Ability or Card Ability

An ability is the special game text a card contributes to the game.

Unless an ability explicitly references an out-of-play area (such as a hand, deck, archives, or discard pile), that ability can only interact with cards that are in play.

Ability Types:

  • Action: To use an “Action:” ability during their turn, the active player must exhaust the card. The ability then resolves.
  • Constant: If a card has an ability that does not have a boldfaced precursor, the ability is a constant ability that is active so long as the card remains in play and meets all conditions specified by the ability. Constant abilities on a card are active even while that card is exhausted. Applying the effects of a constant ability is not considered using a card and therefore does not cause the card to exhaust.
  • Fight: If a card is used to attack and the attacker is not destroyed, all “Fight:” abilities on the attacking creature then resolve. If either creature in a fight has a constant ability referencing the end of the fight (example: “after an enemy creature is destroyed fighting this creature…”), the creature must survive the fight to resolve the ability. Only the attacker can trigger “Fight:” abilities.
  • Play: When a card has a “Play:” ability, the effect occurs any time the card is played. For creatures, artifacts, and upgrades, the ability resolves immediately after the card enters play. For action cards, the ability resolves, and then the card is placed in its owner’s discard pile. If an ability “plays” a card from a source other than hand, “Play:” abilities on the card resolve. If an ability “puts” a card “into play,” “Play:” abilities on the card do not resolve.
  • Reap: When a player uses a creature to reap, the player exhausts the creature, gains 1 Æmber for their Æmber pool, and then all “Reap:” abilities on the creature resolve.
  • Omni: The active player may trigger any ”Omni:“ abilities under their control during any of their turns, even if the card with the ”Omni:“ ability does not belong to the active house.

Mack the Knife has both an Action ability (Deal 1 damage...) and two Constant abilities (Elusive and You may use Mack the Knife as if it belonged to the active house)

Mighty Javelin has the Omni ability: Sacrifice Mighty Javelin, Deal 4 damage to a creature

Horseman of Pestilence has Play, Fight, and Reap abilities. Deal 1 damage to each non-Horseman creature.