Post by Tim Small on Jun 2, 2008 20:42:48 GMT -5
Card Types
The cards come in several varieties, but are easily distinguished by the small icon in the upper left hand corner of the card:
Attacks: The attacks have a red grid (like a tic-tac-toe board) in the corner. If you look at the grid, you'll notice that one or more of the squares in the grid is filled with a red square. Those red squares show where the attack is aimed. For example, if there is a square in the lower right corner of the grid, that attack is aimed at the lower right side of your opponent. Some attacks have a gold grid instead of a red one. These are known as Special Attacks and are explained later.
Basic Attacks: Basic Attacks represent an attack that every Immortal has at their disposal. There are nine Basic Attacks (Upper Left, Upper Center, Upper Right, Middle Left, Thrust, Middle Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, Lower Right). Each player must include all nine Basic Attacks in their deck.
Special Attacks: Special attacks have a gold grid. Special attacks are like normal attacks, but are marked with a different color because they require some special preparation or skill from the attacker. Any cards that effect attacks also affect Special Attacks, even though it is considered a different Card Type. As a rule, Special Attacks may never be pulled from an Exertion, played Hidden, or made a Power Blow unless otherwise stated (terms explained in the Playing the Game section). You cannot play an Edge card in conjunction with a Special Attack, unless that Edge card specifically says you may.
Ranged Attacks: Ranged Attacks are another unique type of attack. These represent being shot at with a gun, a knife being thrown, or any other type of ranged weapon. Ranged Attacks cannot be blocked unless a card specifically says that it can block a Ranged Attack. Most dodges can avoid a Ranged Attack, but the dodge Evade: Back Away cannot avoid Ranged Attacks.
Blocks: Blocks have a blue grid. If you have a block that covers the same area where you are attacked, you can play that block to stop the attack.
Basic Blocks: Basic Blocks represent a defense that every Immortal has at their disposal. There are six Basic Blocks (Upper Left, Upper Center, Upper Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, Lower Right). Each player must include all six Basic Blocks in their deck.
Dodges: Dodges have a green grid. Dodges are defenses, like blocks, and if your dodge covers the same area as the attack, you move out of the way of the attack and escape harm.
Special Cards: There are several types of cards which fall under this broad category. Events, Situations, Locations, Plots and Objects are all considered Special cards. You are normally allowed to play one special card per turn.
Events: Events have a lightning bolt in the upper left hand corner. You can use Events to quickly change the course of the battle in your favor. Events stay in play for one turn and are swept at the beginning of your next turn.
Situations: Situations have a silhouette of an Immortal in the corner. Unlike Events, which leave play during your Sweep Phase, Situations remain in play and change the conditions of the battle over many turns.
Discard to Use: Some Situations are ‘Discard to Use’ cards. These must be in play for one full turn before you are able to discard them from play to use their effects. Discarding these cards from play does not count as playing a Special Card.
Locations: Locations have a ruin in the corner. They are like Situations in that they change the conditions of the game while in play. However, a Location always affects all players. Only one Location may be in play at a time. Playing a Location removes any other Location in play.
Objects: Objects are marked with a sword in the upper left hand corner, and include such things as extra weapons or armor.
Discard to Use: Some Objects are ‘Discard to Use’ cards. These must be in play for one full turn before you are able to discard them from play to use their effects. Discarding these cards from play does not count as playing a Special Card.
Armor, Helms, & Hilts: These are specific types of Objects that represent your equipment taken into battle. As a rule, you may only have one of each type in play (You may have one Helm and one Hilt in play, but not two Hilts, unless the card says you may play another Hilt). If you already have one in play, you may not play another one. If for any reason you ever have multiple in play during your Sweep Phase, you must remove one of your choice.
Object: Hilts: Some Hilts are only associated with a specific Weapon of Choice and my only be included in the deck during Deck Construction if you are playing with that Weapon of Choice. Generic Hilts may be played with any Weapon of Choice. You must discard your Hilt from play if your weapon is broken or you are disarmed.
Plot: Plot cards are marked with gears and act mostly the same as Situations. However, some Plot cards build upon each other and grant you powerful effects upon completion.
Edge: Edge cards are marked with an outstretched hand. Edge cards do very little on their own, but used in conjunction with other cards they can become very powerful, giving you the edge you need in battle. Edge Cards are not Special Cards. You can play as many Edge cards as you want during a turn, as long as you meet the requirements to do so. You cannot play an Edge card in conjunction with a Special Attack, unless that Edge card specifically says you may.
Ally Cards: Throughout the Highlander stories, Immortals are helped and inspired by their friends and allies. Some Events, Situations, Objects, and Edges will have an Ally subtype. Unless Otherwise stated, Allies are unique and you may only have one of each in play. If you already have an Ally in play, you may not play another one with the same name.
Mortal: These represent humans (and sometimes animals) that go out of their way to assist an Immortal.
Immortal: These represent other Immortals that have taught your or helped you along the way. As a rule, you may not play an Immortal Ally with the same name as your opponent’s Persona. You also may not include an Ally in your deck with the same name as your Persona.
Pre-Game Cards: Another set of cards you may find that are easily distinguishable from the rest as they will typically not have the standard SwordMaster logo on the back of the card. Pre-Game cards are cards that are put into your Pre-Game before the game begins. Pre-Game cards do not count toward the number of cards in your deck. However, you cannot use more then 6 total pre-Game cards. Such Pre-Game cards include Personas, Weapons of Choice, Watchers, and Premium cards. You may not include duplicate Pre-Game cards that have the same title (on front of the card) and same text on the back of the card.
Persona cards: Your starter deck will include a Persona card. Persona cards have a picture of an Immortal on the front, and biographical information about that Immortal and their Attributes on the back. You can use Persona cards to play as your favorite Immortal, such as Connor MacLeod.
Weapons of Choice: You may also find something similar to a persona card which depicts a weapon. Weapon of Choice cards are just that, they are the weapon your Immortal prefers when doing combat. Each Weapon of Choice has powers like a persona, but also includes a drawback. You may only use one Weapon of Choice unless otherwise stated on the Weapon. Each Weapon of Choice has a free-hand requirement printed on the back and takes up that many hand icons throughout the game. If you do not play with a Weapon of Choice, you are considered to use a Generic One-Handed Weapon.
Watcher & Hunter Pre-Game Cards: These cards look very much like a Persona Pre-Game card; however instead of depicting an Immortal you can play, these cards depict members of the secret society known as The Watchers. You can use these cards to assign a Watcher or a Hunter to your Persona. These Watcher and Hunter cards will have the biographical information of the Watcher along with a special power which the Watcher or Hunter card conveys to you during the game. You may only associate one Watcher or Hunter Pre-Game with your deck. If you have a Watcher Pre-Game card you may include Watcher cards in your deck during Deck Construction and if you have a Hunter Pre-Game Card you may include Hunter cards in your deck. Watchers and Hunters have an almost identical in-game card, the Watcher symbol is silver for Watchers and Red for Hunters.
Premium Cards: These cards are a special gold foil or plastic laminated cards which are extremely rare. If you meet all requirements on the card, then you may use the Premium card, which are Pre-Game cards. Follow the instructions on the card to gain further benefits during the game.
The cards come in several varieties, but are easily distinguished by the small icon in the upper left hand corner of the card:
Attacks: The attacks have a red grid (like a tic-tac-toe board) in the corner. If you look at the grid, you'll notice that one or more of the squares in the grid is filled with a red square. Those red squares show where the attack is aimed. For example, if there is a square in the lower right corner of the grid, that attack is aimed at the lower right side of your opponent. Some attacks have a gold grid instead of a red one. These are known as Special Attacks and are explained later.
Basic Attacks: Basic Attacks represent an attack that every Immortal has at their disposal. There are nine Basic Attacks (Upper Left, Upper Center, Upper Right, Middle Left, Thrust, Middle Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, Lower Right). Each player must include all nine Basic Attacks in their deck.
Special Attacks: Special attacks have a gold grid. Special attacks are like normal attacks, but are marked with a different color because they require some special preparation or skill from the attacker. Any cards that effect attacks also affect Special Attacks, even though it is considered a different Card Type. As a rule, Special Attacks may never be pulled from an Exertion, played Hidden, or made a Power Blow unless otherwise stated (terms explained in the Playing the Game section). You cannot play an Edge card in conjunction with a Special Attack, unless that Edge card specifically says you may.
Ranged Attacks: Ranged Attacks are another unique type of attack. These represent being shot at with a gun, a knife being thrown, or any other type of ranged weapon. Ranged Attacks cannot be blocked unless a card specifically says that it can block a Ranged Attack. Most dodges can avoid a Ranged Attack, but the dodge Evade: Back Away cannot avoid Ranged Attacks.
Blocks: Blocks have a blue grid. If you have a block that covers the same area where you are attacked, you can play that block to stop the attack.
Basic Blocks: Basic Blocks represent a defense that every Immortal has at their disposal. There are six Basic Blocks (Upper Left, Upper Center, Upper Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, Lower Right). Each player must include all six Basic Blocks in their deck.
Dodges: Dodges have a green grid. Dodges are defenses, like blocks, and if your dodge covers the same area as the attack, you move out of the way of the attack and escape harm.
Special Cards: There are several types of cards which fall under this broad category. Events, Situations, Locations, Plots and Objects are all considered Special cards. You are normally allowed to play one special card per turn.
Events: Events have a lightning bolt in the upper left hand corner. You can use Events to quickly change the course of the battle in your favor. Events stay in play for one turn and are swept at the beginning of your next turn.
Situations: Situations have a silhouette of an Immortal in the corner. Unlike Events, which leave play during your Sweep Phase, Situations remain in play and change the conditions of the battle over many turns.
Discard to Use: Some Situations are ‘Discard to Use’ cards. These must be in play for one full turn before you are able to discard them from play to use their effects. Discarding these cards from play does not count as playing a Special Card.
Locations: Locations have a ruin in the corner. They are like Situations in that they change the conditions of the game while in play. However, a Location always affects all players. Only one Location may be in play at a time. Playing a Location removes any other Location in play.
Objects: Objects are marked with a sword in the upper left hand corner, and include such things as extra weapons or armor.
Discard to Use: Some Objects are ‘Discard to Use’ cards. These must be in play for one full turn before you are able to discard them from play to use their effects. Discarding these cards from play does not count as playing a Special Card.
Armor, Helms, & Hilts: These are specific types of Objects that represent your equipment taken into battle. As a rule, you may only have one of each type in play (You may have one Helm and one Hilt in play, but not two Hilts, unless the card says you may play another Hilt). If you already have one in play, you may not play another one. If for any reason you ever have multiple in play during your Sweep Phase, you must remove one of your choice.
Object: Hilts: Some Hilts are only associated with a specific Weapon of Choice and my only be included in the deck during Deck Construction if you are playing with that Weapon of Choice. Generic Hilts may be played with any Weapon of Choice. You must discard your Hilt from play if your weapon is broken or you are disarmed.
Plot: Plot cards are marked with gears and act mostly the same as Situations. However, some Plot cards build upon each other and grant you powerful effects upon completion.
Edge: Edge cards are marked with an outstretched hand. Edge cards do very little on their own, but used in conjunction with other cards they can become very powerful, giving you the edge you need in battle. Edge Cards are not Special Cards. You can play as many Edge cards as you want during a turn, as long as you meet the requirements to do so. You cannot play an Edge card in conjunction with a Special Attack, unless that Edge card specifically says you may.
Ally Cards: Throughout the Highlander stories, Immortals are helped and inspired by their friends and allies. Some Events, Situations, Objects, and Edges will have an Ally subtype. Unless Otherwise stated, Allies are unique and you may only have one of each in play. If you already have an Ally in play, you may not play another one with the same name.
Mortal: These represent humans (and sometimes animals) that go out of their way to assist an Immortal.
Immortal: These represent other Immortals that have taught your or helped you along the way. As a rule, you may not play an Immortal Ally with the same name as your opponent’s Persona. You also may not include an Ally in your deck with the same name as your Persona.
Pre-Game Cards: Another set of cards you may find that are easily distinguishable from the rest as they will typically not have the standard SwordMaster logo on the back of the card. Pre-Game cards are cards that are put into your Pre-Game before the game begins. Pre-Game cards do not count toward the number of cards in your deck. However, you cannot use more then 6 total pre-Game cards. Such Pre-Game cards include Personas, Weapons of Choice, Watchers, and Premium cards. You may not include duplicate Pre-Game cards that have the same title (on front of the card) and same text on the back of the card.
Persona cards: Your starter deck will include a Persona card. Persona cards have a picture of an Immortal on the front, and biographical information about that Immortal and their Attributes on the back. You can use Persona cards to play as your favorite Immortal, such as Connor MacLeod.
Weapons of Choice: You may also find something similar to a persona card which depicts a weapon. Weapon of Choice cards are just that, they are the weapon your Immortal prefers when doing combat. Each Weapon of Choice has powers like a persona, but also includes a drawback. You may only use one Weapon of Choice unless otherwise stated on the Weapon. Each Weapon of Choice has a free-hand requirement printed on the back and takes up that many hand icons throughout the game. If you do not play with a Weapon of Choice, you are considered to use a Generic One-Handed Weapon.
Watcher & Hunter Pre-Game Cards: These cards look very much like a Persona Pre-Game card; however instead of depicting an Immortal you can play, these cards depict members of the secret society known as The Watchers. You can use these cards to assign a Watcher or a Hunter to your Persona. These Watcher and Hunter cards will have the biographical information of the Watcher along with a special power which the Watcher or Hunter card conveys to you during the game. You may only associate one Watcher or Hunter Pre-Game with your deck. If you have a Watcher Pre-Game card you may include Watcher cards in your deck during Deck Construction and if you have a Hunter Pre-Game Card you may include Hunter cards in your deck. Watchers and Hunters have an almost identical in-game card, the Watcher symbol is silver for Watchers and Red for Hunters.
Premium Cards: These cards are a special gold foil or plastic laminated cards which are extremely rare. If you meet all requirements on the card, then you may use the Premium card, which are Pre-Game cards. Follow the instructions on the card to gain further benefits during the game.
Updated 06/05/08 