The Ignobles fight over the king’s seat, but don’t trust any of them! They pay their debts, and wait for winter (seriously, we hope winter hurries up already). And when you least expect it – RANDOM DRAGONS! Because everything is better with dragons. - AEG
In the game of kingly seats, you smash the base, or you are destroyed. The Ignobles can be trusted just about as far as you can throw them. Backstabbing, swapping sides, and the occasional party crashing is par for the course for these medieval schemers. Watch out for help offered from one of these untrustworthy types, it will be short lived.
- - Cease and Desist rulebook
The Ignobles are one of the 4 factions from the Cease and Desist set.
The Ignobles focus on giving other players control of your minions and then taking them back.
Other factions from the same set: Astroknights, Changerbots, Star Roamers.
Cards[]
The Ignobles 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,
- 0 play-on-base actions,
- 10 standard actions (all of them affect one or more minions): Activate the Spy (2x), Banner Call, Fate of the Favorites, Hostage Exchange, Inevitable Betrayal, Out of Sight, Red Birthday Party, Repaying Debts (2x),
- 0 actions that directly increase a minion's power.
Minions[]
1x Aunt of Drakes - power 5 - Talent: Give control of one of your minions to another player to draw a card and play an extra action. FAQ
2x Foot of the King - power 4 - Ongoing: At the end of your turn, you may take control of a minion you own. FAQ
3x Betrothed - power 3 - You may give control of this minion to another player. Ongoing: The owner of this minion gains 1 VP if another player wins this base and controls this minion. FAQ
4x Sneaky Squire - power 2 - You may give control of this minion to another player to play an extra minion. FAQ
Actions[]
2x Activate the Spy - Take control of a minion you own. Play an extra action. FAQ
1x Banner Call - Take control of any number of minions you own. FAQ
1x Fate of the Favorites - Each player destroys a minion they own. FAQ
1x Hostage Exchange - Give another player control of one of your minions to take control of one of their minions of equal or less power. FAQ
1x Inevitable Betrayal - Special: Before a base scores, take control of a minion you own there. FAQ
1x Out of Sight - Each player returns a minion they own to their hand. FAQ
1x Red Birthday Party - Destroy a minion you own and all minions with less power on the same base. FAQ
2x Repaying Debts - Give control of one of your minions to another player to draw two cards and play an extra minion. FAQ
Titan[]
- (available in each Smash Up TITANS pack released with the TITANS Event Kit)
1x The Hill that Strolls - Special: On your turn, you may play this titan if two or more minions you own are controlled by other players. Ongoing: After you give control of one of your minions to another player, you may place a +1 power counter on it. Talent: Give control of one of your minions to another player to draw a card, OR take control of a minion here you own. FAQ
Bases[]
Clarifications[]
Here are the official clarifications as they appear in the Cease and Desist rulebook:
Activate the Spy, Banner Call, Foot of the King, Inevitable Betrayal: These target minions from your deck whether or not you still control them.
Betrothed: The ability works regardless of how control was gained, and even if the Betrothed is moved to another base.
Mechanics[]
Ignobles' main mechanics are giving control of your minions to your opponents for good effects, usually card draws and extra card plays, and taking back control of the minions you own.
Since giving control of your minions means you give more total power to your opponent, the tricky thing about playing with the Ignobles is knowing when it's better to give control of a minion and when it's better to keep control of it. Extra card plays, especially extra minion plays, is good to compensate your loss of power, while card draws is good to have cards to play as the extra cards and to get faster to the cards that will allow you to take back control of the minions you own.
Alternatively, if you find yourself unable to take back control of the minions you gave, you can also destroy or return them to decrease your opponent's total power.
Synergy[]
- Kitty Cats: Steal back your Sneaky Squires, and possibly destroy them for effects like Whiskers, Cat Fight, or Nine Lives. Aunt of Drakes and Queen Fluffy together let you steal weak minions and give them to other players in exchange for card draw, or to give control of your weak minions to other players for card draw then steal them back.
- Sharks: Destroy your Sneaky Squires to play Makos and power up Hammerheads or any of your minions with Chum.
- Russian Fairy Tales: Use Sneaky Squires and Collecting Debts to play extra minions, then transform minions you own that other players control into additional minions under your control.
- Mermaids: Mermaids love a Captive Audience, which Sneaky Squires and Betrothed can contribute to. They can also increase the number of cards you draw with Toll Bay. Charmers and Charmed can easily move them around due to their power being 3 or less, powering up Temptresses in the process. Sirens reduce their contribution, and Becalmed Shores reduces their power altogether (though this may not be ideal in the case of Betrothed). Siren Song can be used to gather your shared minions to one base in preparation for a Banner Call or as a followup to Activate the Spy.
External Strategy Guides[]
- Ignobles: The Best Smash Ups in Smash Up
- The Smash Up Faction Series #17: Ignobles
- KOTH #13: Aunt of Drakes
- Calling All Titans: The Hill That Strolls
- Smash Up Action Awareness #51: Hostage Exchange
FAQ[]
Questions on Aunt of Drakes[]
Q: Can I give control of Aunt of Drakes using its own ability? If so, who draws the card and gets the extra action?
A: Yes. If you want to use its ability, you have to choose one of your minions, and your Aunt of Drakes is a perfectly legit choice. Also, you're the one who gave control of it, so you're the one who draws the card and gets to play an extra action.
Q: It tells me to give control of "one of my minions". Can I choose 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 already have ten cards in hand. What happens if I decide to use this talent and draw a card? Do I draw one and immediately discard a card?
A: You draw a card and 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 I use its talent and choose not to give any of my minions to another player? (e.g. because Aunt of Drakes is on Changing Room)
A: Yes, its talent is a "Do X to do Y" ability, which means that even if it doesn't say "you may", doing X, i.e. giving control of one of your minions, is actually optional.[1] Obviously, if you don't give control of a minion, then you don't draw a card and you don't get an extra action.
Rule: When a card says "Do X to do Y" or "You may do X to do Y", doing X is optional in both cases.
Q: On the same turn, if I use Aunt of Drakes's talent to give control of her to another player, then use another card to regain control of her, can I use her talent again?
A: No, it didn't leave play so it is considered as the same card, so its talent is considered as having already been used. Making it leave play (destroy, return, place, etc.) and somehow replaying it, would have indeed allowed you to use its talent again, since it would have been considered as a new card.
Rule: Each talent can be activated once on each of your turns.
Q: Can you give control of 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 Foot of the King[]
Q: I don't get this ability. How do you not already control a minion you own?
A: You are confusing the "owner" and the "controller" of a card. The owner of a card is the player whose deck the card was in at the start of the game. The controlled of a card is, well, the player who currently controls the card while it's in play. It happens that a player gets control of a card they don't own, e.g. if they played it (with Mass Enchantment), if they stole it and later played it (with Vikings), if they take control of it (with [[Kitty Cats), or if they are given control of it (with Ignobles). In those cases, it is therefore possible for a player to be the controller of a card without being its owner. Foot of the King allows you to take control of a card that you own while it's under the control of another player.
Rule: Definition of "control".
Rule: Definition of "own".
Q: Can I use this to permanently regain control of my former minion, despite an opponent's Make Contact being connected to it?
A: No. You can use a card to take control of it, but Make Contact would prevent it because its ability allows the player to take control and keep control of it.
Q: If I give control of a Sneaky Squire to a player with In Plain Sight. Can I take back control of it?
A: No. Once you give Sneaky Squire to another player, it's considered as their minion and you're considered as another player for that minion, so In Plain Sight protects it from changing controller.
Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".
Q: Can I use this to take control of a minion I own that is already under my control?
A: Yes, the target must be a minion you own, but it doesn't say that the minion must be under the control of another player. Though it's not that useful.
Q: If I give control of Foot of the King to a player, can that player take control of a minion they own at the end of their turn now?
A: Yes, they are now the controller, so they can use Foot of the King's ability.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: Can you take control of a minion 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 Betrothed[]
Q: I'm given control of a Betrothed. Can I use my Mind Lady to cancel Betrothed's ability? Just in case...
A: No. Mind Lady can only target another player's minion, which is a minion controlled by another player. You now control the Betrothed, so it's considered as "your minion" and Mind Lady can't target it.
Q: When an opponent gives you control of a Betrothed, what actions can you perform on it? Move it? Destroy it? Or does it just give you the power on the card, 3?
A: It's now considered one of your minions, so you can do anything to it that targets "a minion" or "one of your minions", but not something that targets "another player's minion", because it's yours.
Q: I give a Betrothed to another player. When the base scores, they are tied for first place. Are they still the winner? Do I still gain 1 VP?
A: Yes and yes. They are considered the base winner even if they are tied for the winner position.
Rule: The player with the most power on a base is the winner.
Questions on Sneaky Squire[]
Q: If I give control of a Sneaky Squire to a player with In Plain Sight. Can I take back control of it?
A: No. Once you give Sneaky Squire to another player, it's considered as their minion and you're considered as another player for that minion, so In Plain Sight protects it from changing controller.
Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".
Q: If I give control of Sneaky Squire to another player, do I have to play the extra minion on Sneaky Squire's base?
A: No. There's no restriction to the extra minion, so you can play it on any base.
Questions on Activate the Spy[]
Q: I don't get this ability. How do you not already control a minion you own?
A: You are confusing the "owner" and the "controller" of a card. The owner of a card is the player whose deck the card was in at the start of the game. The controlled of a card is, well, the player who currently controls the card while it's in play. It happens that a player gets control of a card they don't own, e.g. if they played it (with Mass Enchantment), if they stole it and later played it (with Vikings), if they take control of it (with [[Kitty Cats), or if they are given control of it (with Ignobles). In those cases, it is therefore possible for a player to be the controller of a card without being its owner. Activate the Spy allows you to take control of a card that you own while it's under the control of another player.
Rule: Definition of "control".
Rule: Definition of "own".
Q: Can I use this to permanently regain control of my former minion, despite an opponent's Make Contact being connected to it?
A: No. You can use a card to take control of it, but Make Contact would prevent it because its ability allows the player to take control and keep control of it.
Q: If I give control of a Sneaky Squire to a player with In Plain Sight. Can I take back control of it?
A: No. Once you give Sneaky Squire to another player, it's considered as their minion and you're considered as another player for that minion, so In Plain Sight protects it from changing controller.
Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".
Q: If taking control of the minion fails (like the above example or with Make Contact), do I still get an extra action?
A: Yes. Taking control of a minion and the extra action are independent, so even if you fail to take control of a minion, you still get an extra action to play.
Q: Can I use this to take control of a minion I own that is already under my control?
A: Yes, the target must be a minion you own, but it doesn't say that the minion must be under the control of another player. With the Mythic Greeks, I suppose it could be useful to do this and play two actions in a row, especially if none of the minions you own are under the control of another player.
Q: Can you take control of a minion 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 its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own Diva. Note that you don't get a second extra action for affecting a second minion, because Diva only copies the part that changes the minion's controller and the extra action part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own the minion. Note that you don't get a second extra action for affecting a second minion, because Dancing King only copies the part that changes the minion's controller and the extra action part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own the minion. Note that you don't get a second extra action for affecting a second minion, because We are Family only copies the part that changes the minion's controller and the extra action part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
- It is impossible for Funky Town to copy that action's effect because for Funky Town to copy it, you must be the one playing the action and it must directly affect a minion you already control, and since you already control it, its controller won't change and the action would have done nothing that counts as affecting, therefore not triggering Funky Town.
Questions on Banner Call[]
Q: I don't get this ability. How do you not already control a minion you own?
A: You are confusing the "owner" and the "controller" of a card. The owner of a card is the player whose deck the card was in at the start of the game. The controlled of a card is, well, the player who currently controls the card while it's in play. It happens that a player gets control of a card they don't own, e.g. if they played it (with Mass Enchantment), if they stole it and later played it (with Vikings), if they take control of it (with [[Kitty Cats), or if they are given control of it (with Ignobles). In those cases, it is therefore possible for a player to be the controller of a card without being its owner. Banner Call allows you to take control of a card that you own while it's under the control of another player.
Rule: Definition of "control".
Rule: Definition of "own".
Q: Can I use this to permanently regain control of my former minion, despite an opponent's Make Contact being connected to it?
A: No. You can use a card to take control of it, but Make Contact would prevent it because its ability allows the player to take control and keep control of it.
Q: Can I use this to take control of a minion I own that is already under my control?
A: Yes, the target must be a minion you own, but it doesn't say that the minion must be under the control of another player. Though it's not that useful.
Q: Can you take control of a minion 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 its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own Diva. Note that you don't get a second extra action for affecting a second minion, because Diva only copies the part that changes the minion's controller and the extra action part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own the minion. Note that you don't get a second extra action for affecting a second minion, because Dancing King only copies the part that changes the minion's controller and the extra action part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own the minion. Note that you don't get a second extra action for affecting a second minion, because We are Family only copies the part that changes the minion's controller and the extra action part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
- It is impossible for Funky Town to copy that action's effect because for Funky Town to copy it, you must be the one playing the action and it must directly affect a minion you already control, and since you already control it, its controller won't change and the action would have done nothing that counts as affecting, therefore not triggering Funky Town.
Questions on Fate of the Favorites[]
Q: In which order are the minions destroyed? I suppose it's the current player who chooses.
A: Nope, there's already a defined order so the current player doesn't decide the order. The order is: each player in clockwise order and starting with the current player destroys a minion they own.
Q: Can a player choose a minion that can't be destroyed or affected?
A: Yes, in that case, its destruction fails and it doesn't interfere with the other destructions.
Q: I play Fate of the Favorites. An opponent chooses to destroy their minion on Field of Honor. Who gets the VP?
A: Your card made another player destroy the minion, so it's that player who did the destruction. Therefore, your opponent gets the VP because Field of Honor rewards the player who destroys it.[2]
Q: I play Fate of the Favorites. An opponent chooses to destroy their Elder Thing, claiming that it can't be destroyed by my card and therefore survives. Is that correct?
A: Yes. Elder Thing is immune to any effect caused by other players' cards, as long as the effect is included in the definition of "affect", such as a destruction.
Rule: Definition of "affect".
Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".
Q: I play Fate of the Favorites. An opponent chooses to destroy their Awesome Guy, 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 Fate of the Favorites 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 Awesome Guy is not immune to destruction if it's destroyed by its own controller, even if the destruction was caused by another player's card.[2]
Q: Can you destroy a minion 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 destroyed, regardless of whoever owns Diva.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed, regardless of whoever owns the minion. Note that if several minions on the same base are directly destroyed, Dancing King only triggers once and allows you to destroy only one additional minion, not one per affected minion.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed, regardless of whoever owns the minion.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it destroys a minion you control, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed, regardless of whoever owns the minion. Note that if several minions on the same base are directly destroyed, Funky Town only triggers once and allows you to destroy only one additional minion, not one per affected minion.
Questions on Hostage Exchange[]
Q: It tells me to give control of "one of my minions". Can I choose 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 tells me to take control of "one of their minions". Can I choose a minion they own that they don't control?
A: No. "Their minions" are minions they control, whether or not they own them. A minion they own but don't control isn't theirs.
Q: Can I play this and choose not to give any of my minions to another player? (e.g. because I'm playing with the Mythic Greeks)
A: Yes, this action is a "Do X to do Y" ability, which means that even if it doesn't say "you may", doing X, i.e. giving control of one of your minions, is actually optional.[1] Obviously, if you don't give control of a minion, then you don't take control of another player's minion either.
Rule: When a card says "Do X to do Y" or "You may do X to do Y", doing X is optional in both cases.
Q: Can you give control of 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.
Q: Can you take control of a minion 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: Hostage Exchange affects minions at two different moments. First when you give control of one of your minions, and then when you take control of a minion. When you use any of the effect-copying cards, each one may only copy one of the two effects, either giving or taking control, not both. Of course, if you have several effect-copying cards that are triggered, you may have each one copy a different effect.
If you choose to copy giving control of a minion:
- If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the same player. Note that giving control of an additional minion doesn't allow you to take control of an additional minion. The rest is resolved as written and so "take control of one of their minions of equal or less power" should be understood as "take control of one of their minions of equal or less power than the minion that was directly affected."
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the same player. Note that giving control of an additional minion doesn't allow you to take control of an additional minion. The rest is resolved as written and so "take control of one of their minions of equal or less power" should be understood as "take control of one of their minions of equal or less power than the minion that was directly affected." Also, note that while the minion that's directly affected must be one controlled by the action player, the copy effect can be applied to any minion, even one not controlled by the action player.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the same player. Note that giving control of an additional minion doesn't allow you to take control of an additional minion. The rest is resolved as written and so "take control of one of their minions of equal or less power" should be understood as "take control of one of their minions of equal or less power than the minion that was directly affected." Also, note that while the minion that's directly affected must be one controlled by the action player, the copy effect can be applied to any minion, even one not controlled by the action player.
- 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 its control is given to the same player. Note that giving control of an additional minion doesn't allow you to take control of an additional minion. The rest is resolved as written and so "take control of one of their minions of equal or less power" should be understood as "take control of one of their minions of equal or less power than the minion that was directly affected."
If you choose to copy taking control of a minion:
- If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the same player, regardless of Diva's power.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion, that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the same player, regardless of its power. Also, note that while the minion that's directly affected must be one controlled by the player chosen by the action player, the copy effect can be applied to any minion, even one not controlled by that player.
- If We are Family copies it (and it can copy it even if the power of the minion it is on is more than 2), the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the same player, regardless of its power. Also, note that while the minion that's directly affected must be one controlled by the player chosen by the action player, the copy effect can be applied to any minion, even one not controlled by that player.
- Funky Town can't copy it because you can only take control of another player's minion, which won't trigger Funky Town.
Questions on Inevitable Betrayal[]
Q: I don't get this ability. How do you not already control a minion you own?
A: You are confusing the "owner" and the "controller" of a card. The owner of a card is the player whose deck the card was in at the start of the game. The controlled of a card is, well, the player who currently controls the card while it's in play. It happens that a player gets control of a card they don't own, e.g. if they played it (with Mass Enchantment), if they stole it and later played it (with Vikings), if they take control of it (with [[Kitty Cats), or if they are given control of it (with Ignobles). In those cases, it is therefore possible for a player to be the controller of a card without being its owner. Inevitable Betrayal allows you to take control of a card that you own while it's under the control of another player.
Rule: Definition of "control".
Rule: Definition of "own".
Q: Does taking back control of a minion before its base scores change anything at all? Don't we only get VPs based on the power we had at the start of scoring?
A: Actually, the amount of VPs each player gets is determined by the power each player currently has when you are handing out VPs, so any before-scoring abilities (including this one) that affect how much power you have on the base will affect the amount of VPs you'll eventually get.
Rule: VPs are awarded according to the current power totals.
Q: If I give control of a Sneaky Squire to a player with In Plain Sight. Can I take back control of it?
A: No. Once you give Sneaky Squire to another player, it's considered as their minion and you're considered as another player for that minion, so In Plain Sight protects it from changing controller.
Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".
Q: Can I use this to permanently regain control of my former minion, despite an opponent's Make Contact being connected to it?
A: No. You can use a card to take control of it, but Make Contact would prevent it because its ability allows the player to take control and keep control of it.
Q: Can I use this to take control of a minion I own that is already under my control?
A: Yes, the target must be a minion you own, but it doesn't say that the minion must be under the control of another player. Though it's not that useful.
Q: Can you take control of a minion in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Q: Can I play it from stasis before 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: - If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own Diva.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own the minion.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the action player, even if they don't own the minion.
- It is impossible for Funky Town to copy that action's effect because for Funky Town to copy it, you must be the one playing the action and it must directly affect a minion you already control, and since you already control it, its controller won't change and the action would have done nothing that counts as affecting, therefore not triggering Funky Town.
Questions on Out of Sight[]
Q: In which order are the minions returned? I suppose it's the current player who chooses.
A: Nope, there's already a defined order so the current player doesn't decide the order. The order is: each player in clockwise order and starting with the current player returns a minion they own.
Q: Can a player choose a minion that can't be returned or affected, or that will move instead of being returned? (e.g. Entangled, Ship’s Engineer)
A: Yes, in that case, its return fails and it doesn't interfere with the other returns.
Q: Can a player return a minion from their discard pile with Out of Sight? They own it after all.
A: No, it must be a minion in play. Cards that allow you to target something in the discard pile, like the cards from the Zombie faction, will explicitly say so. By default, "a minion" refers to a minion that's in play.
Q: What if playing this card makes it so a player (myself included) have more than ten cards in hand? Do those players have to 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: Can you return a minion 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 several minions on the same base are directly returned, Dancing King only triggers once and allows you to return only one additional minion, not one per affected minion. Also, note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it is discarded instead. This is a different answer compared to cards that return a minion "to its owner's hand" because here, "you own" is used as a prerequisite for which minions can be directly affected and Dancing King allows you to ignore the prerequisite when you copy an effect; on the other hand, "to its owner's hand" is not a prerequisite, it doesn't limit you in your choice of a minion.
- 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 return a minion "to its owner's hand" because here, "you own" is used as a prerequisite for which minions can be directly affected, i.e. it limits your choice of a minion, and Dancing King allows you to ignore the prerequisite when you copy an effect; on the other hand, "to its owner's hand" is not a prerequisite, it doesn't limit you in your choice of a minion.
- 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. Note that if several minions on the same base are directly returned, Funky Town only triggers once and allows you to return only one additional minion, not one per affected minion. Also, note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it is discarded instead. This is a different answer compared to cards that return a minion "to its owner's hand" because here, "you own" is used as a prerequisite for which minions can be directly affected and Funky Town allows you to ignore the prerequisite when you copy an effect; on the other hand, "to its owner's hand" is not a prerequisite, it doesn't limit you in your choice of a minion.
Rule: Monsters and treasures go to their own discard pile when they leave play.
Questions on Red Birthday Party[]
Q: Can I choose a minion that can't be destroyed or affected?
A: Yes, in that case, its destruction fails and it doesn't interfere with the other destructions.
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 destroyed, regardless of Diva's power. Note that the part that destroys "all minions with less power on the same base" only refers to minions with less power than the minion directly destroyed in the previous part, so destroying Diva can't trigger more destruction of minions of less power.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed, regardless of the minion's power. Note that the part that destroys "all minions with less power on the same base" only refers to minions with less power than the minion directly destroyed in the previous part, so destroying the extra minion can't trigger more destruction of minions of less power. Also, note that if several minions are destroyed, Dancing King only triggers once and allows you to destroy only one additional minion, not one per affected minion.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed, regardless of the minion's power. Note that the part that destroys "all minions with less power on the same base" only refers to minions with less power than the minion directly destroyed in the previous part, so destroying the extra minion can't trigger more destruction of minions of less power.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if you destroy one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is destroyed, regardless of the minion's power. Note that the part that destroys "all minions with less power on the same base" only refers to minions with less power than the minion directly destroyed in the previous part, so destroying the extra minion can't trigger more destruction of minions of less power. Also, note that if several minions are destroyed, Funky Town only triggers once and allows you to destroy only one additional minion, not one per affected minion.
Questions on Repaying Debts[]
Q: It tells me to give control of "one of my minions". Can I choose 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: Can I play this and choose not to give any of my minions to another player? (e.g. because I'm playing with the Mythic Greeks)
A: Yes, this action is a "Do X to do Y" ability, which means that even if it doesn't say "you may", doing X, i.e. giving control of one of your minions, is actually optional.[1] Obviously, if you don't give control of a minion, then you don't draw cards and you don't get an extra minion.
Rule: When a card says "Do X to do Y" or "You may do X to do Y", doing X is optional in both cases.
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: Can you give control of 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.
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 its control is given to the same player. Note that giving control of an additional minion doesn't give you two additional card draws, nor an additional extra minion. The rest is resolved as written and there's no dependence on the number of affected minions.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the same player. Note that giving control of an additional minion doesn't give you two additional card draws, nor an additional extra minion. The rest is resolved as written and there's no dependence on the number of affected minions. Also, note that while the minion that's directly affected must be one controlled by the action player, the copy effect can be applied to any minion, even one not controlled by the action player.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and its control is given to the same player. Note that giving control of an additional minion doesn't give you two additional card draws, nor an additional extra minion. The rest is resolved as written and there's no dependence on the number of affected minions. Also, note that while the minion that's directly affected must be one controlled by the action player, the copy effect can be applied to any minion, even one not controlled by the action player.
- 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 its control is given to the same player. Note that giving control of an additional minion doesn't give you two additional card draws, nor an additional extra minion. The rest is resolved as written and there's no dependence on the number of affected minions.
Questions on The Hill that Strolls[]
- Main article: Titans
Q: The card says "Special" so I can use it outside of my turn, but why does the card also say "on your turn"? Aren't Special playable at any time?
A: "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 The Hill that Strolls, the condition is "on your turn", which already restricts its usage during your Play Cards phase, not at any other times. Note that it's restricted to your Play Cards phase only, not any other phases of your turn either.
Rule: "On your turn" means "during the Play Cards (phase 2) of each of your turns".
Q: Regarding its Special ability, do the two or more minions I own and controlled by other players have to be on the same base? Do I have to play The Hill that Strolls there?
A: No and no. As long as you have two or more minions you own under the control of other players, no matter which bases they are on, you can play this titan and you can play it on any base as well, not necessarily one with one of those minions.
Q: Regarding its Ongoing ability, when I give control of a minion to another player, what is the "it" that I may place a +1 power counter on? The titan or the minion?
A: The +1 power counter is placed on the minion you give control of. If it was the titan, it would have said "you may place a +1 power counter on this card" or "on this titan". Here, "it" refers to the minion.
Q: Its Talent ability tells me to give control of "one of my minions". Can I choose 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: Regarding its Talent ability, when I give control of a minion to another player, I suppose it has to be a minion on The Hill that Strolls's base, right? It says "here" for taking control.
A: No, the "here" is only to restrict which minion you can take control of and doesn't apply to the control-giving part. Since there are no such restrictions, you can actually give control of any of your minions on any base.
Q: A base is chosen to score. I have no minions there, but I have The Hill that Strolls 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. The Hill that Strolls 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 The Hill that Strolls had any +1 power counters on it 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 the Ignobles with their titan. Their The Hill that Strolls isn't in play. It's my Play Cards phase and there are two minions I own and that are controlled by other players, I can then invoke The Hill that Strolls through its Special ability and play it there, right?
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.
Q: If The Hill that Strolls's ability is cancelled, are the +1 power counters placed on it by its own ability 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 has its ability cancelled (like drawing cards, if you play Enchantress, you're not going to discard the card you drew if Enchantress's ability is cancelled). Besides, how are you going to keep track of which +1 power counters were placed by The Hill that Strolls and which ones were not (for example if you're playing Ignobles Giant Ants)? That would be cumbersome.
Rule: Cancelling (or losing) an effect does not necessarily undo what it did.
Q: If The Hill that Strolls is removed from play, are the +1 power counters placed by its ability on my minions 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 (like drawing cards, if you play Enchantress, you're not going to discard the card you drew if Enchantress is destroyed). Besides, how are you going to keep track of which +1 power counters were placed by The Hill that Strolls and which ones were not (for example if you're playing Ignobles Giant Ants)? That would be cumbersome.
Rule: Removing a card from play does not necessarily undo what it did.
Q: After using its talent to draw a 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: Can you give control of 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.
Trivia[]
- The artist is Gong Studios, who also designed the art of many other factions.
- The artist for the titan (which was released after Cease and Desist) is Francisco Rico Torres, who also designed the art of many other factions.
- Their divider (updated in The Bigger Geekier Box) features Aunt of Drakes.
- Aunt of Drakes is a reference to Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons. One of her dragons is a Tiamat. Another is a Chinese dragon. A Pokéball-like item can seen by her side.
- Foot of the King is a reference to the Hand of the King position. While he wasn't Hand of the King, this minion could also represent Jaime Lannister, a swordsman who lost his sword hand.
- Betrothed is a reference to Sansa Stark and the bubblegum was used to represent her status as a teenager. This was confirmed by Todd Rowland.
- Sneaky Squire is a reference to Tyrion Lannister.
- The Hill that Strolls is a reference to Gregor Clegane, also called "the Mountain That Rides" or just "the Mountain".
- In Fate of the Favorites, the Zombie Lord, a Gnome and a Clyde 2.0 can be seen.
- In Hostage Exchange, the exchange occurs between Wizards and Bear Cavalry.
- Inevitable Betrayal is a reference to Wash from Firefly and his statement "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal", all while playing with dinosaur toys.
- An Armor Stego is present on the Inevitable Betrayal card.
- A Pinkie is present on the Out of Sight card.
- Red Birthday Party is a reference to the Red Wedding.
- Repaying Debts is a reference to House Lannister's unofficial motto "A Lannister always pays his debts".
- The Spikey Chair Room is a reference to the Iron Throne.
- Wintersquashed is a reference to Winterfell.
In other languages[]
| Language | Name | Translation (if different) |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 冰火奇謀 | Conspiracy of Fire and Ice |
| French | Squatteurs de Trône | Squatters of Throne |
| German | Unedle |
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