The time stream has been compromised. Robots from the future mingle with pirates, extinct dinosaurs move with magical wizards... everything is all smashed up! That’s where the Time Patrol steps in. Organized in 1976 and led by the enigmatic Doctor When, the Time Patrol works to keep time flowing... in the manner they deem best.
- - Science Fiction Double Feature rulebook
The Time Travelers are one of the 4 factions from the Science Fiction Double Feature set.
Relive the past and determine the future as the Time Travelers.
Other factions from the same set: Cyborg Apes, Shapeshifters, Super Spies.
Cards[]
The Time Travelers have the usual 10 minions and 10 actions. The total minion base power (not counting any abilities) is the usual 30 or an average of 3 per minion. They are also one of the rare factions to have received a titan from the TITANS Event Kit.
Among their actions, there are:
- 0 play-on-minion actions,
- 1 play-on-base action: Stasis Field,
- 9 standard actions (5 that affect one or more minions, in bold): 1.21 Gigawatts, Do Over! (2x), Into the Time Slip (2x), It’s Astounding, Time is Fleeting, Time Walk, Wormhole,
- 0 actions that directly increase a minion's power.
Minions[]
1x Doctor When - power 5 - You may return another of your minions in play to your hand. You may play it again as an extra minion. FAQ
2x Repeater Perfect - power 4 - Place an action from your discard pile on top of your deck. FAQ
3x Time Raider - power 3 - Talent: Place a card from your discard pile on the bottom of your deck. FAQ
4x Jumper - power 2 - Ongoing: When this minion goes to the discard pile (from play), you may place it back into your hand. FAQ
Actions[]
1x 1.21 Gigawatts - Shuffle all actions or all minions from your discard pile into your deck. FAQ
2x Do Over! - Return your minion from a base to your hand. You may play it again as an extra minion. FAQ
2x Into the Time Slip - Return a card in play to its owner’s hand. FAQ
1x It’s Astounding - Play an action from your discard pile as an extra action. FAQ
1x Stasis Field - Play on a base. Ongoing: This base cannot score. Destroy this action at the start of your turn. FAQ
1x Time is Fleeting - Special: Play after a base scores if there is a base in the discard pile. Add a base of your choice from the discard pile instead of drawing a new base from the base deck. (errata'd by The Bigger Geekier Box) FAQ
1x Time Walk - You may play an extra minion and an extra action this turn. Draw 2 cards. Place this card on the bottom of your deck instead of your discard pile. FAQ
1x Wormhole - Special: Play after a base scores. Shuffle your minions there into your deck instead of placing them in the discard pile. FAQ
Titan[]
- (available in each Smash Up TITANS pack released with the TITANS Event Kit)
1x Time Box - Special: At the start of your turn or when a card goes to your hand from play or the discard pile, place a counter on this titan if it is not in play. After you place the fifth or higher counter on it, you may remove all of the counters and play this titan. Talent: Play an extra minion here of power 2 or less, and/or play an extra action. FAQ
Bases[]
Clarifications[]
Here are the official clarifications as they appear in The Bigger Geekier Box rulebook:
1.21 Gigawatts: The “or” is exclusive: choose either actions or minions, not both.
Do Over, Doctor When: Play the extra minion immediately or not at all.
It’s Astounding: Play the extra action immediately, before discarding It’s Astounding.
Time is Fleeting: You may not choose the same base that just scored.
Time Box: The counters here are only for literal counting and are not treated as +1 power counters. Before this card is played no other ability may affect these counters.
Time Walk: You don’t have to play extra cards before drawing the 2 cards, unless you play Time Walk outside your Play Cards phase.
Mechanics[]
To put it simply, Time Travelers slow down and speed up time, and make things happen over and over again in loops. They replay minions, actions, and even bases, force their opponents to replay cards, delay bases from breaking, and their Jumpers escape the discard pile. Time Travelers tend to accelerate as your deck empties out, due to Time Walk and how it gets easier to stack your deck, although they are bad at getting it empty. Many of their mechanics were seen in earlier factions (Aliens, Ninjas, Zombies, Minions of Cthulhu), but Time Travelers bring all the loopy stuff together in one big wibbly wobbly timey wimey ball, plus some new stuff.
Time Box[]
Jumpers have an ability similar to First Mates. Ordinarily however, Jumpers are rather cumbersome minions, tending to accumulate in your hand. Their ability only makes themselves available to replay and nothing else, but Time Travelers don't have enough extra minion plays to replay them. The titan Time Box from the TITANS Event Kit fixes this through its interaction with the Jumpers; the Jumpers help add counters to it and its ability plays extra Jumpers (as well as other minions of 2 power like First Mate).
Strategy[]
Time Travelers are a somewhat complicated faction. In this case, timing is everything, and knowing when the time is right to do things mostly comes from experience. When should you delay a base from scoring with Stasis Field, or execute a Bait and Switch with Doctor When? Which cards should you choose to replay later in the game? The future is difficult to predict, but some things are more likely to happen than others.
Time Walk[]
Undoubtedly one of Time Travelers' best actions, Time Walk lends itself towards getting played more often the smaller your deck becomes. Even though you put it on the bottom of your deck, you can shuffle your deck to put it closer to the top, and pad it up from below with Time Raider.
Every time you empty your deck, you will have Time Walk in your hand. So it follows that if you empty your deck every turn, you can play Time Walk every turn. Time Raider and Repeater Perfect make maintaining this feat simple. Just send 2 minions and 1 action back into your deck every turn, timed so you never draw cards from your empty deck.
You get to pick exactly the cards you want, so your deck is no longer random. The implications are immense; the Time Travelers are basically a ticking time bomb waiting to explode on your enemies. The difficulty lies in getting to that point before the game ends, so you have to rely on your partner faction to help draw cards and/or slow down the game.
Synergy[]
Time Walk causes so much distortion in Time Travelers' power balance that factions that help play it tend to fit well. Other good partners play extra minions to help replay Jumpers. Still others have good on-play abilities for Time Travelers to replay.
- Aliens: Replay those Invaders! Doctor When returns and replays them, Repeater Perfect helps you get back actions like Abduction, Beam Up, Do Over!, and Into the Time Slip, and returning him to hand lets you replay him and re-use his ability in turn, and It's Astounding lets you play the aforementioned actions directly from your discard pile.
- Wizards: Blaze through and stack your deck to unleash Time Walk. In addition, Wizards' card draws are all the effects of on-play abilities, which Time Travelers are especially adept at replaying.
- Innsmouth: Play The Locals, replay Mysteries of the Deep, and its Madness cards to sweep out your deck. Jumpers are great substitutes for The Locals, since they always stick around for the next job.
- Super Spies: Draw extra cards with From Q With Love, execute elaborate attacks on your opponents, and stack your deck ever more thoroughly by sending cards to the bottom of your deck to push the rest higher up.
- Grannies: Want to get that Time Walk back quickly? Just move it from the bottom of your deck to the top!
External Strategy Guides[]
- The Smash Up Faction Series #18: Time Travelers
- KOTH #19: Doctor When
- Calling All Titans: Time Box
- Cull the Weak: Time Travelers vs Zombies
- Smash Up Action Awareness #75: Time Walk
FAQ[]
Questions on Doctor When[]
Q: If you return a minion you control but don't own, is it put back in your hand? Can you replay it?
A: No and no. It's returned to its owner's hand, or in the case of a treasure minion, it's discarded in the treasure discard pile. In both cases, you can't replay it, because it's not in your hand.[1]
Rule: Do exactly what the
cardofficial answer says.
Q: It tells me to return "one of my minions". Can I return a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: I play Seastar and get an extra minion play. If I play Doctor When to replay the same Seastar, do I get another extra minion play?
A: No. The limit is on the number of times a Seastar's ability is used. Even if it's the same Seastar, you've already used a Seastar's ability so you can't use it anymore.
Q: I have a minion in play with a talent. I use its talent. If I play Doctor When to replay that minion, can I use its talent again?
A: Yes. Even though it's the same minion, its talent is "refreshed" and can be used again.
Q: Do I have to replay the minion immediately or can I save it for later?
A: You must play it immediately or not at all, even during your Play Cards phase. It cannot be saved for later.
Rule: Extra cards that refer to a specific card must be played immediately or not at all.
Q: After returning the minion, I (somehow) have more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10 before replaying the minion? Or does the returned minion get immediately discarded? Or something else?
A: The minion is returned to your hand and you don't discard any card until your upcoming Draw 2 Cards phase. At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: Can you return one of your minions in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Questions on Repeater Perfect[]
Q: If I play an action that allows me to play an extra minion and if I play Repeater Perfect as that extra minion, can I place the action on the top of my deck using Repeater Perfect's ability?
A: It depends. If the extra minion play can be "banked" for later, then yes. You play the action, bank the extra minion play, and discard the action. When you later use the extra minion play to play Repeater Perfect, the action would already be in the discard pile, so you can retrieve it. However, if the extra minion play is played immediately (e.g. when the extra minion play is gained outside your Play Cards phase, when the extra minion play is gained through a Special ability,...), then you must immediately play the extra minion if you choose to do so, before the action is discarded. In that case, when you play Repeater Perfect, the action isn't in the discard pile and therefore can't be retrieved.
Rule: Standard actions are discarded after they are resolved.
Rule: Extra cards gained by a Special ability must be played immediately or not at all.
Rule: Extra cards gained outside of your Play Cards phase must be played immediately or not at all.
Rule: Extra cards that refer to a specific card must be played immediately or not at all.
Questions on Time Raider[]
Q: I have a Time Raider in play. I use its talent. If I play Doctor When or Do Over! to replay Time Raider, can I use its talent again?
A: Yes. Even though it's the same minion, its talent is "refreshed" and can be used again.
Questions on Jumper[]
Q: Jumper says "from play", while Doppelgänger says "from a base". What's the difference?
A: None. These terms mean the same. To be in play for a minion means to be on a base.[2]
Rule: A card is in play if it is on another card or if it is one of the active bases.
Q: What does it mean for a minion to go to the discard pile from play?
A: It means first being on a base, and then going to the discard pile for whatever reason. Possible reasons include:
- being destroyed (if the minion does end in the discard pile as a result, as such, being destroyed on Tar Pits will result in the minion going to bottom of a deck, not to the discard pile and so won't trigger Jumper),
- being discarded after its base scores,
- and being discarded after the base leaves play outside of scoring (this would happen for indestructible minions after a base is destroyed by There Goes Tokyo).
Q: If Jumper's controller is changed during the game, if it goes to the discard pile, who decides whether its ability is activated or not? And whose hand does it go to? It says "your hand", so it's probably Jumper's current controller, right?
A: It's Jumper's controller who decides whether or not Jumper's ability is activated. But, if they decide that it is, then it will be returned to its owner's hand, not theirs.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: A base scores where I had a Jumper and I already have ten cards in hand. What happens if I decide to place it back in my hand? Is it discarded anyway because I already have ten cards in hand? Do I get it back and immediately have to choose a card to discard?
A: It goes to your hand and you don't discard any card until your next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards. So, if the base scored on another player's turn, you can play your upcoming turn with more than ten cards in hand.
Q: When Jumper goes to the discard pile from stasis, can I place it back into my hand? Being in stasis counts as being in play after all.
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Questions on 1.21 Gigawatts[]
Q: Can I choose to shuffle both my minions and my actions into my deck?
A: No, the "or" here is exclusive.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Do Over![]
Q: If you return a minion you control but don't own, is it put back in your hand? Can you replay it?
A: No and no. It's returned to its owner's hand, or in the case of a treasure minion, it's discarded in the treasure discard pile. In both cases, you can't replay it, because it's not in your hand.[1]
Rule: Do exactly what the
cardofficial answer says.
Q: It tells me to return "one of my minions". Can I return a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: I play Seastar and get an extra minion play. If I play Do Over! to replay the same Seastar, do I get another extra minion play?
A: No. The limit is on the number of times a Seastar's ability is used. Even if it's the same Seastar, you've already used a Seastar's ability so you can't use it anymore.
Q: I have a minion in play with a talent. I use its talent. If I play Do Over! to replay that minion, can I use its talent again?
A: Yes. Even though it's the same minion, its talent is "refreshed" and can be used again.
Q: Do I have to replay the minion immediately or can I save it for later?
A: You must play it immediately or not at all, even during your Play Cards phase. It cannot be saved for later.
Rule: Extra cards that refer to a specific card must be played immediately or not at all.
Q: After returning the minion, I (somehow) have more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10 before replaying the minion? Or does the returned minion get immediately discarded? Or something else?
A: The minion is returned to your hand and you don't discard any card until your upcoming Draw 2 Cards phase. At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that you can't replay Diva as an extra minion that way; Diva only copies the return effect, the rest is resolved as written, in that case "You may play it again as an extra minion" should be understood as "You may play the minion that was directly affected again as an extra minion." Besides, playing a minion doesn't count as affecting it, so you can't use Diva to copy that part either.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it is discarded instead. This is a different answer compared to cards that refer to a minion's owner; this card never refers to the card's owner ("you" means "the controller", who may not be the owner) and so the rule is that the treasure/monster is discarded. Also, note that you can't replay the minion as an extra minion that way; Dancing King only copies the return effect, the rest is resolved as written, in that case "You may play it again as an extra minion" should be understood as "You may play the minion that was directly affected again as an extra minion." Besides, playing a minion doesn't count as affecting it, so you can't use Dancing King to copy that part either.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it is discarded instead. This is a different answer compared to cards that refer to a minion's owner; this card never refers to the card's owner ("you" means "the controller", who may not be the owner) and so the rule is that the treasure/monster is discarded. Also, note that you can't replay the minion as an extra minion that way; We are Family only copies the return effect, the rest is resolved as written, in that case "You may play it again as an extra minion" should be understood as "You may play the minion that was directly affected again as an extra minion." Besides, playing a minion doesn't count as affecting it, so you can't use We are Family to copy that part either.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that you can't replay the minion as an extra minion that way; Funky Town only copies the return effect, the rest is resolved as written, in that case "You may play it again as an extra minion" should be understood as "You may play the minion that was directly affected again as an extra minion." Besides, playing a minion doesn't count as affecting it, so you can't use Funky Town to copy that part either.
Rule: Monsters and treasures go to their own discard pile when they leave play.
Questions on Into the Time Slip[]
Q: If I use this on a minion with actions attached to it, do I discard the actions?
A: Yes.
Q: Another player (or I) already has ten cards in their hand. I return their card to their hand (or one of mine to my hand). Because of the 10-card limit, is it immediately discarded instead? Is it kept and then the player has to choose which card to discard during the next draw 2 cards phase?
A: It goes to its owner's hand and that player doesn't discard any card until their next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, they will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if they have more than 10. That's the only moment where they must discard down to 10. At any other time, they keep their hand of cards.
Q: Can I return a monster or a treasure with this card?
A: No. Monsters have no owners, so Into the Time Slip won't work on them. The rulebook even states that such cards don't apply to them. Similarly, treasures have no owners, so it could also apply to treasures.
Rule: Cards that refer to a card’s owner do not apply to monsters or treasures.
Q: Can I return a base with this card? A base is a card after all.
A: No. Bases have no owners, so the rule about monsters can also be generalized to bases.
Rule: Bases have no owners.
Q: Can I return a titan with this card? A titan is a card with an owner after all.
A: Yes, since this card does not specifically target minions or actions, it can target titans! However, the titan will simply be removed from play and set aside near its owner's deck rather than returned to its owner's hand.
Rule: Titans have owners but never go to their owners' hands, decks or discard piles.
Q: Can I return a buried card with this card? If so, I suppose we reveal to see who its owner is.
A: Yes, the buried card can be returned since this card does not specifically target minions or actions, it can target buried cards as well! However, you don't reveal what the buried card is! The only times when a buried card is revealed is when it's uncovered and when it's discarded. At any other times, the buried card remains hidden and its current owner is its current controller, therefore it's in their hand that the card is returned to.
Rule: A buried card's controller is considered its owner until it is uncovered or discarded.
Q: Can you return a card in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it affects one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action.
Rule: Cards that refer to a card’s owner do not apply to monsters or treasures.
Questions on It’s Astounding[]
Q: Since the extra action isn't played immediately, but is saved for later. Can you play It's Astounding, bank an extra action (with the restriction that it must be from the discard pile), discard It's Astounding because you're done resolving it, then choose to play It's Astounding as the extra action? Rinse and repeat, over and over again...
A: Actually, The Bigger Geekier Box clarifies that the extra action must be played immediately before It’s Astounding is discarded.
Rule: Extra cards that refer to a specific card must be played immediately or not at all.
Q: I play Time Travelers-Smash Up All Stars. I have one It’s Astounding in the discard pile and the other in hand. Can I endlessly play one with the other?
A: Actually, The Bigger Geekier Box clarifies that the extra action must be played immediately before It’s Astounding is discarded. So when you play the second one, the first It’s Astounding is not already discarded and so you can't play it using the second one, it must be an action that's currently in the discard pile.
Rule: Extra cards that refer to a specific card must be played immediately or not at all.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Stasis Field[]
Q: When do you actually destroy this card? Does it remain until the player who played it chooses to destroy it or is it destroyed at the start of that person's next turn?
A: It's destroyed during the Start Turn phase of that player, and it is a mandatory destruction, so as soon as it's their Start Turn phase, they must destroy it. Even if it is played during their Start Turn phase, they must destroy it during that same phase.
Rule: "At the start of your turn" means "during the Start Turn (phase 1) of each of your turns".
Rule: If you do something during your Start Turn phase, it is still the start of your turn.
Q: Why is it Ongoing if it eventually destroys itself?
A: It's an Ongoing, so its effect lasts for as long as the card is in play. But the effect only lasts until your next turn, so it needs to destroy itself to make itself stop.
Q: An opponent plays this card on a base. My turn is next, so at the start of my turn, this action is destroyed, right? It's a base action after all and base abilities concern all players, right?
A: No. Your opponent played the action, so they control it, and therefore the action only addresses them and the ability must be interpreted from their point of view. So "your turn" means "their turn". Also, a base's ability is only the text at the bottom of the base card, but an action's ability is just that action's ability, even if played on a base.
Rule: A play-on-base action doesn't give an ability to the base that any player can use.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: What happens when I use a Mole to play Stasis Field onto the scoring base?
A: The scoring stops for that base, but you must continue the Score Bases if another base is ready to score.
Q: I play Stasis Field on a base. On their turn, the other players play minions on it, which brings the total power there over its breakpoint, but the base still doesn't score because of Stasis Field. At the start of my next turn, Stasis Field is destroyed. Does the base score right away or do I still have a chance to play cards there?
A: Stasis Field is destroyed during phase 1 of your turn. You only check if any base scores during phase 3, so you still have the phase 2 of your turn to do, i.e. your Play Cards phase.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it says "Play on a base", which means that it is not a standard action.
Questions on Time is Fleeting[]
Q: When can you play Time is Fleeting? It doesn't say "Special".
A: The Bigger Geekier Box gave this an erratum. It now says "Special".
Q: Can you play Time is Fleeting and put into play the base that was just scored?
A: No, The Bigger Geekier Box clarifies that you cannot choose the base that just scored.
Q: Time is Fleeting lets you choose a new base from the discard pile. School of Wizardry or The Nexus lets the winner choose the next base. Which one takes precedence?
A: The current player chooses which one takes precedence. Once a method for chosing the next base has been chosen, the other methods are ignored.
Q: On School of Wizardry, what if the winner is playing Time Travelers; can they look at the top three bases and then decide to play Time is Fleeting and pick a base from the discard pile instead?
A: No. If you're looking at the top three bases, then you're already resolving School of Wizardry, so you also must choose a base among those three. If you play Time is Fleeting, a base would have already been decided and you can't choose another one.
Q: Can I play this from stasis after a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Time Walk[]
Q: Do you have to decide if you want to play an extra action and minion before you draw the 2 cards, or do you draw the 2 cards, then play the extra action and minion?
A: If played during your Play Cards phase, the extra cards don't have to be played right away. When you play Time Walk, you can "bank" one extra minion play and one extra action for later during your Play Cards phase. Then, you draw two cards. And finally, you put Time Walk under your deck. That's how Time Walk is resolved.
Q: It doesn't say "and/or" like Ghostly Arrival. Do you have to play both cards or can you choose to play one and not the other?
A: You can play either one, both or none at all. The extra cards are just "banked" and you can use them if you want to, but if you use one, you don't have to use the other.
Q: After playing this card, I have more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10?
A: You don't discard any card until your next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: I play Time Walk. After drawing the two cards, my deck is now empty. How can I place Time Walk under my non-existent deck?
A: Your deck is not non-existent, it's just a 0-card deck. If you put a card on the bottom or the top of it, it just means that that card alone becomes your whole deck.
Q: When is Time Walk placed under the deck? Before or after you draw the two cards?
A: After you draw the cards. And to be more precise, after you've resolved the card reactions as well. Time Walk replaces its fate of "being discarded" by "being placed on the bottom of your deck". The timing of that is when you're supposed to discard the played card, which is after resolving all card reactions to playing it.
Rule: Check the Card Resolution Order.
Q: When Time Walk is played outside the Play Cards phase (e.g. Mole), the extra cards must be played immediately, but is that immediately before you draw the two cards or immediately after you place Time Walk under your deck?
A: It's immediately when the card tells you to play them, so before you draw the two cards. Also, you don't have to play them, but if you choose not to one or both of them, you can't save it for later.
Rule: Extra cards gained outside of your Play Cards phase must be played immediately or not at all.
Q: If I play Non-Infinite Loop with Time Walk, does Time Walk go to my hand or the bottom of the deck?
A: Time Walk replaces "discard the action" with "place it on the bottom of your deck", while Non-Infinite Loop replaces "discard the action" with "put it in your hand". Both are equally possible, so the current player decides.[3]
Rule: The current player decides the order of events that are supposed to happen simultaneously.
Q: If I play another player's Time Walk. (e.g. Min-Maxing, Mass Enchantment, Trade), under whose deck does it go?
A: It goes on the bottom of the rightful owner's deck, not yours.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Wormhole[]
Q: It tells me to shuffle "my minions" there into my deck. Do I also shuffle minions there that I own but don't control? I don't control them but I "own" them, so they are "my" minions, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: Wormhole (Time Travelers) lets you shuffle minions on a base back into your deck after a base scores. If this includes minions with effects that prevent discard, such as the Pirate First Mate (move to another base when scored) or Alien Scout (return to your hand), which takes precedence? Can the player choose?
A: The current player chooses which ability takes precedence.[4]
Rule: The current player decides the order of events that are supposed to happen simultaneously.
Q: On a scoring base, I control another player's minion and they control one of mine. If I play Wormhole, what happens to the minion they own but I control? What happens to the minion I own but they control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: Wormhole only affects your minions, i.e. the minions you control, so it won't do anything to the minion that you own but that another player controls, so that minion will go into your discard pile as usual. However, it affects the minion that they own but that you control, since it's one of "your minions". So, Wormhole will "reprogram" that minion to be shuffled "into your deck" instead of being discarded and that is not optional. So when you get to the "discard all cards on the base" step, that minion will be reshuffled into their rightful owner's deck, not "yours", as per the rules.
Q: Can I play this from stasis after a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - Diva can't copy it because it would already be directly affected by it.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is shuffled into its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minions that were directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it is discarded instead. This is a different answer compared to cards that refer to a minion's owner; this card never refers to the card's owner ("you" means "the controller", who may not be the owner) and so the rule is that the treasure/monster is discarded.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is shuffled into its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minions that were directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it is discarded instead. This is a different answer compared to cards that refer to a minion's owner; this card never refers to the card's owner ("you" means "the controller", who may not be the owner) and so the rule is that the treasure/monster is discarded.
- Funky Town can't copy it because you need to be the one who played the action and so all your minions are already directly affected by it.
Rule: Monsters and treasures go to their own discard pile when they leave play.
Questions on Time Box[]
- Main article: Titans
Q: The card says "Special" so I can use it outside of my turn, right?
A: Be careful, "Special" does not mean the card can be played out of turn. "Special" simply means that it's an ability that can be used when its condition is met. Whether it can be used out of turn, activated straight from your hand/discard pile, or if it can only be used when it's already in play (essentially being a synonym of Ongoing), it entirely depends on the wording. In the case of Time Box, the condition is a little complicated. You need to place counters on it and after you place its fifth or more counter, you can then play it. At the start of each of your turns, you automatically get one, so if you place the fifth or more at that time, you can then play Time Box and this time is restricted to your Start Turn phase. Moreover, you also get a counter after each time a card goes to your hand from play or the discard pile, which can indeed happen at any phase of any player's turn, so if it happens to be the fifth or more counter, you can play Time Box at that time.
Rule: "At the start of your turn" means "during the Start Turn (phase 1) of each of your turns".
Q: I use its talent. I know that if I choose to play an extra minion it has to be on Time Box's base, but if I choose to play an action, if it's a play-on-base action, do I have to play it on Time Box's base? If it's a play-on-minion action, do I have to play it on a minion on Time Box's base? If it targets a card, do I have to target a card on Time Box's base?
A: No to all of them. The restriction "here" only applies to the minion play, but there is no such restriction for the action play.
Q: Time Box's base is scored and I have Jumpers and/or Scouts there. When it's time to discard the cards, Time Box is set next to my deck and the Jumpers and Scouts get back in my hand. Can I place counters on Time Box for those?
A: No. First of all, Time Box, the Jumpers and the Scouts leave play at the same time, there's no order to choose from. Secondly, you only place the counters if Time Box is "not in play" when the Jumpers and Scouts are put back in your hand, which isn't the case as it's transitioning from "in play" to "not in play" at the same moment.[5]
Q: A base is chosen to score. I have no minions there, but I have Time Box there. It is similar to a minion, right? So I can still get VPs from the base if 0 is among the top three total power, right?
A: No and no. Time Box is a titan, not a minion. To be eligible to receive VPs, you must have at least one minion or at least 1 total power on the base. If you have no minions and your total power there is 0, then you can't receive any VPs from the base. Now, if Time Box had any +1 power counters on it and/or gave you any total power (e.g. on Kaiju Island), then you would have at least 1 total power and be eligible. Otherwise, no.
Q: An opponent is playing with the Time Travelers with their titan. Their Time Box isn't in play. Does it get a +1 power counter at the start of each player's turn? So that if a player places the fifth counter or more, they can play Time Box for themselves?
A: No, only the player who has it next to their deck can play it.
Rule: Playable Special cards can only be played by their current possessor.
Trivia[]
- The artist is Igor Heras.
- The artist for the titan (which was released after Science Fiction Double Feature) is Gong Studios, who also designed the art of many other factions.
- Their divider (available in The Big Geeky Box and The Bigger Geekier Box) features 1.21 Gigawatts.
- Despite the flavor text, this faction is not called the Time Patrol.
- Doctor When is a reference to Doctor Who.
- Repeater Perfect is a reference to Peter Perfect.
- He is fighting against a mummy. Coincidentally, Mummies will later receive their own faction in the Ancient Egyptians.
- Time Box is a reference to the TARDIS [1] from Doctor Who and the time travelling telephone call box from the Bill and Ted franchise [2].
- The actions Into the Time Slip, It's Astounding, and Time is Fleeting are references to the song "The Time Warp" from Rocky Horror Picture Show.
- 1.21 Gigawatts is a reference to Back to the Future.
- Other Smash Up factions appear in the art:
- On Into the Time Slip, King Rex is being reverted to an egg.
- Time Raider is battling a Saucy Wench on Do Over!.
- Stasis Field contains King Rex, Secret Agent, a Byakhee and an Alien.
- The screens behind Doctor When show (from left to right, top to bottom), (probably) a Byakhee, Secret Agent, a Zeppelin, a Saucy Wench, a Laseratops, a Bear Cavalry and (probably) a Collector.
- The School of Wizardry can be seen at one end of the Wormhole.
In other languages[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| French | Voyageurs du Temps |
| German | Zeitreisende |
| Italian | Viaggiatori del Tempo |
| Portuguese | Viajantes do Tempo |
| Spanish | Viajeros en el tiempo |
| ||||||
| ||||
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://boardgamegeek.com/article/19167111#19167111
- ↑ https://boardgamegeek.com/article/16209147#16209147
- ↑ https://boardgamegeek.com/article/17003850#17003850
- ↑ https://boardgamegeek.com/article/25185019#25185019
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/smashup/comments/8dewln/questions_on_time_box_cthulhu_creampuff_man/dxmyowy/