The State of all Game Objects in the Play Area is also Public Information. Examples: If a Unit is Buffed If a Gear is Exhausted Etc.
Unit and Gear are permanent types.
Units are at one of several Locations while on the Board: a Battlefield or their Base.
Units and their details are Public Information while on the Board.
Units can be chosen, affected, or manipulated by spells, affects, or game actions that specify Units.
Units can be Killed. See rule 428. Kill for more information.
Units are treated as Cards, similar to when in the Hand.
They retain the properties of being a Unit, but are not on the Board and thus cannot take actions or be affected by spells, abilities, or game actions that target Units on the Board.
Units can be affected by spells and game effects that target Units in the Trash.
Damage is a marked value that is applied to Units.
Damage tracks how close a Unit is to being Killed. See rule 428. Kill for more information.
Units have multiple Intrinsic Properties unique to them:
Tag: A Unit has zero or more Tags representing one or more champions, regions, factions, or species it belongs to.
Might: The combat statistic of a Unit. Used to determine a Unit's contribution to Combat, as well as when it is Killed by damaging effects.
If a Unit ever has nonzero damage marked on it equalling or exceeding its Might, it is Killed.
Units can have damage marked on them.
When spells, abilities, or other game effects deal damage, Units mark that damage on them temporarily. This can be tracked with coins, dice, or other markers, or by memory.
Damage is Healed from Units at two specific times:
Units enter the Board exhausted.
Units have the Inherent Ability to perform a Standard Move.
Exhausting the Unit is the Cost for this action.
Players may perform multiple Units' standard move simultaneously.
The Costs of Exhausting the Units are also paid Simultaneously.
The Destinations where Units can Move to with their Standard Move are restricted:
Units may move from their Base to a Battlefield.
Units may move from a Battlefield to their Base.
Ganking is a unique ability that affects a Unit's Standard Move
Units with Ganking may use their Standard Move to Move from Battlefield to Battlefield. See rule 810. Ganking for more information.
Units may have Activated Abilities.
The Activated Ability of Units may be executed at any time during the controlling player's Main Phase during an Open State, and not during a Showdown.
Some Power is Universal and can be used to pay for costs of any Domain.
Any number of Units can be present at a Battlefield.
Battlefields can be “occupied.” This means they have a Unit present.
Contested is a temporary status applied to the battlefield when a Unit controlled by a Player who does not currently Control that Battlefield Moves or otherwise becomes present there.
Units moving to or being played to a battlefield apply Contested status if that battlefield is not already contested and that Unit’s controller does not already control that battlefield.
Control is established by having Units at a Battlefield at the end of a Showdown or Combat after applying the contested status.
If a player controls Units at a Battlefield, outside of Combat, they maintain Control of that Battlefield for as long as they have Units at that Battlefield.
If a player has no Units at a Battlefield and the turn is in an Open state, they lose Control of that Battlefield in the following cleanup, unless there is a Combat or Showdown ongoing there.
A Combat occurs as a result of Units controlled by opposing players being present at the same Battlefield.
Insert “2c. Heal all Units.”
2. Assign or Remove the Attacker or Defender designation from Units as needed if there is a Combat in progress
If there are Units present at the Battlefield the Combat is taking place at, but do not have a designation, they gain the same designation as their Controller now
If there are Units present at the Battlefield the Combat is taking place at, but have the opposite designation of their controller, they lose that designation, and gain the same designation as their controller now
If there are Units at locations other than the Battlefield that the Combat is taking place at, but have either Attacker or Defender designations, they lose those designations now
3a. All Units that have non-zero Damage marked on them equalling or exceeding their Might that have Deathknell abilities will trigger their Deathknell ability now, making note of their current location, attributes, and other information relevant to add the trigger as a Pending Item See rule 808 Deathknell for more information.
3b. All Units that have non-zero Damage marked on them equalling or exceeding their Might are killed and placed in their owners' Trash.
4. If the turn is in an Open State, Battlefields with no Units occupying them and no Showdown or Combat ongoing become Uncontrolled.
5. Recall all Unattached non-Unit Gear at Battlefields, and all Permanents and Runes in Bases other than their controller’s. Remove all Hidden cards from all Battlefields that are not controlled by the same player and place them in their owner's Trash.
The Combat remains Staged at that Battlefield as long as there are Units present from two opposing players there.
For Units, choose a valid Location where that Unit will be placed upon being Played.
Some Game Effects may grant players permission to play Units to locations that are not normally Valid. Such locations become Valid for the purposes of Playing the Unit.
For Spells and Abilities that Move one or more Units, choose a valid Location as the Move Destination for each Move that will be performed.
A valid Location is one other than the Units’ current Location where they are allowed to be present.
If a card specifies that an amount of damage may be split among some number of Units, then each Unit chosen is Targeted.
Ensure that the outcome of the effect of this card being played would not create an illegal state. Example: Check that a spell's execution does not create a state where a Battlefield has Units controlled by 3 different players.
If it is a Unit, it enters the Board exhausted at the Location that was chosen.
These are commonly structured as “When you play me…” for Units and “When you play this…” for Gear.
Conquer Effects are Triggered Abilities with a Condition of a Unit participating in, and successfully Conquering a Battlefield.
This category of Triggered Abilities encompasses only those that are triggered from Units that were present during the Conquer action, or Abilities that reference the player that performed the Conquer action.
The Conquer Abilities of Units are put on the Chain as Pending Items after the Unit(s) these effects correspond to are present at a Battlefield when a player gains control of it and gains 1 Victory Point from Conquering.
Hold Effects are Triggered Abilities with a Condition of a Unit being present at a Battlefield during the Beginning phase when a player scores Victory Points from Holding.
This category of Triggered Abilities encompasses only those that are triggered from Units that were present during the Hold action, or Abilities that reference the player that performed the Hold action.
The Hold Abilities of Units are put on the Chain as Pending Items after the Unit these effects correspond to are present at a Battlefield when a player maintains control of it and Gains 1 Victory Point during their Beginning Phase from Holding.
Attack Triggers are Triggered Abilities that trigger when a Unit gains the Attacker designation for the first time during a combat.
These Triggered Abilities are put on the Chain as Pending Items after the Unit these effects correspond to gains the Attacker designation during Combat.
These triggers will only have their condition checked once per combat, despite a Unit being able to gain and lose the Attacker designation multiple times in the same combat.
Defend Triggers are Triggered Abilities that trigger when a Unit gains the Defender designation for the first time during a combat.
These Triggered Abilities are put on the Chain as Pending Items after the Unit these effects correspond to gains the Defender designation during Combat.
These triggers will only have their condition checked once per combat, despite a Unit being able to gain and lose the Defender designation multiple times in the same combat.
Delayed Abilities are not associated with Units or Gear; they are created by other Abilities or Spells. As such they are executed when their condition and/or specified time occurs regardless of whether the source of the Delayed Ability is still on the board or not.
When an Ability with the [Add] action is finalized it resolves immediately instead of becoming a Chain Item, like a Unit or Gear.
As long as it does not result in any forbidden action being taken or game state being created. Example: A player can't use the Standard Move discretionary action to move a unit to a Battlefield that's already occupied by Units controlled by two other players.
A Unit that is already Exhausted cannot be Exhausted again.
If a Unit is instructed to be Exhausted while it is already Exhausted, nothing additional happens.
A Unit that is already Ready cannot be Readied again.
If a Unit is instructed to be Readied while it is already Ready, nothing additional happens.
To Deal Damage to Units, mark the specified amount of Damage on the Unit.
Damage can be Dealt to more than one Unit at the same time.
Damage Dealt as a result of being assigned during Combat has the Units as its source.
Damage being cleared from Units is Healing.
More than one Unit can be Healed at the same time.
The Standard Move inherent to Units may also cause Movement. See rule 144.for more information on the Standard Move.
The Standard Move inherent to Units is a Discretionary Action.
The Cost is Exhausting one or more Units.
The Effect is Moving those Unit.
Stunning is the act of selecting one or more Units on the Board and rendering them Stunned.
Stunned is a binary state. A Unit is Stunned or it isn't.
Buffing is the action of placing a Buff counter on a Unit. See rule 701. Buffs for more information.
The Killed Unit or Gear is said to be Killed by that Game Object.
A spell or ability that contains a Kill instruction is responsible for Killing the Unit or Gear.
When one or more Units is killed due to a Cleanup, that kill action is attributed to the spell or ability that resolved immediately prior to that Cleanup that dealt damage to the Unit or Units. The player responsible for the deal action is responsible for the kill action.
When damage is Prevented, it is replaced with an event where it deals that much damage reduced by the Prevent Value tracked on the Unit specifically.
When damage is dealt this way, reduce the Prevent Value being tracked on the Unit affected by the Prevent action by the prevented amount.
If the Prevent Value is 0 or less, then Prevent is no longer being tracked on the Unit in question, and the effect expires.
Damage dealt to a Unit that has that all of that damage Prevented is not considered to have been dealt to it at all.
Damage can still be assigned to Units in combat that are affected by Prevent. The damage dealt as a result of that assignment will be affected by the Prevent action.
Damage can be assigned to a Unit up to a value that would be Lethal considering the Prevent Value of all Prevent Actions on a Unit. Example: A unit with 2 [M] is being assigned damage in the combat damage step. The unit has “prevent the first 3 damage I would take each combat.” The unit would need to be assigned 5 damage in order to have lethal damage assigned to it.
In Modes of Play with more than two players, Battlefields with Staged Combats or Combats in Progress are Invalid Destinations for Moves of all kinds (Standard Moves or otherwise) by Units controlled by Players not involved in those Combats or who don't already have permanents at that Battlefield.
In Modes of Play with teammates, Battlefields Controlled by a player’s teammates are Invalid Destinations for Moves of all kinds (Standard Moves or otherwise) by Units that player controls.
If an action would require a Move that would cause a Unit to become present in a Location where it cannot move for any reason, such as a Battlefield with two players that are not the controller of the Unit performing this Move action are in a Combat or such a Combat is Staged, it instead Recalls. See rule 449. Recalls for more information.
Units are the only Permanents that can Move.
Players may choose to move their Units with the Standard Move. See rule 144.for more information on the Standard Move.
The Destination becomes Contested if it is a Battlefield not controlled by the controller of the Unit or Units that moved.
Units may cause a Showdown without a Combat when they Move.
A Showdown is opened when a Move causes a Battlefield to become Contested while it has no Units present from any player other than those that just moved.
Units may cause Combat when they Move.
A Combat is opened when a Move causes a Battlefield to become Contested and Units controlled by opposing players, or when a Move causes Units controlled by opposing players to become present in the same Battlefield where a Showdown is ongoing. See rule 454. Combat for more information.
If more than one Battlefield has Units controlled by opposing players at it at the same time, the Turn Player decides which Combat to resolve first.
Combat can only occur between Units controlled by exactly two players.
In Modes of Play with more than two players, Battlefields with Staged Combats or Combats in Progress are Invalid Destinations for Moves of all kinds (Standard Moves or otherwise) by Units controlled by Players not involved in those Combats or who don't already have Units at that Battlefield. See rule 442.2.a.for more information on Invalid Destinations.
In Modes of Play with more than two players, Battlefields with Staged Combats or Combats in Progress are Invalid to be chosen as a location to play one or more Units by a player not involved in that Combat by any means,
If an effect would require a Unit be played to a Battlefield with a Staged Combat or a Combat in Progress, where the controller of the played unit is not a participant, instead the Unit is played to its controller's Base.
Any subsequent reference to "here" in the corresponding effect is reassigned to the Controller's Base, where the Unit was played. Any further effects that may be invalidated are invalidated as if the effect was mistargeted. See rule 355.6. Targeting for more information on Mistargeting.
If a Unit controlled by the Attacker becomes present at this Battlefield after this moment, it will gain the Attacker designation during the Cleanup phase following the action that caused it to become present
If a Unit controlled by the Defender becomes present at this Battlefield after this moment it will gain the Defender designation during the Cleanup phase following the action that caused it to become present
Starting with the Attacker, each player assigns an amount of damage equal to their summed Might among the other's Units.
Units must have lethal damage assigned to them in full before damage is assigned to a different Unit. Example: If a player has 5 damage to distribute among four 3 Might units, they may not choose to assign 2 damage to one of the units and 1 damage to each of the remaining 3. They must assign at least 3 damage to one, and the remaining 2 to another.
Units cannot have more damage assigned to them than the minimum required to constitute lethal damage unless no further units remain to have damage assigned to them.
If multiple Units have abilities or effects that require a player to assign them damage with the same priority, that player may assign damage to those units in any order. Example: A player is assigning damage to the following units: two units with Tank ("I must be assigned combat damage first.") and one unit with no abilities. That player chooses one of the units with Tank and assigns combat damage to it. Then they must assign any remaining damage first to the other unit with Tank, then to the unit with no abilities.
If a Unit has one or more Abilities or effects applying to it that demand it be assigned damage in a specific way that is exclusionary, then the assigning player chooses only one of those abilities to apply when assigning damage. Example: Caitlyn, Patrolling ("I must be assigned combat damage last.") has been given the Tank ability ("I must be assigned combat damage first."). A player is assigning damage to this Caitlyn with Tank and two units with no abilities. That player can’t fulfill both of Caitlyn’s damage requirements, so they may choose to assign damage to Caitlyn first, fulfilling the Tank requirement, or last, fulfilling Caitlyn’s printed requirement. They can’t choose to apply damage to Caitlyn in between the other two units, because that wouldn’t fulfill either requirement.
Insert “3c. Heal all Units.”
Units at this battlefield inherit the same combat result as their controllers
There is “No Result” if either both Players have units present during this step, or neither player has units present during this step.
If “No Result” was reached, and both players have units remaining, stage a Combat at this battlefield.
1. If no Showdown or Combat is staged at this location, the player with Units remaining here Establishes Control.
If there are no Units remaining here controlled by any player, the Battlefield becomes Uncontrolled.
Remove Attacker and Defender Designation from all Units and Players.
Players may not issue Standard Movement to their Teammate's Units.
Friendly describes controlled Game Objects by a player or their Teammate. Example: "When I am played, ready a friendly unit" could target a player's own Units or their teammate's Units.
Buffs are objects placed on Units.
To Buff a Unit, a player chooses a Unit and then places a buff on it. That Unit is Buffed for as long as the buff remains on it.
Spending a Buff removes a single Buff counter from a Unit.
A buff cannot be spent from a Unit that does not have a buff.
There can only be one Buff on a Unit at a time.
If a Buff is added, or instructed to be added, on a Unit that already has a Buff, it is not placed instead.
Each Buff individually contributes +1 Might to a Unit.
If a Unit leaves play, remove all Buffs from it.
A Unit "is Mighty" as long as its Might is 5 or greater.
A Unit "becomes Mighty" at the moment its Might changes from being less than 5 to being 5 or greater. Example: A Unit with Might 4 that gets +1 [M] becomes Mighty. Example: A Unit with Might 5 that gets +1 [M] does not become Mighty, because it was already Mighty.
Some card text refers to Units in particular ways:
Accelerate is a Unit ability.
Action does not alter the function of any instruction of the corresponding card or effect it is on. It is only permission. Example: Playing a Unit with Action still has the inherent restrictions of playing Units without Action. It can only be played to the controlling player's base or a battlefield they control.
Playing Units with Reaction still has the inherent restrictions of playing Units without Reaction. It can only be played to the controlling player's base or a battlefield they control.
Equip has a cost to activate and Attaches the card with Equip to a chosen Unit when the cost is paid.
The chosen Unit will become the Top-Most Card for the Attach action.
When the Attach action completes from this keyword, the Unit that was chosen is considered to have been Equipped by the Gear with this ability.
Quick-Draw is functionally short for “[Reaction]” and “When you play this, attach it to a Unit you control.” See rule 716. Attachment for more information.
Weaponmaster is present on Units.
Weaponmaster, and whether or not a unit has Weaponmaster, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.
It is functionally short for "I may be played to a battlefield where you control Units" and “I have [Reaction] as long as I’m being played to a battlefield where you control Units.”
It is a passive ability that adds options to locations that are valid for a Unit to be played to during the Make Relevant Choices step of Playing a Card See rule 349. Playing Cards for more information
Other effects and permissions may still enable this Unit to be able to be played to the selected location, but Ambush’s permission will not be valid
Hunt is present on Units.
Unique is a Deck Constraint Permission.
Unique is not functionally short for any rules text, and instead provides a restriction to players during Deck Construction.
A Deck can contain only one card of a given name if the card has Unique
If a card is a Signature card and is also Unique, then that Deck can contain any combination of three Signature cards, but still only one of each named Unique card.
Cards with Unique have no additional effects during gameplay.
Unique, and whether or not a Card has Unique, is a characteristic of the Unit and may be checked or referenced by other Game Effects.