2. Playing cards
The chain and priority
Where cards wait before they happen, and who gets to answer
When you play a card, it goes in the middle of the table first. A spell waits there until both of you have had a chance to answer it. Answers go on top of it, and answers to those on top again, so the cards waiting pile up. That pile is the , the spot the last page sent every played card to.
Units and gear go on the chain too, but leave it straight away for the place you chose. Nobody gets a chance to answer them.
Taking turns to answer
While anything is on the chain, one player at a time can act. They can play a card onto the chain, or pass and let the other player act. The right to act is called .
- Whoever played the newest card on the chain gets priority first. So after you play a spell, you can add to it before your opponent sees a gap.
- Pass, and your opponent gets priority. If they play a card, it goes on top, and they get priority again.
- When you both pass in a row without adding anything, the card on top takes effect and leaves the chain.
When a card on the chain takes effect, it . The newest card always resolves first, so an answer happens before the card it answers.
If cards are still waiting after one resolves, whoever played the new top card gets priority, and you both have to pass again before it resolves. When the last card resolves, the chain is gone, and you carry on with your turn.
Not every card can be played onto the chain. The next page says which can.
An example
P1 plays on P2's unit, and P2 answers with , a card that returns one of their units to their hand.
It's P1's main phase, and nothing is on the chain yet. P1 is about to play Vengeance on P2's unit.
Had P2 passed at step 3 instead of playing , would have resolved right then, and the unit would have died.