April 09, 2009

Marvel Knights FAQ

Marvel Knights Frequently Asked Questions
Created by Chad Daniel, David DeLaney, and Paul Ross.

Hidden Area

The Marvel Knights expansion introduces the Hidden Area to the Vs. System. Here are comprehensive rules entries that are relevant to the hidden area.

212.5a The in-play zone represents the part of the game where players may place objects. Each player has his or her own visible area and hidden area in the in-play zone. Moving objects between areas in this zone does not cause those objects to change zones, leave play, or come into play.

212.5c Each player controls two areas in the in-play zone: visible and hidden. These two areas are separated by an empty column, the visible area on the right of this empty column, the hidden area on the left of this empty column. Objects can’t occupy this column. A character in the visible area is “visible.” (See rule 701.18.) A character in the hidden area is “hidden.” (See rule 701.17.)

Note: This means each player should leave a clearly identifiable space between his or her hidden and visible areas.

212.5e A card becomes an object as part of it being put into the in-play zone.This is known as the "comes into play" event. All characters, except characters with concealed, come into play in a visible area. Characters with concealed come into play in a hidden area. All equipment comes into play attached to a character in a visible area.

707.9 "Concealed" is a keyword on characters that represents a continuous power that functions in any zone. The keyword "Concealed" means "This character comes into play in the hidden area." (See rule 212.5e.)

701.17 "Hidden" is a characteristic that a character may have. A character has the hidden characteristic if it is in the hidden area. (See rule 212.5b.) A proposed defending object must not be hidden. (See rule 601.3e.) A character can't have both the hidden and visible characteristics at the same time, but will always have either one or the other.

Note: The important point here is that unlike visible characters, a hidden character cannot be attacked unless a card tells you otherwise.

701.18 "Visible" is a characteristic that a character may have. A character has the visible characteristic if it is in the visible area. (See rule 212.5b.) A character can't have both the hidden and visible characteristics at the same time, but will always have either one or the other.

405.3 When a player is done rearranging his or her formation, each of his or her characters must have a unique position. A character may not be on top of another character. No character may be in the column dividing the player's visible area from his or her hidden area. (See rule 706.)

405.5 Because the game is instructing the player to "move" his or her characters, the player is not allowed to place any of them in a different area; the characters are not able to move to an opponent's or teammate's front or support row; nor can the characters move from the visible area to the hidden area or vice versa. (See rule 512.3.)

Note: Rule 405.3 refers to the formation step. When a player moves characters during the formation step, each hidden character must remain in the hidden area and each visible character must remain in the visible area.

512.3 Some one-shot modifiers instruct a player to move an object in the in-play zone. That player picks up the object and then places the object in an empty position. (See rule 706.) Moving an object to the position it was already in is legal, unless otherwise specified. These one-shot modifiers will usually have restrictions on which objects can be moved and to which rows they can be moved. These modifiers only allow moving the object to rows in the same kind of area, visible or hidden, the object is moving from, and only to rows in an area controlled by the player being told to move the object.

Example: A card tells a player to “Move target character you control.” That player can only move that character within its current area (that is, the player could move a visible character within the visible area or a hidden character within the hidden area).

Example: A card tells a player to “Move target character you control to your hidden area.” Regardless of which area the character is in, that player moves that character to his or her hidden area.


302.3 A player recruits an equipment by following the applicable steps for playing effects. (See rule 505.) The player must also follow additional rules outlined below.

302.3a For an object to be legal to attach equipment to (see rule 512.4a), it must have type character; and must be visible unless otherwise specified; and can't have the stunned characteristic; and can't already have its maximum allowed number of equipment equipped to it; and any existing restrictions on attaching equipment to it must be satisfied; and it must be controlled by the player controlling the effect whose modifier will attach the equipment.

Note: This means unless a card tells you otherwise, you can only recruit an equipment onto a visible character.

302.9 If an equipped character moves from a hidden area to a visible area, or vice versa, that character's equipment is put into the equipment's owner's KO'd pile as part of moving that character.

Note: This means that if you move an equipped character from the hidden area to the visible are or vice versa you’ll lose the equipment.

512.4 Some one-shot modifiers allow a player to transfer equipment.
Transferring equipment causes it to become attached to another object. As part of transferring equipment from one object to another, its controller must check whether it is legal to attach the equipment to the object to which he or she is transferring the equipment. Transferring equipment simultaneously removes equipment from the character it was equipped to and equips it to another.
Equipment may not be transferred from a character in the visible area to a character in the hidden area or vice versa.

Note: If you attempt to transfer an equipment from a hidden character to a visible character or vice verse, the equipment will remain where it is.

601.3 Determining the legality of a proposed defender is outlined below.

601.3e The proposed defending object must not have the hidden characteristic.

Note: This means unless a card says so, you can’t propose a hidden character as a defender.

“Becomes a defender”

Some cards have the text, “ . . . whenever [this character] becomes a defender . . .” in their text boxes. A character only becomes a defender once, even if it is team attacked. A number of older card texts have had their text changed to synch up with this new templating.

Example: Carrion reads, “Whenever Carrion becomes a defender, each of your opponents loses 2 endurance and you gain 2 endurance.” Three characters team attack Carrion. Carrion only “becomes a defender” once, so his power only triggers once.

Changing Defenders

Some cards remove the current defender from an attack and make a new character the defender. When this happens, the game does not recheck the legality of the attack.

Example: Jaime Ortiz <> Damage, Cybernetic Enforcer reads, “Stun a Crime Lords defender you control >>> Remove all defenders from this attack. Jaime Ortiz becomes the defender this attack.” Jaime Ortiz’s power allows him to become the defender even if the attacker or attackers wouldn’t normally be allowed to attack him. For example, let’s say Jaime Ortiz is hidden (and therefore unable to be attacked.) He can still use his power to become a defender.

“Cannot attack this turn”

Some cards have the text “ . . . characters you control cannot attack this turn.” If an attack is currently in progress, the above text will not remove the current attackers from the attack. The attack will conclude as normal.

“Can attack hidden characters”

Some cards have the text “. . . can attack hidden characters.” Usually if a player controls no visible characters or if all of that player’s visible characters are stunned, you can have one of your characters attack that player directly. However, if you control a character that “can attack hidden characters,” that character can only attack a player directly if that player controls no characters (hidden or visible) or if all of that player’s characters (hidden or visible) are stunned.

Example: Player A controls Luke Cage, who reads, “Pay 3 endurance >>> Luke Cage can attack hidden characters this turn." Player B controls only one character, and that character is hidden. If Player A has not used Luke Cage’s power, then Luke Cage can attack Player B directly. If Player B has used Luke Cage’s power, then Luke Cage can attack Player B’s hidden character, but cannot attack Player B directly.

Card-Specific Questions

Blackout, Master of Darkness
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 4
8 ATK/6 DEF
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
Discard a card >>> Move Blackout to your hidden area or your visible area.


It doesn’t matter which area Blackout is in when his power resolves—you can move him to any open position in either area (including the position where he started).

Boss of Bosses
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 2
As an additional cost to play Boss of Bosses, exhaust a Crime Lords character you control.
Search your deck for a card named Kingpin. Reveal that card and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck.
Characters you control can attack hidden characters this turn.


Characters you control will be able to attack hidden characters this turn, even if you fail to find a card named Kingpin in your deck.

Bring the Pain
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 1
Target Marvel Knights character gets +X ATK this attack, where X is that character's cost. Lose X endurance.


You are losing endurance, not paying endurance, so you can use this plot twist even if you are at 0 or below endurance. If Bring the Pain is negated, you will not lose endurance.

Brother Voodoo, Jericho Drumm
Character, Marvel Knights
Recruit Cost 3
4 ATK/4 DEF
Activate, discard a card >>> Put any number of cards from your hand on the bottom of your deck, then draw that many cards.
Activate, discard a card >>> Discard any number of cards, then draw that many cards. Use this power only if you control an Underworld character.


"Any number" can be zero. The card you discard for his second power's cost is not counted up when counting how many cards to draw.

Daredevil, Matt Murdock
Character, Marvel Knights
Recruit Cost 5
9 ATK/10 DEF
Loyalty.
Pay 3 endurance >>> Daredevil gets +2 ATK and can attack as though he had flight this turn. Move Daredevil to your hidden area. Use this power only once per turn.


If Daredevil is already in the hidden area when his power resolves, you can move him within that area.

Death-Stalker, Phillip Sterling
Character, Crime Lords
Recruit Cost 3
4 ATK/5 DEF
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
Activate >>> Move Death-Stalker to your hidden area or your visible area.


It doesn’t matter which area Death-Stalker is in when his power resolves—you can move him to any open position in either area (including the position where he started).

Dr. Strange, Stephen Strange
Character, Marvel Knights
Recruit Cost 7
15 ATK/15 DEF
Flight, Range
Loyalty. At the start of the combat phase, you may move any number of characters you control to your hidden area.
Boost 1: At the start of the combat phase this turn, choose any number of characters your opponents control. The controller of each of those characters moves it to his hidden area.


His first power allows you to move any number of characters (hidden or visible) to positions in your hidden area. This means that if you have a hidden character, at the start of the combat phase, you can move it to a different position within your hidden area.

For his second power, "any number" can be zero.

Dracula, Lord of the Damned
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 6
11 ATK/10 DEF
Flight
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
Whenever Dracula stuns a character, put two +1 ATK / +1 DEF counters on Dracula.
Boost 1: When Dracula comes into play, he gets +2 ATK and has invulnerability this turn.


If Dracula stuns a character and becomes stunned by that character at the same time, Dracula will still get the two counters.

Dracula, Vlad Dracula
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 5
8 ATK/8 DEF
Flight
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
Whenever Dracula stuns a character, move that character to your front row and recover it unless its controller pays 5 endurance.


If you move a character an opponent controls to your front or support row, you gain control of that character.

Geraci Family Estate
Location
Threshold Cost 1
At the start of the recovery phase, replace Geraci Family Estate unless you discard a card.
Activate >>> Target Crime Lords defender you control has reinforcement this attack.


You can choose not to discard a card, and in that case, Geraci Family Estate will be replaced.

Gin Genie, Beckah Parker
Character, X-Statix
Recruit Cost 2
2 ATK/2 DEF
Range
Whenever Gin Genie stuns a character, you may replace a resource you control for each X-Statix character you control.


When Gin Genie’s power resolves, you choose either to replace no resources or to replace exactly one resource for each X-Statix character you control. If you control three X-Statix characters when her power resolves, you either replace no resources or exactly three resources.

Good Night, Sweet Prince
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 2
Play Good Night, Sweet Prince only if you control a Crime Lords character.
Target hidden character's controller moves that character to his visible area. That character cannot gain reinforcement this turn.


This does not remove reinforcement if the character already has it.

Gravesite
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 1
Ongoing: At the start of the draw phase, each player draws a card, then discards a card. Each player who discards an Underworld character card this way gains 1 endurance.


The draw/discard from Gravesite goes on the chain after the normal two-card draw. This means each player will draw his or her card from Gravesite and then discard (if necessary) before he or she draws the normal two cards.

Honor Among Thieves
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 2
Play Honor Among Thieves only if you control a Crime Lords character and a Sinister Syndicate character.
Ongoing: Characters you control with either the Crime Lords or Sinister Syndicate affiliation have both affiliations
Characters with cost 3 or less you control get +1 ATK.


While this card requires you to control a Crime Lords and Sinister Syndicate character in order to play it, every character with cost 3 or less you control regardless of its affiliation will get the +1 ATK bonus.

Lilith, Daughter of Dracula
Character
Recruit Cost 1
0 ATK/1 DEF
Flight
KO Lilith, reveal an Underworld character card from your hand >>> Move target character with cost 1 or less to your front row. Use this power only during the combat phase.


If you move a character an opponent controls to your front or support row, you gain control of that character.

Marie Laveau, Voodoo Priestess
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 3
3 ATK/5 DEF
Range
Pay 2 endurance >>> Move each of your characters.


This power lets you move each of your hidden characters within your hidden area and move each of your visible characters within your visible area.

Mr. Code, Masked Malcontent
Character
Recruit Cost 3
4 ATK/4 DEF
Concealed.
Move Mr. Code from your hidden area to your visible area >>> Target opponent moves a hidden character he controls to his visible area.


In order to use Mr. Code’s power, you must move him from your hidden area to your visible area. If he’s already in your visible area, you can’t use this power.

Owl, Leland Owlsley
Character, Crime Lords
Recruit Cost 3
5 ATK/3 DEF
Flight
Crime Lords characters you control have flight.
Boost 1: When Owl comes into play, move target character with cost 1 or less an opponent controls into your front row.


If you move a character an opponent controls to your front or support row, you gain control of that character.

Professor X, Mental Master
Character, X-Men
Recruit Cost 8
18 ATK/18 DEF
Range
Pay 1 endurance >>> Target opponent discards a card. Use this power only during the combat phase.
Boost 1: When Professor X comes into play, move target character with cost 8 or less an opponent controls to your front row.


If you move a character an opponent controls to your front or support row, you gain control of that character.

Reaper, Vampire Armageddon
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 4
12 ATK/1 DEF
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
At the start of the build phase, KO a character you control.


If you control no other characters, Reaper’s triggered power will force you to KO him.

Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu
Character, Marvel Knights
Recruit Cost 2
2 ATK/1 DEF
Shang Chi gets +2 ATK and +2 DEF while attacking a character without flight and without range or while defending against a character without flight and without range.


While Shang Chi is defending, he either gets the bonus once or not at all. If he is defending against multiple attackers each without flight and without range, Shang Chi only gets +2 ATK and +2 DEF.

Suicide, Chris Daniels
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 3
4 ATK/5 DEF
When Suicide is put into a KO'd pile from play, you may discard two Underworld character cards. If you do, put Suicide into your front row and Suicide cannot attack this phase.


If Suicide is put into a KO’d pile during the wrap-up part of the recovery phase, his power goes onto the chain at the start of the next turn’s draw phase. This means if you want to “bring Suicide back” you must discard the two Underworld character cards before you draw your cards for the turn.

The Rose, Shadowy Lieutenant
Character, Crime Lords
Recruit Cost 2
2 ATK/2 DEF
Range
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
Activate, move The Rose from your hidden area to your visible area >>> KO a resource you control. If you do, search your deck for a card named Made Men, reveal it, put it face down into your resource row, and shuffle your deck.


In order to use The Rose’s power, you must move him from your hidden area to your visible area. If he’s already in your visible area, you can’t use this power.

Untouchable
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 2
Play Untouchable only if you control a Crime Lords character.
Ongoing: At the start of the combat phase, each player chooses a character. The chosen characters cannot be the target of plot twist, payment, or triggered effects this turn.


A player may choose any character regardless of which player controls that character.

Valeria Richards, Daughter of Doom
Character, Fantastic Four
Recruit Cost 1
0 ATK/1 DEF
Pay 1 endurance >>> Move Valeria Richards to your hidden area. Use this power only if you control Dr. Doom.
Activate >>> Draw a card. Use this power only if Valeria Richards has the Doom affiliation and only if you control Dr. Doom.


If Valeria Richards is already in the hidden area when her power resolves, you can move her within that area.

Witching Hour
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 7
As an additional cost to play Witching Hour, pay 2 resource points.

Choose any number of Underworld character cards in your KO'd pile each with a cost of 2 or less. During your recruit step this turn, for each of those cards, you may recruit it as though it were in your hand, and you may pay 2 endurance rather than pay its recruit cost.

Once a card you’ve chosen with Witching Hour leaves your KO’d pile zone (for example, when you recruit it), Witching Hour no longer “remembers” that it’s one of its chosen cards. This means, if a card you chose with Witching Hour leaves your KO’d pile and later returns to your KO’d pile, you won’t be able to recruit it again (unless you play a new Witching Hour).

Cards that have Received Errata

Advance Recon
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 1


Old Text:
Play Advance Recon only during your first attack this turn.
If a character you control would cause breakthrough this attack, you gain twice that much endurance instead.

New Text:
Play Advance Recon only during your first attack this turn in which you control an attacker.
If a character you control would cause breakthrough this attack, you gain twice that much endurance instead.

This change syncs up the card’s template better with the game rules.

Black Magic
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 3


Old Text:
Play Black Magic only during your first attack this turn.
Put an Underworld character card from your KO'd pile on the bottom of your deck. If you do, target attacker gets +3 ATK and +3 DEF this attack.

New Text:
Play Black Magic only during your first attack this turn in which you control an attacker.
Put an Underworld character card from your KO'd pile on the bottom of your deck. If you do, target attacker gets +3 ATK and +3 DEF this attack.

This change syncs up the card’s template better with the game rules.

Blackheart, Son of Mephisto
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 6
14 ATK/10 DEF


Old Text:
Discard an Underworld character card >>> Blackheart cannot be stunned while attacking a character with cost 4 or less or while defending against a character with cost 4 or less.

New Text:
Discard an Underworld character card >>> Blackheart cannot be stunned while attacking a character with cost 4 or less this turn or while defending against a character with cost 4 or less this turn.

Daredevil, Guardian Devil
Character, Marvel Knights
Recruit Cost 7
15 ATK/15 DEF


Old Text:
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
When you have 10 or less endurance, if Daredevil is in your hidden area, move him to your visible area.

New text:
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
When Daredevil comes into play or recovers, if you have 10 or less endurance and Daredevil is hidden, move him to your visible area.
Whenever you lose endurance, if you then have 10 or less endurance and Daredevil is hidden, move him to your visible area.

This change is due to state-triggered powers’ becoming obsolete. The new text converts Daredevil’s state-triggered power into a pair of event-triggered powers.

Head Shot
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 1


Old Text:
Play Head Shot only during your first attack this turn.
Target Marvel Knights attacker gets +X ATK this attack, where X is that character's cost.

New Text:
Play Head Shot only during your first attack this turn in which you control an attacker.
Target Marvel Knights attacker gets +X ATK this attack, where X is that character's cost.

This change syncs up the card’s template better with the game rules.

Mephisto, Father of Lies
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 8
15 ATK/20 DEF
Flight, Range


Old Text:
Recruit Mephisto only if you have three or more Underworld character cards in your KO'd pile.
You cannot lose the game.
At the start of your attack step, KO three characters you control.

New Text:
Recruit Mephisto only if you have three or more Underworld character cards in your KO'd pile.
You cannot lose the game and your opponents cannot win the game.
At the start of your attack step, KO three characters you control.

This text prevents an opponent from winning the game via an alternate victory condition, such as Rigged Elections or Xavier’s Dream.

Moon Knight, Marc Spector
Character, Marvel Knights
Recruit Cost 4
7 ATK/6 DEF


Old Text:
Moon Knight gets +3 ATK and +1 DEF while you have the initiative.
Boost 2: When Moon Knight comes into play, if you have the initiative, he gets +4 ATK this turn. Otherwise, he gets +6 ATK this turn.

New Text:
Moon Knight gets +3 ATK and +1 DEF while you have the initiative.
Boost 2: When Moon Knight comes into play, he gets +4 ATK this turn if you have the initiative. Otherwise, he gets +6 ATK this turn.

This change syncs up the card’s template better with the game rules.

Never Give Up!
Plot Twist
Threshold Cost 4


Old Text:
Play Never Give Up! only during your first attack this turn.
KO a character you control with a team affiliation other than X-Statix. If you do, ready target X-Statix attacker you control. (The characters you KO can have the X-Statix affiliation in addition to its other team affiliations.)

New Text:
Play Never Give Up! only during your first attack this turn in which you control an attacker.
KO a character you control with a team affiliation other than X-Statix. If you do, ready target X-Statix attacker you control. (The characters you KO can have the X-Statix affiliation in addition to its other team affiliations.)

This change syncs up the card’s template better with the game rules.

Scarlet Spider <> Spider-Man, Successor
Character, Spider-Friends
Recruit Cost 2
2 ATK/2DEF


Old Text:
Whenever a character named Scarlet Spider comes into play under your control, you may move it to your hidden area.

New Text:
Whenever a character named Spider-Man comes into play under your control, you may move it to your hidden area.

This change corrects a printing error that incorrectly had the name “Scarlet Spider” in the text box.

Stilt-Man, Wilbur Day
Character, Crime Lords
Recruit Cost 2
3 ATK/2 DEF


Old Text:
Whenever a character an opponent controls gains one or more counters or comes into play with one or more counters, put a +1 ATK / +1 DEF counter on Stilt-Man.
Boost 1: When Stilt-Man comes into play, put a +1 ATK / +1 DEF counter on him.

New Text:
Whenever a character an opponent controls gains one or more counters or comes into play with one or more counters, if that character is not named Stilt-Man, put a +1 ATK / +1 DEF counter on Stilt-Man.
Boost 1: When Stilt-Man comes into play, put a +1 ATK / +1 DEF counter on him.

This change prevents the game from drawing because of an infinite loop caused by both players controlling a Stilt-Man.

Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell
Character, Underworld
Recruit Cost 2
2 ATK/2 DEF


Old Text:
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
At the start of the combat phase, if you have the initiative, Werewolf by Night gets +1 ATK and +1 DEF this turn. Otherwise, put the top card of your deck into your KO'd pile.

New Text:
Concealed. (This character comes into play in the hidden area.)
At the start of the combat phase, Werewolf by Night gets +1 ATK and +1 DEF this turn if you have the initiative. Otherwise, put the top card of your deck into your KO'd pile.

This change syncs up the card’s template better with the game rules.

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