up pile. A player can examine the cards in any Banished Zone at any time and the order of the cards in a player's Banished Zone does not matter. 5. Turn Structure 500. General 500.1. A turn consists of five phases: Start of Turn Phase, Expansion Phase, Primary Phase, Clash Phase and End of Turn Phase. Each turn starts with the Start of Turn Phase, then the Expansion Phase, then the Primary Phase. From the Primary Phase the active player can choose to end their turn, going to the End of Turn Phase or start a clash, ending the current Primary Phase and starting a Clash Phase. When the steps of that Clash Phase are completed, a new Primary Phase is started. The Expansion and Clash Phase are broken down into steps, which proceed in order. 500.2. Players generally have priority in their own phases. However, priority can be passed back and forth between players as cards are played, effects are activated, attacks are declared etc. (see rule 114). 500.3. When a phase or step ends, any effects scheduled to last “until end of” that phase or step expire. When a phase or step begins, any effects scheduled to last “until” that phase or step expire. Effects that last “until end of the clash” expire at the end of the clash phase that effect corresponds to. Effects that last “until end of turn” are subject to special rules (see rule 505). 500.4. When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step will trigger and be put into Standby. The abilities will enter standby in APNAP order, in the order specified by the owner. The owner of those effects then gain priority to resolve those effects one at a time. (see rule 114). 500.4a. This trigger point will only occur once per phase. 500.5. No game events can occur between turns, phases, or steps. 501. Start of Turn Phase 501.1. Any effects that trigger at “start of turn” (or similar phrasing) will trigger and resolve here. The owner of the triggered effect gains priority to resolve their effect. Priority is then returned to the active player. 502. Expansion Phase 502.1. The Expansion Phase consists of the following three steps: Ready Step, Draw Step, and Resource Step. The player going first in a game skips their first Ready and Draw Step. 502.1a. Ready Step - The active player readies (turn to the vertical position) all cards they control. Normally, all of a player’s permanents will be readied, but effects can keep one or more of a player’s permanents engaged. This turn-based action doesn’t use Standby. 502.1b. Draw Step - The active player draws one card from the top of their deck. This turn-based action doesn’t use Standby. 502.1c. Resource Step - The active player may put up to one card without Rivaled from their hand into their Resource Zone. A player may skip this action. Also, a player is not allowed to place a card into their Resource Zone outside of this step unless otherwise stated by a card effect. This turn-based action doesn’t use Standby. 502.2. Any effect that triggers during these steps will be placed into Standby. The owner of the triggered effect gains priority to resolve their effect. Priority is then returned to the active player. 503. Primary Phase 503.1. A player may do any of the following actions in any order during their Primary Phase: 503.1a. The active player may play Clash cards, Clashgrounds, and/or non-Trap Accessories from their hand into that card’s corresponding game zone. Non-Trap Accessories currently include Contender Weapons, Relics, and Weapons. 503.1b. The active player may play Basic Actions during this phase. Basic Actions can only be played during a player’s own Primary Phase. 503.1c. The active player may set any number of Traps or cards with Ambush from their hand face down into their Accessory Zone. “Setting” a card is not considered “playing” a card. Setting a card requires no resource cost to do so. 503.1d. The active player may initiate a Clash. The active player (and the defending player) are in the Clash Phase as soon as the active player declares an attack (see rule 504.2). 503.1e. The active player may end their turn during this phase. Play then passes to the next player in turn order (usually the player to the left). 504. Clash Phase 504.1. During the Clash Phase, the active player is the attacking player; Clash cards that player controls may be declared as attackers. During the Clash Phase of a two-player game, the non- active player is the defending player; that player’s Contender and their engaged Clash cards may be attacked. 504.2. Clashes occur one at a time and follow these six steps in order: Attack Step, Counter Step, Obstruct Step, Attacker’s Clash Buff Step, Defender’s Clash Buff Step, and Damage Step. 504.2a. C1: Attack Step – The attacking player has priority. The attacking player chooses one Contender or Clash card they control and engages it to declare an attack targeted at an opponent’s Contender or an opponent’s engaged Clash card. Engaging a Contender or Clash card when it’s declared as an attacker isn’t a cost; attacking simply causes attackers to become engaged (this is a turn-based action). Note: A player must declare a target of their attack in this step. Then the attacking player resolves any Trigger - Attack effects (or any other attack-based triggered effects) of the attacker or any cards attached to that attacker. Once those effects have resolved, priority passes to the defending player’s Counter Step (C2). 504.2a.1. Any effects (not denoted by a Trigger - Attack trigger tag) that trigger on attackers being declared will trigger. Effects that trigger on a Contender or Clash card attacking, trigger only at the point the Contender or Clash card is declared as an attacker. They will not trigger if a Contender or Clash card attacks and then that Contender or Clash card’s characteristics change to match the effect’s trigger condition. The owner of the triggered effect gains priority to resolve their effect. Priority is then returned to the active player. Example: The active Clashground has the effect “Whenever a green Clash card attacks, send that Clash card to Oblivion after this Clash.” If a blue Clash card attacks and is later turned green by another card effect, the “send to Oblivion” effect will not trigger. 504.2b. C2: Counter Step – The defending player has priority. The defending player may play or activate any number of Quick Actions, Traps, or card effects with the Counter - Attack trigger tag, one at a time. You may only activate each unique Counter – Attack trigger once per Counter Step. Example: Player A declares an attack with their 6/6 Clash card targeted at Player B’s Contender. In the Counter Step, Player B activates [Better Luck Next Time!]. Player A has no response, and the effect of [Better Luck Next Time!] resolves giving the 6/6 Clash card -3/-3, thus making it a 3/3. Then priority is returned to the defending player, and they choose to activate another [Better Luck Next Time!]. The Trap’s effect resolves, thus making the 3/3 attacking Clash card a 0/0. That Clash card is considered to be “defeated” and the Clash Phase ends. 504.2b.1. When all of the defending player’s desired effects have resolved, they move to the Obstruct Step (C3). 504.2c. C3: Obstruct Step – The defending player has priority. The defending player may obstruct with one or more of their ready Clash cards. When obstructors are declared, the attacking Contender or Clash card is now attacking the obstructors, not the original target of the attack. Any effect that triggers when Clash cards are declared as obstructors will trigger in this step. Triggered effects that trigger on obstructors being declared may have different trigger conditions. 504.2c.1. When the defending player has completed declaring all of their obstructors, play then passes to the Attacker’s Clash Buff Step (C4). 504.2c.2. If any obstructors are declared with Trigger – Obstruct effects, those effects enter Standby and resolve in this step before play passes to step C4. 504.2c.3. If an attacker is obstructed and that obstructor is removed from that clash, the attacker is still considered obstructed. Effects like that from the ability Breakthrough will only apply if there is an obstructor present (see rule 704.4b.2). 504.2c.4. An effect that reads “Whenever a Contender or Clash card attacks and isn’t obstructed, ...” triggers during the Obstruct Step, not the Attack Step. 504.2d. C4: Attacker’s Clash Buff Step – The attacking player has priority. The attacking player may play one Clash Buff Action. That Clash Buff may not need to target the attacking Contender or Clash card. 504.2e. C5: Defender’s Clash Buff Step – The defending player has priority. The defending player may play one Clash Buff Action. That Clash Buff may not need to target the defending Contender or Clash card. 504.2f. C6.1: Before Damage is Dealt – The attacking player gains priority here for effects. Once all effects have been resolved and all players have passed priority, proceed to the damage step. 504.2g. C6.2: Damage Step – Clash damage is totaled and assigned simultaneously. All cards involved in the clash will be involved in clash damage. The total attack power of the attacker is assigned as clash damage to the opposing Contender or dealt to the opposing Clash card(s) (or each Clash card that is obstructing the attacker). While at the same time, the total attack power of the opposing Contender or opposing Clash cards (or any obstructors) is assigned as clash damage to the attacking Contender or dealt as clash damage to the attacking Clash card. Clash damage reduces a Contender or Clash card’s defense power by that amount. If the damage assigned to a Contender reduces its defense power to zero, all excess damage is dealt and reduces that Contender’s health by that amount. If the damage dealt to a Clash card reduces its defense power to zero (or less), that Clash card is defeated, and is put into its owner’s Oblivion (after all Trigger - Defeat effects for that card have resolved). This is a state-based action. Trigger - Defeat effects of the defeated Clash card trigger per the rules of state triggers. If the damage dealt to a Clash card does not reduce its defense power to zero (or less), that card remains in play and its defense power will be reset to its pre-Clash amount after that Clash. Regardless of the amount of damage dealt, a Contender will remain in play and its defense power will be reset to its pre-Clash amount after the Clash. Any effect that triggers on clash damage being dealt will trigger in this step. The owner of the triggered effect gains priority to resolve their effect. Priority is then returned to the active player. Triggered effects that trigger on clash damage being dealt may have different trigger conditions. Note: A card effect that “sends a Clash card to Oblivion” is not the same as being “defeated” since that Clash card’s defense was never reduced to zero. Also, when a Clash card is defeated, it is put into Oblivion, not sent to Oblivion. 504.2g.1. Trigger – Victory effects resolve during the Damage Step of a clash at the same time that any Trigger – Defeat effects would resolve. If a Trigger - Victory effect (or effects) would trigger at the same time as a Trigger – Defeat effect (or effects), the simultaneous effects enter Standby in APNAP order (see rule 603.3b). 504.2g.2. Trigger – Challenge effects resolve during the Damage Step of a clash at the same time that any Trigger – Defeat effects would resolve. If a Trigger – Challenge effect (or effects) would trigger at the same time as other effects, the simultaneous effects enter Standby in APNAP order. (See rule 603.3b). Example: You attack your opponent’s contender with a 4/4 clash card. The opponent obstructs with two 2/2 clash cards. The two 2/2 clash cards will each deal 2 damage to the 4/4 and the 4/4 will deal 4 damage to each of the obstructers. Resulting in all three clash cards being defeated. Example: You attack your opponent’s contender with a 2/4 clash card. The opponent obstructs with two clash cards. A 4/2 with Superspeed and a 2/2 without Superspeed. The 4/2 with Superspeed will deal 4 damage to the 2/4 before the attacker does damage, causing the attacker to not deal damage because it was defeated. Simultaneously, the 2/2 will assign 2 damage to the attacker and the attacker will assign 2 damage to the 2/2 defender. This will result in the 2/2 being defeated. The attacker is also defeated because it has received a total of 6 damage. 504.3. If at any time the attacking Clash card is defeated or leaves play, the Clash Phase ends and play returns to the active player’s Primary Phase. 504.4. If at any time the target of an attack is defeated or leaves play due to a card effect, the attacker continues to be an attacking Clash card, however, it is attacking neither a Contender nor a Clash card and will thus deal no clash damage. Then, the Clash Phase ends and play returns to the active player’s Primary Phase. 504.4a. If the attacker has the Breakthrough ability and the target of their attack leaves play for any reason, excessive clash damage is not dealt to the defending Contender. 504.5. An attacker is removed from a Clash if it leaves play, if its controller changes, or if an effect specifically removes it from the Clash. A Contender or Clash card that’s removed from a Clash stops being an attacking, obstructing, obstructed, and/or unobstructed Contender or Clash card. 504.6. Readying or engaging a Clash card that’s already been declared as an attacker or obstructor doesn’t remove it from the Clash and doesn’t prevent it from dealing or being dealt clash damage. 504.7. The defending player checks each Clash card they control to see whether it’s affected by any restrictions (effects that say it can’t obstruct, or that it can’t obstruct unless some condition is met). If any restrictions are being disobeyed, the declaration of obstructors is illegal. A restriction may be created by an evasive ability (a keyword ability an attacking Clash card has that restricts what can obstruct it, such as Flight). If an attacking Clash card gains or loses an evasive ability after a legal obstruction has been declared, it doesn’t affect that obstruction. 504.8. Effects that last “until end of this clash” expire at the end of the Clash Phase in which that effect triggered. Effects that trigger “after this clash” trigger when the active player enters the Primary Phase after the Clash Phase in which the effect was triggered. The owner of the triggered effect gains priority to resolve their effect. Priority is then returned to the active player. 505. End of Turn Phase 505.1. A player enters the End of Turn Phase by declaring, during their own Primary Phase, that they are “ending their turn” or any other phrasing that indicates that they are passing priority to the next player in turn order. 505.2. Any effects that trigger at “end of turn” (or similar phrasing) will trigger and resolve here. The owner of the triggered effect gains priority to resolve their effect. Priority is then returned to the active player. 505.3. Effects that last “until end of turn” expire at the end of the active player’s turn in which that effect triggered. 505.4. If there is a card or an effect in Standby, a turn can’t end, and play can’t be passed to the next player in turn order. 6. Cards and Effects 600. General 601. Playing Cards 601.1. To play a card is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), pay its costs, and then put it into Standby, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Playing a card includes the proposal of the card (rules 601.1a–d) and determination and payment of resource costs and any additional costs (rules 601.1f). To play a card, a player follows the steps listed below, in order. A player must be legally allowed to play the card to begin this process (see rule 601.1e). If a player is unable to comply with the requirements of a step listed below while performing that step, the playing of the card is illegal; the game returns to the moment before the playing of that card was proposed (see rule 709). 601.1a. To propose the playing of a card, a player first moves that card from where it is to Standby. It becomes the topmost object in Standby. It has all the characteristics of the card associated with it, and that player becomes its controller. The card remains in Standby until it resolves, it’s negated, or a rule or effect moves it elsewhere. 601.1b. If the card has a modal effect, the player declares the mode choice (see rule 702). If the card has alternative or additional costs that will be paid as it’s being played, the player declares their intentions to pay any or all of those costs. A player can’t apply two alternative methods of playing or two alternative costs to a single card. If the card has a variable cost that will be paid as it’s being played (such as an {X} in its resource cost; see rule 107.3), the player declares the value of that variable. If the value of that variable is defined in the text of the card by a choice that player would make later in the declaration or resolution of the card, that player makes that choice at this time instead of that later time. 601.1c. The player declares their choice of an appropriate object or player for each target the card requires. If the card has a variable number of targets, the player declares how many targets they will choose before they declare those targets. In some cases, the number of targets will be defined by the card’s text. Once the number of targets the card has is determined, that number doesn’t change, even if the information used to determine the number of targets does. The same target can’t be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word “target” on the card. However, if the card uses the word “target” in multiple places, the same object or player can be chosen once for each instance of the word “target” (as long as it fits the targeting criteria). If any effects say that an object or player must be chosen as a target, the player chooses targets so that they obey the maximum possible number of such effects without violating any rules or effects that say that an object or player can’t be chosen as a target. The chosen objects and/or players each become a target of that card. (Any effects that trigger when those objects and/or players become the target of a card trigger at this point; they’ll wait to be put into Standby until the card has finished being played.) 601.1d. If the card (or effect) requires the player to divide or distribute an effect (such as damage or Counters) among one or more targets, the player declares the division. If that player chooses two targets, each of those targets must receive at least one of whatever is being divided. Example: The Barrage ability of [Machina, Unstoppable Force] allows you to deal (six) damage divided as you choose, amongst up to two target Clash cards. If you choose two targets, each of those targets must receive at least one of the damage being divided. Therefore, you can deal 1 and 5 damage, 2 and 4 damage, or 3 and 3 damage. 601.1e. The game state checks to see if the proposed card can legally be played. If the proposed card is illegal, the game returns to the moment before the playing of that card was proposed (see rule 709 and rule 704.7). 601.1f. The player determines the total cost of the card. Usually this is just the resource cost. Some cards have additional or alternative costs. Some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay or may provide other alternative costs. Costs may include paying resources, engaging permanents, sending permanents to Oblivion, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the resource cost or alternative cost (as determined in rule 601.1b), plus all additional costs and cost increases, and minus all cost reductions. If multiple cost reductions apply, the player may apply them in any order. If the specific resource component of the total cost is reduced to nothing by cost reduction effects, it is considered to be {0}. It can’t be reduced to less than {0}. Once the total cost is determined, any effects that directly affect the total cost are applied. Then the resulting total cost becomes the “final cost” of that card. If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect. 601.1g. Once the steps described in 601.1a–f are completed, effects that modify the characteristics of the card as it’s played are applied, then the card becomes played. Any effects that trigger when a card is played trigger at this time. The card’s controller then passes priority to the other players (in turn order) to respond with any Counter - Play cards and/or effects. 601.2. Some cards specify that one of their controller’s opponents does something the controller would normally do while it’s being played, such as choose a mode or choose targets. In these cases, the opponent does so when the card’s controller normally would do so. 601.2a. If there is more than one opponent who could make such a choice, the card’s controller decides which of those opponents will make the choice. 601.2b. If the card instructs its controller and another player to do something at the same time as the card is being played, the card’s controller goes first, then the other player. This is an exception to rule 101.4. 601.3. Playing a card that alters costs won’t affect cards and effects that are already in Standby. 602. Activated Effects 602.1. Activated effects have an “activation cost” and a “resulting effect”. 602.1a. The activation cost is denoted in the text of the card, usually before the sentence beginning with, “If you do...”. The resulting effect is usually contained in the sentence beginning with “If you do…”. Some effects are worded as “You may (do some action) and (do some other action).” The activation cost is the action before the and. Example: [Flare] states, “Once per turn, during your Primary Phase, you may engage this card. If you do, deal one damage to target Clash card or Contender.” Engaging [Flare] is the activation cost and dealing one damage to a target Clash card or Contender is the resulting effect. 602.2. To activate an effect is to put it into Standby and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. Only an object’s controller (or its owner if it doesn’t have a controller) can activate its activated effect unless the object specifically says otherwise. Activating an effect follows the steps listed below, in order. If, at any point during the activation of an effect, a player is unable to comply with any of those steps, the activation is illegal; the game returns to the moment before that effect started to be activated (see rule 709). Declarations and payments can’t be altered after they’ve been made. 602.2a. The player declares that they are activating the effect. If an activated effect is being activated from a hidden zone, the card that has that effect is revealed. That effect is put into Standby as an object that’s not a card. It becomes the topmost object in Standby. It has the text of the effect that created it, and no other characteristics. Its controller is the player who activated the effect. The effect remains in Standby until it’s negated, it resolves, or another effect moves it elsewhere. 602.2b. The remainder of the process for activating an effect is identical to the process for playing a card listed in rules 601.1b–f. Those rules apply to activating an effect just as they apply to the playing of a card. An activated effect analog to a card’s resource cost (as referenced in rule 601.1f) is its activation cost. 602.3. Some effects specify that one of their controller’s opponents does something the controller would normally do while it’s being activated, such as choose a mode or choose targets. In these cases, the opponent does so when the effect’s controller normally would do so. 602.3a. If there is more than one opponent who could make such a choice, the effect’s controller decides which of those opponents will make the choice. 602.3b. If the effect instructs its controller and another player to do something at the same time as the effect is being activated, the effect’s controller goes first, then the other player. This is an exception to rule 101.4. 602.4. Activating an effect that alters costs won’t affect cards and effects that are already in Standby. 602.5. Some activated effects exist on permanents that have a trigger tag. They obey the same timing rules as outlined below and in rule 304.8. In order to activate a “Counter -“ effect of a permanent, that player must declare the activation of the effect so long as the trigger tag and timing rules are obeyed. That effect enters Standby and follows normal effect resolution rules (see rule 605). 602.5a. Cards with Ambush are not played and never enter standby. They are put from the Accessory Zone directly into play and will trigger any Trigger - Enter abilities and any relevant Counter – Trap triggers. • Counter - Attack: Activate this effect in response to an opponent attacking you. • Counter - Play: Activate this effect in response to an opponent playing a card. • Counter - Trap: Activate this effect in response to an opponent activating a Trap. 602.6. Some card effects can be used once per turn and have no activation cost associated. These are call declaration effects. A player may put this effect into Standby by declaring that they are doing so, so long as the timing and conditions of the effect declaration on the card are obeyed. After declaration, that effect enters Standby and follows normal effect resolution rules (see rule 605). 603. Triggered Effects 603.1. Triggered effects have a trigger condition and a resulting effect. They are written as “[When/Whenever/At/If] [trigger condition or event], [resulting effect].” 603.1a. A triggered effect may include instructions after its effects that limit what the effect may target. This text is not part of the effect. It functions while the effect is in Standby. 603.1b. There are certain trigger tags that indicate a particular trigger event. The following trigger tags may appear on cards and they mean the following... • Trigger - Attack: When this card or a card attached to this card attacks… • Trigger - Enter: When this card enters play… • Trigger - Defeat: When this card is defeated… • Trigger - Victory: When this card or a card attached to this card defeats a Clash card in a clash and is not defeated… • Trigger – Obstruct: When this card or a card attached to this card obstructs… • Trigger – Portal: When the Portal is activated… • Trigger – Challenge: When this card or a card attached to this card deals clash damage to an opposing Contender. • Trigger – Attach: When this card is attached to another card. This effect triggers only once per turn. 603.1c. Trigger – Portal effect may determine whether the Portal is open or closed. The Portal will activate, and after activating, will determine the state for the ‘open’ or ‘closed’ status. 603.1d. Some resulting effects have conditional effects in them, these are written as “You may [take action] [and/if you do], [do some effect].” You must be able to fulfill the action to do the effect. The action is a cost. Example: “If the Portal is open, whenever a Clash card you don’t control is defeated, you may engage this card and send target Accessory to Oblivion.” The resulting effect is “you may engage this card and send target Accessory to Oblivion.” The action is “you may engage this card”. You must be able to fulfill the action at the time of resolution to do the effect “send target Accessory to Oblivion.” 603.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered effect’s trigger event, that effect automatically triggers and enters Standby (see rule 603.1b). 603.2a. Because they aren’t played or activated, triggered effects can trigger even when it isn’t legal to play cards and activate effects. Effects that preclude effects from being activated don’t affect them. 603.2b. When a phase or step begins, all effects that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step will trigger. 603.2c. An effect triggers only once each time its trigger event occurs. However, it can trigger repeatedly if one event contains multiple occurrences unless otherwise stated. Example: A permanent has an effect whose trigger condition reads, “Whenever you discard a card, this Clash card gets +1/+1 until end of turn.” If someone plays a card that makes you discard your hand, the effect will trigger once for each card put into your Oblivion from your hand as a result of that card’s effect resolution. 603.2d. An effect may state that a triggered effect triggers additional times. In this case, rather than simply determining that such an effect has triggered, determine how many times it should trigger, then that effect triggers that many times. An effect that states that an effect triggers additional times doesn’t invoke itself repeatedly and doesn’t apply to other effects that affect how many times an effect triggers. 603.2e. Some effects refer to a triggered effect of an object. Such effects refer only to triggered effects the object has, not any delayed triggered effects (see rule 603.7) that may be created by effects the object has. 603.2f. Some trigger events use the word “becomes” (for example, “becomes attached” or “becomes obstructed”). These trigger only at the time the named event happens (they don’t trigger if that state already exists or retrigger if it persists). An effect that triggers when a permanent “becomes engaged” or “becomes ready” doesn’t trigger if the permanent enters play in that state. Example: An effect that triggers when a permanent “becomes engaged” triggers only when the status of a permanent that’s already in play changes from ready to engaged. 603.2g. If a triggered effect’s trigger condition is met, but the object with that triggered effect is at no time visible to all players, the effect does not trigger. 603.2h. An effect triggers only if its trigger event actually occurs. An event that’s prevented or replaced won’t trigger anything. Example: An effect that triggers on damage being dealt won’t trigger if all the damage is prevented. 603.2i. A triggered effect may have limitations such as, “This effect triggers only once per turn.” The effect triggers only if its source’s controller has not yet met the limited effect’s trigger condition. 603.3. Once an effect has triggered, its controller receives priority and puts the triggered effect into Standby as an object that’s not a card. The effect becomes the topmost object in Standby. It has the text of the effect that created it, and no other characteristics. It remains in Standby until it’s negated, it resolves, a rule causes it to be removed from Standby, or an effect moves it elsewhere. 603.3a. A triggered effect is controlled by the player who controlled its source at the time it triggered unless it’s a delayed triggered effect. To determine the controller of a delayed triggered effect, see rules 603.7. 603.3b. If multiple effects have triggered since the last time a player received priority, the effects are placed into Standby in a two-part process. First, each player, in APNAP order, puts each triggered effect they control with a trigger condition that isn’t another effect triggering into Standby in any order they choose (see rule 101.4.). Second, each player, in APNAP order, puts all remaining triggered effects they control into Standby in any order they choose. Then the game once again checks for and performs state-based actions (such as “being defeated”) until none are performed, then effects that triggered during this process go into Standby. This process repeats until no new state-based actions are performed and no effects trigger. Then the appropriate player gets priority. 603.3c. If a triggered effect is modal, its controller declares the mode choice when putting the effect into Standby. If one of the modes would be illegal (due to an inability to choose legal targets, for example), that mode can’t be chosen. If no mode is chosen, the effect is removed from Standby (see rule 702). 603.3d. The remainder of the process for putting a triggered effect into Standby is identical to the process for playing a card listed in rules 601.1c–d. If a choice is required when the triggered effect goes into Standby, but no legal choices can be made for it, or if a rule or a continuous effect otherwise makes the effect illegal, the effect is simply removed from Standby. 603.4. A triggered effect may read “When/Whenever/At [trigger event], if [condition], [effect].” When the trigger event occurs, the effect checks whether the stated condition is true. The effect triggers only if it is true, otherwise, it does nothing. If the effect triggers, it checks the stated condition again as it resolves. If the condition isn’t true at that time, the effect is removed from Standby and does nothing. 603.5. Some triggered effects are optional (they contain “may,” as in “Trigger – Enter: You may draw one card”). These effects go into Standby when they trigger, regardless of whether their controller intends to exercise the effect’s option or not. The choice is made when the effect resolves. Likewise, triggered effects will go into Standby normally. The “unless” part of the effect is dealt with when the effect resolves. 603.6. Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called “zone-change triggers.” Many effects with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that object after it changes zones. During resolution, these effects look for the object in the zone that it moved to. If the object is unable to be found in the zone it went to, the part of the effect attempting to do something to the object will fail to do anything. The effect could be unable to find the object because the object never entered the specified zone, because it left the zone before the effect resolved, or because it is in a zone that is hidden from a player, such as a deck or an opponent’s hand. (This rule applies even if the object leaves the zone and returns again before the effect resolves.) The most common zone-change trigger is an effect with the Trigger – Enter tag. 603.6a. Trigger - Enter effects trigger when a permanent enters play. These are usually written as, “Trigger - Enter: You may draw one card.” 603.6b. Continuous effects or additional effects that modify characteristics of a permanent do so the moment the permanent is in play (and not before then). Continuous effects don’t apply before the permanent is in play. Example: [Energy Blast] reads, “...When that [Clash] card enters play, deal two damage to that card.” When the Clash card being played enters play from Standby, it is immediately dealt two damage as if it had the effect, "Trigger - Enter: Deal two damage to this Clash card." 603.6c. Leaves play effects trigger when a permanent moves from “in-play” to another zone. These are written as, but aren’t limited to, “When [this object] leaves play…” or “Whenever [something] is put into Oblivion from the Clash Zone…”. An effect that attempts to do something to the card that left play checks for it only in the first zone that it went to. An effect that triggers when a card is put into a certain zone “from anywhere” is never treated as a “leaves play” ability, even if an object is put into that zone from play. 603.6d. Some permanents have text that reads “[This permanent] enters play engaged” Such text is a static effect (not a triggered effect) whose effect occurs as part of the event that puts the permanent into play. 603.7. An effect may create a delayed triggered effect that can do something at a later time. A delayed triggered effect will contain “when,” “whenever,” or “at,” or “if,” although that word won’t usually begin the effect. 603.7a. Delayed triggered effects are created during the resolution of cards or effects, as the result of a replacement effect being applied, or as a result of a static effect that allows a player to take an action. A delayed triggered effect won’t trigger until it has actually been created, even if its trigger event occurred just beforehand. Other events that happen earlier may make the trigger event impossible. 603.7b. A delayed triggered effect will trigger only once (the next time its trigger event occurs) unless it has a stated duration, such as “this turn.” If its trigger event occurs more than once simultaneously and the effect doesn’t have a stated duration, the controller of the delayed triggered effect chooses which event causes the effect to trigger. If the trigger specifies “this turn” but the trigger condition is never met, such as “until the end of the next clash this turn”, those effects expire at the end of the turn. 603.7c. A delayed triggered effect that refers to a particular object still affects it even if the object changes characteristics. However, if that object is no longer in the zone it’s expected to be in at the time the delayed triggered effect resolves, the effect won’t affect it. 603.7d. If a card creates a delayed triggered effect, the source of that delayed triggered effect is that card. The controller of that delayed triggered effect is the player who controlled that card as it resolved. 603.7e. If an activated or triggered effect creates a delayed triggered effect, the source of that delayed triggered effect is the same as the source of that other effect. The controller of that delayed triggered effect is the player who controlled that other effect as it resolved. 603.7f. If a static effect generates a replacement effect which causes a delayed triggered effect to be created, the source of that delayed triggered effect is the object with that static effect. The controller of that delayed triggered effect is the same as the controller of that object at the time the replacement effect was applied. 603.7g. If a static effect allows a player to take an action that creates a delayed triggered effect and that player does so, the source of that delayed triggered effect is the object with that static effect. The controller of that delayed triggered effect is the same as the controller of that object at the time the action was taken. Example: You play [Moxie, Alpha Hunting Specialist]. The Trigger – Enter effect of [Moxie, Alpha Hunting Specialist] reveals three cards: [Surprise!], [Moxie’s Sidearm], and [Colonel Edwards]. You choose [Colonel Edwards] from among the revealed cards and put him into your Clash Zone engaged. The Trigger - Enter effect of [Colonel Edwards] triggers, however, that trigger is delayed until the active effect has been fully resolved. So, you will put [Surprise!] and [Moxie’s Sidearm] into your Oblivion -- as part of the effect resolution of [Moxie, Alpha Hunting Specialist] – then the effect of Colonel Edwards is resolved as part of the delayed triggered resolution. 603.8. Some triggered effects trigger when a game state (such as a player controlling no permanents of a particular card type) is true, rather than triggering when an event occurs. These effects trigger as soon as the game state matches the condition. They’ll go into Standby at the next available opportunity. These are called state triggers. (Note that state triggers aren’t the same as state-based actions.) A state-triggered effect doesn’t trigger again until the effect has resolved, has been negated, or has otherwise left Standby. Then, if the object with the effect is still in the same zone and the game state still matches its trigger condition, the effect will trigger again. Example: A permanent’s effect reads, “Whenever you have no cards in hand, draw one card.” If its controller plays the last card from their hand, the effect will trigger once and won’t trigger again until it has left Standby. If its controller plays a card that reads “Discard your hand, then draw that many cards,” the effect will trigger during the card’s resolution because the player’s hand was momentarily empty. 603.9. Normally, objects that exist immediately after an event are checked to see if the event matched any trigger conditions, and continuous effects that exist at that time are used to determine what the trigger conditions are and what the objects involved in the event look like. However, some triggered effects are exceptions to this rule; the game “looks back in time” to determine if those effects trigger, using the existence of those effects and the appearance of objects immediately prior to the event. The list of exceptions is as follows: 603.9a. Some zone-change triggers look back in time. These are leaves play effects, effects that trigger when a card leaves a player’s Oblivion, and effects that trigger when an object that all players can see is put into a hand or deck. Example: Two Clash cards are in play along with a Weapon that has the effect, “Whenever a Clash card leaves play, your Contender gains one health.” Someone plays a card that sends all Clash cards and Weapons to Oblivion. The Weapon’s effect triggers twice, even though the Weapon goes to its owner’s Oblivion at the same time as the Clash cards. 603.9b. Effects that trigger specifically when an object becomes unattached look back in time. 603.9c. Effects that trigger when a player loses control of an object look back in time. 603.9d. Effects that trigger when a card/or an attack is negated look back in time. 604. Static Effects 604.1. Static effects do something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. They are written as statements, and they’re simply true. They are written as “[While/If] [condition], [this card/it] gets [resulting effect].” Or “[This card gets/’quality’ cards get] [resulting effect], [While/If/As long as/for each] [condition]”. 604.2. Static effects are continuous effects, some of which are prevention effects or replacement effects. These effects are active as long as the permanent with the effect remains in play and has the effect, or as long as the object with the effect remains in the appropriate zone. 604.3. Some static effects are characteristic defining effects. A characteristic defining effect conveys information about an object’s characteristics that would normally be found elsewhere on that object (such as in its resource cost, type, or attack/defense value). Characteristic defining effects can add to or override information found elsewhere on that object. Characteristic defining effects function in all zones. They also function outside the game and before the game begins. 604.3a. A static effect is a characteristic defining effect if it meets the following criteria: 1) It defines an object’s colors, types/subtypes, attack, or defense, health; 2) it is printed on the card it affects, it was granted to the token it affects by the effect that created the token, or it was acquired by the object it affects as the result of a copy effect or text- changing effect; 3) it does not directly affect the characteristics of any other objects; 4) it is not an effect that an object grants to itself; and 5) it does not set the values of such characteristics only if certain conditions are met. 604.4. Many Weapons have static effects that modify the object they’re attached to, but those effects don’t target that object. If a Weapon is moved to a different object, the effect stops applying to the original object and starts modifying the new one. 604.5. Some static effects apply while a card is in any zone that you could play it from (usually your hand). These are limited to those that read, “You may play this card…” or “You can’t play this card…” or “Play this card only if…”. 604.6. Unlike cards and other kinds of effects, static effects can’t use an object’s last known information for purposes of determining how their effects are applied. 604.7 When multiple static effects affect a cards characteristic, apply them in the following order. 604.7a. Any modifiers that apply to the card’s characteristics. 604.7b. Any effects that set a characteristics value. 604.7c. Any modifiers that continue to apply to a cards characteristics. Example: Warcry, Defense Warden is in play in your Clash zone as a 1/8. You play Grant Park, Chicago. This effect makes Warcry into a 1/10. On your opponent’s turn they attack with a clash card to your Contender. You obstruct with Warcry. His ability looks at his current defense of 10 and sets his attack to 10 and his defense to 1 which is his current attack. After that is applied, Grant Park is still in play and is no longer modifying his defense, so Warcry gets +2 defense from Grant Park, resulting in his defense becoming a 3 and his final stats of 10/3. If your opponent plays a Clashground, Grant Park will stop modifying the defense value but the attack value has been set and will not be changed. 605. Card and Effect Resolution 605.1. Each time all players pass priority in succession, the topmost card or effect in Standby resolves (see rule 606). 605.2. If the object that’s resolving is a card, its resolution may involve several steps. The steps described in rules 605.2a-j are followed as appropriate, in no specific order. 605.2a. The controller of the card follows its instructions in the order written. However, replacement effects may modify these steps. In some cases, later text on the card may modify the meaning of earlier text (for example, “Negate the Action card being played. If that card is negated this way, put it on top of its owner’s deck instead of into its owner’s Oblivion.”) Don’t just apply effects step by step without thinking in these cases—read the whole text and apply the rules of English to the text. 605.2b. If a card offers any choices other than choices already made as part of playing the card, the player declares these while applying the effect. The player can’t choose an option that’s illegal or impossible, with the exception that having a deck with no cards in it doesn’t make drawing a card an impossible action (see rule 104.3c). Example: A card (or an effect’s) instruction reads, “You may send a Clash card you control to Oblivion. If you don’t, your Contender loses three health.” A player who controls no Clash cards can’t choose the “send to Oblivion” option. 605.2c. If a card divides or distributes something, such as damage or Counters, as a player chooses among any number of untargeted players and/or objects, the player chooses the amount and division such that each chosen player or object receives at least one of whatever is being divided. (Note that if an effect divides or distributes something, such as damage or Counters, as a player chooses among some number of target objects and/or players, the amount and division were determined as the card or effect was put into Standby rather than at this time. 605.2d. Some cards and effects have multiple steps or actions, denoted by separate sentences or clauses, that involve multiple players. In these cases, the choices for the first action are made in APNAP order, and then the first action is processed simultaneously. Then the choices for the second action are made in APNAP order, and then that action is processed simultaneously, and so on (see rule 101.4). 605.2e. Some cards and effects include actions taken on multiple players and/or objects. In most cases, each such action is processed simultaneously. If the action can’t be processed simultaneously, it’s instead processed considering each affected player or object individually. APNAP order is used to make the primary determination of the order of those actions. Secondarily, if the action is to be taken on both a player and an object they control or on multiple objects controlled by the same player, the player who controls the resolving card or effect chooses the relative order of those actions. 605.2f. If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of Clash cards in play), the answer is determined only once, when the effect is applied. If the effect requires information from a specific object, including the source of the effect itself, the effect uses the current information of that object if it’s in the public zone it was expected to be in; if it’s no longer in that zone, or if the effect has moved it from a public zone to a hidden zone, the effect uses the object’s last known information. If an effect states that an object does something, it’s the object as it exists (or as it most recently existed) that does it, not the effect. 605.2g. If an effect refers to certain characteristics, it checks only for the value of the specified characteristics, regardless of any related ones an object may also have. Example: An effect that reads “Send all blue Clash cards to Oblivion” will send a white- and-blue Clash card to Oblivion, but one that reads “Send all non-blue Clash cards to Oblivion” doesn’t. 605.2h. If the object that’s attempting to resolve has any targets, it checks whether the targeting is still legal, as described in rule 608.2b. If it is then the effect successfully resolves, otherwise, the effect doesn’t resolve. If a card has multiple effects denoted by a line break in the cards text, the next effect will attempt to resolve regardless of the success or failure of the previous effect. 605.2i. If a permanent card resolves or enters play but its controller can’t put it in the corresponding “in-play” zone, that player puts it into its owner’s Oblivion. This most often happens with hidden Exclusive cards. 605.2j. As the final part of an Action card’s resolution, the card is put into its owner’s Oblivion. As the final part of an effect’s resolution, the effect is removed from Standby and ceases to exist. 606. Effect 606.1. An effect is something that happens in the game as a result of a card or another effect. Effects are listed in a card’s text. When a card, activated effect, or triggered effect resolves, it may create one or more one-shot or continuous effects. Static effects may create one or more continuous effects. The text on a card denotes that card’s effects (or put simply, its card effects). 606.1a. If there are multiple simultaneous effects (one-shot and/or continuous triggered effects) controlled by a player that trigger at the same time (in other words, they have the same trigger event), the player who controls the sources of those effects chooses which order to place those effects into Standby and thus the order in which those effects resolve. 606.2. Effects apply only to permanents unless the instruction’s text states otherwise, or they clearly can apply only to objects in one or more other zones. Example: An effect that changes all Clash cards into Harbingers won’t alter Clash cards in players’ Oblivions. But an effect that says “Clashgrounds cost one additional resource of any color to play…” will apply only to Clashgrounds put into Standby as part of their resolution of play. 606.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible. Example: If a player is holding only one card, an effect that reads “Discard two cards” causes them to discard only that one card. If an effect moves cards out of the deck (as opposed to drawing), it moves as many as possible. 606.4. Some continuous effects are replacement effects or prevention effects (see rules 609 and 610). 606.5. Some effects apply to damage from a source—for example, “The next time a red source of your choice would deal clash damage to you this turn, prevent that damage.” 606.5a. If an effect requires a player to choose a source of damage, they may choose a permanent, a card in Standby, or any object referred to by an object in Standby (either by a replacement or prevention effect that’s waiting to apply, or by a delayed triggered effect that’s waiting to trigger; even if that object is no longer in the zone it used to be in). A source doesn’t need to be capable of dealing damage to be a legal choice. The source is chosen when the effect is created. If the player chooses a permanent, the effect will apply to the next damage dealt by that permanent, regardless of whether it’s clash damage or non-clash damage dealt as the result of that permanent’s effect. If the player chooses a card in Standby, the effect will apply to any damage dealt by that card when it resolves. 606.5b. Some static effects prevent or replace damage from sources with certain properties. For these effects, the prevention or replacement applies to sources that are permanents with that property and to any sources that aren’t in play that have that property. 607. One-Shot Effects 607.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. Examples include (but are not limited to) dealing damage, sending a permanent to Oblivion, creating a token, and moving an object from one zone to another. 607.2. Some one-shot effects create a delayed triggered effect, which instructs a player to do something later in the game (usually at a specific time) rather than as the card or effect that’s creating the one-shot effect resolves (see rule 603.7). Example: A card with an effect that reads: “Until end of turn, target [Magnate] Clash card you control gets, if this card deals clash damage to a Contender, that Contender's controller reveals their hand. You may choose a non-Clash Buff card from it. If you do, banish that card.” Is played. After that, the targeted Magnate clash card attacks and deals damage to an opposing contender, that contender’s controller reveals their hand and discards the chosen card. The reveal effect is the delayed trigger, and the trigger may trigger multiple times per turn. 607.3. Some one-shot effects cause an object to change zones “until” a specified event occurs. A second one-shot effect is created immediately after the specified event. This second one-shot effect returns the object to its previous zone. 608. Continuous Effects 608.1. A continuous effect modifies characteristics of objects, modifies control of objects, or affects players or the rules of the game, for a fixed or indefinite period. 608.2. A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a card or effect. 608.2a. A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a card or effect lasts as long as stated by the card or effect creating it (such as “until end of turn”). If no duration is stated and that effect was generated during the Clash Phase, that effect lasts until the end of the clash. If no duration is stated and that effect was generated outside the Clash Phase, that effect lasts until the end of the turn. (See 112.7c, 112.7d) 608.2b. Some continuous effects generated by the resolution of a card or effect have durations worded “while this card…” and if the “while this card…” duration never starts, or it ends before the moment the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn’t start and immediately stop again, and it doesn’t last forever. 608.2c. If a continuous effect generated by the resolution of a card or effect modifies the characteristics or changes the controller of any objects, the set of objects it affects is determined when that continuous effect begins. After that point, the set won’t change. (Note that this works differently than a continuous effect from a static effect.) A continuous effect generated by the resolution of a card or effect that doesn’t modify the characteristics or change the controller of any objects modifies the rules of the game, so it can affect objects that weren’t affected when that continuous effect began. If a single continuous effect has parts that modify the characteristics or changes the controller of any objects and other parts that don’t, the set of objects each part applies to is determined independently. Example: An effect that reads “(Alpha Hunter) Clash cards get +1/+1 until end of turn” gives the bonus to all permanents that are (Alpha Hunter) Clash cards when the card or effect resolves— even if they change Affiliation later—and doesn’t affect those that enter play or become (Alpha Hunters) afterward. Example: An effect that reads “Prevent all clash damage Clash cards would deal this turn” doesn’t modify any object’s characteristics, so it’s modifying the rules of the game. That means the effect will apply to clash damage from Clash cards that weren’t in play when the continuous effect began. 608.2d. If a resolving card or effect that creates a continuous effect contains a variable such as X, the value of that variable is determined only once, on resolution. 608.3. A continuous effect may be generated by the static effect of an object. 608.3a. The effect applies at all times that the permanent generating it is in play or the object generating it is in the appropriate zone. Example: A permanent with the static effect “All white Clash cards get +1/+1” generates an effect that continuously gives +1/+1 to each white Clash card in play. If a Clash card becomes white, it gets this bonus; a Clash card that stops being white loses it. 608.3b. Continuous effects that modify characteristics of permanents do so simultaneously with the permanent entering play. They don’t wait until the permanent is in play and then change it. Because such effects apply as the permanent enters the battlefield, they are applied within the same timing as a permanent with a Trigger - Enter effect. Example: A permanent with the static effect “All Rogue Clash cards get +1/+1” is in play. A 1/1 (Rogue) Clash card enters play as a 2/2, not a 1/1. That Clash card doesn’t enter the Clash Zone as 1/1 and then change to 2/2. 609. Replacement Effects 609.1. Some continuous effects are replacement effects. Like prevention effects (see rule 610), replacement effects apply continuously as events happen. Such effects watch for a particular event that would happen and completely or partially replace that event with a different event. They act like “barriers” around whatever they’re affecting. 609.1a. Effects that use the word “instead” are replacement effects. Most replacement effects use the word “instead” to indicate what events will be replaced with other events. 609.1b. Effects that use the word “skip” are replacement effects. These replacement effects use the word “skip” to indicate what events, steps, phases, or turns will be replaced with nothing. 609.1c. Effects that read “[This permanent] enters play with… or “[This permanent] enters play engaged…,” etc. are replacement effects. 609.1d. Continuous effects that read “[Objects] enter play…” are replacement effects. 609.2. Some replacement effects apply to damage from a source (see rule 606.6). 609.3. There are no special restrictions on playing a card or activating an effect that generates a replacement effect. Such effects last until they’re used up or their duration has expired. 609.4. Replacement effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change something that’s already happened. Cards or effects that generate these effects are often played or activated in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur. 609.5. A replacement effect doesn’t invoke itself repeatedly; it gets only one opportunity to affect an event or any modified events that may replace that event. Example: A player controls two Clash cards, each with an effect that reads “If a Clash card you control would deal clash damage to a Contender, it deals double that damage to that Contender instead.” A Clash card that normally deals two damage will deal eight damage (not just four, and not an infinite amount.) 609.6. If an event is replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn trigger effects. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can’t be carried out, in which case the impossible instruction is simply ignored. 609.7. If a replacement effect would replace an event, but that event never happens, the replacement effect simply doesn’t do anything. 609.7a. If a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. Replacement effects that would increase the damage dealt by that source or would have that source deal that damage to a different object, have no event to replace, so they have no effect. 609.8. An effect that causes a player to skip an event, step, phase, or turn is a replacement effect. “Skip [something]” is the same as “Instead of doing [something], do nothing.” Once a step, phase, or turn has started, it can no longer be skipped—any skip effects will wait until the next occurrence. 609.8a. Anything scheduled for a skipped step, phase, or turn won’t happen. Anything scheduled for the “next” occurrence of something waits for the first occurrence that isn’t skipped. If two effects each cause a player to skip their next occurrence, that player must skip the next two; one effect will be satisfied in skipping the first occurrence, while the other will remain until another occurrence can be skipped. 609.8b. Some effects cause a player to skip a step, phase, or turn, then take another action. That action is considered to be the first thing that happens during the next step, phase, or turn to actually occur. 609.9. Some effects replace card draws. These effects are applied even if no cards could be drawn because there are no cards in the affected player’s deck. 609.9a. If an effect replaces a draw within a sequence of card draws, all actions required by the replacement are completed, if possible, before resuming the sequence. 609.9b. If an effect would have a player both draw a card and perform an additional action on that card, and the draw is replaced, the additional action is not performed on any cards that are drawn as a result of that replacement effect. 609.10. Some replacement effects modify how a permanent enters play (see rules 609.1c-d). Such effects may come from the permanent itself if they affect only that permanent (as opposed to a general subset of permanents that includes it). They may also come from other sources. To determine which replacement effects, apply and how they apply, check the characteristics of the permanent as it would exist in play. 609.10a. If a replacement effect that modifies how a permanent enters play requires a choice, that choice is made before the permanent enters play. 609.11. An effect that modifies how a permanent enters play may cause other objects to change zones. 609.11a. While applying an effect that modifies how a permanent enters play, you may have to choose a number of objects that will also change zones. You can’t choose the object that will become that permanent or any other object entering play at the same time as that object. 609.11b. The same object can’t be chosen to change zones more than once when applying replacement effects that modify how a single permanent enters play. 609.12. Some effects state that something can’t happen. These effects aren’t replacement effects but follow similar rules. 609.12a. “Can’t” effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change something that’s already happened. 609.12b. If an event can’t happen, a player can’t choose to pay a cost that includes that event. 610. Prevention Effects 610.1. Some continuous effects are prevention effects. Like replacement effects (see rule 609), prevention effects apply continuously as events happen—they aren’t locked in ahead of time. Such effects watch for a damage event that would happen and completely or partially prevent the damage that would be dealt. They act like “barriers” around whatever they’re affecting. 610.1a. Effects that use the word “prevent” are prevention effects. Prevention effects use “prevent” or “can’t be dealt” to indicate what damage will not be dealt. 610.2. Many prevention effects apply to damage from a source (see rule 606.6). 610.3. There are no special restrictions on playing a card or activating an effect that generates a prevention effect. Such effects last until they’re used up or their duration has expired. 610.4. Prevention effects must exist before the appropriate damage event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change something that’s already happened. Cards or effects that generate these effects are often played or activated in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur. Example: A player can play a card or activate an effect that “prevents the next two clash damage dealt to target Clash card they control” in response to a card or effect that would deal damage. Once the damaging effect resolves, though, it’s too late to prevent the damage. 610.5. Some prevention effects also include an additional effect, which may refer to the amount of damage that was prevented. The prevention takes place at the time the original event would have happened; the rest of the effect takes place immediately afterward. 610.6. If damage that would be dealt is prevented, it never happens. A modified event may occur instead, which may in turn trigger effects. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can’t be carried out, in which case the impossible instruction is simply ignored. 610.7. Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a card or effect refer to a specific amount of damage—for example, “Prevent the next two clash damage that would be dealt to target Clash card this turn.” These work like barriers. Each 1 damage that would be dealt to the “protected” permanent is prevented. Preventing 1 damage reduces the remaining barrier by 1. If damage would be dealt to the “protected” permanent or player by two or more applicable sources at the same time, the player, or the controller of the permanent chooses which damage the barrier prevents. Once the barrier has been reduced to 0, any remaining damage is dealt normally. Such effects count only the amount of damage; the number of events or sources dealing the damage doesn’t matter. 610.8. Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a card or effect refer to the “next time” a specific source would deal damage. These effects prevent the next instance of damage from that source, regardless of how much damage that is. Once an instance of damage from that source has been prevented, any subsequent instances of damage that would be dealt by that source are dealt normally. 610.9. Some effects generated by the resolution of a card or effect prevent damage from a source of a player’s choice with certain properties. When the source would deal damage, the barrier rechecks the source’s properties. If the properties no longer match, the damage isn’t prevented or replaced, and the barrier isn’t used up. 610.10. Some prevention effects generated by static effects refer to a specific amount of damage—for example, “If a source would deal damage to your Contender, prevent one of that damage.” Such an effect prevents only the indicated amount of damage in any applicable damage event at any given time. It will apply separately to damage from other applicable events that would happen at the same time, or at a different time. 610.11. Some prevention effects prevent the next N damage that would be dealt to each of a number of untargeted Clash cards. Such an effect creates a prevention barrier for each applicable Clash card when the card or effect resolves. 610.12. Some effects state that damage “can’t be prevented.” If unpreventable damage would be dealt, any applicable prevention effects are still applied to it. Those effects won’t prevent any damage, but any additional effects they have will take place. Existing damage prevention barriers won’t be reduced by damage that can’t be prevented. 610.12a. A prevention effect is applied to any particular unpreventable damage event just once. It won’t invoke itself repeatedly trying to prevent that damage. 610.13. Some triggered effects trigger when damage that would be dealt is prevented. Such an effect triggers each time a prevention effect is applied to one or more simultaneous damage events and prevents some or all of that damage. 610.14. If a permanent has multiple instances of an effect that care if damage is prevented, the controller of that permanent must choose which effect to resolve when damage is dealt. In other words, damage can’t be prevented multiple times to gain the effects of multiple damage prevention effects. 611. Forced Attack Effects 611.1. Some continuous effects force a Contender or Clash card to attack. These effects may have a duration (next turn) or be permanent (this must attack if able). 611.2. A Forced Attack Effect may be generated by the resolution of a card or effect or be caused by a static ability. When a card is forced to attack there are several rules that govern how it is applied. 611.2a. Forced attacks must be the first attacks you declare on your turn. If you have multiple cards that are forced to attack that turn, you may choose the order. 611.2b. If a card is forced to attack but is Engaged, you do not have to take any actions to cause it to Ready. 611.2c. If a card that is forced to attack is readied, even if it already attacked this turn, it must attack again before the end of the turn. 611.2d. You cannot move to the end of turn phase until all forced attacks that are able to be declared have been declared. 611.2e. Forced attacks aren’t the first actions you must take in a turn. You may play cards or activate abilities. It’s possible an action you take could make a card unable to attack. 611.2f. If a card is forced to attack a specific card and that card is no longer in play, the forced attack effect is negated. 7. Additional Rules 700. General 701. Events 701.1. Anything that happens in a game is an event. Multiple events may take place during the resolution of a card or effect. The text of triggered effects and replacement effects defines the event they’re looking for. One “happening” may be treated as a single event by one effect and as multiple events by another. Example: If an attacking Clash card is obstructed by two Clash cards, this is one event for a triggered effect that reads “Whenever this Clash card becomes obstructed” but two events for a triggered effect that reads “Whenever this Clash card becomes obstructed by a Clash card.” 702. Modal Cards and Effects 702.1. A card or effect is modal if it has two or more options in a bulleted list preceded by instructions for a player to choose a number of those options, such as “Choose one —.” Each of those options is a mode. 702.1a. The controller of a modal card or effect chooses the mode(s) as part of playing the card or activating that effect. If one of the modes would be illegal (due to an inability to choose legal targets, for example), that mode can’t be chosen (see rule 603.3c). 702.1b. The controller of a modal triggered effect chooses the mode(s) as part of putting that effect into Standby. If one of the modes would be illegal (due to an inability to choose legal targets, for example), that mode can’t be chosen. If no mode is chosen, the effect is removed from Standby. 702.1c. If a card or effect targets one or more targets only if a particular mode is chosen for it, its controller would need to choose those targets only if they chose that mode. Otherwise, the card or effect is treated as though it did not have those targets. 702.1d. If a player is allowed to choose more than one mode for a modal card or effect, that player normally can’t choose the same mode more than once. However, some modal cards include the instruction “You may choose the same mode more than once.” If a particular mode is chosen multiple times, the card is treated as if that mode appeared that many times in sequence. If that mode requires a target, the same player or object may be chosen as the target for each of those modes, or different targets may be chosen. 702.1e. Some cards and effects specify that a player other than their controller chooses a mode for it. In that case, the other player does so when the card or effect’s controller normally would do so. If there is more than one other player who could make such a choice, the card or effect’s controller decides which of those players will make the choice. 702.1f. Modal cards and effects may have different targeting requirements for each mode. Changing a card or effect’s target can’t change its mode. 702.1g. A copy of a modal card or effect copies the mode(s) chosen for it. The controller of the copy can’t choose a different mode, unless otherwise specified. 703. Keyword Actions 703.1. Most actions described in a card’s rules text use the standard English definitions of the verbs within, but some specialized verbs are used whose meanings may not be clear. These “keywords actions” are game terms; sometimes reminder text summarizes their meanings. 703.2. Attach {X} / Attach (X): Y - Z 703.2a. To attach an object to another object means to take it from where it currently is and put it onto that new object. If something is attached to a permanent in play, it’s customary to place it so that it’s physically touching the permanent. Some objects can only be attached to a certain object based on its characteristics. (For example, a Weapon can only be attached to a Clash card and a Contender Weapon can only be attached to a Contender.) 703.2b. An object with the word “Attach” followed by a resource cost, has the effect, “During your Primary Phase, you may pay this cost to attach this card to an eligible target.” This is an activated effect. 703.2c. An object with the wording “Attach (X): Y – Z” has the effect, “During your Primary Phase, you may pay Y (reduced by Z), if you do, attach this card to target X card” This is an activated effect. 703.2c.1. The character name(s) or faction(s) defined within the Parenthesis in an attach ability are an attach restriction. The card can only be attached to cards that meet one or more restrictions among attach abilities on the card. Any effect that tries to attach a card to an invalid target fails. Example: “Attach ([Shadowblade]): UUUU – Reduce U for each Bounty Counter on Clash cards you don’t control.” Means: “During your Primary Phase, you may pay UUUU reduced by U for each Bounty Counter on Clash cards you don’t control, if you do, attach this to target Shadowblade card.” 703.2c. When an object has another object attached, both objects are considered attached to each other. 703.2d. When an object references “an attached” object, it means an object attached to this object. 703.3. Play 703.3a. To play a card is to take it from the zone it’s in (usually the hand), put it into Standby, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect. A player may play a card if they have priority (see rule 601). 703.4. Negate 703.4a. To negate a card or effect means to cancel it, removing it from Standby. It doesn’t resolve and none of its effects occur. A negated card is put into its owner’s Oblivion. A negated effect is removed from Standby. 703.4a.1. If a card or effect a player controls would negate an effect that would resolve in the future, it does so the next time that negatable effect enters Standby. This negation does not enter Standby and can’t be responded to. Example: Player A plays [Khagan, the Dragon]. [Khagan, the Dragon] enters Standby and then Player B responds with [Saw You Coming] targeting the [Khagan, the Dragon] in Standby. Player A has no response, [Saw You Coming] resolves, and then [Khagan the Dragon] resolves. When [Khagan, the Dragon] enters play, his Trigger – Enter effect is put into Standby. However, this Trigger – Enter effect is negated by the delayed effect of [Saw You Coming] and is removed from Standby. 703.4b. To negate an attack means to end the current Clash Phase after all effects in Standby have resolved. No subsequent steps happen, and the active player returns to their Primary Phase. 703.4c. The player who played a negated card, activated a negated effect, or had their attack negated doesn’t get a “refund” of any costs that were paid for that game action. 703.5. Create 703.5a. To create one or more tokens with certain characteristics, put the specified number of tokens with the specified characteristics into their corresponding zones under their owner’s control. 703.6. Send to Oblivion 703.6a. To send (a permanent) to Oblivion, move it from play (or from Standby if applicable) to its owner’s Oblivion. 703.6b. The only ways a permanent can be sent to Oblivion are as a result of an effect that uses the phrase “send [object] to Oblivion” or damage from a source with Necrotic (see rule 704.11). An object that is “put” into its owner’s Oblivion for any other reason, is not the same as being “sent to Oblivion”. Note that being defeated is not synonymous with being “sent to Oblivion” (see rules 504.2g and 706). 703.6c. “Send to Oblivion” is not the same as being “defeated.” 703.6d. "Sent to Oblivion" effects can only be triggered by permanents in play. (see rule 409.7) 703.7. Discard 703.7a. To discard a card, move it from its owner’s hand to that player’s Oblivion. 703.7b. By default, effects that cause a player to discard a card allow the affected player to choose which card to discard. Some effects, however, require a random discard or allow another player to choose which card is discarded. 703.7c. If a card is discarded as part of a cost of a card or effect, but a replacement effect places the discarded card into another zone other than that player’s Oblivion, that cost payment is illegal; the game returns to the moment before the cost was paid (see rule 709). 703.8. Reveal 703.8a. To reveal a card, show that card to all players for a brief time. If an effect causes a card to be revealed, it remains revealed for as long as necessary to complete the parts of the effect that card is relevant to. If the cost to play a card or activate an effect includes revealing a card, the card remains revealed from the time the card or effect is declared until the time it leaves Standby. If revealing a card causes a triggered effect to trigger, the card remains revealed until that triggered effect leaves Standby. If that effect isn’t put into Standby the next time a player would receive priority, the card ceases to be revealed. 703.8b. Revealing a card doesn’t cause it to leave the zone it’s in. 703.8c. If cards in a player’s deck are shuffled or otherwise reordered, any revealed cards that are reordered stop being revealed and become new objects. 703.8d. Some effects instruct a player to look at one or more cards. Looking at a card follows the same rules as revealing a card, except that the card is shown only to the specified player. 703.9. Search 703.9a. To search for a card in a zone, look at all cards in that zone (even if it’s a hidden zone) and find a card that matches the given description. 703.9b. If a player is searching a hidden zone for cards with a stated quality, such as a card with a certain card type or cost, that player isn’t required to find some or all of those cards even if they’re present in that zone. 703.9c. If a player is instructed to search a hidden zone for cards that match an undefined quality, that player may still search that zone but can’t find any cards. 703.9d. If a player is searching a hidden zone simply for a quantity of cards, such as “a card” or “three cards,” that player must find that many cards (or as many as possible if the zone doesn’t contain enough cards). 703.9e. If the effect that contains the search instruction doesn’t also contain instructions to reveal the found card(s), then they’re not revealed. 703.9f. If searching a zone is replaced with searching a portion of that zone, any other instructions that refer to searching the zone still apply. 703.9g. Any effects that trigger on a deck being searched will trigger. 703.9h. If an effect offers a player a choice to search a zone and take additional actions with the cards found, that player may choose to search even if the additional actions are illegal or impossible. 703.9i. If multiple players search at once, each of those players looks at the appropriate cards at the same time, then those players decide in APNAP order (see rule 101.4) which card to find. 703.9j. Unrivaled cards may not be found during a search unless the search effect expressly allows Unrivaled cards to be searched for. 703.10. Shuffle 703.10a. To shuffle a deck or a face-down pile of cards, randomize the cards within it so that no player knows their order. 703.10b. Some effects cause a player to search a deck for a card or cards, shuffle that deck, then put some or all of the found cards into a different zone or in a certain position in that deck. In such cases, the found cards aren’t included in the shuffle, even though they remain in the deck at that time. Rather, all the cards in that deck except those are shuffled. Effects that trigger when a deck is shuffled will still trigger (see rule 401). 703.10c. If an effect would cause a player to shuffle one or more specific objects into a deck, that deck is shuffled even if none of those objects are in the zone they’re expected to be in or an effect causes all of those objects to be moved to another zone or remain in their current zone. 703.10d. If an effect would cause a player to shuffle a set of objects into a deck, that deck is shuffled even if there are no objects in that set. 703.10e. If an effect causes a player to shuffle a deck containing zero or one cards, effects that trigger when a deck is shuffled will still trigger. 703.10f. If two or more effects cause a deck to be shuffled multiple times simultaneously, effects that trigger when that deck is shuffled will trigger that many times. 703.11. Ready and Engage 703.11a. To engage a permanent, turn it sideways from an upright position. Only ready permanents can be engaged. In other words, you can’t engage an engaged card. 703.11b. To ready a permanent, rotate it back to the upright position from a horizontal position. Only engaged permanents can be readied. In other words, you can’t ready a ready card. 703.12. Return 703.12a. An object can be returned to a hidden zone from its current public zone by a card or effect. The instruction of which zones to return to and from will be outlined in the card’s text. 703.12b. To return a permanent to its owner’s hand is to move it from play to its owner’s hand. 703.12c. To return a card “being played” to its owner’s hand is to move it from Standby to its owner’s hand. 703.12d. To return a card from a player’s Oblivion to their hand is to move it from Oblivion to its owner’s hand. 703.13. Add 703.13a. An object can be added to a player’s hand. This is similar to put but is not the same as drawing a card. 703.14. Put 703.14a. An object can be put into a player’s hand, into play, into Oblivion, or on top/bottom of their deck etc. Put is not the same as playing a card. 703.14a.1. Resources are put into the Resource Zone, not played. 703.15. Banish 703.15a. A card that is banished is put into its owner’s Banished Zone. It is not put into its owner’s Oblivion. 703.15a.1. Cards that are banished are put into a separate zone called the “Banished Zone”. This is a game zone. It is simply a place where banished cards are placed. 703.16. Activate (Portal) 703.16a. A player may “activate” the Portal by paying two resources of any color (during their Primary Phase). 703.16a.1. A player may also “activate” the Portal with a card effect that states “activate the Portal”. 703.16a.2. When a player activates the Portal, if it is open, close it. 703.16a.3. When a player activates the Portal, if it is closed, open it. 703.17. Diminish 703.17a. A player diminishes a card from their deck by putting the top card of their deck into their Oblivion. 703.17a.1 A card being diminished can trigger relevant effects for cards entering Oblivion. 703.17a.2 Cards moving from deck to Oblivion by effects not classified as diminish do not trigger Discover or any other effect that refers to diminish. 703.18. Exhaust 703.18a. A player may exhaust a card as part of an activated or triggered effect. If that card is not already engaged, it then becomes engaged as a result of becoming exhausted. 703.18a.1. Exhaust is a static effect and should be marked that the effect was obtained. 703.18a.2. An exhausted card does not ready during its owner's next ready step. 703.18a.3. A card may not be exhausted if it is already exhausted. 703.18a.4. A card that is readied in any way other than the Ready Step does not lose exhaust. 703.18a.5. An exhausted card is no longer exhausted after its owner's next Ready Step. 703.19. Foretell 703.19a.1. Foretell allows a player to look at the top card of their deck and place it on the top or bottom of their deck. 703.19a.1a. Foretell [X] allows players to look at the top [X] cards of their deck and place them on the top and/or bottom of their deck in any order. 703.20. Distract 703.20a.1. Distract is a static effect and should be marked that the effect was obtained. 703.20a.2. A distracted card cannot obstruct the next Obstruct Step this turn. 703.20a.3. A distracted card is no longer distracted after the next Obstruct Step has occurred. 703.20a.4. A distracted card is no longer distracted at the end of the turn. 703.20a.5. A distracted card may not be distracted if it is already distracted. 703.20.5a. Multiple instances of distract are redundant. 703.21. Activate / Activate (X) 703.21a. Activate (X) is an alternate form of Activate. 703.21b. A card with Activate has the following effect, “During your Primary Phase, (you may pay X, if you do,) (the rest of the ability following the colon).” 703.21c. Activate abilities may only be activated when Standby is empty. 703.21d. If there is a cost in parentheses, it must be paid in order to put the effect into standby. 703.21e. Activate effects are not played, they are activated. 703.22. Action / Action (X) 703.22a. Action (X) is an alternate form of Action. 703.22b. A card with Action has the following effect, “Once per turn, during your Primary Phase, (you may pay X, if you do,) (the rest of the ability following the colon).” 703.22c. Action abilities may only be activated when Standby is empty. 703.22d. If there is a cost in parentheses, it must be paid in order to put the effect into standby. 703.22e. Action effects are “Action Abilities”, they aren’t “Action Cards”, and they are not played, they are activated. 703.23. Graft X 703.23a. Graft is an activated ability. 703.23b. A card with Graft X has the following effect, “During your Primary Phase, if this is not a Weapon Accessory, you may pay X. If you do, this card becomes a Weapon Accessory instead of its current types. Attach it to target Clash card. The attached card gets [Synthoria] and all keyword abilities on this card. If this card becomes detached, it stops being a Weapon Accessory and regains its original types, then engage it.” 703.23c. A card with Graft attached to a Clash card is Grafted. 703.23d. Graft does not function while the card is Grafted. 703.23e. Cards and effects that target a Grafted cards original types cannot target a Grafted card as it loses all previous types. It may be targeted by anything that can target a Weapon Accessory. 703.23f. Multiple instances of Graft on a card can be activated separately. 703.23g. If the card the Grafted card is attached to leaves play, the Grafted card is detached. 704. Keyword Abilities 704.1. Most abilities describe exactly what they do in the card’s rules text. Some, though, are very common or would require too much space to define on the card. In these cases, the object lists only the name of the ability as a “keyword”; sometimes reminder text summarizes the game rule. 704.1a. If an effect refers to a “[keyword ability] cost,” it refers only to the variable costs for that keyword. 704.1b. An effect may refer to an object “with [keyword ability]” or “that has [keyword ability].” This means the same thing as an object “with a [keyword ability] ability” or an object “that has a [keyword ability] ability.” 704.2. Awe Factor {X} 704.2a. Awe Factor {X} is a triggered ability. 704.2b. Awe Factor {X} is also a numbered ability. 704.2b.1. {X} can also be a variable, defined on the card with the effect. 704.2c. A card with Awe Factor {X} has the following effect, “When this card enters play, all Clash cards you don’t control get -X/-0 until end of turn.” Example: A Clash card with Awe Factor 2 enters play. Then all Clash cards not controlled by that player will get -2/-0 until the end of the turn in which the Clash card with Awe Factor 2 entered play. 704.2d. Multiple instances of a numbered ability do not stack. If there are multiple instances of a numbered ability (e.g., Awe Factor 2 and Awe Factor 1) the player that controls that object must apply the higher of the two numbered abilities. 704.3. Barrage {X} 704.3a. Barrage {X} is a triggered ability. 704.3b. Barrage {X} is also a numbered ability. 704.3c. A card with Barrage {X} has the following effect, “When this card attacks, you may deal damage equal to its initial attack power divided as you choose among up to X target Clash cards.” Note: Initial attack power is the attack power printed on the card before augmentations have been applied to that value. 704.3d. Barrage {X} requires the player to divide or distribute damage among one or more targets. If that player chooses two targets, each of those targets must receive at least one of the damage being divided (see rule 601.1d). If they choose one, then all damage from Barrage is dealt to that one target. Example: A 6/6 Clash card with Barrage 2 attacks. If the player who controls that Clash card chooses two target Clash cards to deal 6 damage divided as they choose, then they must choose to deal at least 1 to one Clash card and 5 damage to the other, 2 and 4, or 3 and 3 damage. 704.3e. Multiple instances of a numbered ability do not stack. If there are multiple instances of a numbered ability (e.g., Barrage 2 and Barrage 1) the player that controls that object must apply the higher of the two numbered abilities. 704.4. Breakthrough 704.4a. Breakthrough is a static ability that modifies the rules for assigning an attacker’s clash damage. The ability has no effect when a creature with Breakthrough is obstructing or is dealing (or is dealt) non-clash damage. 704.4b. A card with Breakthrough has the following effect, “This attacker deals excessive clash damage to an opponent’s Contender if its attack power is higher than the total defense power of all opposing Clash cards in this Clash.” 704.4b.1. A defender must be present for the effects of Breakthrough to resolve. 704.4c. Excessive clash damage is defined as the difference in the attacker’s attack power and the total defense power of all opposing Clash cards in that clash. 704.4c.1. Excessive clash damage, such as that from Breakthrough, is dealt as an additional separate instance of clash damage to an opponent’s Contender. Example: A 4/4 Clash card with Breakthrough is obstructed by two 1/1 Clash cards. The total defense power of all opposing Clash cards in this Clash is 2 and the total attack power of the attacker is 4. Thus, two excessive clash damage is dealt as a separate instance to the defending player’s Contender. 704.4d. If the attacking Clash card has the Breakthrough ability and the target of their attack leaves play for any reason, excessive clash damage is not dealt to the defending Contender. 704.4e. Multiple instances of Breakthrough on the same card are redundant. 704.5. Close Combat 704.5a. Close Combat is a static ability that modifies the rules for attacking a Clash card. 704.5b. A card with Close Combat has the following effect, “This card can attack ready Clash cards.” 704.5c. Cards that are attacked can’t be declared as an obstructor for themselves. See rule 303.10. 704.5d. Multiple instances of Close Combat on the same card are redundant. 704.6. Enrage {X} 704.6a. Enrage {X} is a triggered ability. 704.6b. Enrage {X} is also a numbered ability. 704.6c. A card with Enrage {X} has the following effect, “Whenever this card is dealt non-clash damage, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn for each point of non-clash damage it was just dealt.” Example: A 2/2 Clash card with Enrage 1 is dealt one non-clash damage. That Clash card is now a 3/1 until end of phase. After changing phases, it’s defense will reset and it will be a 3/2. 704.6d. Multiple instances of a numbered ability do not stack. If there are multiple instances of a numbered ability (e.g., Enrage 2 and Enrage 1) the player that controls that object must apply the higher of the two numbered abilities. 704.7. Exclusive 704.7a. Exclusive is a static ability that modifies the rules for playing a card and/or for a card entering play. 704.7b. A card with Exclusive has the following effect, “Only one copy of this card can be in your control.” 704.7c. If a player controls a card with Exclusive, they may not play a card from their hand with the same card name. 704.7d. If a player controls a card with Exclusive, a card with the same name may not enter play under their control by any card effect. That card is considered an invalid target of that effect. This includes creating Tokens with Exclusive. 704.7e. Multiple instances of Exclusive on the same card are redundant. 704.7f. Exclusive can’t be removed, added, or negated by other cards or effects. 704.8. Flight 704.8a. Flight is a static ability that alters the rules of a Clash. 704.8b. A card with Flight has the following effect, “This card can only be obstructed by Clash cards with Flight or Interception.” 704.8c. A Clash card with Flight can obstruct a Clash card with or without Flight. 704.8d. An engaged Clash card with Flight can be attacked by an opposing Clash card. 704.8e. A ready Clash card with Flight can be attacked by a Clash card with Close Combat. 704.8f. Multiple instances of Flight on the same card are redundant. 704.9. Interception 704.9a. Interception is a static ability. 704.9b. A card with Interception has the following effect, “This card can obstruct Clash cards with Flight.” 704.9c. A Clash card with Interception can obstruct a Clash card with or without Flight. 704.9d. Multiple instances of Interception on the same card are redundant. 704.10. Irrefutable 704.10a. Irrefutable is a static ability that modifies the rules for playing a card. 704.10b. A card with Irrefutable has the following effect, “This card can’t be prevented from entering play.” 704.10c. Multiple instances of Irrefutable on the same card are redundant. 704.11. Necrotic 704.11a. Necrotic is a triggered ability. 704.11b. A card with Necrotic has the following effect, “When this deals clash damage to a Clash card, send that card to Oblivion after the clash.” 704.11c. Any nonzero amount of clash damage dealt to a Clash card by a source with Necrotic is considered to be lethal damage regardless of that Clash card’s defense. 704.11d. If a Clash card with Necrotic deals clash damage to an opposing Clash card thus reducing its defense to zero (or less) that opposing Clash card is considered “defeated”. The state-based effect of being “defeated” will supersede the effects of Necrotic. 704.11e. If a Clash card with Necrotic deals clash damage to an opposing Clash card and doesn’t reduce its defense to zero (or less) then “after that Clash” the opposing Clash card will be “sent to Oblivion.” Note: This is not being defeated and will not trigger any Trigger - Defeat effects. 704.11f. Multiple instances of Necrotic on the same card are redundant. 704.12. Observant 704.12a. Observant is a static ability that modifies the rules for attacking. 704.12b. A card with Observant has the following effect, “This card can’t attack the turn it enters play.” 704.12c. Multiple instances of Observant on the same card are redundant. 704.13. Superspeed 704.13a. Superspeed is a static ability that modifies the rules for dealing clash damage. 704.13b. A card with Superspeed has the following effect, “This card deals clash damage before Clash cards without Superspeed.” Example: A 2/2 Clash card with Superspeed attacks an engaged 4/2 Clash card without Superspeed. The 2/2 (with Superspeed) will deal damage to the 4/2 Clash card (without Superspeed) thus defeating it before the 4/2 gets a chance to deal damage to the 2/2 (with Superspeed). 704.13c. A Clash card with Superspeed will not be dealt clash damage if the opposing Clash card without Superspeed is defeated. But if the opposing Clash card without Superspeed is not defeated, clash damage will resolve normally. If the attacking and defending Clash cards both have Superspeed, then damage is dealt normally. 704.13d. The effects of Superspeed apply during all player’s turns. 704.13e. If the Clash card/Contenders involved in a Clash all have Superspeed, then the effects of Superspeed don’t apply. However, if at least one of those objects loses Superspeed, then the objects with Superspeed will now apply their effect. 704.13f. Multiple instances of Superspeed on the same card are redundant. 704.14. Undisputed 704.14a. Undisputed is a static ability. 704.14b. A card with Undisputed has the following effect, “This Clash card can’t be defeated during a Clash on your turn.” 704.14c. If a Clash card with Undisputed is dealt lethal damage, it is not “defeated”. After the Clash, the Clash card with Undisputed will have its defense reset to its pre- Clash amount. 704.14d. Multiple instances of Undisputed on the same card are redundant. 704.15. Unrivaled 704.15a. Unrivaled is a static ability that modifies the deck-building rules of the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game. 704.15b. A card with Unrivaled has the following effect, “Only one card with Unrivaled is allowed per deck (including Sideboard) and you may not include a card with Unrivaled if your deck includes cards with Rivaled.” 704.15b.1. Only one card with Unrivaled is allowed per deck, including a player’s sideboard. 704.15.b.2. A card with Unrivaled may not be in a deck with cards with Rivaled. 704.15c. Multiple instances of Unrivaled on the same card are redundant. 704.15d. Unrivaled cards can not be found by search effects unless the search effects specifies it can find an Unrivaled card. 704.16. Safeguard 704.16a. Safeguard is a static ability that prevents a permanent or player from being targeted by an opponent’s card effects or abilities. 704.16b. A card with Safeguard has the following effect, “This card can’t be the target of card effects or abilities your opponent’s control.” 704.16c. Multiple instances of Safeguard on the same card are redundant. 704.17. Ambush 704.17a. Ambush is a static ability that modifies the rule for setting face down cards in your Accessory Zone. 704.17b. A card with Ambush has the following effect, "You may set this card face down as a Trap in your Accessory Zone." 704.17c. During your Primary Phase, you may set a card with Ambush from your hand face down into your Accessory Zone. Setting is not the same as playing. There is no limit to the number of cards you may set in a turn. Setting a card does not have a resource cost. 704.17c.1. Cards with Ambush are set in ready position unless otherwise stated. 704.17d. Cards set with Ambush are activated and their effects resolve one at a time. 704.17e. A player must meet the condition and/or pay the resource cost of a card with Ambush they control to activate the ability that moves it from the Accessory Zone. 704.17f. Players may only activate cards with Ambush from their Accessory Zone when they have priority to respond. Players may activate as many cards with Ambush as they like (activated and resolved one at a time) before they pass priority back to their opponent. 704.17g. Cards with Ambush can't be activated on the turn they are set, put, or placed. 704.17h. Cards with Ambush may only be activated from the Accessory Zone in response to the proper condition based on their trigger tag and timing rules (see rule 114.1). ● Counter - Attack: Activate this effect in response to an opponent attacking you. ● Counter - Play: Activate this effect in response to an opponent playing a card. ● Counter - Trap: Activate this effect in response to an opponent activating a Trap. 704.17i. Once a card with Ambush has successfully activated using the proper condition-based trigger it then “enters play” by moving from the Accessory Zone to the Zone specified in its Ambush ability. This will trigger any relevant Trigger - Enter abilities. 704.17j. Cards in the Accessory Zone are always considered Accessories. Cards with Ambush in the Accessory Zone are always considered Traps. 704.18. Torment 704.18a. Torment is a static ability that alters the rules of obstructing an attacker. 704.18b. A card with Torment has the following effect, "This Clash card can only be obstructed by two or more Clash cards." 704.18c. The defending player may obstruct with two or more of their ready cards that are able to Obstruct. When obstructors are declared, the attacking Contender or Clash card is now attacking the obstructors, not the original target of the attack. Any effect that triggers when Clash cards are declared as obstructors will trigger in this step. Triggered effects that trigger on obstructors being declared may have different trigger conditions. 704.18c.1. If an attacker is obstructed and all obstructors are removed from that clash, the attacker is still considered obstructed. Effects like that from the ability Breakthrough will only apply if there is an obstructor present (see rule 704.4b.2). 704.18d. Multiple instances of Torment on the same card are redundant. 704.19. Bound 704.19a. Bound is a static ability that modifies the rules for putting a card into your Resource Zone. 704.19b. A card with Bound has the following effect, “Only one copy of this card can be in your Resource Zone.” 704.19c. If a player controls a card with Bound in their Resource Zone, they may not put a card into their Resource Zone with the same card name. 704.19d. If a player controls a card with Bound, a card with the same name may not enter their Resource Zone by any card effect. That card is considered an invalid target of that effect. This applies to effects that generate Tokens that have Bound. 704.19e. Multiple instances of Bound on the same card are redundant. 704.20. Fortitude 704.20a. Fortitude is a static ability that modifies the rules for changing the stats on a Clash card. 704.20b. A card with Fortitude has the following effect, “This card’s attack and defense can’t be reduced by effects your opponent’s control.” 704.20c. Multiple instances of Fortitude on the same card are redundant. 704.20d. Fortitude does not affect damage in any way. 704.21 Magnitude {X} 704.21a. Magnitude {X} is a static ability. 704.21b. Magnitude {X} is also a numbered ability. 704.21c. A card with Magnitude {X} has the following effect, “you have Magnitude X where X is equal to the number of cards in your Oblivion. 704.21d. You have Magnitude {X} if you have at least that many cards in your Oblivion. 704.21e. Multiple instances of Magnitude can stack. This is an exception to numbered abilities not typically stacking. 704.22 Recover {X} 704.22a. Recover {X} is a triggered ability. 704.22b. Recover {X} is also a numbered ability. 704.22c. A card with Recover {X} has the following effect, “Whenever this card deals clash damage, your contender gains X health.” 704.22d. The damage dealt by the Clash Card with Recover {X} still deals damage. 704.22e. Multiple instances of a numbered ability do not stack. If there are multiple instances of a numbered ability (e.g., Recover 2 and Recover 1) the player that controls that object must apply the higher of the two numbered abilities. 704.23. Brutal {X} 704.23a. Brutal {X} is a static ability. 704.23b. Brutal {X} is also a numbered ability. 704.23c. A card with Brutal {X} has the following effect, “Whenever this card deals clash damage to a Contender, it deals X additional damage to that Contender.” 704.23d. The additional damage dealt by a card with Brutal {X} isn’t a separate instance of damage. 704.23e. Multiple instances of a numbered ability do not stack. If there are multiple instances of a numbered ability (e.g., Brutal 2 and Brutal 1) the player that controls that object must apply the higher of the two numbered abilities. 704.24. Daunting 704.24a. Daunting is a static ability that modifies the rules for opponents’ attack declarations. 704.24b. A card with Daunting has the following effect, “This card must be attacked if able and may be attacked as though it were engaged.” 704.24c. When declaring an attack, if there is an opposing card with Daunting it must be the target of the attack. Once declared, the attack may be obstructed normally and effects that redirect the attack will still function. 704.24d. If there are multiple opposing cards with Daunting the attacking player can choose from among them. 704.24e. The presence of an opposing card with Daunting does not force a player to attack, it only modifies the possible targets of an attack if one is declared. 704.24f. Multiple instances of Daunting on a card have no effect. 704.25. Rivaled 704.25a. Rivaled is a static ability that modifies the deck-building rules of the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game. 704.25b. A card with Rivaled has the following effect, “Up to four copies of an English named card with Rivaled are allowed per deck (including Sideboard) and you may not include any cards with Rivaled if your deck includes cards with Unrivaled.” 704.25b.1. Up to four copies of an English named card with Rivaled are allowed per deck, including a player’s sideboard. 704.25.b.2. Cards with Rivaled may not be included in a deck with cards with Unrivaled. 704.25c. Multiple instances of Rivaled on the same card are redundant. 704.25d. A card with Rivaled cannot be put into your Resource Zone. 704.26 Restore {X} 704.26a. Restore {X} is a triggered ability. 704.26b. Restore {X} is also a numbered ability. 704.26c. A card with Restore {X} has the following effect, “Whenever this card deals clash damage, you may put the top X cards from your Oblivion on the bottom of your deck.” 704.26d. The damage dealt by the Clash Card with Restore {X} still deals damage. 704.26e. Multiple instances of a numbered ability do not stack. If there are multiple instances of a numbered ability (e.g., Restore 2 and Restore 1) the player that controls that object must apply the higher of the two numbered abilities. 704.29 Wrath 704.29a. Wrath is a keyword ability. 704.29b. An effect with Wrath has the following effect, “You may reveal a (Dragon Symbol) Clash card from your hand with a resource cost greater than this card. If you do, put it on the bottom of your deck, then (continue with the rest of the ability).” 704.29c. Wrath is an optional ability that the controller of the effect decides to use at the time of resolution, not at declaration. 704.30 Discover 704.30a. Discover is a triggered ability. 704.30b. A card with Discover has the following effect, “When this card is Diminished, trigger this effect.” 704.30c. You must completely resolve the Diminish effect before triggering any cards with Discover. (See 112.11) 704.30d. If multiple cards with Discover are Diminished by the same effect, the controller may order them in the order of their choice. 704.30e. Only effects which explicitly Diminish trigger Discover. Putting into Oblivion from deck does not trigger Discover. 704.31 Engage (X) 704.31a. Engage is a Keyword ability. 704.31b. A card with Engage has the following effect, “[During your Primary Phase ] you may engage this card [and pay X], if you do, ”. 704.31c. If the Engage keyword is preceded by a Trigger or Counter timing, such as “Trigger – Attack: Engage: “ or “Counter – Attack: Engage: “ then it happens as part of the effect. If there is no preceded timing it can only be activated during your Primary Phase. 704.32 Temper 704.32a. Temper is a Keyword ability. 704.32b. An effect with Temper has the following effect, “You may put a Temper Counter on the designated card.” 704.32c. A card may only have a single Temper Counter on it. 704.33 Affinity : [Quality] 704.33a. Affinity is a static ability that modifies the deck-building rules of the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game. 704.33b. A card with Affinity has the following effect, “You may only include one copy of each English named card in your deck. If a card being included matches the Quality of the effect, you may include the normal number of copies of that card instead.” 704.33b.1. If a card being included in the deck doesn’t match the Quality of the Affinity effect only one copy of that card may be included. 704.33b.2. If a card being included in the deck does match the Quality of the Affinity effect, you may include whatever the normal number of copies of that card is, by standard deck building rules of the format you are building for. 704.33c. Multiple instances of Affinity combine. For example, if you have Affinity: Colorless and Affinity: Trap you may include 4 copies of any colorless card or any Trap, but only one copy of each card which doesn’t match those Qualities. 704.33d. Affinity has no effect once the game starts. It is purely a deck-building restriction. 704.34. Void (X) 704.34.a. Void is a triggered ability. 704.34.b. A card with Void has the following effect, “When this card is put into the Banish Zone from anywhere, [You may pay X, if you do, ] trigger this effect. 704.34.c. You must completely resolve the effect that banished the card with Void before triggering it. (See 112.11) 704.34.d. If multiple cards with Void are banished by the same effect, the controller may order them in the order of their choice. 704.34.e. Multiple instances of Void on a card each trigger independently. 704.35. Merge {X} 704.35.a. Merge {X} is a static ability. It is also an alternative cost. 704.35.b. Merge {X} is also a numbered ability. 704.35.c. A card with Merge {X} has the following effect, “Instead of playing this cards resource cost, you may instead send X [Synthoria] Clash cards you control to Oblivion.” 704.35.d. If the card being played has other costs besides a resource cost, those costs must still be paid. Merge {X} only affects the resource cost, not additional costs. 704.35.e. Multiple instances of Merge {X} on a single card do not stack, the active player may choose which one they are using at the time they play the card. 704.36. Toss 704.36a. Toss is a keyword ability. It is also a triggered effect. 704.36b. A card with Toss has the following effect, “When a card attached to this that you control attacks, you may attach this to target Clash card you don’t control without paying it’s attached cost”. 704.36c. Multiple instances of Toss on a card all trigger at the same time, but the last one that resolves will determine where the card is attached. 704.37. Siege {X} 704.37a. Siege {X} is a Triggered Keyword ability. 704.37b. Siege {X} is also a numerical ability. 704.37c. A card with Siege {X} has the following effect, “When this card deals Clash damage to a Contender, that Contender diminishes X”. 704.37d. Multiple instances of Siege {X} do not stack. Only the highest numerical value instance triggers. 704.38. Shroud {X} 704.38a. Shroud {X} is a static Keyword ability. 704.38b. Shroud {X} is also a numerical ability. 704.38c. A card with Shroud {X} has the following effect, “In order to declare this card as a target for a spell or effect, that spell or effects controller must pay X as an additional cost.” 704.38d. Shroud {X} adds an additional cost to any card or effect that targets the card with Shroud and that cost must be paid in order for the card or effect to be put into Standby. 704.38e. Multiple instances of Shroud {X} do not stack. Only the highest numerical value instance applies. 704.39. Manifest – {X} 704.39a. Manifest – {X} is a static ability. It is also an alternative cost. 704.39b. Manifest – {X} is also a variable ability. 704.39c. A card with Manifest – {X} has the following effect, “Instead of playing this cards resource cost, you may instead do X. It must fully succeed in order to play the card this way.” 704.39d. If the card being played has other costs besides a resource cost, those costs must still be paid. Manifest – {X} only affects the resource cost, not additional costs. 704.39e. Multiple instances of Manifest – {X} on a single card do not stack, the active player may choose which one they are using at the time they play the card. 704.39f. You may only Manifest a single card per turn. You may play other cards with Manifest for their normal cost during a turn where you use Manifest. 704.40. Accumulate 704.40a. Accumulate is a keyword ability. 704.40b. A card with Accumulate has the following effect, “Choose an object in play. For each type of Counter on that object, create an additional Counter of that type.” 704.40c. Multiple instances of Accumulate resolve independently and you may choose different objects for each instance. 704.41. Conquer 704.41a. Conquer is a static ability. 704.41b. An effect with Conquer has the following effect, “If this card or effects controller also controls a Clashground in play, do the following”. 704.41c. Multiple instances of Conquer are independent and each instance checks before it activates as well as when resolving. 704.42. Resonance 704.42a. Resonance is a static ability. 704.42b. A card with Resonance has the following effect, “Other [Synthoria] cards you control get this card’s other keyword abilities.” 704.42c. Multiple instances of Resonance on a single card are redundant. 705. Turn-Based Actions 705.1. Turn-based actions are game actions that happen automatically when certain steps or phases begin, or when each step and phase ends. Turn-based actions don’t use Standby. 705.1a. Effects that watch for a specified step or phase to begin are triggered effects, not turn-based actions (see rule 603). 705.2. Turn-based actions are not controlled by any player. 705.3. Whenever a step or phase begins, if it’s a step or phase that has any turn-based action associated with it, those turn-based actions are automatically dealt with first. This happens before state-based actions are checked, before triggered effects are put into Standby, and before players receive priority. However, turn-based actions can be replaced by various replacement effects. 705.4. The turn-based actions are as follows: • Ready Step: Ready all Clash cards you control. • Draw Step: Draw one card from the top of your deck. 706. State-Based Actions 706.1. State-based actions are game actions that happen automatically whenever certain conditions (listed below) are met. State-based actions don’t use Standby. 706.1a. Effects that watch for a specified game state are triggered effects, not state- based actions (see rule 603). 706.2. State-based actions are checked throughout the game and are not controlled by any player. 706.3. Whenever a player has priority, the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state- based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event. 706.4. Unlike triggered effects, state-based actions pay no attention to what happens during the resolution of a card or effect. 706.5. The state-based actions are as follows: • If a player’s Contender has 0 or less health, that player loses the game. • If a player attempted to draw a card from a deck with no cards, that player loses the game. • If a Clash card’s defense is 0 (or less), it is considered “defeated” and is put into its owner’s Oblivion. Trigger - Defeat effects of the defeated Clash card trigger and resolve prior to the Clash card being put into Oblivion, per the rules of state triggers (see rule 603.8). If the Trigger - Defeat effect causes the Clash card to change zones, such as being placed in the Banish or Resource Zone, it will not then be put into Oblivion from the new zone. • A token that is moved from one zone to another ceases to exist unless allowed to exist there by a rule or effect. • Recalculation of characteristic defining effects. 707. Rolling a Die 707.1. Some effects will require a player to roll one or more dice. 707.1a. An effect that instructs a player to roll a die will specify what kind of die and how many of that die to roll. 707.1b. Such an effect may refer to a dN, where N is a positive integer. 707.1c. The die must have N equally likely outcomes, numbered 1 to N. Example: A d6 is a six-sided die with possible outcomes 1 to 6. 707.1d. After the roll, the number indicated on the top face of the die is the result of the die roll. 707.1e. Some abilities that instruct one or more dice include a results table. 707.1e.1. The results table appears as a list or chart with multiple outcomes. Each list item includes possible results and an effect associated with those results. The possible results indicated could be single number, a range of numbers with two end points in the form of “N1 – N2” or a range with a single end point in the form of “N+.” Each one means, “if the result was in this range, [effect].” After a die roll, use the result to determine which effect listed on the results table happens, if any. 707.1e.2. An instruction to roll one or more dice, any additional instructions based on the result of the roll, and the associated results table are all part of one effect. 708. Copying an Object 708.1. Some objects become or turn another object into a “copy” of an effect, permanent, or card. Some effects create a token that’s a copy of another object. 708.2. When copying an object, the copy acquires the copiable values of the original object’s characteristics and, for an object on in Standby, choices made when playing or activating it (mode, targets, the value of X, how it will affect multiple targets, etc.). The copiable values are the values derived from the text printed on the object (that text being name, initial resource cost, specific resource cost, color, card type, card subtype, rules text, attack, defense, location name, planet name, character name, affiliation). Other effects (including type-changing and text-changing effects), status, and counters are not copied. 708.2a. A copy acquires the color of the object it’s copying because that value is derived from its resource cost. A copy acquires the effects of the object it’s copying because those values are derived from its rules text. A copy doesn’t wind up with two values of each effect (that is, it doesn’t copy the object’s effects and its rules text, then have that rules text define a new set of effects). 708.2b. Once an object has been copied, changing the copiable values of the original object won’t cause the copy to change. 708.3. To copy a card, activated effect, or triggered effect means to put a copy of it into Standby; a copy of an object isn’t played and a copy of an activated effect isn’t activated. A copy of a card or effect copies both the characteristics of the card or effect and all decisions made for it, including modes, targets, the value of X, and additional or alternative costs that are normally made on resolution are not copied. If an effect of the copy refers to objects used to pay its costs, it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original card or effect. A copy of an object is owned by the player under whose control it was put into Standby. A copy of a card or effect is controlled by the player under whose control it was put in Standby. A copy of a card is itself an object, even though it has no card associated with it. A copy of an effect is itself an effect. 708.3a. If a copy of a card or effect is in a zone other than Standby, it ceases to exist. If a copy of a card is in any zone other than in Standby or in play, ceases to exist. These are state-based actions (see rule 706). 708.3b. Some effects copy a card or effect and state that its controller may choose new targets for the copy. The player may leave any number of the targets unchanged, even if those targets would be illegal. If the player chooses to change some or all of the targets, the new targets must be legal. Once the player has decided what the copy’s targets will be, the copy is put into Standby with those targets. 709. Taking Shortcuts 709.1. When playing a game, players typically make use of mutually understood shortcuts rather than explicitly identifying each game choice a player makes. 709.1a. The rules for taking shortcuts are largely informal. As long as each player in the game understands the intent of each other player, any shortcut system they use is acceptable. 709.1b. Tournaments may use a modified version of the rules governing shortcuts. These rules are covered in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game Tournament Rules Manual. 710. Handling Illegal Actions 710.1. If a player takes an illegal action or starts to take an action but can’t legally complete it, the entire action is reversed and any payments already made are canceled. No effects trigger and no effects apply as a result of an undone action. If the action was playing a card, the card returns to the zone it came from. Each player may also reverse any legal resource payments that player activated while making the illegal play. Players may not reverse actions that moved cards to a deck, moved cards from a deck to any zone other than Standby, caused a deck to be shuffled, or caused cards from a deck to be revealed. 710.2. When reversing illegal cards and effects, the player who had priority retains it and may take another action or pass. The player may redo the reversed action in a legal way or take any other action allowed by the rules. 711. Double-Sided Cards 711.1. Contenders with two sides 711.1a. A Contender with two sides is the same permanent that can be flipped through card effects. 711.1a.1. A Contender that is flipped retains its current status as either ready or engaged. 711.1a.2. A Contender’s colors are only the colors represented on the while face up. 711.1a.2a. A Contender flipping will not retain its previous color if its not on the new face up side. 711.1a.3. A Contender’s remaining health does not change/reset when flipped. 711.1a.4. A Contender equipped with a Weapon will only detach the Weapon if the stipulation is no longer met through the flipping of the card. 711.1a.5. Increases to attack and defense or abilities and effects given to a Contender are retained when a Contender is flipped until a time in which that effect would cease to apply. 711.1a.6. Counters are retained by the Contender when they are flipped. 800. Gambit Multiplayer Rules Gambit is a 4-player game mode that challenges players to master strategy, social cunning, and skill. Five interconnected portals allow combatants to clash across the battlefield, creating dynamic opportunities for alliances, betrayals, and tactical maneuvers. Gambit is designed to evolve with the community. Rules may be adjusted over time to reflect player feedback and ensure the format’s continued enjoyment and balance. 801.1. Deckbuilding 801.1a. Players follow standard Alpha Clash TCG Constructed deckbuilding rules. 801.2. Attack Restrictions 801.2a. Players can only attack a Contender or Clash card controlled by another player if the Portal between them is open. 801.3. Clashground Replacement 801.3a. A Clashground is replaced only if it would enter play while the Portal to a player currently controlling a Clashground is open. 801.4. Effect Resolution 801.4a. If a Portal is activated while an effect is in standby targeting a player or their cards, the effect no longer applies. 801.4b. If a player declares an attack but the Portal closes before damage resolves, the attack is negated. 801.4c. An effect that is based on the status of the Portal is considered open or closed for a player if the majority of their connected Portals are in that state. 801.4d. Standby is not affected by the portal. Players may respond to each other's plays regardless of the status of the portal. 801.4d1.If a Counter-Play or Counter-Trap activated trigger would affect a player or permanent they control, that effect does not resolve if the portal to that player is closed. 801.4e. To use a Counter-Attack activated trigger you must be the target of the attack. You may not activate Counter-Attack abilities when other players are attacked. 801.5. Portals 801.5a. Five Portals are in play: 801.5a1. Portals connect each player to their front and side opponents. 801.5a2. A central Portal links players diagonal from each other. 801.5b. Portal States 801.5b1. Portals start the game closed. 801.5c. Portal Activation 801.5c1. A player may pay resources to activate only one Portal per turn. 801.6. Optional Chaos Mode Modifier 801.6a. End-of-Round Roll: At the end of each table rotation, one player rolls a d6: 801.6a1. The corresponding Portal and player connection activates. 801.6a2. Rolling a 6 activates all Portals. 801.7. Draft Mode 801.7a. Players may choose to draft for Gambit. 801.7b. Players follow standard Alpha Clash TCG Draft deckbuilding rules. 9. Other Formats 900. General 901. Draft 901.1. Sanctioned drafting in the Alpha Clash TCG is done using a Draft Box product or any Booster Set starting at Set 6 – Echoes of Eternity. 901.1a. Draft Box contents include: (32) Draft Booster Packs, each with 15 cards per pack, (8) of each Contender from the designated sets, (32) draft-specific Clash Buffs, an assortment of relevant tokens, and an assortment of promo cards. 901.1b. Booster Draft box contents include: (32) Booster Packs, each with 16 cards per pack which includes 15 draftable cards and 1 token. 901.2. How to Draft Year of the Dragon (DB01) 901.2a. A Year of the Dragon (DB01) Draft Box supports up to eight players without any outside materials, but a draft can be hosted with as little as six players and a maximum of ten. If a draft has more than ten players, each player at a draft should be randomly assigned into draft “pods” within these sizes, trying for as many even numbered pods as possible. Once players have been assigned their draft pods, Draft Packs must be shuffled, then each player should be seated around a table and will receive four Draft Packs, one of each Contender and Token in the Draft Box, and four copies of the [Awaken] Clash Buff. You may also choose to hand out the promotional Contender card at this time or wait until the event has concluded. 901.2a.1. The [Awaken] Clash Buff is a specially created Clash Buff, just for drafts. [Awaken] is a colorless card, meaning it does not generate resources for any specific resource costs for playing cards or activating effects. It can be used to pay for resource costs that do not have a color requirement. It also offers a different effect for each color in the game depending on the Contender you choose to play and the cards you choose to draft. 901.2a.2. The [Awaken] Clash Buff is not legal for Standard Constructed play. 901.2b. Players will then begin drafting their card pool – the selection of cards they set aside to use for future deck building – by opening their first pack and choosing a single card to add to their pool. Once they make their selection, they should pass the rest of the pack face down to the player on their left, and they should receive a new pack, minus one card, from the player to their right. Players will again choose a card from this pack to add to their pool, pass the remaining cards face down to their left, and receive a pack from their right. Continue this process until the last card has been chosen, and only a single card can be passed along. If you are passed a single card, you must take that card for your card pool, even if you would not otherwise select it. 901.2c. After the first packs are concluded, players will open their second pack and repeat this process, except this time packs are passed towards the right. The third pack will be passed towards the left once more, followed by the final pack once again being passed to the right. Players may consult their card pool along the way during the drafting process to refamiliarize themselves with their previous selections but must keep all cards in their pool separate from the packs being passed. At the end of the four packs, players should each have 60 cards, plus their shared Contenders and Clash buff to begin deck construction. 901.3. Differences between Booster Draft and Year of the Dragon Draft. 901.3a. Each player will receive four draft packs. Players may use any tokens received in their packs as well as any tokens (from the same set) that they have brought or are provided. 901.3a.1. No Clash Buffs will be provided or can be brought; they must be drafted during the draft. 901.3b. Once Players open a pack, they will remove the token and set it aside. It is not draftable and won’t be passed with the rest of the pack. 901.3c. A deck can contain any Clash Buff that they have drafted and play them regardless of any restrictions. 901.4. Deck Construction 901.3a. Once players have all finished drafting their card selections, they will receive 30 minutes to construct their decks. Deck construction looks a little different compared to typical Constructed play, so make sure to follow these guidelines to build the best deck you can. 901.3a.1. A players Main Deck must contain exactly 40 cards. 901.3a.2. A players Sideboard can contain up to 24 cards. This should be the rest of the cards you drafted/received that aren’t in your Main Deck. 901.3a.3. A player can include any number of copies of a card, rather than the typical maximum of four per deck. For example, if you draft eight copies of a card, you may use all eight. 901.3a.4. After a player finishes their deck, they should determine which Contender they want to play for the event. Be careful, because once you choose a Contender and sit down for your first game, you cannot change your Contender for the rest of the event. 901.5. Gameplay 901.4a. Once deck construction is finished, players should receive their pairings for the first round of the event. If there are multiple pods, each pod should only play against other members of the same pod to promote a fair and balanced event. This means that each pod will play approximately three rounds of Alpha Clash with their drafted decks before final standings are determined. Players will have the same amount of time per round as a regularly sanctioned event. 902. Sealed 902.1. Sealed deck play can be used for pre-release events. It uses 8 packs from any Booster Box set starting with Set 6 – Echoes of Eternity. 902.2. How to Play. 902.2a. Players take their booster packs and open them all at once, creating a pool of cards with which to build their deck and play. No cards, aside from tokens, may be brought from outside their pool and used in an event. 902.2b. At high level events, it may be required for players to register their pools or pass them before deck building begins. 902.3. Deck Construction. 902.3a. Once players start opening their packs they have 45 minutes to construct their deck. 902.3a.1. A players main deck must contain exactly 40 cards. 902.3a.2. A players sideboard will contain all remaining cards. Tokens do not count as part of the deck or sideboard. 902.3a.3. player can include any number of copies of a card, rather than the typical maximum of four per deck. For example, if you open eight copies of a card, you may use all eight. 902.3a.4. After a player finishes their deck, they should determine which Contender they want to play for the event. Be careful, because once you choose a Contender and sit down for your first game, you cannot change your Contender for the rest of the event. 902.3a.5. A deck may contain any Clash Buff from their pool, regardless of play or deck building restrictions. 902.4. Gameplay. 902.4a. Once deck construction is finished, players should receive their pairings for the first round of the event. If there are multiple pods, each pod should only play against other members of the same pod to promote a fair and balanced event. This means that each pod will play approximately three rounds of Alpha Clash with their drafted decks before final standings are determined. Players will have the same amount of time per round as a regularly sanctioned event. 903. Siege of the Forgotten 903.1. Differences from standard Alpha Clash. 903.1a. The first player draws a card on their first turn and may attack on their first turn. 903.1b. At the start of the game in Siege of the Forgotten, the farthest left player receives the Focus Token. During the player’s round, players take turns starting with the player holding the Focus token and then proceeds counterclockwise. 903.2. Boss turn: After all players have taken a turn (a complete player round) the boss turn begins. 903.2a. At the start of the boss turn you resolve all ongoing effects in the order of Boss - > Minion -> Event. 903.2b. After ongoing effects, place the top card of the Minion deck into the Clash Zone and resolve any effects that happen. Then you place the leading (left most) card from the Ambush Zone into the Clash Zone face up and resolve any effects. 903.2c. Move the focus token from the current Contender to the next Contender in counterclockwise order. 903.2d. Ready Step: Ready all cards the encounter controls. 903.2e. Event Step: Send the current Event to the Event Oblivion, if there is an active Clashground send it to its owners’ Oblivion. Then, put the top card of the Event Deck into the Event Zone. 903.2f. Minion Clash Phase: Minions attack from left to right, targeting the Contender with the Focus Token. Effects can alter the target of Minion attacks. 903.2g. Boss Clash Phase: The Active Boss attacks the Contender with the Focus Token. Effects can alter the target of the Boss attack but cannot stop the Boss from declaring an attack. The Portal Boss never attacks. 903.2h. End of Turn: Resolve all effects that trigger at the end of the turn in Boss -> Minion -> Event order. All “until end-of-turn” effects end. 903.3. General Rules. 903.3a. When a Contender’s health is reduced to 0, they remove all permanents they control from the game, Standby, Oblivion, and the Banish Zones. If they control a permanent owned by another player, that player regains control of it. If they controlled the [Focus] they pass it to the player on their right. 903.3b. [The Portal] starts the game in Play. [Lord Krung] will enter play once game conditions have been met. 903.3c. The Active Boss is the Boss that starts in play. Card effects can change the Active Boss. 903.3d. The Portal is always considered to be open and can only be closed by the effect on [The Portal, Collapsing]. 903.3e. Players win by reducing all Boss card’s health to 0. Players cannot win through alternate win conditions. 903.3f. All players may treat the Clash Phase of a defending player as if it were their own. 903.3g. All players share a Clash Zone. The Exclusive keyword applies to all players. 903.3h. Event Clashgrounds may only be replaced by a Clashground of equal or higher initial resource cost. (See 302.10). 903.3i. Event Clashgrounds are immune to effects that try to modify or negate them or effects that they generate. 903.3j. Minions played from the Minion deck do not have a characteristic for resource cost. Minions are immune to all effects that care about their resource cost. 903.3k. Minions obstruct from the Ambush Zone and only obstruct the first attack each turn that can be obstructed. Keyword abilities do not prevent minions from obstructing. 903.3l. The leading Minion is the farthest left Minion. Minions enter the Ambush Zone and the Clash Zone left to right, first in, first out. 903.3m. Minions in the Ambush Zone can’t be removed by effects from opposing players. They may be targeted or affected by effects that target facedown cards in the Accessory Zone. 903.3n. Minions in the Clash Zone can’t obstruct and can only attack Contenders unless another effect directs them to attack elsewhere. 903.3o. Minions can’t be prevented from attacking. 903.3p. The maximum number of minions allowed in the Ambush Zone is equal to the current number of players plus one. 903.3q. If the Minion deck runs out of cards, shuffle the Minion discard into the Minion deck. 903.3r. The Minion and Event Oblivions can’t be targeted or affected by player effects. 903.3s. All players must play unique Contenders. Uniqueness in this context is by character name (You may not play Magnate, Awakened with Magnate, Indomitable Will). 903.3t. Cards owned by the Boss can’t be played, put into play, or controlled by opposing players. 903.3u. Boss cards cannot have their abilities removed or negated. 903.3v. If an effect returns a minion to its owner’s hand, and that minion originated from the minion deck, put it face down at the end of the Ambush Zone. 903.3w. If an effect returns a minion to the top of a deck, and that minion originated from the minion deck, put it face down at the start of the Ambush Zone. 903.3x. If an effect forces a minion to return to hand or deck, and that minion originated from the event deck, put it on top of the event deck. 903.4. Heroic Encounter. 903.4.a. The Boss player takes the first turn and may not attack on their first turn. 903.4.b. The Boss player draws an initial hand of five cards and draws two cards per turn. 903.4.c. The Boss player does not have an Expansion Phase. Instead, when event cards leave the Event Zone they enter the Boss players Resource Zone ready. 903.4.d. The cards in the Boss Deck Oblivion may not be targeted. 903.4.e. The Boss player can choose not to attack but can only attack the controller of the Focus Token unless another effect allows them to. 903.4.f. The Boss player does not lose the game for having an empty deck. 903.4.g. The Boss player may attack with minions in any order. 903.4.h. The Boss player may take any card from their hand and attach it face down to a minion by paying a resource. This is an Empowerment Action and may only be done once per turn. 903.5. Colossal Encounter 903.5.a. Cards in the Siege of the Forgotten sometimes have red text at the bottom. This text is ignored unless you are playing the Colossal Encounter. 904. Trials of the Vault 904.1. Differences from standard Alpha Clash. 904.1a. The first player draws a card on their first turn and may attack on their first turn. 904.1b. At the start of the game in Trials of the Vault, the players collectively choose who receives the Leader token. During the player’s round, players take turns starting with the player holding the Leader token and then turns proceed clockwise. 904.1c. Trials of the Vault has a new card type called a Guardian. This is treated as a Contender once it flips. Before it flips it can’t be interacted with except through effects that specifically reference the Boss or Guardian. 904.1d. Trials of the Vault also has Role cards. 904.1d.1. You can use a Role card to assign a role (Destroyer, Sentinel, Savior) to a Contender that doesn’t have one or override the role that a Contender has. 904.1d.2. All cards in the players’ deck must be legal with the assigned role. 904.1d.3. Place the assigned Role card next to each Contender. 904.1d.4. All players must have a Role assigned even if they don’t have any Role locked cards in their deck. 904.2. Boss turn: After all players have taken a turn (a complete player round) the boss turn begins. 904.2a. At the start of the boss turn you resolve all start of turn triggers and ongoing effects in the order of Boss/Guardian -> Minion -> Event. 904.2b. Ready Step: Ready all cards the encounter controls. 904.2c. Event Step: Send the current Event to the Event Oblivion, if there is an active Clashground send it to its owners’ Oblivion. Then, put the top card of the Event Deck into the Event Zone. 904.2d. Omen Step: Send all expiring Omens to the Boss Oblivion. 904.2e. If you are at [The Angel’s Domain], Play the top card of the Boss deck and then spawn one Minion from the Minion deck per opposing player. 904.2g. Boss Clash Phase: The Boss or Guardian attacks the Contender with the Leader Token if able. Effects can alter the target of the Boss attack but cannot stop the Boss from declaring an attack. If after completing the attack there is still a ready Boss or Guardian, repeat this step. 904.2f. Minion Clash Phase: Minions attack from left to right, targeting the Contender with the Leader Token. Effects can alter the target of Minion attacks. 904.2h. End of Turn 904.2h.1. Resolve all effects that trigger at the end of the turn in Boss -> Minion -> Event order. All “until end-of-turn” effects end. If you are at [The Angel’s Domain] don’t forget to trigger the Angels Role change. 904.2h.2. The current Leader chooses a new Leader and moves the Leader card. 904.3. General Rules. 904.3a. When a Contender’s health is reduced to 0, they remove all permanents they control from the game, Standby, Oblivion, and the Banish Zones. If they control a permanent owned by another player, that player regains control of it. If they controlled the [Leader] they pass it to another player of their choosing. 904.3b. [Guardian Angel] will enter play play once game conditions have been met. 904.3c. The Active Boss is the current Guardian, or the Guardian Angel if it is in play. 904.3d. The Portal can be interacted with normally. 904.3e. Players win by advancing to the [Guardian Angel] and reducing its health to 0. Players cannot win through alternate win conditions. 904.3f. All players may treat the Clash Phase of a defending player as if it were their own. 904.3g. All players share a Clash Zone. The Exclusive keyword applies to all players. 904.3h. Event Clashgrounds may only be replaced by a Clashground of equal or higher initial resource cost. (See 302.10). 904.3i. Event Clashgrounds are immune to effects that try to modify or negate them or effects that they generate. 904.3j. Minions played from the Minion deck do not have a characteristic for resource cost. Minions are immune to all effects that care about their resource cost. 904.3k. Minions come into play through Spawning. A Minion is Spawned by playing the top card of the Minion Deck. If something directs you to spawn a Minion with a quality (i.e. “Spawn an Elite Minion) you reveal cards from the top of the Minion Deck until you find one with that quality, play it, and then put the remaining revealed cards into the Minion Oblivion. 904.3l. Minions in play can obstruct if an effect causes them to and can only attack the Contender with the [Leader] token unless otherwise stated. 904.3m. If the Minion Deck has no cards remaining, shuffle the Minion Oblivion and set it as the new Minion Deck. 904.3n. Minions, Guardians, and the Boss can’t be prevented from attacking. 904.3o. A player may Counter – Play minions that Spawn and Boss cards that are played. However, they can only do that during a player or Boss’s turn. A Rooms initial Spawn of Minions is outside the normal course of play and can’t be countered. 904.3p. Player effects can cancel an attack made by a card controlled by the Boss during the Clash Phase. Note this is different than preventing an attack. 904.3q. Trigger – Portal effects on Boss controlled cards are resolved by the player that activated the portal. 904.3r. The Minion and Event Oblivions can’t be targeted or affected by player effects. 904.3s. All players must play unique Contenders. Uniqueness in this context is by character name (You may not play Magnate, Awakened with Magnate, Indomitable Will). 904.3t. Cards owned by the Boss can’t be played, put into play, or controlled by opposing players. 904.3u. Boss cards cannot have their abilities removed or negated. 904.3v. If an effect returns a minion to its owner’s hand or deck, put it on top of the deck it originated from. 904.3w. Respite effects occur outside the normal sequence of events, can’t be responded to, or trigger other effects. 904.3x. When you Advance, if there are any Accessories in play owned by the Boss, they stay in play and move with you to the next room. 904.4. Heroic Encounter 904.5.a. Cards in the Trials of the Vault sometimes have red text at the bottom. This text is ignored unless you are playing the Heroic Encounter. Appendix A: Glossary Ability – See Keyword ability. Accessory – A type of permanent card that can only be placed in the Accessory Zone. There are two subtypes of Accessories: Traps and Weapons (see rule 304 and 305). Activate – To activate an effect is to put it into Standby and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect (see rule 602.2). Activated effect – A type of effect. Activated effects have an “activation cost” and a “resulting effect” (see rule 602). Activating a trap – Traps must be set first in order to be activated, and they can’t be activated on the turn they enter play. Traps are activated (based on their trigger tag and timing rules), and their effects resolve one at a time (see rule 304.4). Activation cost – An aspect of an activated effect. The activation cost is denoted in the text of the card, usually before the sentence beginning with, “If you do...” (see rule 602.1a). Active player – The active player is the player whose turn it is (see rule 102). Accumulate – Choose an object in play. For each type of Counter on that object, create an additional Counter of that type. Additional cost – An additional cost is a cost listed in a card’s text or applied to a card or effect from another effect, that its controller must pay at the same time they pay the card’s resource cost or the effect’s resource cost (see rule 115.8). Additional Resource – An additional resource is a resource put into the Resource Zone outside of the first one put into the Resource Zone during the Expansion Phase. Affiliation – The symbol in lower right of a Contender or Clash card indicates the affiliation that card belongs to. Affiliation is characteristic of a Contender or Clash card and is used to apply certain card effects or to meet various criteria for card effects. There are six affiliations in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game: Alpha, Alpha Hunter, Rogue, Discarded, Harbinger, and Progenitor (see rule 208). Affinity – Affinity is a deck-building restriction that a Contender can have. It modifies the number of copies of a card that can be played in a deck. (See rule 704.33) Alternative cost – An alternative cost is a cost listed in a card’s text, or applied to it from another effect, that its controller may pay rather than paying the card’s resource cost. Alternative costs are usually phrased, “…you may play this card from your hand without paying its resource cost” (see rule 115.9). Ambush – A card with Ambush has the following effect, "You may set this card facedown as a Trap in your Accessory Zone" (see rule 704.17). Ambush Ability – An Ambush Ability on a card is any effect, triggered or activated, on a card with Ambush that causes that card to flip face-up and possibly move to another zone. Ambushed – When a Clash card you control with Ambush successfully moves from the Accessory zone to the Clash zone. Then you are considered to have Ambushed this turn. Artwork – The artwork displayed on a card has no effect on game play. For example, a creature doesn’t have the Flight ability unless stated in its card text, even if it’s depicted as “flying” (see rule 203.1). Attach – Attach costs of Weapons are activated effects (see rule 305.6a. and 703.2). Attack – To send a Contender or Clash card into a Clash offensively. The attacking player chooses one Contender or Clash card they control and engages it to declare an attack targeted at an opponent’s Contender or an opponent’s engaged Clash card (see rule 504.2a). Attack power – Some effects check an object’s “attack power”. These effects see that object’s characteristics after applying any continuous characteristic-defining effects and alterations to that predefined value (see rule 211.1b). Attacker – The Contender or Clash card that was sent into a Clash offensively (see Attack). Attacking Contender/Clash card – See Attacker. Attacking player – The player who controls the Contender or Clash card that was sent into a Clash offensively. Awe factor {X} – A card with Awe Factor {X} has the following effect, “When this card enters play, all Clash cards you don’t control get -X/-0 until end of turn” (see rule 704.2). Banish – A card that is banished is put into its owner’s Banished Zone. It is not put into its owner’s Oblivion (see rules 703.15 and 411). Barrage {X} – A card with Barrage {X} has the following effect, “When this card attacks, you may deal damage equal to its initial attack power divided as you choose among up to X target Clash cards” (see rule 704.3). Brutal {X} – A card with Brutal {X} has the following effect, “When this card deals clash damage to a Contender, it deals that much damage plus X” (See rule 704.25) Bound – A card with Bound has the following effect, “Only one copy of this uniquely named card can be in your Resource Zone” (see rule 704.19). Breakthrough – A card with Breakthrough has the following effect, “This attacker deals excessive clash damage to an opponent’s Contender if its attack power is higher than the total defense power of all opposing Clash cards in this Clash” (see rule 704.4). Card type – The card types for the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game are Contender, Clashground, Clash, Accessory, and Action (see rule 204.2a and 301). Character name – The name in brackets in the lower left of a Contender or Clash card indicates the character name of that card (see rule 205.1). Characteristics – An object’s characteristics can include name, resource cost, specific resource cost, color, card type, subtype, text, character name, location name, planet, abilities, attack power, and defense power (see rule 109.3). Clarified text – Use the Clarified Card Reference (see Appendix B) when determining a card’s correct wording. A card’s Clarified text can also be found in the official card database at alphaclashtcg.com (see rule 108.1). Clash Buff – This is a subtype of Action card that can only be played during a Clash. A player may only have a total of four Clash Buffs in their deck list: Main Deck + Sideboard (see rule 306). Clash card – Clash cards are a player’s main source of dealing damage to their opponent’s Contender and their Clash cards (see rule 303). Clash damage – Damage dealt as a result of a clash. Clash damage persists on the damaged object for the duration of the Clash in which that damage was dealt (see rule 117.2a). Clashground – Clashgrounds set the stage for where a Clash takes place. Clashground cards are played into your Clashground Zone only during a player’s own Primary Phase (see rule 302). Close Combat – A card with Close Combat has the following effect, “This card can attack ready Clash cards” (see rule 704.5). Color – There are five colors in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game: white, blue, black, red, and green. An object can be one or more of the five colors (see rule 105). Colorless – A facedown resource or a resourced Colorless card can produce only Colorless resources. They can not be used to pay a specific resource cost but can be used to pay any non- specific resource cost. Concede – A player can concede the game at any time. A player who concedes leaves the game immediately. That player loses the game (see rule 104.3a). Constructed – In constructed play (a means of playing in which each player creates their own deck ahead of time), each deck has a required deck size of exactly 60 cards plus one Contender. There are numerous rules and restrictions that exist for constructed formats (see rule 100.2a). Contender – Each player may only control one Contender and that Contender starts the game in play, in that player’s Contender Zone. Contenders can have any of the following characteristics: colors, abilities, card effects, an affiliation, attack/defense power, character name, planet, and a maximum health value (see rule 301). Contender Weapon – Contender Weapon is a subtype of Accessory. Contender Weapons can only be played and/or attached during your own Primary Phase. A Contender Weapon’s attach cost is color specific and must be paid to attach that Weapon to a Contender card you control. Attach costs of Contender Weapons are activated effects. Only one Contender Weapon may be attached to a Contender card at any given time unless otherwise stated. (see rule 310). Continuous effect – A continuous effect modifies characteristics of objects, modifies control of objects, or affects players or the rules of the game, for a fixed or indefinite period (see rule 608). Controller – Only objects in Standby or in play have a controller. Objects that are neither in Standby nor in play aren’t controlled by any player (see rule 108.4 and 109.4). Conquer – An effect with Conquer checks to see if the effects controller also controls a Clashground in play. If they do, you activate or resolve the effect. Cost – A cost is an action or payment necessary to take another action or to stop another action from taking place. To pay a cost, a player carries out the instructions specified by the card, ability, or effect that contains that cost (see rule 115). Counters – A Counter is a marker placed on an object that modifies its characteristics and/or interacts with a rule, ability, or effect. Counters are not objects and have no characteristics. Notably, a Counter is not a token, and a token is not a Counter. Counters with the same name or description are interchangeable (see rule 119). Create – To create one or more tokens with certain characteristics, put the specified number of tokens with the specified characteristics into their corresponding zones under their owner’s control (see rule 703.5). Damage – Objects can deal damage to Clash cards and Contenders. This is generally detrimental to the object or Contender that receives that damage. An object that deals damage is the source of that damage. There are two types of damage: clash damage and non-clash damage (see rule 117). Daunting – A card with Daunting has the following effect, “This card must be the target of attacks if able and may be attacked as though it were engaged.” (See rule 704.24) Deal – Objects can deal damage to Clash cards and Contenders. This is generally detrimental to the object or Contender that receives that damage. An object that deals damage is the source of that damage (see rule 117.1). Deck – At the start of each game, each player must remove 0-15 cards from their 50-75-card deck to their sideboard and present a deck of 50-60 cards. Each deck must be kept in a single face-down pile. Players can’t look at or change the order of cards in a deck. Players draw one card from the top of their decks during the draw step of their Expansion Phase (see rule 401). Defeat – To Defeat a card is to mark it Defeated. Defeated cards are put into the Oblivion the next time State-based Actions are checked. If it has a Trigger – Defeat, that will trigger when the card becomes Defeated. Defeating a card is not the same as Sending it to Oblivion. Defeated – A Clash card is considered defeated if its defense is reduced to zero by any means. Once an effect has resolved, resulting in the reduction of a Clash card’s defense to zero, that card is defeated and is put into its owner’s Oblivion (after all Trigger – Defeat effects for that card have resolved). This is a state-based action (see rule 117.4 and 706). Defender – The Contender or Clash Card that is the target of an attack. The Obstructers become the new defenders. Defending player – The player whose Contender or Clash card is being attacked by an opposing player’s Contender or Clash card that was sent into a Clash offensively. Defense power – Some effects check an object’s “defense power”. These effects see that object’s characteristics after applying any continuous characteristic defining effects and alterations to that predefined value (see rule 211.1b). Delayed triggered effect – An effect may create a delayed triggered effect that can do something at a later time. A delayed triggered effect will contain “when,” “whenever,” or “at,” although that word won’t usually begin the effect (see rule 603.7). Diminish – A player diminishes a card from their deck by putting the top card of their deck into their Oblivion (see rule 703.17). Discard – To discard a card, move it from its owner’s hand to that player’s Oblivion (see rule 703.7). Discover – Discover is a triggered ability. It triggers when a card with a Discover effect is Diminished by a Diminish effect. (See rule 704.30) Discovered – Some effects reference if you have Discovered this turn. You have Discovered if you have triggered and resolved a Discover ability this turn. Distract – A keyword action that does not allow a Clash card to obstruct the next attack this turn (see rule 703.20). Draw – A player draws a card by putting the top card of their deck into their hand. This is done as a turn-based action during each player’s draw step. It may also be done as part of a cost or effect of a card or effect (see rule 118). Draw step – The active player draws one card from the top of their deck. This turn-based action doesn’t use Standby (see rule 502.1b). Effect – An effect is something that happens in the game as a result of a card or another effect (see rule 606). End of turn phase – Any effects that trigger at “end of turn” (or similar phrasing) will trigger and resolve here. The owner of the triggered effect gains priority to resolve their effect. Priority is then returned to the active player (see rule 505.2). Ending the turn – See End of Turn Phase. Engaged – Any card in the horizontal position is considered “engaged”. A card that is engaged can’t be engaged (see rule 120.2 and 703.11a). Enrage {X} – A card with Enrage {X} has the following effect, “Whenever this card is dealt non- clash damage, it gets +X/+0 until end of turn for each point of non-clash damage it was just dealt” (see rule 704.6). Enters play – When a permanent card is played and is put into its corresponding zone (after Standby) it enters play. This is the trigger event that Trigger – Enter effects care about. If an effect instructs a player to put a permanent into play, that permanent enters play under that player’s control unless the effect states otherwise (see rule 110.4). Evasion ability – A type of keyword ability that alters the rules of a Clash (see Flight). Event – Anything that happens in a game is an event. Multiple events may take place during the resolution of a card or effect. The text of triggered effects and replacement effects defines the event they’re looking for. One “happening” may be treated as a single event by one effect and as multiple events by another (see rule 701). Exhaust – A keyword action that does not allow a card to ready during their owner's next Ready Step (see rule 703.18). Excessive damage – Excessive damage, such as that from Breakthrough, is dealt as an additional instance of clash damage to an opponent’s Contender (see rule 117.3 and 704.4). Exclusive – A card with Exclusive has the following effect, “Only one copy of this card can be in your control” (see rule 704.7). Face down – A card (or stack of cards e.g., a deck) that is placed in a public zone with the card back facing up for all players to see is face down. Permanents enter play ready and, face up; except for Traps, they enter face down (see rule 110.8). Face up – A card that is placed in a public zone with the card back facing down (thus exposing all its card information) is face up. Permanents enter play ready and, face up; except for Traps, they enter face down (see rule 110.8). Flight – A card with Flight has the following effect, “This card can only be obstructed by Clash cards with Flight or Interception” (see rule 704.8). Forced Attack Effect – An effect applied to a card that forces it to attack if able (see rule 611). Foretell – A player is able to look at the top card of their deck and may put it on the top or bottom of their deck. (see rule 703.19). Fortitude – A static ability that modifies the rules for changing the stats on a Clash card. (see rule 704.20) Going first – The player going first in a game skips their first Ready and Draw Step (see rule 502.1). Graft – A keyword action that allows a card to stop being its previous types and become a Weapon Accessory. Grafted – A card that has become attached to a Clash card via Graft is Grafted. A Grafted card grants its Keyword Abilities to the attached card. Hand – The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn. Cards can be put into a player’s hand by other effects as well. At the beginning of the game, each player draws a number of cards equal to that player’s starting hand size, normally eight (see rule 103 and 402.1). Health – This is the game score. Each Contender begins the game with a specified health total as indicated on that Contender’s card. Some Contenders may have different starting health totals. Damage dealt to a Contender normally causes that Contender to lose that much health. If an effect causes a Contender to gain health or lose health, that Contender’s health total is adjusted accordingly (see rule 116). Hidden zone – Hidden zones are zones in which not all players can be expected to see the cards’ faces. Deck and hand are hidden zones, even if all the cards in one such zone happen to be revealed (see rule 400.2). Illegal action – If a player takes an illegal action or starts to take an action but can’t legally complete it, the entire action is reversed and any payments already made are canceled (see rule 709). Illegal target – A card or effect in Standby is an illegal target for itself (see rule 113.5). In play – An object in a public zone other than a player’s Oblivion is considered “in play” (see rule 110.2b). Initial attack power – Some effects refer to an object’s “initial attack power,” This refers to the number listed on the card before any alterations to that value (see rule 211.1a). Initial defense power – Some effects refer to an object’s “initial defense power,” This refers to the number listed on the card before any alterations to that value (see rule 211.1a). Instead – Effects that use the word “instead” are replacement effects. Most replacement effects use the word “instead” to indicate what events will be replaced with other events (see rule 609.1a). Interception – A card with Interception has the following effect, “This card can obstruct Clash cards with Flight” (see rule 704.9). Initial resource cost – A card’s initial resource cost is indicated by the number within the colored hex near the top right of the card. The initial resource cost of an object represents the total amount of resources needed to pay for that object (see rule 202.1). Irrefutable – A card with Irrefutable has the following effect, “This card can’t be prevented from entering play” (see rule 704.10). Keyword ability – Bold and italicized text on an object that describes what it does or can do (see rule 704). Keyword action – Most actions described in a card’s rules text use the standard English definitions of the verbs within, but some specialized verbs are used whose meanings may not be clear. These “keywords actions” are game terms; sometimes reminder text summarizes their meanings (see rule 703.1). Last known information – This refers to a “last known state” of a card just before it left play. Leaves play – Leaves play effects trigger when a permanent moves from “in-play” to another zone (see rule 603.6c). Lethal damage – Lethal damage is defined as a sufficient amount of damage to “defeat” a Clash card (see rule 117.7). Location name – The name in brackets in the lower left of a Clashground indicates the location name of that card (see rule 206.1). Losing the game – There are several ways to lose the game (see rule 104.3). Magnitude – A card with Magnitude has the following effect, “you have Magnitude X where X is equal to the number of cards in your Oblivion.” A card has Magnitude at a threshold less than or equal to the number of cards in their Oblivion (see rule 704.21). Manifest –Manifest is an alternate cost for playing cards. (see rule 704.39) Maximum deck size – A player must present a deck of no more than 60 cards in constructed play after sideboarding (see rule 401.1) or 40 cards in limited play (901.3a.1). Maximum health – Contenders may gain health, but their health total can’t surpass the maximum health total listed on their card (see rule 301.2b). Merge – Merge is an alternate cost for playing cards. (See rule 704.35) Minimum deck size – A player must present a deck of at least 50 cards in constructed play after sideboarding (see rule 401.1) or 40 cards in limited play (901.3a.1). Modal/mode – A card or effect is modal if it has two or more options in a bulleted list preceded by instructions for a player to choose a number of those options, such as “Choose one —.” Each of those options is a mode (see rule 702). Monocolored – A monocolored object is only one of the five colors: black, green, white, red, or blue (see rule 105.2a). Move – An effect to move an object from one zone to another zone uses the word “move.” Additionally, a Counter can be “moved” from one eligible permanent to another eligible permanent (see example in rule 119.3). Mulligan – To take a mulligan, a player shuffles a number of cards from their hand back into their deck, then draws that many cards. If a player chooses not to take a mulligan, the remaining cards become that player’s starting hand. Players are only permitted to take one mulligan (see rule 103.5). Multicolored – A multicolored object is two or more of the five colors: black, green, white, red, or blue (see rule 105.2b). Multiplayer – See Chapter 8. Multiple numbered abilities – Multiple instances of a numbered ability do not stack. If there are multiple instances of a numbered ability (e.g., Awe Factor 2 and Awe Factor 1) the player that controls that object must apply the higher of the two numbered abilities (see rule 704.2d). Name – The name of a card is printed in its upper left corner. A card’s name is always considered to be the English version of its name, regardless of printed language (see rule 201). Necrotic – A card with Necrotic has the following effect, “Any Clash card that is dealt clash damage by this card will be sent to Oblivion after that Clash” (see rule 704.11). Negate – To negate a card or effect means to cancel it, removing it from Standby. It doesn’t resolve and none of its effects occur. A negated card is put into its owner’s Oblivion. A negated effect is removed from Standby. To negate an attack means to end the current Clash Phase after all effects in Standby have resolved. No subsequent steps happen, and the active player returns to their Primary Phase (see rule 703.4). Non-clash damage – Damage dealt as a result of a card effect. Non-Clash damage persists on the damaged object for the duration of the phase in which that damage was dealt (see rule 117.2b). Object – An object is an effect in Standby a copy of an effect in Standby, a card, a copy of a card, or a token (see rule 109). Oblivion – A player’s Oblivion is their discard pile. Any object that's discarded, defeated, or “sent to Oblivion” is put on top of its owner’s Oblivion, as is any Action card that’s finished resolving. Each player’s Oblivion starts the game empty (see rule 403). Observant – A card with Observant has the following effect, “This card can’t attack the turn it enters play” (see rule 704.12). Obstructer – A clash card that becomes engaged to obstruct an attack during the Obstruct step of a Clash. Each Obstructer becomes a defender. Obstructing – A player’s Clash cards in the ready position may obstruct an attack (targeted at you or another Clash card you control) by engaging during the Obstruct Step of a Clash. When obstructors are declared, the attacking Clash card is now attacking the obstructors, not the original target of the attack (see rule 303.9). One-shot effect – A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. Examples include (but are not limited to) dealing damage, sending a permanent to Oblivion, creating a token, and moving an object from one zone to another (see rule 607). Opponent – In a two-player game, a player’s opponent is the other player. In a multiplayer game, a player’s opponents are the other players (see rule 102). Opposing – Any player or game controlled object that isn’t controlled by you is Opposing. Optional effects – Any text that includes a “may” phrasing indicates a choice of an optional effect to be made (see rule 101.4b). Outside the game – An object is outside the game if it isn’t in any of the game’s zones. Outside the game is not a zone (see rule 400.7). Owner – The owner of a card in the game is the player who started the game with it in their deck (see rule 108.3). Pay – You pay resources to play cards and activate effects. To pay a cost, a player carries out the instructions specified by the card, ability, or effect that contains that cost (see rule 408.5). Permanent – The term “permanent” is used to refer to a card that is in play. Specifically, it means a Contender, Clash card, Clashground, or Accessory (see rule 110.1). Persist – Damage persists upon objects for the duration of the phase in which it was dealt unless otherwise stated (see rule 117.2). Phase – A turn consists of four phases, proceeding in this order: Start of Turn Phase, Expansion Phase, Primary Phase and End of Turn Phase. Note: An additional fifth phase, named the Clash Phase, is an embedded phase within a player’s Primary Phase (see rule 500.1). Planet – The name in brackets in the lower left of a Contender, Clash card, or Clashground indicates the planet associated with that card (see rule 207). Player – A player is one of the people in the game. The active player is the player whose turn it is. The other players are nonactive players (see rule 102.1). Playing a card – To play a card is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), pay its costs, and then put it into Standby, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect (see rule 601.1). Priority – The window in which a player can play a card or effect. (see rule 114.2) The active player always has priority at the start of each phase until they pass or play a card or effect. Public zone – This is a zone in which all players can see the cards’ faces, except for those cards that some rule or effect specifically allow to be face down (e.g., Traps). Contender, Clash Zone, Clashground Zone, Accessory Zone, Resource Zone, Oblivion and Standby are all public zones (see rule 400.2). Put – An object can be put into a player’s hand, into play, into Oblivion, or on top/bottom of their deck etc. Put is not the same as playing a card (see rule 703.14). Ready – Any card in the upright position is considered “ready”. A card that is ready can’t be readied (see rule 120.1). Recover – A card with Recover {X} has the following effect, “Whenever this Clash Card deals clash damage, your contender gains X health” (see rule 704.22). Relic – Relics are played into your Accessory Zone during your Primary Phase. Relics enter play in the ready position unless otherwise stated (see rule 309). Replacement effect – Some continuous effects are replacement effects. Like prevention effects (see rule 610), replacement effects apply continuously as events happen. Such effects watch for a particular event that would happen and completely or partially replace that event with a different event (see rule 609.1). Resolution – After each player has had priority to respond to a card effect, the active effect in Standby resolves. If the object that’s resolving is a card, its resolution may involve several steps. The steps are described in rules 605.2a-j and are followed as appropriate, in no specific order (see rule 605.2). Resonance – A card with Resonance gives other [Synthoria] cards you control this card’s keyword abilities. Resource – Players generate resources to pay costs, usually when playing cards and activating effects. There are five colors of resources: white, blue, black, red, and green. Resources can be represented by gem symbols within a card’s text. Resources are generated by cards in your Resource Zone (see rule 106). Resource Count – An effect that references Resource Count is referring to the total number of resources that player currently has in their Resource Zone. Restore – A card with Restore {X} has the following effect, “Whenever this card deals clash damage, you may put the top X cards from your Oblivion on the bottom of your deck.” (see rule 704.26). Resulting effect – An aspect of an activated effect. The resulting effect is usually contained in the sentence beginning with “If you do…” (see rule 602.1a). Return – An object can be returned to a hidden zone from its current public zone by a card or effect. The instruction of which zones to return to and from will be outlined in the card’s text (see rule 703.12). Reveal – To reveal a card, show that card to all players for a brief time. If an effect causes a card to be revealed, it remains revealed for as long as necessary to complete the parts of the effect that card is relevant to (see rule 703.8a). Rivaled – A card with Rivaled has the following effect, “This card cannot be put into your Resource Zone. Up to four copies of an English named card with Rivaled are allowed per deck (including Sideboard) and you may not include any cards with Rivaled if your deck includes cards with Unrivaled.” (See rule 704.25) Rules text – A card effect can be a characteristic an object has that allows it to affect the game. An object’s card effects are defined by its rules text or by the source that created it (see rule 112.1a). Safeguard – Safeguard is a static ability that prevents a permanent or player from being targeted by an opponent’s card effects or abilities. Search – To search for a card in a zone, look at all cards in that zone (even if it’s a hidden zone) and find a card that matches the given description (see rule 703.9). Unrivaled cards may not be found during search effects unless explicitly allowed. (see 703.9j) Send to Oblivion – To send (a permanent) to Oblivion, move it from play (or from Standby if applicable) to its owner’s Oblivion. “Send to Oblivion” is not the same as being “defeated” (see rule 703.6). Set – During your Primary Phase, you may set a Trap or card with Ambush from your hand face down into your Accessory Zone. Setting is not the same as playing. There is no limit to the number of cards you may set in a turn. Setting a card does not have a resource cost (see rule 304). Shortcut – When playing a game, players typically make use of mutually understood shortcuts rather than explicitly identifying each game choice a player makes (see rule 707.1). Shroud – A card with Shroud {X} has the following effect, “In order to declare this card as a target for a spell or effect, that spell or effects controller must pay X as an additional cost”. (See 704.38) Shuffle – To shuffle a deck or a face-down pile of cards, randomize the cards within it so that no player knows their order (see rule 703.10). Sideboard – In constructed play, a Sideboard may contain no more than 15 cards. The four-card limit, Unrivaled limit, Clash Buff limit, and Contender limit applies to the combined Main Deck and Sideboard (see rule 100.2a and 100.4). Siege – A card with Siege {X} has the following effect, “When this card deals clash damage to a Contender, that Contender diminishes X”. (See 704.37) Simultaneous clash damage – In the event where both Contender’s health is reduced to zero by clash damage, the active player (the attacking player) wins the game (see rule 104.2c). Simultaneous effects – If there are multiple simultaneous effects (one-shot and/or continuous triggered effects) controlled by a player that trigger at the same time, the player who controls the sources of those effects chooses which order to place those effects into Standby and thus the order in which those effects resolve (see rule 606.1a). Skip – Effects that use the word “skip” are replacement effects. These replacement effects use the word “skip” to indicate what events, steps, phases, or turns will be replaced with nothing (see rule 609.1b). Source of an effect – The source of an effect is the object that generated it (see rule 112.5). Source of damage – Objects can deal damage to Clash cards and Contenders. This is generally detrimental to the object or Contender that receives that damage. An object that deals damage is the source of that damage (see rule 117.1). Specific resource cost – A card’s specific resource cost is indicated by the colored gems illustrated below the initial resource cost along the right edge of a card (see rule 107.4 and 202.2). Standby – When a card is played, the physical card is put into Standby. When an effect is activated or triggers, that effect goes into Standby without any card associated with it (see rules 405.1, 601.1a, 602.2a, and 603.2). Starting hand size – Each player draws a number of cards equal to their starting hand size, which is normally eight (see rule 103.5). Starting player – The player chosen to take the first turn is the starting player. The game’s default turn order begins with the starting player and proceeds clockwise (see rule 103.1). State trigger – Some triggered effects trigger when a game state (such as a player controlling no permanents of a particular card type) is true, rather than triggering when an event occurs. These effects trigger as soon as the game state matches the condition. They’ll go into Standby at the next available opportunity. These are called state triggers. Note that state triggers aren’t the same as state-based actions (see rule 603.8). State-based action – State-based actions are game actions that happen automatically whenever certain conditions are met. State-based actions don’t use Standby (see rule 706.1). Static effects – Static effects do something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. They are written as statements, and they’re simply true (see rule 604). Subtype – Accessory and Action cards can have one or more subtypes printed on its type line. Subtypes of each card are shown in the bottom left of a card. Accessories have a unique set of subtypes to include Traps and Weapons. Actions have a unique set of subtypes to include Basic, Quick and Clash Buff (see rule 204). Superspeed – A card with Superspeed has the following effect, “This card deals clash damage before Clash cards without Superspeed” (see rule 704.13). Target – Some cards and effects require their controller to choose one or more targets for them. The targets are object(s) and/or player(s) the card or effect will affect. These targets are declared as part of the process of putting the card or effect into Standby. The targets can’t be changed except by another card or effect that explicitly says it can do so (see rule 113). Temper – A card or effect with Temper allows you to put a Temper Counter on the designated card (see rule 704.32) Tempered – A card with a Temper Counter on it is Tempered. Text box – The text box is printed on the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text defining the card’s effects and abilities (see rule 210). Token – Some effects create tokens. A token is a marker used to represent any permanent that isn’t represented by a card (see rule 111). Torment – A card with Torment has the following effect, "This Clash card can only be obstructed by two or more Clash cards" (see rule 704.18). Toss – Toss is a triggered ability. It allows the card with it to be moved from an attacking card to an opposing card. (See rule 704.36) Tournament – Most Alpha Clash Trading Card Game tournaments (organized play activities where players compete against other players to win prizes) have additional rules covered in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game Tournament Rules Manual, found at alphaclashtcg.com. These rules may limit the use of some cards, including barring some or all cards from specific sets (see rule 100.6). Trap – Traps are a subtype of Accessory. During your Primary Phase, you may set a Trap from your hand face down into your Accessory Zone. Setting is not the same as playing. There is no limit to the number of Traps you may set in a turn. Setting a Trap does not have a resource cost (see rule 304). Trigger – See Triggered effect. Trigger event – See Triggered effect. Triggered effect – Triggered effects have a trigger condition and a resulting effect. They are written as “[When/Whenever/At/If] [trigger condition or event], [resulting effect]” (see rule 603). Turn-based action – These are game actions that happen automatically when certain steps or phases begin, or when each step and phase ends. Turn-based actions don’t use Standby (see rule 705). Type – The card types (indicated at the bottom right of the card) are Clash, Accessory, Action, and Clashground (see Chapter 3). Contender is another card type but is located at the top right corner of a card (see rule 204). Undisputed – A card with Undisputed has the following effect, “This Clash card can’t be defeated during a Clash on your turn” (see rule 704.14). Unrivaled – A card with Unrivaled has the following effect, “Only one card with Unrivaled is allowed per deck (including Sideboard) and you may not include a card with Unrivaled if your deck includes cards with Rivaled.” (see rule 704.15). Void – Void is a triggered ability. It activates when a card with a Void effect is put into the Banish Zone from anywhere. (see rule 704.34) Weapon – Weapon is a subtype of Accessory. Weapons can only be played and/or attached during your own Primary Phase. A Weapon’s attach cost is color specific and must be paid to attach that Weapon to a Clash card you control. Attach costs of Weapons are activated effects. Only one Weapon may be attached to a Clash card at any given time unless otherwise stated. (see rule 305). Winning the game – There are several ways to win the game (see rule 104.3). X – Many objects use the letter [X] as a placeholder for a number that needs to be determined. Some objects have effects or abilities that define the value of [X]; the rest let their controller choose the value of [X] (see rule 107.3). Zone – A zone is a place where objects can be during a game. There are normally nine zones: Contender Zone, Clash Zone, Clashground Zone, Accessory Zone, Resource Zone, Oblivion, Standby, hand, and deck. Each player has their own Contender Zone, Clash Zone, Clashground Zone, Accessory Zone, Resource Zone, Oblivion, hand, and deck (see rule 400). Zone-change triggers – Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called “zone- change triggers.” Many effects with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that object after it changes zones (see rule 603.6). Appendix B: Clarified Card Reference (Errata and Banned Cards) Cards as they appear in the Alpha Clash Trading Card Game may not represent the correct text, characteristics, and intent of that card design. For the exact wording of a card, reference the official card database at alphaclashtcg.com. However, mistakes do happen, and clarification and/or rewording, and banning cards is necessary to facilitate an enjoyable experience and fair gameplay. Banned cards are not allowed in competitive play for Tiered 1-4 events. The adjusted text of a card is known as an errata. For the cards listed below, ignore the written text as shown on the card and apply this adjusted phrasing. Errata text replaces any outdated text (for the card in the indicated printed set) and represents the correct wording and intent of the card. Finally, in an effort to reduce the reliance on this Appendix, future sets may include reprints of the cards listed below WITH their errata text applied. ERRATA • Earthly Barricade (AC1-069) Counter - Attack: Choose target Clash card you control. Prevent the next two clash damage that would be dealt to it this turn, then your Contender gains two health. • T-Bone, the Vindictive (AC1-076) Counter - Play: You may only activate this effect when an opponent plays a Clashground. You may send this card to Oblivion. If you do, return the Clashground being played to its owner's hand. It does not enter play. • Incoming Support (AC1-021) You may only play this card if your Contender is a black (Alpha Hunter). Target Contender or Clash card you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn, then you may draw one card. • Energy Explosion (AC1-120) You may only play this card if your Contender is a red (Alpha). Target Contender or Clash card you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn, then you may draw one card. ● Machina, Savage Striker (ST2-006) 25: Once per turn, during your Primary Phase, you may engage this card and send a non-token, non- Trap Accessory you control to Oblivion. If you do, deal two damage to target Contender or Clash card, then draw one card. 15: Whenever an Accessory you control is sent to Oblivion from play, target Clash card you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn. ● War, Legion Commander (AC2-098) 30: Clash cards you control get, "Trigger - Attack: If this is the second attack you have declared with a Clash card this turn, draw one card.” 10: Clash tokens you control get +1/+0 and Breakthrough. Whistler (AC3-049) Attach: ⯁ Whenever the attached Clash card attacks, you may engage this card. If you do, choose target Clash card you don't control. Until your next turn, that Clash card must attack target attached Clash card if able. If the attached Clash card is an [Avenging Guy] it gets +2/+2. ● Evil Expedition (AC3-051) No specific resource cost required. ● Torque, Fury’s Embrace (AC3-124) Exclusive This card gets +X/+0, where X is equal to the amount of non-clash damage dealt this turn. Once per turn, during your Primary Phase, you may engage this card. If you do, deal damage to target Clash card equal to this card’s attack power. ● Warcry, Faithful Protector (ST3-007) Exclusive Engaged Clash cards you control get +0/+1. Counter – Attack: After an opponent declares an attack, you may engage and exhaust this card. If you do, prevent all clash damage target attacking Clash card would deal this turn. Until the end of your next turn, that Clash card gets -X/-X, where X is that card’s initial resource cost. ● Guardian’s Defense (ST3-009) Attach: ⯁ Attached Clash card gets +0/+1. Counter – Play: Engage and exhaust attached Clash card. If you do, target Clash card you don’t control can’t attack this turn. This Weapon can only be attached to a [Warcry] Clash card. ● Purging Heat (AC4-023) Counter – Attack: Discard a non-Clash card from your hand. If you do, target opponent reveals their hand. Choose a non-Clash card. That player discards that card. ● Shadowlash (AC4-027) Attach: ⯁ Attached Contender gets, “Counter – Attack: Engage this Contender. If you do, target attacking Clash card loses all effects and abilities until end of turn.” This Weapon can only be attached to a [Shadowlight] Contender. ● Earth Gem (AC4-026) Attach: ⯁ ⯁ Attached Contender gets, “During your Primary Phase, you may engage this Contender. If you do, until end of turn, target Clash card gets +1/+0 for each card in your hand. Then send the attached [Earth Gem] to Oblivion.” This Weapon can only be attached to a [Kilimanjaro] Contender. ● Torque, Retaliating (AC4-131) If this card deals clash damage to a Contender, you may deal three damage to another target Clash card you control. If that Clash card is defeated by this effect, you may deal X damage to target Clash card or Contender, where X is equal to the defeated Clash card’s initial resource cost. • Haven, the Resourceful Helper Trigger – Enter: If you control another [Earth] Clash card, you may draw a card. • Moxie, Preparing for Combat Trigger – Enter: If you control a Weapon, you may draw a card. • Augmented Reality AC3-087 You may only play this card if your Contender is a blue [Rogue]. Choose one – -Clash cards target player controls get +0/+2 until end of turn, then that player draws two cards. -Clash cards target player controls get -2/-0 until end of turn, then that player diminishes two cards. • Trugg, Unruly Scavenger (AC5-019) Affiliation is Discarded. • Zhao Li, Reconnaissance Agent (AC5-079) Exclusive The first time a non-relic Accessory is played or set into your Accessory Zone on your turn, [Earth] Clash cards you control get +1/+1 until the start of your next turn. Whenever you activate a non-Ambush Trap card, draw a card. • Death, the Dreadful (RK4-005) Affiliation is Harbinger. • Avenging Guy, Trying to Help (ST5-003) Incorrect card name (Avenging Guy). • An Accelerator of Sorts (AC5-112) Attach: [Blue Resource] Attached Contender gets, “Once per turn, during your Primary Phase, you may engage attached [An Accelerator of Sorts]. If you do, put target (Alpha symbol) or (Harbinger symbol) Clash card you control into your Resource Zone engaged. If you do, you may reveal an (Alpha symbol) or (Harbinger symbol) Clash card without Unrivaled from your hand that has an initial resource cost less than or equal to the targeted Clash card and put it into play. It gets Observant until end of turn." This card can only be attached to an [Alpha Aster] Contender. • Alpha Aster, the Omnipotent (AC5-090) 30: If the Portal is open, this Contender gets +1/-1. Engage: The next [Alpha symbol] or [Harbinger symbol] non-token Clash cards you control entering play that is ... Black gets, "Trigger - Enter: You may banish up to one card in each players' Oblivion." Green gets, "Trigger - Enter: You may put target card in an Oblivion second from the top of its owner's deck." White gets, "Trigger - Enter: Foretell two cards." Blue gets, "Trigger - Enter: You may return a Clash card with initial resource cost less than or equalto this card from your Banished Zone to your hand." Red gets, "Trigger - Enter: Draw a card, then discard a card." When an (Alpha symbol) or (Harbinger symbol) Clash card you control is defeated or sent to Oblivion on an opponent’s turn, if the Portal is open, draw a card. This ability triggers only once per turn. • Bombardment (AC6-033) Was printed as a Relic – Accessory. It is a Basic – Action. • Dragon Helm (AC4-156) Safeguard, Unrivaled Attach ([Khagan]): GG Attached Contender gets Safeguard. [Khagan] Clash cards you control can’t be sent to Oblivion by opponents’ card effects. The attached card gets Safeguard and, “Engage: Exhaust an attached [Dragon Helm]. If you do and have an attached [Dragon Helm], [Fire Mace], [Flame Shield], and [Dragonscale Armor], create a 10/10 green (Alpha) Eternal Dragon Clash token with Breakthrough, Exclusive, and Flight”. • Zephyrstrike (AC6-096) Was printed as a Relic – Accessory. It is a Weapon – Accessory. • Ambush Site [(Alpha Hunter)] (Alpha Hunter) cards you control get, “Trigger – Attach: This card gets +1/+1 until the end of the next clash.” Trigger – Enter: If an opponent’s Clashground left play this turn, you may attach a weapon with a cost of two or less to target card without paying it’s attach cost. • Hooves of Havoc [Windhoof] Attach: W Attached card gets +1/+0 and, “Trigger – Victory: Reveal the top card of your deck. You may engage an attached [Hooves of Havoc]. If you do, put the revealed card into your hand. Otherwise, you may put the revealed card on the bottom of your deck. When you play or activate an [Arrow], the attached card gets +1/+0 until the end of the next clash. • Haven, Bountiful Collector [Blue], [Earth] You may only play one [Haven, Bountiful Collector] per turn. Trigger - Enter: You may put one card from your hand into your Resource Zone engaged. Trigger - Defeat: Return target non-Trap Accessory from your Oblivion to your hand. • Morac, the Devourer Ambush Counter - Attack: You may pay ◆◆. If you do, put this card into play from your Accessory Zone. If the Portal is open, you may pay ◆ instead. Trigger - Enter: You may search your deck for a non-[Morac] non-Unrivaled (Discarded Symbol) Clash card with initial resource cost of three or less, reveal it, and add it to your hand. Then shuffle your deck. If this card would deal clash damage to an (Alpha symbol) Clash card, it deals double that damage to that Clash card instead. • LINN, the Nanite Assassin Exclusive Trigger - Enter: Target opponent diminishes one card. Then, you may put one Bounty Counter on target Clash card you don't control. At the end of your turn, if one or more Clash cards with Bounty Counters were defeated this turn, you may put target non-Exclusive Clash card with an initial resource cost of two or less from any Oblivion into your Clash Zone. BANNED CARDS ● Energy Explosion (AC1-120) ● Incoming Support (AC1-021) ● Morale Boost (AC1-066) ● Power Overflowing (AC1-039) ● Streaks Inbound (AC1-093) Appendix C: Frequently Asked Clarifications (FAC) Card ID Card Name Clarification Rule Ref. [Abatement] will remove abilities such as Flight AC2-064 Abatement and Breakthrough NOT effects like Trigger – Enter 704 and a card’s effect text. Any card with X in its resource cost must have that cost declared when playing the card and paying AC2-015 Abysmal Doom 115.6 costs. If that card has a specific resource cost, the value for X must be at least that amount. This is a Continuous Effect that provides a +X/+X increase based on the number of cards you have AC4-083 Accumulating Might drawn at the time [Accumulating Might] was 608.2d played. It will not increase if you draw subsequent cards. [Air Assault] provides a Static Replacement Effect AC4-136 Air Assault that doubles the objects created by Trigger - Enter 609.5 effects. It will only trigger once per effect. If the target of [Affliction] is a Contender, then that AC1-116 Affliction Contender will get +1/+1, then one damage will be 605.2a assigned to it, reducing its defense by 1. When the active player plays [Alpha Aster, Giver of All], all other Clash cards are sent to Oblivion AC1-122 Alpha Aster, Giver of All 101.4 simultaneously. Then, each player in turn order, will search their decks for an (Alpha) Clash card, reveal that card and put it into play. “Trigger – Portal: If the Portal is open, draw a Alpha Aster, Intergalactic AC5-097 card.” This effect will resolve if the Portal becomes 410.3d Titan opened from the activation of the Portal. When an Alpha or Harbinger Clash card you control is defeated or sent to oblivion, if it’s an opponent’s AC5-090 Alpha Aster, the Omnipotent turn and the portal is open, draw a card. This triggers only once each turn. You discard additional copies at the time you play the card and if it’s the first action played in the turn TP1-032 Alpha Empowerment 601.1g the discarded copies (plus any in the Oblivion) will trigger and return to hand. [Altering Potential] offers an activated effect that will generate a continuous effect at the time of AC4-078 Altering Potential 608.2d activation. This is not a Static effect and thus not subject to reassessment. If [Amazon Rainforest] is in play, each player must "draw one additional card, then discard one card". AC1-025 Amazon Rainforest This is a continuous effect that affects the rules of 608.1 the turn-based action to "draw one card". It is not a replacement effect. When the weapon targeted leaves play the AC3-080 Ancient Power banished Clash card enters play ready unless 110.8 modified by some other effect. [Ancient Protection] can target a face down Trap as AC1-070 Ancient Protection 608.1 well as any other Accessory card in any zone. The secondary effect of [Antarctica] that deals one damage to all (Alpha) Clash cards at the start of AC1-097 Antarctica each 501.1 turn will trigger during each player's Start of Turn Phase. Revealing this card as part of a Wrath effect will cause an additional trigger to be placed into Standby that will resolve after the currently resolving Wrath effect. You target the Clash cards that will be damaged by the effect, then you banish AC6-178 Anzudak, the Wrathful Anzudak (instead of putting him on the bottom of the deck). The “trigger the Wrath effect” is telling you to continue processing the Wrath effect that you revealed Anzudak for. It will resolve normally. All Trigger - Attack effects of the attacking Clash card AC1-084 Apex, Vortex Slinger will resolve before the defending player has priority 504.2a to declare and resolve the Counter - Attack effect of [Apex, Vortex Slinger]. A player may only be the target of a Clash Buff once per turn. AC3-087 Augmented Reality The cards in play get the effect from the Clash Buff. 306.5 Cards played after the Clash Buff do not receive the stat effect. The Trigger - Attack effect will modify [Avenging Guy] for the attack that triggered it. NAP must AC4-038 Avenging Guy, the Distractor obstruct with at least one Clash card if they have 504.2c one in play. NAP does not have to obstruct with more than one Clash card unless desired. A player may use this Clash Buff offensively if they target the attacking Clash card. The targeted card would receive the defensive stat increase and AC5-037 Baiting 101.3 cannot become the defender of the Clash because it is the offensive card. The trap that triggers the Counter - Trap play is still in play when [Barbed Countermeasures] resolves. 602.2b AC3-130 Barbed Countermeasures All opposing facedown accessories are considered 304.10 traps, even if they are Ambush cards. This triggers and resolves in the Trigger – Attack AC6-026 Bronze Bracer Shield window of the Clash Phase. If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a Cao Ling, Bane of the certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer AC1-054 606.3 Discarded than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. Face-up Traps operate no differently than face- AC3-056 Cao Ling, Swift Warrior 304.10 down Traps. AP must declare their intention to pay with the alternate cost when costs are paid to play [Cao AC3-141 Cao Ling, the Huntsman 601.1f Ling, the Huntsman] As a cost it will be sent to Oblivion prior to the Counter - Play window In Play is defined as any permanents in their appropriate zones or Action Cards in Standby. All 110.5 AC3-084 Central Park other cards are out of play and will cause 1 damage 307.4 if sent to Oblivion. If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer AC1-068 Clairvoyance 606.3 than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. If the (Alpha) Clash card you take control of has a Weapon attached, that Weapon remains in its 110.7b owner's Clash Zone, but is still considered attached to the Clash card you now control. AC1-121 Clarify The (Alpha) Clash card you take control of with the effect of [Clarify] does not leave play and does not 110.2a re-enter play. This change is permanent until that Clash card 110.8b leaves play. While this is in play (Alpha Hunter) cards are also (Rogue) cards and (Rogue) cards are also (Alpha Hunter) cards. This only affects cards in play, not in TP1-033 Clarity’s Ring your hand or deck. Anything that triggers off one or the other being played will trigger. If you are going first, you skip the draw step of your first Expansion Phase. Therefore, the (30) 502.1 Contender ability of [Clarity, Ageless Defender] does not trigger. When using the (10) Contender ability of [Clarity, Ageless Defender], you must declare that you are AC1-047 Clarity, Ageless Defender using it. After declaration, you must pay any and all 605 costs. Only then does that effect enter Standby and resolve. If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer 606.3 than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. One resource must be engaged per card drawn; AC5-008 Clarity, Bad Omen this ability is a replacement effect. You may choose not to pay, but you will not draw the card. When using the secondary effect of [Clarity, Foreseeing Fate], you must declare that you are using it. After declaration, you must pay any and all 605 costs. Only then does that effect enter Standby and AC1-061 Clarity, Foreseeing Fate resolve. If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer 606.3 than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. The Trigger - Obstruct effect of [Clarity, Fortifying] will check the number of cards in the opponent's AC4-066 Clarity, Fortifying hand once upon triggering to define X. If the 608.2d opponent subsequently plays a card it will not reduce the value of X. The Trigger - Enter effect will always foretell two cards and draw one card. You do not need to meet 606.3 the contender health requirement for the first part to do the second part. AC4-067 Clarity, Omniscient Envoy The Trigger - Defeat effect, despite adding to [Clarity, Omniscient Envoy]’s defense, will not save her from being Destroyed. The State-Based action 706.4 to put her in Oblivion has happened and will resolve. The phrase “Unrivaled Action or Basic Action that can target a card in play” applies the targeting AC8-076 Clarity, Manifested restriction to both types. You can’t get an Unrivaled Action like Lefty, Keen Reflexes since it doesn’t target a card in play. You can however get Clarify. Her 25 ability doesn’t trigger effects that look for VTD1-001 Clarity, Ready for Trials diminish effects, discard effects, or draw effects. If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer AC1-056 Clarity, the Clairvoyant One 606.3 than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. AC1-008 Colonel Edwards If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a 606.3 certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. Clash Cards may only have one weapon attached. You may not target a clash card with a weapon 113.1d ST3-004 Concussion Grenade already attached using the first effect of 305.10 [Concussion Grenade]. Any card or effect that states to “activate the Portal” means to either open it (if it’s closed) or AC2-056 Conquest, the Domineer 703.16.a.1 close it (if it’s open) without paying two resources of any color, as stated in [The Portal]’s effect. If [Conscription] finds a Clash card with Exclusive AC4-137 Conscription that has a duplicate already in play that card is put 605.2i in Oblivion. You may activate the Counter - Play effect even if AC4-080 Controlling the Situation 606.3 you do not have a Clash card to Engage. The Counter - Play effect of [Cybernetic Recall] can only see in game zones and Clash cards that are in AC4-113 Cybernetic Recall 606.2 play. It will not be able to send a 1c Clash card that is in Standby back to its owner’s hand. The Counter - Play effect of this card does not use targets, it instead uses player choices and therefore AC4-021 Dark Bargain can be played without any targets on board. If only 606.3 one player controls a clash card then only that clash card will be sent to oblivion. The Clash card that you sent to Oblivion with the first part of [Dark Domain]’s effect can be chosen AC2-002 Dark Domain as a target for the resolution of the second part of N/A its effect. As long as that card has an initial resource cost of two or less. If option two is chosen then a delayed trigger effect of “you may not declare another attack this turn after declaring an attack” is created for target AC4-051 Deafening Soundwave 603.7 opponent. They opt to not declare another attack, or may only declare one additional attack to the countered attack. Due to the replacement effect of [Death, Agent of AC2-007 Death, Agent of the Dark 609 the Dark] this card will not go to Oblivion. Any card or effect that states to “activate the Portal” means to either open it (if it’s closed) or AC2-009 Death, the Dreadful 703.16.a.1 close it (if it’s open) without paying two resources of any color, as stated in [The Portal]’s effect. Cards that cannot be chosen as targets cannot be AC2-010 Death, the Endbringer sent to Oblivion. Safeguard cannot stop the effect. [Destructive Arrival] checks the current attack power of the attacking card (considering all pluses AC1-040 Destructive Arrival 211.1a-b and minuses that augment this value), not the initial attack power. The activated effect granted by [Dragon Helm] can AC4-156 Dragon Helm not be performed if there is already a Eternal 704.7d Dragon Token in play as the Exclusive keyword prevents the second from entering play and thus the action is illegal. You engage your Contender and exhaust the Dragon Helm. The Static Effect affecting [Khagan] Clash cards is always active and does not need [Dragon Helm] to be attached As player is searching a hidden zone, top 3 cards of AC4-037 Dragonheart their deck, the player may choose not to find a 703.9b non-clash card even if such card exists. [Dragonscale armor] provides a triggered effect each time the attached contender loses any AC4-053 Dragonscale Armor health. The triggered effect will create a 603.1 continuous effect for the defense increase until end of turn. The cost of this card may be reduced by up to 4⯁ AC3-046 Dreadful Decimation for 4 [Harbinger] Clash Cards in your Oblivion, to 115.6 a minimum cost of 2. Only Specific Resource costs may be reduced. When the active player plays [Detroit], each player in turn order will choose to reveal the top three cards. Then, in player turn order, each player that 101.4 chose to reveal may then choose a non-Clash card with an initial resource cost of three or less from AC1-048 Detroit among them to put into their hand. If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer 606.3 than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. The activated Counter - Play effect creates an ongoing effect removing all card effects and abilities, colloquially the ‘card text’, of target Clash AC4-114 Disrupting Presence 608.2 card. This does not prevent the target Clash card from gaining new effects or abilities during this turn. His ability only restricts attack declaration. He TP1-008 Dr. Sommers 504.2a functions normally in every other way. Dual Weaponry triggers in the “Before Damage is Dealt” step of combat. If the opposing card dies VTD1-011 Dual Weaponry due to state based effects by having its defense 504.2f reduced to zero, it won’t be in play to deal damage in step 504.2g. The doubling replacement effect of this card may AC3-076 Dynasty Blade only trigger once per instance of clash damage and 609.5 is not recursive. The activated effect of this card will count the number of cards in your hand and apply that many +1/+0 attack increases using a created continuous 602 AC4-026 Earth Gem effect. It is not a static effect and will not update if 608.2 you later gain or lose cards. The Earth Gem then sends itself to Oblivion. ERRATA: Attach: ⯁ ⯁ Attached Contender gets, “During your Primary Phase, you may engage this Contender. If you do, until end of turn, target Appendix B Clash cards gets +1/+0 for each card in your hand. Then send the attached [Earth Gem] to Oblivion.” This Weapon can only be attached to a [Kilimanjaro] Contender. The clash damage prevention effect of [Earthly Barricade] can be applied to any Clash card you control. That Clash card does not need to be 610.7 involved in the Clash in which [Earthly Barricade] was activated. AC1-069 Earthly Barricade ERRATA: Counter - Attack: Choose target Clash card you control. Prevent the next two clash damage that Appendix would be dealt B to it this turn, then your Contender gains two health. [Embarcadero Street] has a static continuous effect causing a start of turn phase trigger. This happens AC3-095 Embarcadero Street 501.1 before the Expansion Phase and before the AP draws for turn. To be a “target clash card discarded this turn” the card must have been discarded from your hand AV4-028 Emberforge into your Oblivion this turn. Defeated and 703.7a otherwise sent to oblivion clash cards will not qualify. If multiple effects would attempt to prevent a source of damage in its entirety, the affected player, or the controller of the affected permanent chooses which AC1-114 Energy Absorption 610.14 of those effects to resolve. [Energy Absorption] and [Torque, the Uncontrollable] do not stack. You can only prevent damage once. When the targeted Clash card being played enters play from Standby, it is immediately dealt two damage as if it AC1-110 Energy Blast 603.6b had the effect, "Trigger - Enter: Deal two damage to this Clash card." Appendix AC1-120 Energy Explosion ERRATA: B You may only play this card if your Contender is a red (Alpha). Target Contender or Clash card you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn, then you may draw one card. The +1/+0 effect of [Enlightened Focus] only applies to your Clash cards that are in play when it resolves. The replacement effect will only apply to AC3-081 Enlightened Focus Clash cards with weapons attached when 603.9 [Enlightened Focus] resolves. Unattaching a weapon or attaching a weapon will have no additional effect. If the card you discarded (per this card’s effect) is a Clash card with an initial resource cost of one or AC2-022 Enter from Beyond N/A less, you may put it into play as a part of the resolution of this card’s effect. Target play identifies the player that reveals the AC4-111 Entering the Gambit top card of their deck. Affinity is a deck building restriction. Once the game begins it has no effect. Face-down resources produce Colorless. They can’t be used to pay AC7-174 Entropy, Progenitor of Chaos 704.33 colored costs. His ability to convert pips to colorless is a static effect that adjusts how he pays costs, any other additional costs a card has are unaffected. You play the card and pay its cost as Final Breath AC5-084 Final Breath resolves. The card being played enters Standby and 202.1c can be responded to with Counter – Plays. When using the effect of [Flare], you must declare that you are using it. After declaration, you must AC1-099 Flare 605 pay any and all costs. Only then does that effect enter Standby and resolve. You may activate the effect of [Flare] the turn that 303.6 [Flare] enters play. To deal damage to a contender, Clash damage AC1-099 Flare must exceed the contender’s defense. If two AC4-124 Flare, Pyroclasmic Guardian damage is assigned to a 2 defense contender then 504.2g no damage will be dealt and no Nova token created. Trigger- Defeat effects are put into Standby and resolve before the defeated card is put into its AC2-104 Flare, Scattering Blast 303.5 owner’s Oblivion. Therefore, [Flare Scattering Blast] will count itself when determining the value for X. Clash Cards may only have one weapon attached. You may not target a clash card with a weapon 113.1d ST3-005 Frag Grenade already attached using the first effect of [Frag 305.10 Grenade]. When the active player plays [Garfield Park AC1-072 Garfield Park Lagoon Lagoon], each player in turn order, will draw one 101.4 card, then discard one card. The Trigger - Defeat effect of this card will prevent AC4-094 Genesis, Changing Plans it from being put into Oblivion, instead being put 706.5 into the Resource Zone . The card being played from the Resource Zone enters Standby as normal and thus can not be used to pay for itself. The resource added to the AC4-068 Genesis, Emissary of Chaos 602.1a Resource Zone from your hand will be placed after the initial card play and thus can not be used to pay for the card being played. The resource you put from your hand into your Resource Zone may not be a duplicate copy of a Bound resource. If the only card in a player’s hand is a duplicate copy of a Bound card in the Resource 704.19c Zone then the only way to initiate this ability is by 710.1 playing the Bound card out of your resource zone. If you have multiple cards in your hand you must AC4-068 Genesis, Emissary of Chaos select one that can resolve. AC4-095 Genesis, Fueled for Battle You do not need a card in hand to play a card from the Resource Zone using [Genesis, Emissary of Chaos] 30 health ability. You would not be able to 606.3 place the resource but can still play a card from the Resource Zone. You do not need to engage a resource you don’t 606.3 control to get the +0/+1 defense increase The Trigger - Defeat effect of this card will prevent AC4-157 Genesis, the Inevitable it from being put into Oblivion, instead being put 706.5 into the Resource Zone . The effect granting [Genesis, the Inevitable] each ability in play does not function in the resource row. Even if a Clash card with Bound is in play that 408.4 AC4-157 Genesis, the Inevitable would not stop two [Genesis, the Inevitable] from AC4-098 Genesis, the Oppressor being in the Resource Zone. You may use the Counter-Play as long as you can pay the cost. You may target different cards with each activation of the ability. [Gotcha!] negates all the effects of the current Trap AC1-044 Gotcha! in Standby. Then that Trap is put into its owner's 703.4a Oblivion from Standby. As a Trigger - Attack this effect will automatically enter Standby at which time its controller can ST4-008 Gravity Javelin 603.5 choose to activate it or not since it uses the words “you may”. In order to resolve the effect there must be two clash card able to be targeted, otherwise it will 603.3d ST4-008 Gravity Javelin remove itself from Standby. ST3-009 Guardian’s Defense To activate the Counter – Play effect you must be able to engage and exhaust the attached [Warcry] 601.1 Clash card. ERRATA ST3-009 Guardian’s Defense AC4-029 Harvest of Souls Attach: ⯁ Appendix B Attached Clash card gets +0/+1. Counter – Play: Engage and exhaust attached Clash card. If you do, target Clash card you don’t control can’t attack this turn. This Weapon can only be attached to a [Warcry] Clash card. Each player chooses which cards to banish in APNAP order, then the AP will draw the determined number of cards first then the NAP will 104.3c.1 draw. If this results in a simultaneous draw from empty deck then the AP will lose the game. If a player reveals [Haven, Biding Time] as their Contender before the start of the game, that player searches their deck for a Relic and puts it into play before any player draws their opening hand or takes mulligans. This ruling supersedes rule 103.6. AC2-074 Haven, Biding Time If multiple players reveal [Haven, Biding Time] as 103.6 their Contender before the start of the game, determine turn order, then each player in turn order searches their deck for a Relic and puts it into play before any player draws their opening hand or takes mulligans. This ruling supersedes rule 103.6. The triggered effect “when this card is defeated or sent to Oblivion” has the same timing as the AC4-099 Haven, Now You Don’t Trigger - Defeat effect and thus the controlling 606.1a player can order the effects in whatever order they would like them to resolve. The triggered effect requires the player to control a AC2-085 Haven, Taking Risks 606 a Relic to receive the card draw. All Clash cards are defeated simultaneously. However, any Trigger - Defeat effects will resolve in turn order. Example: Player A controls a [Magnate, Cunning AC1-119 Planner] and Player B controls a [Magnate, Cunning Planner]. Player B plays [HERE COMES THE BOOM!]. Five damage is dealt simultaneously to 101.4 HERE COMES THE BOOM! both Clash cards the players control. Player B’s 605.2d-e [Magnate, Cunning Planner] Trigger – Defeat effect to draw one card enters Standby first, then Player A’s [Magnate, Cunning Planner] Trigger – Defeat effect to draw one card enters Standby on top of AC1-119 Player B’s trigger. Player A will draw one card, then Player B will draw one card. If you do not have a Clash token to target then [I 601.1c AC4-143 I am Chaos am Chaos] may not be played. If through counter 606.3 play or other activated triggers you lose the target clash token when this effect is resolving you would still do two damage to target contender or clash card and still create two 1/1 red harbinger War Minion Clash tokens if the Portal is open. If either effect of [I am Creation] results in two duplicate copies of a Bound resource trying to exist AC4-112 I am Creation 605.2i simultaneously in the Resource Zone one is put in Oblivion. If you have 1 or 0 cards in hand when playing this card you would still draw two cards after discarding 606.3 1 or 0. The one-time effect to distribute X Toxic Counters will see how many cards you have discarded at the AC4-057 I am Decay point it tries to resolve, including the 2 from the previous effect, to define X. After this effects 608.2d resolution X continuous effect giving Harbinger Clash cards you control +0/+1 will be created lasting until end of turn. This value will not change if you later discard more cards. To play [I am Demise] There must be a legal target Clash card in both players Clash Zone. If either 605.2h target becomes illegal as I am Demise attempts to resolve this effect will be ignored. If the Portal is open, the second effect of [I am Demise] will attempt to resolve. As an activated AC4-030 I am Demise effect, a player may elect not to activate it. If the 602.1 effect is activated then follow the steps to retrieve a Clash card from Oblivion and have your Contender lose the appropriate health. The second effect will attempt to resolve even if the first effect is nullified unless the entire card is 112.2c nullified by an outside effect. If the target clash card is somehow rendered illegal to target after [I am Victory] is played and the AC4-085 I am Victory portal is open, you still engage target clash card. 601.1c Targets for both effects will be selected prior to attempting to resolve either effect. Effects from abilities like Necrotic are not the same AC2-040 Impenetrable Armor as card effects like on [Deliverance] or [Clarity, Harbinger of Death]. Impenetrable Armor does not prevent Necrotic. ERRATA: You may only play this card if your Contender is a Appendix AC1-021 Incoming Support black (Alpha Hunter). B Target Contender or Clash card you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn, then you may draw one card. To be a valid trigger for this static effect a card must be entering play. A card already in play that AC4-079 Interfering with the Process 400.11 is triggering “as though” it was entering play is not actually entering play. When looking at the top 5 cards of your deck you may choose to not find a Contender Weapon, even Khagan, Malevolent if one exists. AC4-040 703.9 Dragonforce The Contender Weapon discarded to the second effect is discarded from hand. A card discarded this way can be a legal target in Oblivion. The Trigger - Enter effect does not specify ready AC-042 Khagan, Smoldering Striker Clash card. You may choose an engaged Clash 601.1c card. Cards are discarded as singular instances whether Kilimanjaro, Harnessing discarding one card or multiple cards. (i.e. AC2-013 603.2c Power Discarding one card results in +1/+1 or discarding five cards from one effect results in +5/+5). The Trigger - Enter effect does not require you to discard if your hand is empty, you will still draw 606.3 one card. The start of turn trigger will enter standby automatically and attempt to resolve. You may AC4-011 Kilimanjaro, Magma Guardian 603.2 choose to resolve or not by banishing a card from your Oblivion The static effect allows both Oblivion and Banished Zone to count for Magnitude while [Kilimanjaro, 604 Magma Guardian] is in play. This effect is a triggered effect, not a modal choice. Kilimanjaro, Molten Every time you discard a card it will trigger the AC4-012 603.1 Riftshifter appropriate effect. Discard means from hand put into Oblivion. The 15 health ability of [Kilimanjaro, Power Erupting] is three separate start of turn triggers. If AC4-001 Kilimanjaro, Power Erupting you have appropriate Magnitude you will trigger 603.2b them all. Even if you rise to 16 health from the first trigger the other two are already in standby. If you do not have a card to discard the Trigger - 606.3 Enter effect can still make your opponent discard. AC4-013 Kilimanjaro, Prismancer The -1/-0 effect is a Static Effect and will update 604.7 based on The Trigger - Enter effect can fail to find a 703.9b [Discarded] Clash card even if one is present. AC4-003 Krung’s Dominion The second and third effects are Static Effects and will update should any effect set a [Bardaga] Clash 604.7 card’s attack/defense The Counter - Play effect extends the Accessory Zone to the hand for Ambush effects until end of 400.11 turn. These cards will still enter play from hand for AC4-P01 Krung’s Plan all other triggers The Counter - Attack effect creates an ongoing effect granting Necrotic to target Discarded clash 608.2 card that entered play this turn until the end of the Clash. Clash cards brought in from Ambush will qualify. Anything that tries to reduce the Contenders life below one will instead set the Contenders life to TP1-034 Lefty, Keen Reflexes one. This includes damage and loss of life. If an effect requires life to be paid the Contender will be unable to pay. The third effect is a Static Effect giving +1/+1 for each Bounty Counter among clash cards you don’t control. This effect will continuously update and AC4-101 LINN, Taking Aim 604.7 can cause [LINN, Taking Aim] to be defeated if the attacked Clash Card is defeated and had bounty counters on it. All end of turn effects trigger in step 505.2 and any new cards that enter play from one of these triggers will not trigger their own end of turn abilities. AC3-092 LINN, the Nanite Assassin 505.2 LINN’s end of turn trigger looks at the entire turn from the start to see if a clash card with a bounty counter was defeated even if LINN was not in play to see the defeat. If [Lava Blitz] causes both players to draw from an AC3-026 Lava Blitz empty deck then the Active Player will lose the 104.3c.1 game. To draw a card from [Lord Krung] 20 health ability that card must be outside the hand of the player at Lord Krung, Leader of the the start of the effect that causes it to enter play. AC3-001 601.1 Horde Putting permanent into standby from your hand and then that permanent entering play does not qualify. Ambushed cards are Clash cards with Ambush that are activated and successfully move from the AC5-014 Lord Krung, Silent Berserker Accessory Zone to the Clash Zone. See Appendix A - Ambushed. Effects that stop cards from being sent to Oblivion TP1-010 Magnate 703.6b do not stop Magnate from being put into Oblivion. If three permanents are targeted by the Trigger - Enter effect and somehow one is made invalid AC4-126 Machina, Seizing a Chance 601.1c through counter play effect or triggered effect then Machina, Seizing a Chance will not lose Observant. The Barrage 2 ability of [Machina, Unstoppable Force] allows you to deal (six) damage divided as you choose, amongst up to two target Clash cards. If you choose to deal damage to two targets, each of these targets must receive at least one of the AC1-108 Machina, Unstoppable Force 704.3 damage being divided. If you choose one target, then all damage from Barrage is dealt to that target. Barrage checks the initial attack power of the card (the number listed on the card). Additionally, you may target any Clash card with the Barrage effect, including your own. The damage dealt from Barrage is considered non-clash damage. If [Magnate, Cunning Planner] is "sent to Oblivion" its Trigger - Defeat effect will not trigger as the AC1-028 Magnate, Cunning Planner 703.6b defense of [Magnate, Cunning Planner] was never reduced to zero. The +1/+0 effect of [Magnate, the Tyrant] only AC1-P01 Magnate, the Tyrant applies to your Clash cards that are in play when it 603.9 resolves. Due to the effects of Undisputed ability if the defense of [Magnate, the Undisputed] is reduced to zero by 704.14 any means during a Clash he is not considered "defeated". Regardless of the initial target of the attack, if the attacking Clash card has Breakthrough, and its AC1-037 Magnate, the Undisputed attack power is higher than the total defense 704.4 power of all opposing Clash cards in this Clash, that excessive damage is dealt as clash damage to the opposing Contender. Excessive damage dealt by a Clash card with 704.4c.1 Breakthrough is always dealt to the opposing Contender. If you control four or more Clash cards with the [Magnate] character name, the resource cost of 115.9 [Magnate, Unwavering Might] is equal to zero. You own the cards in your hand and control the AC1-034 Magnate, Unwavering Might cards in your play zones. However, cards in your hand are not objects and therefore have no 109.4 characteristics. Only the [Magnate] cards you control "in play" contribute to the effect of [Magnate, Unwavering Might]. [Magnate's Plan] can target a face down Trap as AC1-042 Magnate’s Plan 608.1 well as any other Accessory card in any zone. A player must control two or more Alpha Hunter Clash cards to receive the card draw. The player AC5-002 Major Dean, Leading the Elite does not need to control two or more Alpha Hunter Clash cards in order to activate the “choose one” ability. Both effects create ongoing effects that last until AC4-015 Major Dean, Providing Cover end of turn. New [Alpha Hunter] Clash cards will 608.2c not get the Attack/Defense increase. A Clash card with Superspeed will not be dealt clash damage if the opposing Clash card without Superspeed AC1-082 Mean-Streak, Blink of an Eye is defeated. But if the opposing Clash card without 704.13c Superspeed is not defeated, clash damage will resolve normally. If the attacking and defending Clash cards both have Superspeed, then damage is dealt normally. If you send a [Mean-Streak] and a [T-Bone] Clash card that you control to Oblivion, the resource cost 115.9 of [Mean-Streak, Blink of an Eye] is equal to zero. Regardless of the initial target of the attack, if the attacking Clash card has Breakthrough, and its attack power is higher than the total defense 704.4 power of all opposing Clash cards in this Clash, that excessive damage is dealt as clash damage to the opposing Contender. Excessive damage dealt by a Clash card with 704.4c.1 Breakthrough is always dealt to the opposing Contender. When using the draw effect of [Mean-Streak, Intercepting], you must declare that you are using AC1-080 Mean-Streak, Intercepting it. After declaration, you must pay any and all costs. 605 Only then does that effect enter Standby and resolve. A Clash card with Superspeed will not be dealt clash damage if the opposing Clash card without Superspeed is defeated. But if the opposing Clash card without AC1-071 Mean-Streak, Ready to Brawl Superspeed is not defeated, clash damage will 704.13c resolve normally. If the attacking and defending Clash cards both have Superspeed, then damage is dealt normally. A Clash card with Superspeed will not be dealt clash damage if the opposing Clash card without Superspeed is defeated. But if the opposing Clash card without Mean-Streak, Unique AC1-079 Superspeed is not defeated, clash damage will 704.13c Speedster resolve normally. If the attacking and defending Clash cards both have Superspeed, then damage is dealt normally. Regardless of the initial target of the attack, if the attacking Clash card has Breakthrough, and its attack power is higher than the total defense 704.4 power of all opposing Clash cards in this Clash, that excessive damage is dealt as clash damage to the AC1-031 Menacing Magnate opposing Contender. Excessive damage dealt by a Clash card with 704.4c.1 Breakthrough is always dealt to the opposing Contender. The secondary effect of [Metal Barrage], "If that Clash card is defeated by this effect, deal two AC1-112 Metal Barrage 603.7 damage to target Contender," is considered a "delayed triggered effect". After [Metal Barrage] resolves if the Clash card is defeated by the effect of [Metal Barrage], then the additional delayed triggered effect of "deal two damage to target Contender" will now resolve. The Trigger - Enter effect creates a continuous 608.2a effect lasting until end of turn. The use of the word ‘your’ in the second effect AC4-062 Mizuno Karate Dojo means the controller of the battleground. This 302.2a effect should trigger every other turn at the end of your turns. You do not have to discard a card for the Trigger - Enter effect if you have no cards. You will still put 606.3 0-1 Clash cards with an initial resource cost of 3 or less into your hand from Oblivion AC4-004 Molten Crag The second effect is a triggered effect whenever any player discards. After that discard if there are 603.1 10 or more cards in their Oblivion, that player draws one card. When [Morac, the Devourer] enters the Clash Zone from the Accessory Zone through the activated Counter - Attack trigger they is considered to have 704.17i ‘entered play’ for all appropriate triggers including AC3-011 Morac, the Devourer their own Trigger - Enter effect. The doubling replacement effect of this card may only trigger once per instance of clash damage and 609.5 is not recursive. If the effect of [Moxie, Alpha Hunting Specialist] puts a card into play that has a Trigger - Enter effect, that effect is delayed until the effect of [Moxie, Alpha Hunting Specialist] has fully resolved. The 603.7g Trigger - Enter effect of the card put into play this way will resolve after the cards revealed from the Moxie, Alpha Hunting effect of [Moxie, Alpha Hunting Specialist] are put AC1-006 Specialist into your Oblivion. The effect of [Moxie, Alpha Hunting Specialist] is checking the character name in the type line of the 205 revealed cards, not the full card name. If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer 606.3 than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. Both triggered effects are voluntary as they include AC4-127 Moxie, Armored Soldier 603.5 the word ‘may’. Costs may only be reduced by their specified resource cost. If a Trap you control has a resource cost of 1 with specified ⯁ , then the effect of 601.1f [Moxie, Fully Loaded] makes that Trap's resource AC1-011 Moxie, Fully Loaded cost equal to zero. [Moxie, Fully Loaded] does affect the specific resource cost of Ambush cards that cost at least 1 704.17j ⯁ If you control five or more Weapons in any play AC1-010 Moxie, Primed to Clash zone, the resource cost of [Moxie, Primed to Clash] 601.1f is reduced to zero. The trigger effect for opponents drawing cards triggers only once per instance of cards drawn. It AC4-129 Moxie, Unloading 112.11 will trigger, and then enter Standby after the draw effect clears Standby. [Mystery Item] grants only one effect at a time. That effect is set when you attach it to a Clash card. AC2-092 Mystery Item N/A If you attach [Mystery Item] to a Clash card it replaces any effect it previously had. The ‘you’ in the activated Counter - Attack effect 302.2a refers to the Clashground’s controller. The second effect is a Static Effect that will update with new information giving each Clash card -1/-0 604.7 AC4-034 Noxious Alleyway for each Toxic Counter on them. The third effect is an end of turn trigger for each player and will automatically trigger and resolve 505.2 each turn. Engaging the Clashground is an activation cost to AC5-122 Outside Dr. Reynolds Office 602.1a do the one damage. Paul will trigger once per copy of him in play the first time any card you control obstructs on each turn. If he somehow enters play after you have TP1-002 Paul obstructed a clash and you obstruct again, it’s no longer the first time. Paul does not trigger for each obstructing card, he only cares that a card you control obstructed. [Paul, the Waiter] cannot obstruct non-legal clash AC5-119 Paul, the Waiter card obstructions such as those with Flight. The Trigger - Defeat effect of [Pestilence, Affliction ST4-002 Pestilence, Affliction Giver Giver] can result in the defeat of the opposing clash 504.2g card if it only has one defense left during a clash. The Trigger - Enter effect is voluntary in both parts. If you choose to put a Toxic Counter on [Pestilence, Harbinger of Desolation] and then choose to put a 604.5 Toxic Counter for each permanent then you will have two Toxic Counters on this card. Pestilence, Harbinger of ST4-003 The second effect is a Static Effect granting all Desolation [Pestilence] Clash cards you control a Triggered - 604.2 Defeat effect. The third effect is an activated effect usable during your primary phase if [Pestilence, Harbinger of 602.1 Desolation] has 5 or more Toxic Counters Engaging the card is a cost to send an Accessory to Oblivion. If you can’t engage this card, you can’t send an Accessory to Oblivion. AC5-049 Pestilence, Noxious One If multiple opposing Clash cards are defeated 603.1d simultaneously. This card will trigger once for each, but when resolving them you have to engage this card each time you want to do the effect. The triggered effect can create a continuous effect lasting until end of turn if the condition is met. If ST4-004 Pestilence, Pandemic Warden 608.2c new non-Harbringer Clash cards enter play they will not be affected by the continuous effect. If you have no cards in hand then the Target - Enter effect will not cause you to discard. It may still 606.3 cause opponents to discard. The start of turn trigger will resolve the Trigger - AC4-047 Pestilence, Putrid Contagion Enter effect as though [Pestilence, Putrid Contagion] just entered play. He remains in the 400.11 Clash Zone and will not trigger or be affected by any other “enter’s play” effects. The 25 health Contender Ability of [Pestilence, Toxic Presence] is a declarative effect that lets you move any number of Toxic Counters from one permanent you control to target Clash Card. If you 602.6 put 2 or more Toxic Counters on a Clash Card you don’t control, through this or another effect, you ST4-001 Pestilence, Toxic Presence may activate the triggered effect to cause target player to discard one card. The 15 health Contender Ability is a Static Effect that causes ability loss. If a card with ability loss were to gain an ability they would also lose that 112 ability as this is a Static Effect. Abilities are defined in rule 704 Any card or effect that states to “activate the Portal” means to either open it (if it’s closed) or AC2-035 Pestilence, World Degrader 703.16.a.1 close it (if it’s open) without paying two resources of any color, as stated in [The Portal]’s effect. This activated Counter - Play effect can target XXX Standby. AC4-052 Plaguebearer’s Embrace The controller of the targeted card can not choose to discard 2 cards if they do not have 2 cards to 605.2b discard. This activated Counter - Attack effect requires you to discard a non-Clash card to activate as an 602.1 activation cost. ERRATA AC4-023 Purging Heat Counter – Attack: Discard a non-Clash card from your hand. If you do, target opponent reveals their Appendix B hand. Choose a non-Clash card. That player discards that card. The second effect of [Reaper’s Embrace] does not care if the first effect resolved. If through counter AC4-032 Reaper’s Embrace or other effect the target becomes invalid the 605.2f second effect will still attempt to resolve, using the last known characteristics of the target. You ready the card when you gain control of it, not at the end of the turn. Any weapons attached to AC7-069 Regenerative Vat N/A the card continue to be attached to the card and grant any effects they grant to attached cards. You do not control the weapon however and can’t activate its attach ability. If it has a trigger that is triggered while you control it, if the trigger belongs to the weapon, its controller will make the choices for it. If it grants the trigger to the attached card, you will make any choices. See rule 708, “Copying an Object”. Can target AC2-120 Replicate Standby. The copy resolves before the original 708 action. The Target opponent does not need to have a card in hand to be a legal target of this effect. If you choose to play a card from opponent’s Oblivion any 115.8d ressource reductions will apply only to the colored AC4-031 Resurging Fire specific resource cost, despite the alternate cost of “using resources of any color”. When the card played by this effect leaves play, it 400.3 will go to its owner’s Banished Zone If three or more (Alpha) and/or (Discarded) Clash cards were defeated this turn, [Rizlac, the Depraved] costs [⯁ ⯁ ⯁] less to play. Since [Rizlac, 115.6 AC1-023 Rizlac, the Depraved the Depraved] only required [⯁ ⯁ ⯁], his new resource cost can be paid for with two resources of any color. This is a one time effect that places several Trigger - Enter effects into Standby all at once. You may 603.3b order them as you like when you play the card. AC4-058 Rotten Repercussions The chosen Trigger - Enter effects will resolve from their respective zones “as though” they just 400.11 entered play. For all other effects they are not entering play. This activated Counter - Play effect is able to target AC4-086 Sacred Banishment XXX Standby A Clash card is not required to be sent to Oblivion AC4-108 Sacrificial Strength in order to ready two resources if no Clash card is 606.3 in play. If the attacking or obstructing Clash card has Bound and an exact duplicate already exists in the player’s AC4-092 Sadistic Strategy 704.19d Resource zone then the target is an illegal target for this effect Moving a Counter requires it to be placed on a AC6-130 Scarab Sigil different card that fulfills the requirements, if 119.3 possible. It’s possible if you take a card into hand and banish one that there are no cards left to put on top of the AC7-191 Serving the Progenitors deck. If you only have one card left in your deck N/A when you resolve this ability you can put it into your hand, or banish, or put it back onto your deck. The activated Counter - Attack effect granted by this weapon has an activation cost of “engage this 602.1 AC4-027 Shadowlash Contender.” ERRATA Attach: ⯁ Attached Contender gets, “Counter – Attack: Engage this Contender. If you do, target attacking Clash cards loses all effects and abilities until end of turn.” This Weapon can only be attached to a [Shadowlight] Contender. (Alpha) Clash cards can't be declared as obstructors AC1-047 Shadowlight 112.2 while [Shadowlight] is attacking. The 25 health ability has three parts. The flipping effect is an activated effect with an activation cost 602.1 of ⯁. The triggered effect activates when flipped 603.1 to the [Shadowlight, Bright Beacon] side. The Static Effect imposes an additional cost to attack a [Shadowlight] Clash card. AC4-060 Shadowlight, Bright Beacon Switching attack and defense of a Clash card counts as ‘setting’ that Clash card’s characteristics. Static 604.7 Effects will then apply to that Clash card’s characteristics for a final Attack/Defense value The 15 health ability is an activated effect with the 602.1 activation cost “engage this card” If, at the start of your turn, [Shadowlight, Dark Absence] is in play the start of turn trigger will cause you to lose one health. This is not damage 116.3 and does not trigger damage effect nor is it lowered by defense. The 25 health Contender Ability has 3 parts. The flip effect is an activated effect with an activation cost of ⯁. The triggered effect activates when AC4-002 Shadowlight, Dark Absence flipped to the [Shadowlight, Dark Absence] side 602.1 and will check if a Clash card was returned to your 603.1 hand from your Clash zone this turn. The Static effect gives all [Shadowlight] Clash cards +0/+1 and Torment. The 15 health ability is an activated effect with the 602.1 activation cost “engage this card” The Trigger - Enter effect creates an ongoing effect preventing attack and defense increases by card 603.2 effects. These take the form of +x/+x. The second effect is a Static Effect and sets initial attack and defense to 2/2 for all other clash cards. Shadowlight, Darkness 604.7 AC4-018 Static Effects that are modifying cards Attack or Overwhelming Defense will then apply. The third effect is a Static Effect modifying [Shadowlight, Darkness Overwhelming]’s Attack. 604.7 As a static effect it will update each time it’s condition changes Since the [Shadowlight] coming into play is coming AC3-068 Shadowlight, Eclipsing Fighter from a hidden zone, the player may fail to find a 703.9b qualifying [Shadowlight] to put into play. Triggered Effects are not Static Effects. Shadowlignt, Finding AC3-069 [Shadowlight - Finding Equilibrium]’s Trigger - 112.3 Equilibrium Enter effect is a one time triggered effect. As there is no activation cost to this Counter - Play effect [Shadowlight, Intervening] may target AC4-071 Shadowlight, Intervening himself with his effect. He will then return to hand 605.2h and the targeted effect will be removed from Standby The triggered effect of [Shadowlight, Luminescent Shadowlight, Luminescent Stalker] is a voluntary ‘may’ effect. If you choose 603.5 AC4-072 Stalker not to resolve the first trigger it will not trigger again. Multiple instances of Recover are redundant. Only AC4-075 Shadowlight, Recovering 704.22e the highest Recovery value is used. The Clash card that "is sent to Oblivion" by the effect of [Sharpshooter Moxie] is sent from AC1-019 Sharpshooter Moxie 703.6a Standby to its owner's Oblivion. It never enters play. Any damaged Clash card you control must survive whatever non-clash damage it was just dealt in 117.4a order 706 to gain the +2/+2 effect of [Sinister San Fransisco]. AC1-098 Sinister San Francisco If a source deals any amount of damage to a Clash card, that is considered a single instance of damage 607.1 and would only trigger [Sinister San Francisco] once. As a Trigger - Attack this effect will automatically enter Standby at which time its controller can 603.5 choose to activate it or not since it uses the words ST3011 Sniper Javelin “you may”. In order to resolve the effect there must be a clash card able to be targeted, otherwise it will remove 603.3d itself from Standby. If you have more Clash cards than your opponent then your opponent will not send any Clash cards AC4-115 Shocking Revelation 606.2 to Oblivion since they will never be able to equal the amount of Clash cards you have. Clash Cards may only have one weapon attached. You may not target a clash card with a weapon 113.1d AC4-141 Sonic Grenade already attached using the first effect of [Sonic 305.10 Grenade]. The Clash card that [Sonoro, the Fierce Fighter] sends to Oblivion via his first effect can be the same Clash card that is put into play from Oblivion AC1-033 Sonoro, the Fierce Fighter 605.2a via his second effect. The Clash card sent to Oblivion is considered a valid target when resolving the second effect. When the targeted Clash card being played enters AC1-064 Spiritual Defense play, it immediately gets -1/-1 as if it had the effect, 603.6b "Trigger - Enter: This Clash card gets -1/-1." Damage reduces defense but doesn’t modify it. The TP1-024 Streak ability functions like Fortitude except it restricts modifications from both players. The effect of this card is not a Modal Effect nor a may effect. You trigger all three effects if you have AC3-108 Streaks Storm 601.1 7 or more Streak Counters. You trigger two effects if you have 5 Streak Counters. The Streak Counters gained by the effect of [Streaks, Assemble!] are not removed from the AC1-086 Streaks, Assemble! 504.10 target Clash card that received them until the active player returns to their Primary Phase. AC3-027 Suit Up! Contender Weapons also count as Weapons. 310 The attacking Clash card is sent to Oblivion after the damage step, when the active player returns to AC1-013 Surprise! 504.10 their Primary Phase. The attacker will still deal clash damage. The effect of [T-Bone, the Vindictive] does not prevent the active Clashground from being sent to its owner's Oblivion and does not prevent the Clashground in Standby from entering play. The 703.12c Clashground in Standby is returned to its owner's hand and thus the active Clashground remains in AC1-076 T-Bone, the Vindictive play. ERRATA: Counter - Play: You may only activate this effect when an opponent plays a Clashground. You may Appendix send this card to Oblivion. If you do, return the B Clashground being played to its owner's hand. It does not enter play. When the Clash card being played enters play from AC1-089 T-Bone’s Shockwave 609.1c Standby, it does so engaged. It’s ability to substitute white for red resources and red for white resources is a static ability that changes the way you pay the costs for Action cards. AC7-075 The Abundant Flame When this card leaves play you can return a multi- N/A colored card from Oblivion to hand as long as it isn’t a Clash Buff, it is an Action, and is at least partially white and/or red. The pip cost in his Void ability is the cost to put that AC7-013 The Absence, Born of Nothing 704.34 ability into standby. You may play this Clashground with less than three Clash cards in play but its Trigger - Enter effect will AC4-119 The Aftermath then fail. If there are 3 or more Clash cards in play 602.2 then you must target 3 different Clash cards for 3, 2, and 1 damage. The player who controls the card makes the choices for the start of turn effect. You can choose AC7-171 The Beginning of the End your own or other players cards for the effect. If N/A you don’t send exactly two cards with this effect, your Contender loses two health. You play the card during your End of Turn step AC7-189 The Price of Power 202.1c when the ability resolves. You replace any resource cost the card has with a Health cost. Any additional costs of the card still must be paid. The card enters standby as normal when a card is played and Counter – Play windows open normally. If the card can’t be played, a trap for instance, you may not play the card. The effect “[Magnate] cards get +1/+0” affects AC3-032 Times Square Magnate Contenders since the effect only references cards and Contenders are cards. The effect “this card gest +X/+0, where X is equal to the amount of non-clash damage dealt this turn” is AC3-143 Torque, Fury’s Embrace 604.1 a Static Effect and thus will constantly update to the amount of non-clash damage dealt. When using the (30) Contender Ability of [Torque, the Diabolical], you must declare that you are using AC1-096 Torque, the Diabolical it. After declaration, you must pay any and all costs. 605 Only then does that effect enter Standby and resolve. You may only damage another Clash card you control for this triggered ability. If that Clash card 603.3 is defeated a second triggered ability will enter Standby to deal X damage ERRATA AC4-131 Torque, Retaliating If this card deals clash damage to a Contender, you may deal three damage to another target Clash card you control. If that Clash card is defeated by Appendix B this effect, you may deal X damage to target Clash card or Contender, where X is equal to the defeated Clash card’s initial resource cost. Regardless of the initial target of the attack, if the attacking Clash card has Breakthrough, and its attack power is higher than the total defense 704.4 power of all opposing Clash cards in this Clash, that excessive damage is dealt as clash damage to the opposing Contender. AC1-109 Torque, the Uncontrollable Excessive damage dealt by a Clash card with 704.4c.1 Breakthrough is always dealt to the opposing Contender. [Torque, the Uncontrollable] prevents all non-clash 610 damage that would be dealt to him. When [Trugg, Supporting the Cause] enters the Clash Zone from the Accessory Zone through the activated Counter - Attack trigger they is AV3-015 Trugg, Supporting the Cause considered to have ‘entered play’ for all appropriate triggers including their own Trigger - Enter effect. You do not need to discard to give Target contender +1/+1. If you had 14 cards in your AC4-006 Under Pressure 601.1 Oblivion and chose to discard 1 you would have 609.1a Magnitude 15 for the replacement effect. The Static Effect “Your opponents must pay one additional resource of any color to activate the AC3-003 Undiscovered Passageway 703.16a portal” applies to the standard activation cost, not to any effects that may activate the portal. If a Weapon you control has an attach cost of , then AC1-002 United Nations Headquarters the effect of [United Nations Headquarters] makes 115.6 that Weapon's attach cost equal to zero. Faceup Traps function the same as facedown traps. They are simply public knowledge now. AC4-063 Visions of the Future Faceup Clash cards with Ambush in the Accessory 704.17j row are also Traps. Each Clash card will only check that it’s the second attack being made by a Clash card. They ignore AC2-098 War, Legion Commander 301.4 attacks by your Contender for the purpose of counting the number of attacks. Any card or effect that states to “activate the Portal” means to either open it (if it’s closed) or AC2-111 War, the Provocateur 703.16a.1 close it (if it’s open) without paying two resources of any color, as stated in [The Portal]’s effect. The reduced attach cost for each differently named [Javelin] card in your Accessory Zone also applies to AC5-139 War’s Sash 703.2b the [Javelin] attempting to be attached as part of the discounted cost. To activate the Counter - Attack effect you must be able to pay the additional cost of engaging and 602.1a exhausting [Warcry, Faithful Protector] ERATTA Exclusive Engaged Clash cards you control get +0/+1. ST3-007 Warcry, Faithful Protector Counter – Attack: After an opponent declares an Appendix B attack, you may engage and exhaust this card. If you do, prevent all clash damage target attacking Clash card would deal this turn. Until the end of your next turn, that Clash card gets -X/-X, where X is that card’s initial resource cost. Regardless of the initial target of the attack, if the attacking Clash card has Breakthrough, and its attack power is higher than the total defense 704.4 power of all opposing Clash cards in this Clash, that excessive damage is dealt as clash damage to the AC1-059 Warcry, Sign of Hope opposing Contender. Excessive damage dealt by a Clash card with 704.4c.1 Breakthrough is always dealt to the opposing Contender. If either effect is activated the player will set [Warcry, Roaring Force] attack and defense AC4-076 Warcry, Roaring Force 604.7 characteristics appropriately. Then any Static Effects will modify them. [Alpha Hunter] Clash cards with the Trigger - Attack effect will deal 1 damage to Friendly Clash cards if AC4-121 Warfront Outpost 603.3 there are no opponent Clash cards to target, including potentially damaging themselves If an effect requires a player to look at/reveal at a certain number of cards, but your deck has fewer AC1-016 Webber’s Binoculars 606.3 than the designated number of cards, look at/reveal as many cards as possible. The Clash card obligated to attack by [Whistler] must attack before the end of the turn and it must AC3-049 Whistler 611 be the first attack of the turn. Appendix D: Change Log 21 September 2026 – Nexus of Power Release • Added keyword ability entries for Accumulate (704.40), Conquer (704.41), Resonance (704.42). • Moved Action (704.28 -> 703.22) and Activate (704.27 -> 703.21) to keyword actions. Added Graft (703.23) to keyword actions. • Added Illicit Goods token (380.80g). • Modified Triggers (Attack, Victory, Challenge) to be allowed to exist on attached cards and still trigger (504.2a, 603.1b) • Removed errata for Augmented Capabilities since it functions in the rules now. • Added FACs for: “Clarity, Manifested • Exclusive may now no longer be Removed, Added, or Negated on a card by other cards or effects. (704.7f) • Added Errata for LINN, the Nanite Assassin 1 August 2026 – Deck Size update • Errata for Haven, Bountiful Collector • Errata for Morac, the Devourer • Changed deck size to 50-60 and sideboard to 0-15 cards (see 100.2a, 100.4) 22 June 2026 – Spoils of the Vault Release • Errata for Hooves of Havoc. • Changed deck building restrictions for double sided cards (100.2g.1, 100.2g.2). • Added keyword entries for Siege (704.37), Shroud (704.38), and Manifest (704.39). • Added the new section for Omen Actions (312). • Added the new Token section (380) along with the Token Reference (380.80) • Modified Unrivaled cards to be unsearchable (704.15d, 703.9j). • Moved the combat damage step to 504.2g, broke out before damage is dealt to its own step for triggers and priority (see 504.2f). • Added rules for Trials of the Vault (see 904). • Added FAC entries for: Clarity, Ready for Trials. Anzudak, the Wrathful. Dual Weaponry. 31 March 2026 • Modified Trigger – Attach to be once per turn per instance. (603.1b, 603.2i) • Errata for Ambush Site. • Make it clear that you can only activate each Counter – Attack trigger once per Counter Step. (504.2b) 14 February 2026 • 611, Forced Attack Effects added and defined. • 105.sc, 106.1b, 115.3b, Adjustments for Colorless cards and resources. • 119.2e. Temper Counters • 119.2f. Scarab Counters • 205.2. Added The Absence and Entropy. • 206.2. Added Zenith Prime • 603.1b. Trigger - Attach • 704.17. Ambush updated wording so non-Clash cards can use ambush. • 704.32. Temper • 704.33. Affinity • 704.34. Void • 704.35. Merge • 704.36. Toss • Updated the glossary entries for: Affinity, Ambushed, Colorless, Defeat, Discover, Discovered, Forced Attack Effect, Opposing, Merge, Temper, Tempered, Toss, Void 20 October 2025 • Updated Rivaled definition. • Updated Rule 101.2 to define interaction between “can”, “can’t” and “must”. 27 September 2025 • Added Trigger – Challenge (603.1b) • Added Action (704.27), Activate (704.28), Wrath (704.29), Discover (704.30), and Engage (704.31). • Added rules for Sealed deck (902). • Updated rules for Draft to handle set 6. (901). • Added glossary entries for: Additional Resource, Ambush Ability, Resource Count. • Updated rules around “put into play” to specify the default is from hand. (110.4) • Updated wording around Activation Costs to handle “and” in addition to “if you do” between cost and effect. (115.3, 602.1) • Updated definition of Initial Resource Cost to specify that paying the Specific Resource Cost is part of the Initial Resource Cost (202.1c) • Updated Attach definition to handle new templates. (703.2) • Added FACs for: Bronze Bracer Shield, Final Breath, Outside Dr. Reynolds Office, Pestilence, Noxious one, and Scarab Sigil. Updated FAC for Genesis, The Oppressor. • Updated Errata for Alpha Aster. Added Errata for Bombardment and Dragon Helm. • Added rule for deck building restrictions on cards (100.2g) • Several updates to PVE (903) • Added rules to define default durations for effects that don’t specify one (see 112.7c, 112.7d) • Changed deck to be 60 cards with 10 cards removed before each game. (see 401.1) 11 June 2025 • Added keyword entries for Brutal, Daunting, Restore, and Rivaled. • Added Empowerment Actions (See rule 311). • Updated Rule 100.2 to clarify deck building and add Rivaled. • Added the Elite, Guard, and Portal Open/Closed symbols. • Added Rule 205.2a to define generic Clash card types. • Added Rule 302.10 to define Event Clashgrounds. • Minor cleanup. 25 April 2025 • Rule 706.5 updated • Appendix A: Glossary updated (Ambushed) • Appendix C: Frequently Asked Clarification (FAC) (See Lord Krung, Silent Berserker) • Rule 304.9 updated 18 March 2025 – Comprehensive Rulebook version 5.0 published • Gambit rules added in chapter 8 (see rule 800) • Updated Trigger – Portal (see rule 603.1b and 603.1c) • Updated Fortitude (see rule 704.20d.) • Updated Appendix B: Clarified Card Reference (Errata) • Updated Appendix C: Frequently Asked Clarification (FAC) (See Alpha Aster, Intergalactic Titan, Alpha Aster, the Omnipotent, Baiting, Clarity, Bad Omen, Death, the Endbringer, Entering the Gambit, Haven, Taking Risks, Mystery Item, Paul, the Waiter, Replicate, and War’s Sash) 3 December 2024 – Comprehensive Rulebook version 4.1 published ● Accessory - Trap clarifications (see rule 304.10) ● Ambush clarifications (see rule 407.5 and 704.17) ● Bound clarifications (see rule 408.4b and 704.19 ● Exclusive clarifications around Exclusive Tokens (see rule 704.7d) ● Clarifications to Objects and Permanents for targeting. (see rules 109-110) ● Added rule 400.11 for Zone Extensions using ‘as if’ and ‘as though’ ● Update to include Banished Zone in the list of rule 400.3 ● Clarification to “setting” Contender health not using the words increase or decrease. (see rule 116.5) ● Card and Effect resolution update for action cards to “do as much as you can” if targeting changes during play. (see rule 605.2h) ● Losing the Game update for simultaneous empty deck draw (see rule 104.3c.1) ● Losing the Game update for simultaneous non-clash damage (see rule 104.2d,301.2d) ● Previous rule 104.2d now 104.2e for clarity. ● Added rule 104.2f for simultaneous loss of split damage/draw effects resulting in a win for the player with health remaining. ● Updated rule 110 for Permanents to clarify language around “in play”. ● Updated rules around Action cards and Standby to define “in play” for Action Cards. (see rules 306.7, 307.4, 308.5 and 409.7) ● Updated rule 400.6 to include the Banished Zone. ● Rule 605.3h and 605.3i changed to 605.2h and 605.2i for consistency. ● Updated rule 706.5 to not put defeated cards into Oblivion that have Trigger - Defeat effects that put them into other Zones. ● Index update with rule numbering ● FAC Updates to Appendix C 1 November 2024 – Comprehensive Rulebook version 4.0 published ● Game Concepts (see rule 107.3j) ● Parts of a Card (see rule 213) ● Foretell (see rule 703.19) ● Distract (see rule 703.20) ● Bound (see rule 704.19) ● Fortitude (see rule 704.20) ● Magnitude (see rule 704.21) ● Recover (see rule 704.22) ● Additional Rules (see rule 711) ● Updated Appendix A: Glossary (Bound, Recover, Foretell, Magnitude, Foretell, and Distract) ● Updated Appendix B: Clarified Card Reference (Errata) ● Update Appendix C: Frequently Asked Clarification (FAC) (See Khagan, Malevolent Dragonforce, Shadowlight, Eclipsing Fighter, Whistler) 16 June 2024 – Comprehensive Rulebook version 3.1 published ● Clarification on when cards can be exchanged between a Sideboard and Main Deck in a competitive game (see 100.4b) ● Update to Iconic Rare identification and rarity (see 209.1d.2) ● Gems have been updated to be considered pips (see rule 106.2) ● Updated clash damage details for Contenders in card type section (see rule 301.9) ● Clarified Clashground effects (see rule 302.2) ● Clarified each player has a Banished Zone (see rules 400.10 and 703.15a) ● Updated instances of setting face-down traps to include cards with Ambush (see rule 400.4c.1) ● Clarified how and when Breakthrough can trigger (see rules 704.4b.1, 704.4d and Glossary) ● Added "if" to the list of trigger effects (see rule 603.1) ● Updated Appendix A: Glossary (see Breakthrough, Clash card, Defender, Engaged, Minimum deck size, Monocolored, Obstructer, Persist, Priority, Ready, Set, and Triggered effect) ● Update Appendix C: Frequently Asked Clarifications (FAC) (See Ancient Power, LINN, the Nanite Assassin, and Times Square) 24 May 2024 – Comprehensive Rulebook version 3.0 published ● Updated rules on drawing a game and deciding a winner (see rule 104.2d). ● Clarification of ownership of permanents taken by opponents' effects to a player's effects moving permanents to other player's play zones (see rule 110.2g). ● Update to how damage is assigned and dealt to Contenders (see rule 117.2b) ● Bounty Counters (see rule 119.2d) ● Contender Weapon (see rule 310) ● Update to order of cards in Oblivion (see rule 403.2) ● Clash cards with Ambush in Accessory zone (see rule 407.5) ● Update to the Banished zone (see rule 411) ● Diminish (see rule 703.17) ● Exhaust (see rule 703.18) ● Ambush (see rule 704.17) ● Torment (see rule 704.18) ● Updated Appendix A: Glossary to include Ambush, Contender Weapon, Diminish, Exhaust, and Torment. ● Updated Appendix B: Clarified Card Reference (Errata) 15 Mar 2024 – Comprehensive Rulebook version 2.2 published ● Draft Rules added in Chapter 9: Other Formats ● Tokens with no initial resource cost (see rule 111.10) ● The term “may” in regard to effect targeting (see rule 113.6a) ● Effect targeting requirements (see rule 113.6b) ● Card effects are non-interruptive (see rule 112.11) ● Stat modifier application order (see rule 211.4) ● Negative stat values (see rule 211.4a) ● Banished Zone (see rule 400.1 and 400.2) ● Card effects are not the same as keyword abilities (see rule 405.4) ● Removing an obstructor from a Clash (see rule 504.2c.3) ● Clarification on the Breakthrough ability (see rule 704.4b.2) ● Clarification on what constitutes a card effect (see rule 606) ● Clarification on the Keyword Action “Banish” (see rule 703.15a.1) 4 Dec 2023 – Comprehensive Rulebook version 2.1 published ● Activating the Portal (see rule 703.16) ● Banish (see rule 703.15) ● Clash tokens (see rule 111) ● Collection Counters (see rule 119.2b) ● Copying an action card (see rule 708) ● Dual-colored cards (see rule 408.7b) ● Negate Trigger – Enter effects (703.4a.1) ● Relic (see rules 204.3c and 309) ● Rolling a d6 (see rule 707) ● Safeguard (see rule 704.16) ● The Portal (see rules 103.7 and 410) ● Toxic Counters (see rule 119.2c) ● Trigger – Obstruct (see rules 504.2c.2 and 603.1b) ● Trigger – Victory (see rules 603.1b and 504.2g.1) ● Updated character names (see rule 205.2) ● Updated Clash Buff ruling to include targeting a player (see rule 306.5) ● Updated location names (see rule 206.2) ● Updated planet names (see rule 207.2) ● Updated Appendix A: Glossary to include Banish, Relic and Safeguard ● Updated Appendix C: Frequently Asked Clarifications (FAC) 1 Aug 2023 – Comprehensive Rulebook version 1.0 published Credits Alpha Clash Trading Card Game original game design: Ridge Kiley Comprehensive rules design and development: David Williford, Ridge Kiley, Garett Kiley, David DeBates, Brady Wigans, Gregory Quinn Roth, Alex Grandgeorge, and Ryan Roper. The Alpha Clash Trading Card Game was designed by Ridge Kiley, with contributions from Efren Ayala, Al Light, Josh Horton, Weston Warner, Garett Kiley, David Williford, Brady Wigans, Alex Grandgeorge, Jason Laske, Gregory Quinn Roth, Ryan Roper, Josiah Owen, Jordan Brown, Michael Lynch and David DeBates. Thanks to our wonderful team members and the many others too numerous to mention who have contributed to this product. These rules are effective as of September 21st, 2026. Published by Rising Empire Studios LLC. --- Local source: submodules/alpha-clash/.agents/skills/alpha-clash-rules/references/rulebook-summary.md Publisher's current source: [Rising Empire Studios](https://alphaclashtcg.com/how-to-play) (local copy: 8.0) # Alpha Clash rulebook summary (v8.0) - mechanic map Local summary of the official rulebook, effective September 21, 2026. Use [the canonical extraction](comprehensive-rulebook-v8.0.txt) for exact wording and [the source review](source-review-v8.0.md) for conflicts and errata. This map is not an engine coverage claim. Numbers below are v8.0 rules. ## Construction and setup (100, 103, 401) - Present a Main Deck of 50-60 cards; Sideboard is 0-15. Limits apply across both: four per unique English name, four Clash Buffs total, one Contender; either at most one Unrivaled card or Rivaled cards within their name limit (100.2, 100.4, 401.1). Affinity can further restrict copies (704.33). - Check bracketed deck restrictions against the Contender. Both faces of a double-sided Contender count for construction; these restrictions do not become play restrictions (100.2g). - Determine starting player, then reveal Contenders simultaneously and apply start-of-game effects, then prepare/shuffle decks (103.1-3). See 103.2b for the full-60-card adjustment when setup puts cards into play. - Starting hand is normally eight. Declare keep/mulligan in turn order, starting player first. Players who chose a mulligan act simultaneously: shuffle any number of chosen hand cards into their deck and draw that many. Only one mulligan is allowed (103.5; zero is an allowed number, 107.1c). - Portal starts closed (103.6). First player cannot initiate a clash on their first turn (103.8a) and skips that turn's Ready and Draw Steps (502.1). ## Colors, costs, and resources (105, 106, 115, 202, 408) - Five colors: white, blue, black, red, green. Colorless objects and resources exist, but colorless is not a sixth color (105.2c, 106.1b). - Colorless cards and face-down resources produce colorless resources, which cannot pay colored specific costs (106.1b). Generate resources only when required to pay a cost (106.4); there is no free resource pool action. - The initial cost includes the specific colored cost. A specific-cost discount reduces both the colored requirement and total, only within the specific amount printed (115.6, 202.1c). Read alternative and additional costs separately; a free resource cost does not waive additional costs. - Resource Step permits one hand card to be deployed ready and inverted; Resource Zone cards retain color and normally lose other characteristics (408). Apply Bound, Rivaled, and explicit card exceptions. ## Card types and zones (3xx, 4xx) - **Contender (301):** health and maximum health; can attack, cannot obstruct; cannot be sent to Oblivion. Threshold abilities apply at or below the given health. Damage reduces defense first; excess reduces health. - **Clashground (302):** one across all players; a replacement puts the old one into Oblivion. Event Clashgrounds have additional rules (302.10). - **Clash (303):** enters ready; can attack that turn unless restricted. Ready opposing Clash cards normally cannot be attacked; Close Combat and Daunting change this. Defense at zero or below defeats the card. - **Accessory:** Trap (304), Weapon (305), Relic (309), Contender Weapon (310). Traps can be set for no cost but activate only at their counter timing, paying their activation cost. They cannot activate on the turn they were set, put, or placed. Weapons use their Attach costs/restrictions; normal attached Weapons return to the Accessory Zone when their host leaves play. - **Action:** Clash Buff (306), Basic (307), Quick (308), Empowerment (311), Omen (312). Basic is own Primary Phase; Quick uses its counter timing. Ordinary Actions resolve from Standby to Oblivion. - **Empowerment (311):** play in own Primary Phase, resolve through Standby, then attach to a card in play. It cannot move once attached and goes to Oblivion if its host leaves play. - **Omen (312):** normally own Primary Phase; enters play after Standby and triggers Enter. Its continuous effects last while it remains in play. Put it into Oblivion at the start of its controller's next turn. It remains an Action in play for effects that can affect such cards. - **Tokens (380):** never part of the deck. Use 380.80 for named token definitions, including Illicit Goods; do not infer printed-card behavior. - Per-player zones: Deck, Hand (no normal maximum), Oblivion, Contender, Clashground, Clash, Accessory, Resource, Banished. Standby is the shared LIFO resolution zone. Actions in Standby count as in play (409.7). - **Portal (410):** shared open/closed state. During own Primary Phase pay two resources of any color to activate, or use an effect. Activation closes an open Portal and opens a closed one (410.3b-c). Trigger - Portal watches activation, not only opening; check any further card condition. - See the source review for the Banished Zone's conflicting classification. ## Turn, clash, and priority (114, 409, 5xx, 601-603) 1. Start of Turn: start triggers (501). 2. Expansion: Ready, Draw one, optionally resource one (502). 3. Primary: play permitted cards, set Traps/Ambush, attach, activate effects and Portal, initiate a clash, or end turn (503). 4. Clash (504): C1 declare attacker/target and resolve attack triggers; C2 defending player's Counter - Attack effects; C3 declare ready obstructors and resolve obstruction triggers; C4 attacking player's Clash Buff window; C5 defending player's Clash Buff window; C6.1 priority before damage (504.2f); C6.2 damage and damage triggers (504.2g). 5. Return to Primary after each clash. End of Turn resolves end triggers and duration cleanup (505). - Each unique Counter - Attack trigger can activate only once per Counter Step, although multiple distinct cards/effects can be used (504.2b). - **Clash Buff limit unresolved:** 306.5 permits only one buff per specific Clash card, Contender, or player per turn; 306.5a permits additional buffs on different eligible targets. But 504.2d-e each permit one buff in that player's step. Do not silently choose one interpretation. See source review. - Play/activate: declare choices and targets, pay costs, use the applicable response window, then resolve Standby last in, first out (601-603, 409). When all players pass in succession, resolve the top object (409.5). - Trigger - Attach is once per turn per instance (603.1b, 603.2i). Attack, Victory, and Challenge triggers can occur on attached cards under their stated conditions; Challenge requires clash damage to an opposing Contender. ## Damage and state-based actions (104, 117, 303, 504.2g, 706) - Attacker assigns full ATK to each obstructor; obstructors deal their ATK back. Without obstruction, attack and target deal their damage to each other. Superspeed can deal damage first; a defeated card does not deal later damage. - Damage reduces defense. Excess on a Contender reduces health. Clash damage lasts until end of clash; non-clash damage until end of phase, then defense resets (303.3-4). Fortitude does not stop damage. - A defeated Clash card resolves its Defeat triggers before moving to its owner's Oblivion, unless already moved (706.5). Sending, defeating, discarding, diminishing, and banishing are distinct events. - A Contender at zero health loses; drawing from an empty deck loses. If both reach zero from clash damage, the attacking player wins (104.2c). ## Keyword actions (703) Read exact subrules for Attach/Detach, Banish, Defeat, Send, Discard, Diminish, Search, and other movement. Searching normally cannot find Unrivaled cards (703.9j, 704.15d); explicit card exceptions still use 101.1. - **Exhaust (703.18):** engage if needed; skip owner's next Ready Step. Effect-based readying does not clear exhaust. Cannot exhaust an already exhausted card; clear it after that owner's Ready Step. - **Foretell (703.19):** inspect top X cards; put them on top and/or bottom in any order. Preserve the player's chosen partition and order. - **Distract (703.20):** prevents obstruction in the next Obstruct Step this turn, then clears; also clears at end of turn. Reapplication is redundant. - **Activate (703.21):** own Primary Phase with empty Standby; pay any stated cost before placing the ability in Standby. This is activation, not playing. - **Action ability (703.22):** same timing, once per turn. Distinct from an Action card. These entries moved out of 704 in v8.0. - **Graft (703.23):** during own Primary Phase, pay X if the source is not a Weapon Accessory. It becomes only a Weapon Accessory, attaches to target Clash card, and grants [Synthoria] and its keyword abilities. While grafted, original-type targeting does not apply and Graft cannot function. Detaching restores original types and engages it; host leaving play detaches it. Multiple Graft instances can activate separately. Apply 704.7f to Exclusive. ## Keyword abilities (704) | Rule | Ability | Mechanic | | --- | --- | --- | | 704.2 | Awe Factor X | Enter reduces opposing Clash ATK by X for the turn. | | 704.3 | Barrage X | Attack can divide initial ATK as damage among up to X Clash targets. | | 704.4 | Breakthrough | Obstructed attacker deals excess over total obstruction DEF to Contender; needs a remaining obstructor. | | 704.5 | Close Combat | Can attack ready Clash cards. | | 704.6 | Enrage X | Gains X ATK per non-clash damage point received, until end of turn. | | 704.7 | Exclusive | One same-named copy under your control; cannot be added, removed, or negated by cards/effects. | | 704.8-9 | Flight / Interception | Flight can only be obstructed by Flight or Interception. | | 704.10 | Irrefutable | Cannot be prevented from entering play. | | 704.11 | Necrotic | Sends surviving Clash cards it damaged in a clash to Oblivion after the clash; this is not defeat. | | 704.12 | Observant | Cannot attack on the turn it enters play. | | 704.13 | Superspeed | Deals clash damage before cards without it. | | 704.14 | Undisputed | Cannot be defeated during a clash on your turn. | | 704.15 | Unrivaled | One total per deck plus Sideboard; incompatible with Rivaled; cannot normally search. | | 704.16 | Safeguard | Opponents cannot target it with their effects. | | 704.17 | Ambush | Set as a Trap; activate at its timing, then move to its specified zone and trigger Enter. Not limited to Clash cards. | | 704.18 | Torment | Requires at least two obstructors. | | 704.19 | Bound | One same-named copy in your Resource Zone. | | 704.20 | Fortitude | Opposing effects cannot reduce ATK/DEF; does not affect damage. | | 704.21 | Magnitude X | Oblivion count threshold; multiple instances can stack. | | 704.22 | Recover X | Gain X Contender health when it deals clash damage. | | 704.23 | Brutal X | Adds X to clash damage dealt to a Contender, within the same damage instance. | | 704.24 | Daunting | Must be chosen as attack target if able, even when ready; does not itself force an attack. | | 704.25 | Rivaled | Normal name-copy limit; incompatible with Unrivaled; cannot resource. | | 704.26 | Restore X | On dealing clash damage, may put top X Oblivion cards on deck bottom. | | 704.29 | Wrath | At resolution may reveal a higher-cost Dragon Clash from hand and bottom it for the following effect. | | 704.30 | Discover | Triggers on explicit Diminish, after that effect finishes; controller orders simultaneous triggers. | | 704.31 | Engage X | Engage/pay at its printed timing, or Primary Phase if none is given. | | 704.32 | Temper | Put a Temper Counter on the designated card; at most one. | | 704.33 | Affinity | Singleton construction except matching qualities; multiple qualities combine. | | 704.34 | Void X | On being banished from anywhere, trigger after the banishing effect finishes; pay optional X if stated. | | 704.35 | Merge X | Alternative resource cost: send X controlled Synthoria Clash cards to Oblivion; still pay other costs. | | 704.36 | Toss | When its controlled attached host attacks, may attach to an opposing Clash card without attach cost. | | 704.37 | Siege X | Clash damage to a Contender makes that Contender diminish X. | | 704.38 | Shroud X | Additional targeting cost before Standby; scope differs from June announcement. See source review. | | 704.39 | Manifest X | Fully perform X instead of resource cost; still pay other costs; at most one Manifested card per turn. | | 704.40 | Accumulate | Choose an in-play object; add one of each Counter type already on it. Instances resolve independently. | | 704.41 | Conquer | Controller must control a Clashground; each instance checks at activation and resolution. | | 704.42 | Resonance | Gives other controlled Synthoria cards its other keyword abilities; redundant copies do not multiply it. | Most numbered abilities use only the highest value, but consult the exact entry: Magnitude stacks, and Merge/Manifest choose an alternative rather than requiring the highest cost. Exclusive's prohibition also applies when another ability would grant keywords. ## Errata, card rulings, and formats - Appendix B contains errata and five banned cards; Appendix C contains card-specific clarifications. Appendix D records changes. Do not treat historical changelog text as the current rule. - Chapters 800 and 900+ cover Gambit, Draft, Sealed, and PvE variants. Confirm the requested format and its current publisher rules before applying the standard constructed map above. - [Source review](source-review-v8.0.md) records later errata missing from the website list and unresolved contradictions. It also records the existing engine's full-hand mulligan and Clash Buff interpretation as follow-ups. --- Local source: submodules/alpha-clash/.agents/skills/alpha-clash-rules/references/source-review-v8.0.md Publisher's current source: [Rising Empire Studios](https://alphaclashtcg.com/how-to-play) (local copy: 8.0) # Alpha Clash v8.0 source review and open questions Reviewed October 8, 2026. This is a local audit, not an official ruling. ## Canonical source and reproducibility The publisher's [How to Play page](https://alphaclashtcg.com/how-to-play) links [Comprehensive Rulebook v8.0](https://alphaclashtcg.com/s/Alpha_Clash_TCG_Comprehensive-Rulebook-80.pdf). The PDF cover gives an effective date of September 21, 2026. It has 170 pages. - PDF SHA-256: `a3632de79af874065733fffdf999edb0b40adf4e25e83ceacf6f95ad31336590`. - Local canonical text: [comprehensive-rulebook-v8.0.txt](comprehensive-rulebook-v8.0.txt). - Extraction: `pdftotext -layout`, UTF-8, with form-feed page breaks retained. Apart from the provenance frontmatter, the extracted publisher text is unchanged. Do not repair source wording or numbers inside this copy. - Page numbers below mean one-based PDF pages, including cover and contents. Pages 44 and 56 were rendered and visually inspected, not only searched. - Colored pips and custom symbols can lose meaning in plain text. Check the PDF or official card face for exact colored costs and symbol identity. - Publication rights remain `legacy-corpus-review-pending` in the knowledge manifest. This source refresh records no new publication permission. It refreshes the existing rules section; no separate errata corpus is added. ## Official updates checked 1. [Bans/Errata](https://alphaclashtcg.com/banerrata): the five listed bans match Appendix B: Energy Explosion, Incoming Support, Morale Boost, Power Overflowing, and Streaks Inbound. The page labels them banned in Tiered 1-4 constructed play. It also lists older card errata, but does not include all of the later Appendix B entries below. 2. [March 31 rules update](https://alphaclashtcg.com/news/yzxae4oxmzzsl83se4jays1a8sdvy3): Trigger - Attach is limited to once per turn; each Counter - Attack ability is limited to once per trigger window; Ambush Site receives errata. V8.0 carries these in 603.1b/603.2i, 504.2b, and Appendix B. 3. [June 22 / August 1 updates](https://alphaclashtcg.com/news/vault-and-rules-updates): Hooves of Havoc, Haven, Bountiful Collector, and Morac, the Devourer have updated text. The deck range becomes 50-60 with 0-15 sideboard cards. These appear in v8.0. Shroud's scope differs; see the question below. 4. [September 21 release update](https://alphaclashtcg.com/news/nexus-of-power-release-week): Accumulate, Conquer, and Resonance are introduced; LINN, the Nanite Assassin has revised Enter and end-of-turn effects. Appendix B contains that LINN erratum, including the non-Exclusive retrieval restriction. 5. Appendix D says the Augmented Capabilities erratum was removed on September 21 because the card now functions within the rules. The live Bans/Errata page still lists that erratum. Do not use the website entry alone as the effective text after the dated removal. The rulebook's Appendices B and C remain inside the searchable rules file. There is no claim that the website errata list is a complete current corpus. No official resolution of the Clash Buff conflict was found in the above sources or targeted searches of the publisher's site. The review did not access private judge discussions or Discord rulings. ## Unresolved questions for the publisher | Topic | Conflicting evidence | Question and handling | | --- | --- | --- | | Clash Buff quantity | PDF p.44, 306.5 limits one per specific Clash card, Contender, or player per turn; 306.5a allows more on other eligible targets. PDF p.56, 504.2d-e permits one in each player's buff step. | Can a player play more than one buff in the same C4/C5 step on different eligible targets, or do additional buffs require later clashes? Both passages might coexist under the latter reading, but the PDF does not say this explicitly. Keep both constraints visible; do not claim an official resolution or change the engine based on an assumption. The subrule is **306.5a**, not 306.5b. | | Shroud payer scope | PDF p.96, 704.38c-d requires an additional cost from the controller of any targeting card/effect. The June 22 announcement describes an additional cost for opposing players. | Does the controller pay to target their own Shrouded card? Record the PDF's broader wording and the announcement's narrower wording. Request a publisher ruling before marking either interpretation verified. | | Banished Zone classification | PDF p.48, 400.1 lists Banished among game zones. 400.7 says outside the game is not a zone. 411.1 (p.53) calls the Banished Zone outside the game. | Is Banished an in-game zone whose cards are merely out of play, or outside the game for effects that refer to that boundary? Keep the named zone and its visibility/order rules; do not infer outside-game interactions. | These are source questions, not permission to contact the publisher. Use the support address in the PDF or an official judge clarification when such contact is requested. Record the exact response and date before closing a question. ## Editorial issues and resolved source differences - 100.1b still says multiplayer is in development, although chapter 800 defines Gambit and the publisher links additional format rulebooks. Use the explicit rules for the requested format; do not treat that sentence as a prohibition of all multiplayer. - The v8.0 changelog says Activate moved from 704.27 and Action from 704.28, but the September 2025 entry assigns the former numbers in the reverse order. Current definitions are unambiguous: Activate 703.21, Action 703.22. - 704.7f prohibits adding, removing, or negating Exclusive. Graft and Resonance broadly grant keyword abilities. Apply that explicit prohibition when interpreting the general grant; do not count this as permission to grant Exclusive or invent a new exception. - The How to Play overview still describes a 50-card deck, a 10-card sideboard, and an unqualified first-turn draw skip. For current constructed details use 100.2/100.4/401.1 and the first-player exception in 502.1. - Old local guidance incorrectly required a full-hand mulligan and excluded colorless objects/resources. The current map follows 103.5, 105.2c, and 106.1b. This audit does not claim every corrected summary was a v8.0 change. ## Engine and presentation follow-ups (read-only inspection) Observed in the shared checkout on October 8, 2026; concurrent edits can change these findings. No engine or simulator implementation was changed. - **Selective mulligan gap:** `packages/engine/src/types.ts` defines the `mulligan` command with only `playerId`. The `mulligan` branch in `packages/engine/src/commands.ts` selects all hand cards and redraws up to the normal starting-hand size. It cannot express the subset allowed by 103.5, and modified starting-hand sizes need review too. Follow-up should cover declarations, selection, one-mulligan enforcement, and privacy. - **Clash Buff interpretation:** `playClashBuff` in `commands.ts` and its Standby completion path permit one per C4/C5 step and track targets across the turn. This matches the narrower combined reading above; it is not proof that the publisher intended that reading. Keep rule clarification separate from any eventual engine change. - **Portal verified by inspection:** `activatePortal` in `commands.ts` uses `state.portalOpen = !state.portalOpen`. The paid command already toggles as 410.3b-c requires. This is code inspection, not a fresh gameplay test. - **Opening fixture sequence:** the presentation guide previously described revealing Contenders before choosing turn order. Rule 103.1 precedes 103.2a. The guide now distinguishes the fixture sequence from the official sequence. Fixture changes and live selective-mulligan integration remain separate work; prior fixture screenshots are not engine proof. This is a source refresh and focused discrepancy check, not an exhaustive certification of all 170 pages or all implemented cards. ## Updated publishing paths and checks - The rules skill, mechanic map, canonical extraction, and this audit now use v8.0. Related validation, provenance, opening-fixture, motion-fixture, bot-lab, and implementation-status guidance no longer points to the old extraction. - `submodules/tcg-knowledge/packages/manifest/src/mcp-sources.ts` registers the canonical file, local summary, and audit. `llm-sources.ts` uses the same three files for the existing Alpha Clash rules section. The separate errata placeholder now directs readers to Appendices B/C and the source review. - Regenerated Alpha Clash web rules, errata pointer, index, full bundle, and its manifest entry using the existing generator/formatters in an isolated output directory. The existing published card snapshot was retained; other games' outputs and manifest entries were unchanged. No generator behavior was changed, and no deployment was run. - Skill frontmatter validation passed. Nine existing formatter, provenance, and packaging tests passed (330 assertions). The root test configuration has a missing `./packages/api-core/src/test-setup.ts` preload; these pure checks ran from a temporary directory with an empty preload list. - MCP packaging succeeded into a temporary directory (281 files). Local MCP document listing and searches for mulligan, Empowerment, Graft, and Clash Buff quantity returned v8.0 sources, including the unresolved-question audit. - Verified extraction equality with `pdftotext -layout`, all 170 page breaks, PDF SHA-256, generated file hashes/bytes/line counts, and unchanged card snapshot and non-Alpha-Clash manifest entries. Scoped whitespace and stale reference checks passed. - These checks establish local source and packaging consistency. The hosted TCG Knowledge service will retain its deployed copy until the normal reviewed CI/CD release. No live service refresh or gameplay proof is claimed.