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War raptor

Dinosaurs (with lasers) bring stunning power to the fight, dwarfing their opposition. - AEG

If there's one thing dinosaurs know how to do... actually, with a brain the size of a walnut, they don't really know how to do anything. But they are big. And—holy cats!—someone gave them lasers!

- Core Set rulebook

The Dinosaurs are one of the 8 factions from the Core Set.

Dinosaurs feature powerful minions and actions that make them even more powerful.

Other factions from the same set: Aliens, Ninjas, Pirates, Robots, Tricksters, Wizards, Zombies.

Cards[]

Dinosaurs

The Dinosaurs have the usual 10 minions and 10 actions. The total minion base power (even without counting any abilities) is unusually high at 32 or an average of 3.2 per minion compared to the usual 30 and 3. When you consider the additional powerups from abilities (War Raptor, Armor Stego, Augmentation, etc.), they are easily the highest power-per-minion faction from the Core Set. (See also Robots.)

Among their actions, there are:

  • 2 play-on-minion actions: Tooth and Claw... and Guns, Upgrade,
  • 1 play-on-base action: Wildlife Preserve,
  • 7 standard actions (6 that affect one or more minions, in bold): Augmentation (2x), Howl (2x), Natural Selection, Rampage, Survival of the Fittest,
  • 5 actions that directly increase a minion's power: Augmentation (2x), Howl (2x), Upgrade.

Minions[]

1x King Rex - power 7 - (no ability) FAQ

2x Laseratops - power 4 - Destroy a minion of power 2 or less on this base. FAQ

3x Armor Stego - power 3 - Ongoing: Has +2 power during other players’ turns. FAQ

4x War Raptor - power 2 - Ongoing: Gains +1 power for each War Raptor on this base (including this one). FAQ

Actions[]

2x Augmentation - One minion gains +4 power until the end of your turn. FAQ

2x Howl - Each of your minions gains +1 power until the end of your turn. FAQ

1x Natural Selection - Choose one of your minions on a base. Destroy a minion there with less power than yours. FAQ

1x Rampage - Reduce the breakpoint of a base by the power of one of your minions on that base until the end of the turn. FAQ

1x Survival of the Fittest - Destroy the lowest-power minion (you choose in case of a tie) on each base with a higher-power minion. FAQ

1x Tooth and Claw... and Guns - Play on a minion. Ongoing: If an another player's ability would affect this minion, destroy this card and the ability does not affect this minion for the rest of the turn. (errata'd by The Bigger Geekier Box) FAQ

1x Upgrade - Play on a minion. Ongoing: This minion has +2 power. FAQ

1x Wildlife Preserve - Play on a base. Ongoing: Your minions here are not affected by other players’ actions. FAQ

Titan[]

Dinosaurs titan
(available in the 10th Anniversary set)

1x Fort Titanosaurus - Special: On your turn, if you have not played a minion, you may destroy one of your minions to play this titan on its base. Place +1 power counters on it equal to the power of the destroyed minion. Ongoing: Once per turn, after you play an action that directly affects one or more minions, you may place a +1 power counter on one of those minions and/or on this titan. Talent: If this titan has four or more +1 power counters on it, draw a card.FAQ

Dinosaurs

Bases[]

Clarifications[]

Here are the official clarifications as they appear in The Bigger Geekier Box rulebook:

Augmentation, Howl: If played during another player’s turn, the effects last until the end of your next turn. It only affects minions currently in play, not those played later in the turn.

King Rex: The ability is deliberately blank.

Rampage: Use the minion’s current power. If its power changes later in the turn, the breakpoint does not change further.

War Raptor: Its power is 2 when in hand, and only changes to 3 after it’s on a base.

Wildlife Preserve: Discard any actions controlled by other players that have been played on your minions.

Mechanics[]

Dinosaurs are one of the simplest factions in the game. Their main strength is literally their strength. The abilities of their minions (or lack thereof) augment themselves with extra power. Their actions do the same, along with capitalizing on their minions' high power and protecting those few and powerful minions. They don't mess around with extra card draws and plays, tricks, surprises, or special techniques, just raw domination.

The War Raptor's manner of augmentation deserves some mention. Even though it is a power-2 minion, it gains at least 1 power the moment you play it. War Raptors behave like pack hunters, so they all multiply in power the more of them are on one base. You must act carefully when you build up the pack, since Dinosaurs lack extra minion plays and your opponents can disrupt you. The exact numbers: 1WR = 3 power, 2WR = 8 power, 3WR = 15 power, 4WR = 24 power.

Strategy[]

Dinosaurs are great at laying down a ton of direct and immediate power on bases. This raw power tends to keep Dinosaurs safe, since many effects can only target minions up to a maximum power. Even so, each minion does a lot of heavy lifting, so you will want to make sure they stick around to win you bases. Armor Stego is definitely one of these, as it gets bonus power on your opponent's turns to preserve your dominance.

Speaking of preserves, the action Wildlife Preserve helps keep your minions safe from harm, as well as discarding actions that were played on your minions. Use Tooth and Claw... and Guns to safeguard a minion from one instance of any manner of effect.

The actions that boost your power are mostly temporary, so you should save them until they break and win you a base. Your partner faction can offer the extra action plays to capitalize on this bonus power with actions like Survival of the Fittest. Technically, Laseratops' ability also capitalizes on high power minions. It is a mandatory non-specific destruction, so if no others are present, it will target your own minions. All Dinosaurs, at least, are safe from its effects.

Synergy[]

Dinosaurs mainly have their raw power to offer their teammates, ideal for those who manipulate that power to further ends. Most of the time, the other faction provides support while Dinosaurs dominate the show, but when the partner has strong power as well, Dinosaurs build on them.

  • Itty Critters: Straightforward power plays are Dinosaurs' forte, but in the hands of seasoned trainers, they become devious juggernauts. Coach and Evolve your team to send forth King Rex whenever you please, and easily maneuver your War Raptors.
  • Ninjas: They appreciate Dinosaurs' immediate bursts of power for their quick moves. King Rex and Armor Stego are prime candidates to win bases with Hidden Ninja, and you can swap in double War Raptors. Ninjas have a decent amount of power as well.
  • Elder Things: Shoggoths become easy to bring onto the field with the support of Augmentation, Armor Stego, and King Rex. If you're lucky enough to have Rampage and Elder Thing available, you can one-shot most bases all by yourself, but Dinosaurs don't help you much in summoning the monster.
  • Bear Cavalry: With large amounts of power, protection, and destruction of their own, Bear Cavalry are an excellent partner for Dinosaurs, and safe from Laseratops. Boost your Cub Scouts and Polar Commandos to dominate the bases.
  • Wizards: The extra actions provide you a lot of options, like Summon double War Raptors, or chain power boosts together to smash down bases and make the most of Sacrifice. Wizard minions don't have a lot of power for you to work with, though.

External Strategy Guides[]

FAQ[]

Questions on King Rex[]

Q: The text is missing. Is it a printing error?

A: No. It already has 7 power. It does not need any more ability.

Rule: Check King Rex's clarification.

Q: Can I play an action that gives an ability on King Rex? (e.g. Potion of Redundancy Potion)

A: Yes. King Rex is a valid choice and will therefore get an ability.

Rule: If there are no limits, there are no limits.


Questions on Laseratops[]

Q: Do I have to destroy a minion? Even my own minion?

A: Short answer: yes. If there are one or more minions of power 2 or less on that base, you must target one of them for destruction, even if it's your own minion.

Rule: If the ability doesn't say "you may", you must do it.

Rule: "A minion" means "any minion in play".

Q: Can I choose to destroy a minion that cannot be destroyed?

A: Yes, you can choose a minion that cannot be destroyed (e.g. due to Tooth and Claw... and Guns). In that case, the minion does not die

Rule: The card you target may be immune to the effects of the ability you are performing, but it is still a valid target.

Q: The minion I want to destroy has a printed power of 2 but has +1 power from another card (e.g. The Central Brain). Can I do it?

A: No, the minion's power is actually 3, so you cannot even target it with Laseratops's ability.

Rule: In play, a minion's power includes all modifications.


Questions on Armor Stego[]

Q: It's my turn to play, so an opponent's Armor Stego gains +2 power. If it brings the total power of all players on that base above its breakpoint, do we score the base immediately?

A: No. You only check if a base scores during phase 3 of a player's turn.

Rule: Outside the Score Bases phase, it doesn't matter how much power each player has on each base, they will only score if they meet the requirement during the Score Bases phase, and the Score Bases phase only.


Questions on War Raptor[]

Q: What is the power of one or more War Raptors?

A: In your hand, deck or discard pile, any War Raptor is power 2. On a base, a lone War Raptor is power 3. If there are exactly two War Raptors on the same base, each one is power 4. If there are exactly three War Raptors on the same base, each one is power 5. And if there are exactly four War Raptors on the same base, each one is power 6.

Rule: If it's not in play, a minion's power is equal to its printed power.

Rule: In play, a minion's power includes all modifications.

Rule: An Ongoing ability only becomes active when the card is in play.

Q: If I play War Raptor on a base where there is an enemy Leprechaun, can the War Raptor survive?

A: Possibly. War Raptor's Ongoing ability activates before Leprechaun's on-play reaction begins testing its conditions. This means if the War Raptor you play is the third on that base, it will be power 5 and will be safe from the Leprechaun's ability which tests the War Raptor's power after it becomes power 5. However, if the War Raptor isn't power 5 or more after resolving all applicable Ongoing abilities, then the Leprechaun will destroy it.

Rule: When a card says "After X, do Y", you need "X" to happen and be resolved completely before you do the effect stated as "Y".

Q: When you play a War Raptor, it automatically becomes power 3 or more, so can I play it on Tsar’s Palace?

A: No, before it's in play a Raptor has a power of 2. Its ability only happens once it's in play. So you cannot play War Raptor on Tsar’s Palace and if you actually try to, the War Raptor will be discarded without effect.

Rule: If conditions prohibit playing a chosen card, discard it instead.

Rule: An Ongoing ability only becomes active when the card is in play.

Q: I gained an extra minion of power 2 or less to play (e.g. from The Homeworld or Zapbot). Can I play a War Raptor as my extra minion?

A: Yes. In your hand, its power is 2.

Rule: If it's not in play, a minion's power is equal to its printed power.

Q: I move a War Raptor to a base where there's a Cub Scout. If there's no other War Raptor there, is it destroyed?

A: If Cub Scout's power is still 3, then no. War Raptor's Ongoing ability remains active and gives it +1 power by itself.

Rule: An Ongoing ability lasts for as long as the card is in play, and/or it triggers at some later time while in play.

Q: There are two War Raptors on a base, so they are power 4. I move one of them to a base with a Cub Scout also at power 4. Is the War Raptor destroyed?

A: Yes. After it moves, the War Raptor's power immediately falls down to 3 and Cub Scout's ability is triggered immediately after the move is completed.

Rule: When a card says "After X, do Y", you need "X" to happen and be resolved completely before you do the effect stated as "Y".

Q: I have a War Raptor and a Microbot Alpha. Does Microbot Alpha's ability cancel War Raptor's?

A: No. Both abilities keep working just fine. War Raptor is still named "War Raptor", it's just also considered as a Microbot.

Rule: If there are no limits, there are no limits.


Questions on Augmentation[]

Q: Does it count as being played "on a minion" on the turn it is played such as with Furious George or Clyde 2.0?

A: No, because it doesn't say "Play on a minion."

Rule: Only "play on a minion" actions are played on a minion.

Q: Can I only target one of my minions or can I augment someone else's minion?

A: You can target any minion on a base, not just yours.

Rule: "A minion" (or here "one minion") means "any minion in play".

Q: Can I use Augmentation to boost 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.

Rule: Cards in stasis may not be affected by, or chosen as the target of, any ability that does not refer to stasis.

Q: If I manage to play it on another player's turn (e.g. with a Mole) and target a minion that's not on the scored base, how long does the power bonus last?

A: Do exactly as written on the card. As clarified in The Bigger Geekier Box, the power boost lasts until the end of your upcoming turn!

Rule: "The end of your turn" means "the End Turn (phase 5) of the current turn" for deadlines if you're the current player, "the End Turn (phase 5) of your upcoming turn" for deadlines if you're not the current player, or "the End Turn (phase 5) of each of your turns" for effects that happen at that time.

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 gets +4 power.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets +4 power.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets +4 power.
- 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 gets +4 power.

Rule: Do exactly what the card says.


Questions on Howl[]

Q: It gives +1 power to "my minions". Does it also give +1 power to minions I own that I 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.

Rule: "Your minion" means "a minion that you control".

Q: If I play it and then play another minion afterward, does the new minion get +1 power from Howl?

A: The official answer is yes[1].

A: The Bigger Geekier Box now rules that it only increases the power of minions currently in play at the time the card is played, and not the power of minions played afterwards.

Rule: Abilities that say “Do X until Z” (e.g. “Each of your minions gains +1 power until the end of the turn”) only affect the cards currently in play, not those played after that ability triggers.

Q: If I manage to play it on another player's turn (e.g. with a Mole), how long does the power bonus last?

A: Do exactly as written on the card. As clarified in The Bigger Geekier Box, the power boost lasts until the end of your upcoming turn!

Rule: "The end of your turn" means "the End Turn (phase 5) of the current turn" for deadlines if you're the current player, "the End Turn (phase 5) of your upcoming turn" for deadlines if you're not the current player, or "the End Turn (phase 5) of each of your turns" for effects that happen at that time.

Q: I play it and boost my minions. If an opponent manages to take control of one of my minions before Howl expires (e.g. The Base Is Not Enough, Can Has Cheeseburger?), does the minion keep its boost?

A: No, it only boosts your minions. If one of them is later controlled by another player, it's no longer your minion and Howl doesn't affect it anymore.

A: Because of how The Bigger Geekier Box now rules this card, Howl should be treated as giving the +1 power to all your minions as a definitive effect, so the restriction that only your minions are affected only matters when Howl is played. Afterwards, if the minion's controller changes the +1 power still remains applied to it until the end of the turn.

Rule: An effect “until Y” lasts until Y even if the card that caused it leaves play or moves away, or even if any precondition stops being true.

Q: Does it boost minions in stasis?

A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.

Rule: Cards in stasis may not be affected by, or chosen as the target of, any ability that does not 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 gets +1 power.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets +1 power.
- 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: Do exactly what the card says.


Questions on Natural Selection[]

Q: It tells me to choose "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.

Rule: "Your minion" means "a minion that you control".

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 you can only copy the destruction; merely choosing a minion doesn't count as affecting it so you can't copy that part.
- 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 you can only copy the destruction; merely choosing a minion doesn't count as affecting it so you can't copy that part.
- 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 you can only copy the destruction; merely choosing a minion doesn't count as affecting it so you can't copy that part.
- 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 you can only copy the destruction; merely choosing a minion doesn't count as affecting it so you can't copy that part.

Rule: Do exactly what the card says.


Questions on Rampage[]

Q: It doesn't say that the minimum breakpoint of a base is 0, so can it go negative?

A: No. The minimum is stated in the rules and it is zero.

Rule: Base breakpoint is never reduced below zero.

Q: What happens if I play Rampage to reduce a base's breakpoint by the power of a minion, but then in the same turn (still during Phase 2) I move the minion to a different base?

A: The original base still has its breakpoint reduced. The effect doesn't "follow" the minion to the other base.

Rule: On-play abilities are resolved only once and have no further effect.

Q: What if I change the power of the minion after playing Rampage?

A: The power reduction still remains the same as when Rampage was played, it is not reevaluated if the minion's power changes afterward.

Rule: On-play abilities are resolved only once and have no further effect.

Q: Can I use it on a base where I cannot play actions on?

A: Yes. Rampage targets a base, but is not played on it.

Rule: Only "play on a base" actions are played on a base.

Q: So it targets a base where there is "one of my minions". Does it also apply to 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.

Rule: "Your minion" means "a minion that you control".

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.

Rule: Do exactly what the card says.


Questions on Survival of the Fittest[]

Q: How does it work?

A: For each base that has at least two minions: Do all the minions here have the same power? If so, do nothing at that base. Otherwise, what is the lowest power of a minion there? Choose one of the minions there that has that power (possibly your own minion). Once you've done this for all the bases, destroy all the minions you chose.

Rule: Do exactly what the card says.

Q: Does it also work on bases where I have no minions at all?

A: Yes, as long as there are at least two minions there, even if they're all controlled by other players, you still destroy one the lowest-power minions there.

Rule: "A minion" means "any minion in play".

Q: There's a base where there are only two minions, but both of the same power. What happens for Survival of the Fittest?

A: Nothing. Survival of the Fittest only applies to bases where there is at least one minion with a higher power than another. That's not the case here, so Survival of the Fittest doesn't apply to that base.

Rule: Do exactly what the card says.

Q: On a base, there are two minions with the lowest power, e.g. a power-7 King Rex, a power-4 Laseratops and a power-4 Warbot. Since Warbot cannot be destroyed, I suppose I have no choice but to destroy Laseratops, right?

A: No, you can choose either Laseratops, or Warbot. Warbot being immune to destruction doesn't mean you cannot choose it for a destruction effect; it will just survive the destruction and so no minions will be destroyed on that base by Survival of the Fittest.

Rule: The card you target may be immune to the effects of the ability you are performing, but it is still a valid target.

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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 there, 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.

Rule: Do exactly what the card says.


Questions on Tooth and Claw... and Guns[]

Q: What does it block?

A: The Bigger Geekier Box rulebook gave an erratum to Tooth and Claw... and Guns and now it only protects against other players' cards.

Rule: Check Tooth and Claw... and Guns's erratum.

Q: Can you play it on a minion you don't control?

A: Yes.

Rule: "A minion" means "any minion in play".

Q: Can you play it on 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.

Rule: Cards in stasis may not be affected by, or chosen as the target of, any ability that does not refer to stasis.

Q: If you play it on a minion you don't control, can it cancel the use of the minion's own ability if it counts as an "affect"? (For example, can it prevent the activation of the Pirate King's Special ability, since it affects itself by moving itself?)

A: Yes. "An ability" means "any ability", even the card's own ability. As long as it fits the definition of "affect", it is prevented by Tooth and Claw... and Guns.

Rule: Definition of "affect".

Rule: If you play an action on another player's minion and that action protects that minion from "other players' cards/abilities/minions/actions", it also protects that minion from the cards/abilities/minions/actions of that minion's own controller, including that minion's own abilities if relevant.

Q: If I play it on one of my minion and later play a card that affects it (e.g. Augmentation), what happens?

A: Tooth and Claw... and Guns is destroyed and Augmentation has no effect on your minion.

A: The Bigger Geekier Box gave an erratum to this card and so now Augmentation boosts your minion without Tooth and Claw... and Guns interfering, because it now only protects against other players' cards, not yours.

Rule: Check Tooth and Claw... and Guns's erratum.

Q: If it is on a minion, can I play Poison on the minion to destroy Tooth and Claw... and Guns?

A: Well, in a sense. While resolving Poison, you play it on the minion, but by attaching it to the minion, you're affecting it, so Tooth and Claw... and Guns activates and prevents that. So Tooth and Claw... and Guns is eventually destroyed, but Poison couldn't be attached to the minion so it is discarded.

Rule: Definition of "affect".

Q: An ability is already affecting my minion (e.g. Sleep Spores). What happens if I play Tooth and Claw... and Guns on it?

A: Tooth and Claw... and Guns is destroyed and Sleep Spores stops affecting your minions for the rest of the turn.

Rule: Check Tooth and Claw... and Guns's erratum.

Q: I have a minion with Tooth and Claw... and Guns. Another player plays Sleep Spores at the same base. What happens?

A: Tooth and Claw... and Guns is destroyed and Sleep Spores doesn't affect your minions until the start of the next turn.

Rule: Check Tooth and Claw... and Guns's erratum.

Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?

A: - If you're asking about when Tooth and Claw... and Guns is played, it doesn't interact with them at all, because Tooth and Claw... and Guns says "Play on a minion", which means that it is not a standard action.
- If you're asking about when you copy an effect onto a minion with Tooth and Claw... and Guns on it, then Tooth and Claw... and Guns is destroyed and the minion isn't affected.
- If you're asking about when a minion with Tooth and Claw... and Guns on it is directly affected by a standard action and you want to copy that, then Tooth and Claw... and Guns is destroyed, the minion isn't affected and because no minion was affected, you can't copy the effect.

Rule: Definition of "standard".

Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".


Questions on Upgrade[]

Q: Can you play it on 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.

Rule: Cards in stasis may not be affected by, or chosen as the target of, any ability that does not 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 says "Play on a minion", which means that it is not a standard action.

Rule: Definition of "standard".


Questions on Wildlife Preserve[]

Q: An opponent plays this card on a base, so if I have a minion there, it's no longer affected by my opponents' actions, 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 minions" means "their minions" and "other players" means "their opponents".

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: It protects "my minions" there. Does it also protect a minion I own that I don't control there? 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.

Rule: "Your minion" means "a minion that you control".

Q: Does it protect my minions against other player's minion abilities?

A: Unfortunately no. This means Tiger Assassin, Collector, and others can still target your minions.

Rule: Do exactly what the card says.

Q: An opponent plays Bear Hug (or Unfathomable Goals, Griefer, Out of Sight), forcing me to affect one of my minions. Can I choose one of my minions on the same base as Wildlife Preserve? If so, does Wildlife Preserve protect it?

A: First of all, you can indeed choose any of your minions, but you must choose one if you have any in play. Secondly, since the cause of the affect is "another player's action", then yes, Wildlife Preserve protects it, even if the card makes you do the affect.

Rule: The card you target may be immune to the effects of the ability you are performing, but it is still a valid target.

Q: I'm prevented from playing Dinosaur minions because of Block the Path. I play Wildlife Preserve there. Can I now play a Dinosaur minion there?

A: No, well actually, you can try to, but your minion will be discarded without effect. Also, Wildlife Preserve only protects minions that are already in play, not in hand. Besides, Block the Path does something that's not listed in the definition of "affect" anyway.

Rule: If conditions prohibit playing a chosen card, discard it instead.

Rule: Definition of "affect". Preventing an effect doesn't count.

Q: I play Wildlife Preserve on a base with an opponent's action there that affects my minions. (e.g. Sleep Spores) Is their action discarded?

A: No. Sleep Spores no longer reduces your minions' power there, but it remains in play.

Rule: Do exactly what the card says.

Q: I play Wildlife Preserve on a base where I have a minion with an opponent's action attached to it. (e.g. Poison) Is their action discarded?

A: Yes. Since the action is currently affecting the minion ("having an action attached" is considered as affecting), Wildlife Preserve prevents that action from affecting your minion any longer. So it can't remain attached to it and is therefore destroyed.

Rule: If a minion or a base becomes immune to certain cards or actions, any such cards that are already attached to it are immediately destroyed, since having a card attached is an effect.

Q: I'm given control of another player's minion because of their actions. (e.g. Repaying Debts, Hostage Exchange) If I play Wildlife Preserve on the same base, does it retroactively give them back control of their minion? As "affected" includes "changed in controller" and because control was changed because of another player's card, Wildlife Preserve should restore control of this minion to their original controller, right?

A: No. Those cards did a "punctual" change of controller and are no longer "maintaining" it. This is different from Make Contact which actively maintain the change as long as it remains in play, but those cards changed the control and then no matter what happens to those cards (in fact, they are discarded after use), the change of control still remains. So, a change of controller (except for Make Contact) isn't a continuous "affection", and playing Wildlife Preserve doesn't retroactively undo that like it does with continuous effects, e.g. Sleep Spores or an action attached to the minion.

Rule: Definition of "affect".

Q: I'm given control of another player's minion because of their actions. (e.g. Repaying Debts, Hostage Exchange) It is then under the protection of my Wildlife Preserve on the same base. Their actions that can retake control of minions they own (e.g. Activate the Spy, Banner Call) can't affect it, right?

A: Exactly.

Rule: Definition of "affect".

Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".

Q: I have Wildlife Preserve in play and my opponent has Steam Queen in play. If my opponent tries to affect my minions on the base with Wildlife Preserve, does Steam Queen prevents Wildlife Preserve's protection?

A: The Steampunk player can try to affect the protected minions with their actions, but Wildlife Preserve still prevents it. Blocking the effect of an action does not count as affecting it.

Rule: Definition of "affect". Preventing an effect doesn't count.

Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?

A: - If you're asking about when Wildlife Preserve is played, it doesn't interact with them at all, because Wildlife Preserve says "Play on a base", which means that it is not a standard action.
- If you're asking about when you copy an effect onto an opponent's minion with Wildlife Preserve protecting it, then the minion isn't affected. Note that Wildlife Preserve only protects against other player's actions, so if Wildlife Preserve's controller plays a standard action, you can copy it with Dancing King and have it affect one of that player's minion, bypassing Wildlife Preserve's protection because the minion is considered as being affected by its own controller's action.
- If you're asking about when an opponent's minion with Wildlife Preserve protecting it is directly affected by your standard action and you want to copy that, then it's not possible because the minion isn't affected by your action and because no minion was affected, you can't copy the effect.
- If you're asking about when an opponent's minion with Wildlife Preserve protecting it is directly affected by that player's standard action and you want to copy that, then you can indeed copy it the same way.

Rule: Definition of "standard".

Rule: "Can't" trumps "can".


Questions on Fort Titanosaurus[]

Main article: Titans

Q: The card says "Special" so I can use it at any time, even 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 Fort Titanosaurus, 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: A Special ability will describe how it can be used.

Rule: "On your turn" means "during the Play Cards (phase 2) of each of your turns".

Q: It tells me to destroy "one of my minions". Can I destroy 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.

Rule: "Your minion" means "a minion that you control".

Q: If I already have a minion in play, can I boost it, e.g. with Augmentation, then destroy it to play Fort Titanosaurus? Would the power boost be counted in the number of +1 power counters it gains?

A: Yes and yes. "The power of the destroyed minion" refers to the power it had while in play, so including any modifications.

Rule: In play, a minion's power includes all modifications.

Q: A base is chosen to score. I have no minions there, but I have Fort Titanosaurus 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. Fort Titanosaurus 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 Fort Titanosaurus 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.

Rule: A player must have at least one minion or 1 total power on a base to be eligible to receive its VP reward.

Q: After using its talent, 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.

Rule: You wait until your Draw 2 Cards phase to discard down to 10; if your hand is bigger than 10 at other times of the game, that’s okay.

Q: At the start of my turn, a Sprout made me play an extra minion. Since it wasn't played during phase 2 of my turn, I haven't played a minion "on my turn" yet, so can I use Fort Titanosaurus's Special ability?

A: Indeed, when you check whether you have already played any minions or not, you only count those you played on your Play Cards phase. Minions played during the Start Turn phase don't count.

Rule: Check Ninja Acolyte's clarification.

Trivia[]

  • The artist is Saliym McCullin.
  • The artist for the titan (which was released after the Core Set) is Francisco Rico Torres, who also designed the art of many other factions.
  • Their divider (available in The Big Geeky Box and The Bigger Geekier Box) features King Rex.
  • Some dinosaurs have a serial number on their equipments that are references to characters from the TV show Dinosaur Train:
    • The pteranodon in Natural Selection has an armor with the serial number "71N4", i.e. "Tiny"
    • The corythosaurus in Howl has a parabolic dish with the serial number "C0RY", i.e. "Cory"
  • An Alien has been squashed in Survival of the Fittest.
  • The reason why the Dinosaurs are merged with technology is because when the art director, Todd Rowland, was reviewing the art, his sons asked "Why don't they have lasers?" The idea was passed on to the artist.

In other languages[]

Language Name
Chinese 恐龙
Czech Dinosauři
French Dinosaures
German Dinosaurier
Greek Δεινόσαυροι
Hebrew דינוזאורים
Italian Dinosauri
Japanese 恐竜
Polish Dinozaury
Portuguese Dinossauros
Russian Динозавры
Spanish Dinosaurios
Turkish Dinozorlar


Core Set
Factions: Aliens  •  Dinosaurs  •  Ninjas  •  Pirates  •  Robots  •  Tricksters  •  Wizards  •  Zombies
Mechanics: Titans (optional, since the TITANS Event Kit)
Sets
Main: Core Set  •  Awesome Level 9000  •  The Obligatory Cthulhu Set  •  Science Fiction Double Feature  •  Monster Smash  •  Pretty Pretty Smash Up  •  Smash Up: Munchkin  •  It’s Your Fault!  •  Cease and Desist  •  What Were We Thinking?  •  Big in Japan  •  That ’70s Expansion  •  Oops, You Did It Again  •  World Tour: International Incident  •  World Tour: Culture Shock  •  Smash Up: Marvel  •  Smash Up: Disney Edition  •  10th Anniversary  •  Excellent Movies, Dudes!
Big Boxes: The Big Geeky Box  •  The Bigger Geekier Box
Event Kits: All Stars Event Kit  •  TITANS Event Kit
Booster Packs: Smash Up All Stars  •  Smash Up Sheep Promo  •  Smash Up Penguins  •  Smash Up TITANS  •  Dead Reckoning Promo  •  Smash Up Goblins  •  Smash Up Knights of the Round Table  •  Smash Up Teens
Cancelled: World Tour Event Kit

References[]

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