Thought it might be time for a new Keyword listing now that were coming onto several new sets. Plus, I didn't feel right editing somewan's thread, so I thought I'd do the same glossary style listing with some of the new Keywords and with my usual wordiness.
The following are the most current keywords and some words used in card text that may not be self-explanatory.
Ally: Ally abilities are generally self-explanatory. Whenever a character you control becomes powered-up, this Ally ability will trigger and be added to the chain. If multiple Ally abilities trigger at once, you can add them to the chain in any order you wish. It doesn't matter if it is powered-up by an effect or by a standard power-up effect, this effect will still trigger, unless the effect itself has some kind of restriction.
Boost: Characters with a Boost effect require you to pay that many Resource Points if you want to use the effect that follows the word Boost. Since you can only have resource points during your Recruit Step, this is the only time you will be able to play a Boost cost. Bane, The Man Who Broke The Bat (DOR-064) has a Boost effect that reads:
Not all Boost costs require you to use them when the character comes into play like Bane does. And not all end when the turn ends. Always refer to the text of the Boost effect to be sure you can meet its requirements and, of course, always make sure you can afford pay the resource points. You do not have to pay for a Boost cost of you don't want to or you don't have the points, however you will not gain that effect.
Concealed: Concealed characters come into play and can only come into play in the hidden area. (There is more on Concealed in the VS Basics thread in this same section.)
Concealed - Optional: If they have the word Optional, then then Concealed characters came come into play in either area of your choice. Hidden or visible. (There is more on Concealed-Optional in the VS Basics thread in this same section.)
Cosmic: Characters with a Cosmic effect come into play with a cosmic counter. As long as the character has this cosmic counter, it has the effect that follows. When a character with Cosmic becomes stunned, it looses its counter along with its Cosmic effect. It cannot gain it back unless another modifier gives it a cosmic counter. A character cannot have more then one cosmic counter.
Evasion: Evasion is single word chosen to represent a payment power. The payment power it represents reads like this: "Stun this character -> At the start of the recovery phase this turn, recover this character."
If you use this power, then the character recovers during the Recovery Phase as a result of the effect. It doesn't count as your one free recovery per turn.
Invulnerability: Certain effects might grant a character invulnerability. All this means is when the character stuns, its controller does not loose the stun endurance loss he normally would from a character stunning. Invulnerability does not prevent breakthrough endurance like reinforcement does. It's also not a bolded Keyword in card text.
Leader: Leader powers are all pretty self explanatory. Characters adjacent to the a Leader character gain the effect listed after the word "Leader". "Adjacent" means that the characters must be directly to the right, left, front or back of the Leader character. No spaces or other characters in between.
Loyalty: This keyword represents this: "Recruit this card only if you control a character that shares at least one team affiliation with this card." If for some reason you control no characters, or your characters in play do not share at least one team affiliation with your Loyalty character, then you cannot recruit it. Bear in mind that Loyalty only applies to the recruitment.
Replace: Not a Keyword you'll find bolded in any card text, but it is one of those words that represents a specific action. When you are instructed to replace a resource, you first KO that resource. Then whoever controlled that resource takes the top card of his deck and places it face-down into his resource row.
Reservist: Most Reservist characters still have this text: Reservist (You may recruit this card from your resource row. If you do, you may put a card from your hand face down into your resource row.) Fairly self-explanatory. Remember that placing a card from you hand into your resource row is optional. If you want to stay down a resource you may. Also remember that, since this happens during the recruit step, you've already generated the resource point that card represented back during the resource step. You do not loose that resource point until you spend it or until the recruit step ends.
Transferable: This keyword is only found on equipments. At the start of the formation step, you may move equipments with this keyword to another appropriate character.
Unique: This keyword functions the same as the uniqueness rule does for characters and locations. If you already control an equipment with Unique and you attempt to recruit another equipment with that same name, then the previously played equipment will be placed into the KO'd pile. As always, uniqueness is only checked when a character or equip is recruited. Or when a location is flipped.
Willpower: This keyword does nothing on it's own. It is simply a stat that other modifiers may alter and draw upon. Characters without the keyword "Willpower" have Willpower 0.
The following are the most current keywords and some words used in card text that may not be self-explanatory.
Ally: Ally abilities are generally self-explanatory. Whenever a character you control becomes powered-up, this Ally ability will trigger and be added to the chain. If multiple Ally abilities trigger at once, you can add them to the chain in any order you wish. It doesn't matter if it is powered-up by an effect or by a standard power-up effect, this effect will still trigger, unless the effect itself has some kind of restriction.
Boost: Characters with a Boost effect require you to pay that many Resource Points if you want to use the effect that follows the word Boost. Since you can only have resource points during your Recruit Step, this is the only time you will be able to play a Boost cost. Bane, The Man Who Broke The Bat (DOR-064) has a Boost effect that reads:
Notice that this Boost effect can only be used when Bane comes into play. If you recruited Bane (Bane being a 6 cost character) then you would have to be on turn 7 at least (or at least have 7 resource points) in order to pay for Bane's Boost cost.Boost 1: When Bane comes into play, he gets +2 ATK and +2 DEF this turn.
Not all Boost costs require you to use them when the character comes into play like Bane does. And not all end when the turn ends. Always refer to the text of the Boost effect to be sure you can meet its requirements and, of course, always make sure you can afford pay the resource points. You do not have to pay for a Boost cost of you don't want to or you don't have the points, however you will not gain that effect.
Concealed: Concealed characters come into play and can only come into play in the hidden area. (There is more on Concealed in the VS Basics thread in this same section.)
Concealed - Optional: If they have the word Optional, then then Concealed characters came come into play in either area of your choice. Hidden or visible. (There is more on Concealed-Optional in the VS Basics thread in this same section.)
Cosmic: Characters with a Cosmic effect come into play with a cosmic counter. As long as the character has this cosmic counter, it has the effect that follows. When a character with Cosmic becomes stunned, it looses its counter along with its Cosmic effect. It cannot gain it back unless another modifier gives it a cosmic counter. A character cannot have more then one cosmic counter.
Evasion: Evasion is single word chosen to represent a payment power. The payment power it represents reads like this: "Stun this character -> At the start of the recovery phase this turn, recover this character."
If you use this power, then the character recovers during the Recovery Phase as a result of the effect. It doesn't count as your one free recovery per turn.
Invulnerability: Certain effects might grant a character invulnerability. All this means is when the character stuns, its controller does not loose the stun endurance loss he normally would from a character stunning. Invulnerability does not prevent breakthrough endurance like reinforcement does. It's also not a bolded Keyword in card text.
Leader: Leader powers are all pretty self explanatory. Characters adjacent to the a Leader character gain the effect listed after the word "Leader". "Adjacent" means that the characters must be directly to the right, left, front or back of the Leader character. No spaces or other characters in between.
Loyalty: This keyword represents this: "Recruit this card only if you control a character that shares at least one team affiliation with this card." If for some reason you control no characters, or your characters in play do not share at least one team affiliation with your Loyalty character, then you cannot recruit it. Bear in mind that Loyalty only applies to the recruitment.
Replace: Not a Keyword you'll find bolded in any card text, but it is one of those words that represents a specific action. When you are instructed to replace a resource, you first KO that resource. Then whoever controlled that resource takes the top card of his deck and places it face-down into his resource row.
Reservist: Most Reservist characters still have this text: Reservist (You may recruit this card from your resource row. If you do, you may put a card from your hand face down into your resource row.) Fairly self-explanatory. Remember that placing a card from you hand into your resource row is optional. If you want to stay down a resource you may. Also remember that, since this happens during the recruit step, you've already generated the resource point that card represented back during the resource step. You do not loose that resource point until you spend it or until the recruit step ends.
Transferable: This keyword is only found on equipments. At the start of the formation step, you may move equipments with this keyword to another appropriate character.
Unique: This keyword functions the same as the uniqueness rule does for characters and locations. If you already control an equipment with Unique and you attempt to recruit another equipment with that same name, then the previously played equipment will be placed into the KO'd pile. As always, uniqueness is only checked when a character or equip is recruited. Or when a location is flipped.
Willpower: This keyword does nothing on it's own. It is simply a stat that other modifiers may alter and draw upon. Characters without the keyword "Willpower" have Willpower 0.
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