5 Card Rules and Effects

5.1 Play Resolution

5.1.1 Play Effects

When a Play is run, it creates a Play effect. Play effects are classified by how long they exist and how they interact with the game state.

Instantaneous Effects

Instantaneous Play effects fully resolve at the moment they are created and do not persist beyond their resolution. Once resolved, they leave no continuing impact on the game state.

Instantaneous effects include, but are not limited to:

• Power changes without a stated duration
• Hot Dog recovery
• Card draw, discard, or search
• One-time rolls, flips, or calculations

Ongoing Effects

Ongoing Play effects create a lasting impact on the game state after the Play resolves. These effects remain active until they end naturally, are nullified, or are otherwise removed by the rules or card text.

Ongoing effects include, but are not limited to:

• Power changes with a stated duration
• Effects that modify future Plays or battles
• Restrictions, prevention, or immunity
• Rule changes that remain active over time

5.1.2 Order of Resolution

Plays resolve in the order they are played. Once a Play is declared and its cost is paid, it is resolved fully before the next Play is processed.

5.1.3 Persisting Effects

Unless a Play specifically states that it cancels or overrides an earlier ongoing effect, any ongoing effects that have already occurred remain in effect. Ongoing effects do not retroactively change prior game states.

5.1.4 Future-Only Effects

Most Plays affect only future game states unless their text clearly indicates otherwise. Effects do not alter resolved battles or completed phases unless explicitly allowed.

5.1.5 Ownership and Interaction Limits

Players may only interact with their own Playbook, hand, discard piles, and decks. A player may not draw from, manipulate, or look at their opponent’s Playbook or cards unless specifically instructed by a card.

5.1.6 Unique Copies and Non-Stacking

Since each Playbook only allows one copy of a Play, a Play’s Ongoing effect may not be duplicated, stacked, or layered through recursion, replay, or copying.

If an effect causes a player to copy the text or effect of a Play, that copied effect is treated as that Play being used for all rules purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, restrictions on uniqueness and non-stacking of ongoing effects.

Plays with ongoing effects do not stack with themselves in any way. Running, replaying, or copying the same Play multiple times does not multiply or compound its effect unless the Play explicitly states otherwise.

5.1.7 Replay and Nullification

If a Play with an ongoing effect leaves play, is returned to hand, deck, or another zone, or if its effect is copied, any “still ongoing” effects created by that Play are immediately nullified.

If that Play, or a copied version of its effect, is used again, it creates a new instance of the effect and does not resume or stack with a previous instance.

Recursion, replay, or copying of a Play from a previously settled battle does not alter the outcome of that battle in any way. All resolved battles remain final.

5.2 The “If Able” Rule

5.2.1 Partial Resolution

If any part of a Play’s effect cannot be completed due to the current game state, that portion of the effect is ignored. All remaining portions that can legally resolve must do so.

5.2.2 Costs Still Apply

All stated costs, including Hot Dogs, must be paid in full to run a Play, even if some or all of its effects will not resolve.

5.2.3 Discard as a Requirement vs. Discard as an Effect

A discard instruction can function in one of two ways:

A. Discard as a Requirement

• If a Play instructs a player to discard a card as a prerequisite to gaining an effect (for example, the discard appears at the start of the text or is written as “Discard X to…”), that discard must be completed for the effect to occur.
• If the player cannot discard the required card(s), the Play may still be run, but its effect is nullified.

B. Discard as an Effect

• If a discard occurs as part of the Play’s resolution (for example, later in the text or conditional on another outcome), the Play resolves as much as possible.
• If the discard cannot occur, only that portion of the effect is ignored.

5.2.4 “Send to Discard” Clarification

Any instruction that directs a card to be sent to the discard pile is treated as discarding a card for all rules purposes.

5.3 Card Commitment

5.3.1 Committing a Card

A card is considered committed when a player places it into play and fully removes their hand from it. Until that moment, the card may be picked back up, even if visible to the opponent.

5.3.2 Cost and Resolution Timing

Once a card is committed, the player must immediately pay any required costs and resolve its effect.