This is the FAQ page for each individual base in It’s Your Fault!.
Questions on Converted Cave[]
Q: I play Bear Hug/Unfathomable Goals/Griefer to force an opponent to destroy their own minion. They choose to destroy their power-2 minion on Converted Cave, claiming that it can't be destroyed by my card and therefore survives. Is that correct?
A: No. There's a subtle nuance. When you play these cards to make another player destroy a minion, the minion is considered both "destroyed by your card's ability" and "destroyed by that player". So the cause of the destruction is your card's ability, but the person who carried out the destruction is that player. A card that can't be destroyed by "other players' abilities" is only immune to destruction if the cause is another player's ability. However, a card that can't be destroyed by "other players" is only immune to destruction if the person who does the destruction is another player. So minions of power 2 or less on Converted Cave are not immune to destruction if they are destroyed by their own controllers, even if the destruction was caused by another player's card.[1]
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: Your minions of power 2 or less there (and only your minions, not all minions) aren't protected by Converted Cave anymore.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on Crystal Fortress[]
Q: It doesn't say "each time" like Cave of Shinies or The Homeworld, so I suppose I can only retrieve a minion after playing my first minion there, right?
A: No, you may retrieve a minion after each time you play a minion there. For it to only work once, it has to explicitly state it for example by saying "once per turn", "the first time" or "the first minion". This ability is a triggerable one, and unless otherwise stated it must be resolved each time it is triggered. If it said "each time", it would just be redundant.
Q: If I play an Argonaut instead of an action on Crystal Fortress, can I still place a minion from my discard pile into my deck?
A: Yes. Playing an Argonaut, whether as a minion or instead of an action, still counts as playing a minion. It IS a minion after all.
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: You (and only you, not all players) will be unable to use this base's ability.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on Dragon’s Lair[]
Q: On my turn, I'm the winner on Dragon's Lair. Do I draw the cards during the after-scoring step, or can I draw them at the end of my turn so that I don't have to discard them if I have more than 10 in hand? Remember that you only discard on your Draw Cards phase, not the End Turn phase.
A: Base abilities that start with "The winner..." are to be treated as "after this base scores" abilities, so Dragon’s Lair's ability is triggered during the after-scoring phase. This means that you must draw the cards then, not at the end of the turn.
Q: I am the winner there when this scores and I end up with 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. So if this scored on another player's turn, you keep your cards and can play your next turn with more than ten cards.
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: If you aren't the winner, nothing and you can't prevent the winner from drawing cards. If you are the winner, you won't draw any cards.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on Oracle at Delphi[]
Q: It doesn't say "each time" like Cave of Shinies or The Homeworld, so I suppose I can only do its ability after playing my first minion there, right?
A: No, you do its ability after each time you play a minion there. For it to only work once, it has to explicitly state it for example by saying "once per turn", "the first time" or "the first minion". This ability is a triggerable one, and unless otherwise stated it must be resolved each time it is triggered. If it said "each time", it would just be redundant.
Q: If I reveal a card I don't own, what happens?
A: There are two different paths for the revealed card:
- If it's an action, it goes to its owner's hand, that's because the other players can see who owns the card and the card changes location.
- Otherwise, it goes to the top of your deck, that's because, while the other players can see who owns the card, the card is merely revealed and doesn't change location.
Rule: Cards you don’t own that are merely revealed in your hand or deck stay there.
Q: I already have 10 cards in hand. I play a Tenacious Z there from my discard pile as a Special and reveal an action on the top of my deck. I end up with more than 10 cards in hand, so 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: If I play an Argonaut instead of an action on Oracle at Delphi, do I still reveal the top card of my deck?
A: Yes. Playing an Argonaut, whether as a minion or instead of an action, still counts as playing a minion. It IS a minion after all.
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: You (and only you, not all players) won't reveal any card or draw any action after playing a minion there.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on Shark Reef[]
Q: It tells me to place a +1 power counter on "one of my minions". Can I place a +1 power counter on 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: It doesn't say "each time" like Cave of Shinies or The Homeworld, so I suppose I can only a +1 power counter after my first destroyed minion there, right?
A: No, you get a +1 power counter after each time you destroy a minion there. For it to only work once, it has to explicitly state it for example by saying "once per turn", "the first time" or "the first minion". This ability is a triggerable one, and unless otherwise stated it must be resolved each time it is triggered. If it said "each time", it would just be redundant.
Q: I play a Sprout on Shark Reef. When it destroys itself at the start of my next turn, may I place a +1 power counter on one of my minions on Shark Reef?
A: Yes. Technically, the card doesn't destroy itself, it tells you to destroy it, so you get credit for its destruction.
Q: I play a Sprout on Shark Reef. When it destroys itself at the start of my next turn, may I place a +1 power counter on the minion that replaces Sprout?
A: Yes, because it says "After X, do Y", you have to finish resolving Sprout's ability before resolving Shark Reef's. At that point, the new minion will already be in play.
Q: If a minion is not actually destroyed, do I still get to place a +1 power counter?
A: No. If the minion in question is not destroyed, the base ability doesn't even trigger for said minion in the first place.
Q: If Shark Reef is removed from play (e.g. destroyed, scored, etc.) or has its ability cancelled, are the +1 power counters placed by its ability removed? For example, if a minion that got one is moved to another base before Shark Reef is removed.
A: No. When you place a +1 power counter, it's a definitive effect, so the +1 power counters remain even if the card that placed them is removed from play or has its ability cancelled (like drawing cards, if you play Enchantress, you're not going to discard the card you drew if Enchantress is destroyed or has its ability cancelled). On the other hand, if a card is removed while it had +1 power counters, only the +1 power counters on it are removed, but that's because a card that leaves play loses all its attachments. Besides, how are you going to keep track of which +1 power counters were added by Shark Reef's ability and which ones were not (e.g. Giant Ants, Mythic Greeks, Kung Fu Fighters)? That would be very cumbersome.
Rule: Cancelling (or losing) an effect does not necessarily undo what it did.
Rule: Removing a card from play does not necessarily undo what it did.
Q: If multiple abilities work together to destroy a minion on Shark Reef, who gets to the +1 power counter?
A: Check the card which is the direct cause of the destruction, which is the card among all those that were activated and whose ability says "destroy". That card is what destroyed the minion and it always says who gets the credit for the destruction (usually the card's controller). So if a Bear Cavalry player sets up a manned High Ground on Shark Reef, and another player's minion moves to that base for some reason, the High Ground is activated and it says that High Ground's controller destroys the minion. So, the controller of High Ground gets the +1 power counter. While it's usually the card's controller who does the destruction (Remember, "you" on a minion or action means the controller of the card), some rare cards (e.g. Bear Hug, Griefer) make another player destroy the minion.[1]
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: If a single card is responsible for destroying many minions at once (e.g. Powderkeg, Broadside), how many counters does the player get?
A: If one player gets credit for multiple destructions because of a single card, they get to place one +1 power counter per destroyed minion. In the rare cases where several players destroy different minions on Shark Reef, e.g. if a player plays Bear Hug and if their opponents choose to destroy their minions on Shark Reef, then each of those players get a +1 power counter per minion they destroyed.
Rule: When an ability is triggered, it's resolved once per trigger.
Q: I have High Ground on Shark Reef. I play one card and move several minions to there (e.g. You’re Pretty Much Borscht, Felicia Day) and destroy them. Can I choose to move them one at a time and therefore get a +1 power counter per minion?
A: No. Those cards move several minions simultaneously. So, all the selected minions move at once and all of them are destroyed at the same time, so it counts as a single destruction. However, you still get one +1 power counter per minion destroyed.
Rule: When a single effect makes one player affect multiple cards, they are all affected at the same time.
Rule: When an ability is triggered, it's resolved once per trigger.
Q: Another player plays Bear Hug/Unfathomable Goals/Griefer (and makes me destroy one of my minions)/Fate of the Favorites. I choose to destroy my minion on Shark Reef. Who gets the +1 power counter?
A: You did the destruction, so you get credit for destroying the minion and get the counter, not the player who played the card.[1]
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. If one of my minions there is destroyed by another player, can I prevent that player from getting a +1 power counter?
A: No, you can't make another player ignore the base's instructions, only you ignore it, and while your minion is involved in all this, Shark Reef's ability does nothing that affects your minion and doesn't instruct you to do something, so there's nothing you can ignore.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on The Deep[]
Q: It doesn't say "each time" like Cave of Shinies or The Homeworld, so I suppose I can only destroy a minion after playing my first minion there, right?
A: No, you can destroy a minion there after each time you play a minion there. For it to only work once, it has to explicitly state it for example by saying "once per turn", "the first time" or "the first minion". This ability is a triggerable one, and unless otherwise stated it must be resolved each time it is triggered. If it said "each time", it would just be redundant.
Q: What if Brownie is affected by a base's ability that triggers when a player plays a card? (e.g. The Deep)
A: The card that affects Brownie is the base, not the card that was played by the player, so Brownie's ability doesn't trigger.
Q: If I play a Howler on The Deep, Howler becomes power 4, so I can use The Deep's ability, right?
A: No. Playing a Howler is treated as having played a minion of power 2 (its printed power). It only becomes power 4 after you play it.
Rule: If it's not in play, a minion's power is equal to its printed power.
Q: If I play a Weed Eater on The Deep, can I use The Deep's ability?
A: Yes. Playing a Weed Eater is treated as having played a minion of power 5 (its printed power). You must then resolve Weed Eater's ability, so it becomes a power 3. When you activate The Deep's ability, you can only destroy a minion of power 2 or less there.
Rule: If it's not in play, a minion's power is equal to its printed power.
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: There two possible situations. If you play a minion there, you (and only you, not all players) won't be able to use The Deep's ability to destroy any minion there because you won't follow its instruction. If another player's play a minion there, your minions there (and only your minions, not all minions) will be immune to The Deep's destruction.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on Tornado Alley[]
Q: Can I move another player's minion or am I limited to the minions I control?
A: You can move any minion in play, even another player's minion or an uncontrolled monster.
Q: If I play a minion on another base and then a second minion on Tornado Alley, do I get to use its ability or does it have to be the very first minion of the turn that must be played there?
A: You do get to use this base's ability because the trigger is "After the first time you play a minion here each turn", which happened: your second minion of the turn IS the first minion you played on that base on that turn.
Q: I haven't played a minion yet. If I play an Argonaut instead of an action on Tornado Alley, can I still move a minion there?
A: Yes. Playing an Argonaut, whether as a minion or instead of an action, still counts as playing a minion. It IS a minion after all.
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: There are two possible situations. If you play a minion there, you (and only you, not all players) will be unable to move any minion from another base to there because you will be ignoring Tornado Alley's instruction. If another player plays a minion there, your minions (and only your minions, not all minions) will be immune to being moved through Tornado Alley's ability.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on Trailer Park[]
Q: It doesn't say "each time" like Cave of Shinies or The Homeworld, so I suppose I can only place a +1 power counter on the first minion I move there, right?
A: No, you place a +1 power counter after each time you move a minion to there. For it to only work once, it has to explicitly state it for example by saying "once per turn", "the first time" or "the first minion". This ability is a triggerable one, and unless otherwise stated it must be resolved each time it is triggered. If it said "each time", it would just be redundant.
Q: If Trailer Park is removed from play (e.g. destroyed, scored, etc.) or has its ability cancelled, are the +1 power counters placed by its ability removed? For example, if a minion that got one is moved to another base before Trailer Park is removed.
A: No. When you place a +1 power counter, it's a definitive effect, so the +1 power counters remain even if the card that placed them is removed from play or has its ability cancelled (like drawing cards, if you play Enchantress, you're not going to discard the card you drew if Enchantress is destroyed or has its ability cancelled). On the other hand, if a card is removed while it had +1 power counters, only the +1 power counters on it are removed, but that's because a card that leaves play loses all its attachments. Besides, how are you going to keep track of which +1 power counters were added by Trailer Park's ability and which ones were not (e.g. Giant Ants, Mythic Greeks, Kung Fu Fighters)? That would be very cumbersome.
Rule: Cancelling (or losing) an effect does not necessarily undo what it did.
Rule: Removing a card from play does not necessarily undo what it did.
Q: I move a power-2 minion on Trailer Park where another player has a Cub Scout. Is the minion destroyed?
A: It depends. Both Trailer Park's and Cub Scout's abilities are mandatory and activated after you're done moving the minion. According to the rules, it's the current player who decides the order in which these two mandatory abilities are activated. If Trailer Park is activated before Cub Scout, the minion gets a +1 power counter and therefore is power 3 and survives to Cub Scout. However, if Cub Scout is activated before Trailer Park, the minion is destroyed by Cub Scout and when you want to resolve Trailer Park's ability, the minion can't receive the +1 power counter as it is no longer in play.
Rule: The current player decides the order of events that are supposed to happen simultaneously.
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: There are three possible situations:
- If you move any minion to there, you don't place a +1 power counter on it because you will be ignoring the base's instruction.
- If another player moves one of your minions to there, they won't place a +1 power counter on it because your minion will be immune to being affected by the base's ability.
- If another player moves any minion but those you control, they will place a +1 power counter on it, because the base's ability wouldn't affect any of your minions and wouldn't instruct you to do something.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on Wooden Horse[]
Q: It doesn't say "each time" like Cave of Shinies or The Homeworld, so I suppose I can only boost a minion there after playing my first action, right?
A: No, you can boost a minion there after each time you play an action. For it to only work once, it has to explicitly state it for example by saying "once per turn", "the first time" or "the first action". Wooden Horse's ability is a triggerable one, and unless otherwise stated it must be resolved each time it is triggered. If it said "each time", it would just be redundant.
Q: I have a minion on Wooden Horse. If I play an action to move it to another base, can I give it +2 power?
A: No. You resolve your action before activating the base's ability, so when you activate Wooden Horse, your minion has already moved and is no longer eligible.
Q: I have a minion on Wooden Horse. I play an action (ability is irrelevant) and give +2 power to my minion. If I play an extra action and move the minion to another base, does my minion keep its +2 power?
A: Yes. The power boost was given to the minion when you used the base's ability and it sticks with it.
Q: I play an Argonaut. Does it activate Wooden Horse's ability and allow me to boost a minion there? If the Argonaut is played on Wooden Horse, can I give the +2 power to the Argonaut itself or do I have to choose a different minion?
A: Yes, playing an Argonaut counts as playing an action, so Wooden Horse's ability is activated. There's also no restriction on the choice of minion other than it must a minion on Wooden Horse, so you can indeed give the +2 power to the Argonaut itself if it's played on Wooden Horse.
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: If you play an action, you won't be able to follow Wooden Horse's instruction. If another player plays an action, your minions there (and only your minions, not all minions) will be immune to being affected by Wooden Horse's +2 power.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".
Questions on Wyrm’s Desolation[]
Q: It doesn't say that minions have a minimum power of 0 like other cards (e.g. Glymmer, Poison, Sleep Spores). So a minion's power can go negative with this card, right?
A: No. Those other cards only reminded you of the general rule that "minion power is never reduced below zero". Even if the card doesn't remind you of it, it's still one of the rules of Smash Up that you must keep in mind.
Q: I have Infiltrate on this base. What happens if I choose to ignore this base's ability?
A: Your minions there (and only your minions, not all minions) will be unaffected by Wyrm's Desolation's -1 power.
Rule: Definition of "ignore".