Comprehensive Rules Document v1.1 Contents 1. Game Concepts 100. General 101. The Golden Rule 102. Players 103. Starting the Game 104. Ending The Game 105. Kairu 106. Cards 107. Characters 108. Abilities 109. Costs 110. Drawing a Card 2. Parts of a Card 200. General 201. Name 203. Version 204. Kairu Cost 205. Illustration 206. Card Type 207. Attack Text Box 208. Damage Zones 209. Defense Zones 210. Monster Type Icons 211. Microdots 212. Collector Code
Transcript
Comprehensive Rules Document v1.1
Contents
1. Game Concepts
100. General 101. The Golden Rule 102. Players 103. Starting the Game 104. Ending The Game 105. Kairu 106. Cards 107. Characters 108. Abilities 109. Costs 110. Drawing a Card
2. Parts of a Card 200. General 201. Name 203. Version 204. Kairu Cost 205. Illustration 206. Card Type 207. Attack Text Box 208. Damage Zones 209. Defense Zones 210. Monster Type Icons 211. Microdots 212. Collector Code
3. Card Types
300. General 301. Attacks 302. Monsters 303. Characters
4. Zones 400. General 401. Deck 402. Hand 403. In Play 404. Discard Pile 405. Being Played 406. Defeated
6. Playing Attacks 600. General 601. Playing An Attack 603. Attack Triggers 604. REACT Window 605. REACTs 606. Attack Resolution 607. Defense Loss 608. Effect Loss
7. Playing Monsters 700. General 701. Playing a Monster 702. Monster Triggered Abilities 703. Monster Activated Abilities 704. Monster Static Abilities 705. Monster Defenses 706. Heal Zones
8. Abilities and Effects 800. General 801. Activated Abilities 802. Triggered Abilities
100.1. These rules apply to all Redakai games played with the Advanced ruleset. For Basic gameplay rules, see the rules sheet that comes with various Redakai products (link).
100.2. To play, each player needs his or her own deck and a method with which to track both maximum and available Kairu.
100.3. A player’s deck must include exactly three Character cards, none of which share a name, and at least forty other cards.
101. The Golden Rule
101.1. Whenever a card’s text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. The only exception is that a player can concede the game at any time.
101.2. When a rule or effect allows or directs something to happen, and another effect states that it can’t happen, the “can’t” effect takes precedence.
101.3. Any part of an instruction that is impossible to perform is ignored. (In many cases the card will specify consequences for this; if it doesn’t, there’s no effect.)
101.4. If multiple players would make choices and/or take actions at the same time, the active player (the player whose turn it is) makes any choices required, then the next player in turn order (usually the player seated to the active player’s left) makes any choices required, followed by the remaining nonactive players in turn order. Then the actions happen simultaneously. This rule is often referred to as the “Active Player, Nonactive Player (APNAP) order” rule.
101.4a. If a player would make more than one choice at the same time, the player makes the choices in the order written, or in the order he or she chooses if the choices aren’t ordered.
101.4b. If a choice made by a nonactive player causes the active player or a different nonactive player earlier in the turn order to make a choice, then APNAP order is restarted for all outstanding choices.
102. Players
102.1. A player is one of the people in the game. The ACTIVE PLAYER is the player whose turn it is. The other players are NONACTIVE PLAYERS.
103. Starting the Game
103.1. At the start of a game, each player shuffles his or her deck so that the cards are in a random order. Each player may then shuffle or cut his or her opponents’ decks.
103.2. After the decks have been shuffled, the players determine which one of them will choose who
takes the first turn. In the first game of a match (including a single-game match), the players may use any mutually agreeable method (flipping a coin, rolling dice, etc.) to do so. In a match of several games, the player who lost the previous game chooses who takes the first turn. If the previous game was a draw, the player who made the choice in that game makes the choice in this game. The player chosen to take the first turn is the starting player.
103.3. Once the starting player has been determined, each player gains three charged Kairu and draws a
hand of three cards. 103.4. The starting player takes his or her first turn.
104. Ending the Game
104.1. A game ends immediately when a player wins, when the game is a draw, or when the game is restarted.
104.2. There are several ways to win the game.
104.2a. A player wins the game if all opponents have lost the game.
104.2b. An effect may state that a player wins the game.
104.3. There are several ways to lose the game.
104.3a. A player can concede the game at any time. A player who concedes leaves the game immediately. He or she loses the game.
104.3b. If all of a player’s Characters have been defeated, that player loses the game. 104.3c. If a player is required to draw more cards than what are left in his or her deck, he or she
draws the remaining cards, and then loses the game the next time any player would receive priority.
104.3d. An effect may state that a player loses the game. 104.3e. If a player would both win and lose the game simultaneously, he or she loses the game. 104.3f . In a tournament, a player may lose the game as a result of a penalty given by a judge.
104.4. Players must return their opponent's Attack cards back to them. The losing player should do this
first, then the winning player.
105. Kairu
105.1. Kairu is the primary resource in the game. Players spend Kairu to pay costs, usually when playing Attacks and Monsters or activating abilities.
105.2. Kairu costs are represented by Kairu symbols. 105.3. Kairu can exist in two states – charged and exhausted. Charged Kairu is available for use.
Exhausted Kairu is not. 105.4. To pay a Kairu cost, a player exhausts the indicated number of charged Kairu. If a player cannot
do so, the player cannot play the card or ability. 105.5. Whenever a player gains Kairu, that Kairu enters play charged. 105.6. A player’s Maximum Kairu is the total number of Kairu he controls, whether charged or
exhausted. 105.7. At the beginning of a player’s turn, that player gains one Kairu and recharges all of his exhausted
Kairu. 105.8. If a player loses Kairu, his maximum Kairu is decreased by one. You can't have more charged
Kairu than your maximum Kairu, so if a player has more charged Kairu than his maximum Kairu, it also goes down to the appropriate level.
106. Cards
106.1. Some cards have errata that changes their printed text. Use the Official Redakai Card Reference
to determine the text of a card. 106.2. When a rule or text on a card refers to a “card,” it means only a Redakai card.
106.2a In the text of abilities, the term “card” is used only to refer to a card that’s not in play or being played.
106.3. The owner of a card in the game is the player who started the game with it in his or her deck. If a
card is brought into the game from outside the game rather than starting in a player’s deck, its owner is the player who brought it into the game. Legal ownership of a card in the game is irrelevant to the game rules.
106.4. For more information about cards, see section 2, “Parts of a Card.”
107. Characters
107.1. When an Attack or ability refers to a Character, it means a Character card that began the game in play or a Monster that has been stacked on top of one of those Character cards.
107.2. A Character is considered defeated when all of its damage zones have been damaged. A defeated
Character is in the defeated zone and can no longer have Monsters played on it or Attacks played against it. It no longer has defenses, abilities, costs, colors, or monster icons. See 406 Defeated.
108. Abilities
108.1. An ability is an aspect of an object that allows it to effect the game.
108.2. Abilities can affect the objects they’re on. They can also affect other objects and/or players.
108.2a. Abilities can be beneficial or detrimental. 108.2b. An additional cost or alternative cost to play a card is an ability of the card. 108.2c. An object may have multiple abilities. An object may also be granted additional abilities
by another ability. If an object has multiple instances of the same ability, each instance functions independently. This may or may not produce more effects than a single instance; refer to the specific ability for more information.
108.2d. Abilities can generate one-shot effects or continuous effects. Some continuous effects
are replacement effects or prevention effects.
108.3. There are five general categories of abilities:
108.3a. Attack abilities are abilities that apply to an Attack while it is being played. 108.3b. REACT abilities are abilities that occur when a card is played for its REACT cost.
108.3b.1. REACT abilities on attacks are typically written as “REACT: *Cost+, discard this card > [Effect] [Additional Instructions]. These may only be played while an attack is in the “Being Played” zone.
108.3b.2. Monsters that can be played as an REACT ability are typically written as “*Monster+
may be played as a REACT.” These are played while an attack is in the “Being Played” zone. You must pay the appropriate costs for playing that monster as normal.
108.3c. Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are written as “*Cost+ > *Effect.+
*Activation instructions (if any).+” A player may activate such an ability by paying the cost at a legal time for the ability to be played.
108.3d. Triggered abilities have a trigger condition and an effect. They are written as “*Trigger
condition+, *effect+,” and often begin with the words “if”, “when”, “whenever”, “the” or “at”. 108.3e. Static abilities are written as statements. They’re simply true. Static abilities create
continuous effects which are active while the Character with the ability is in play and has the ability, or while the object with the ability is in the appropriate zone.
108.4. Abilities of an Attack usually function only while that object is being played. Abilities of Characters
and Monsters usually only function while those cards are in play. The exceptions are as follows:
108.4a. Characteristic-defining abilities function everywhere, even outside the game. 108.4b. An ability that states which zones it functions in functions only from those zones. 108.4c. An object’s ability that allows a player to pay an alternative cost rather than its Kairu cost
functions in any zone in which its cost can be paid. An object’s ability that otherwise modifies what that particular object costs to played functions while that ability is being played.
108.4d. An object’s ability that restricts or modifies how that particular object can be played
functions in any zone from which it could be played 108.4e. An object’s ability that restricts or modifies what zones that particular object can be
played from functions everywhere, even outside the game. 108.4f. An object’s ability that states it can’t be stopped functions while it is being played. 108.4g. An ability whose cost or effect specifies that it moves the object it’s on out of a particular
zone functions only in that zone, unless that ability’s trigger condition, or a previous part of that ability’s cost or effect, specifies that the object is put into that zone.
108.4h. An ability that modifies the rules for deck construction functions before the game begins.
Such an ability modifies not just the Comprehensive Rules, but also the Tournament Rules and any other documents that set the deck construction rules for a specific Constructed format. However, such an ability can’t affect the format legality of a card, including whether it’s banned or restricted.
108.4i. A character that has been defeated has no abilities and cannot gain abilities.
108.5. Effects can add or remove abilities of objects. An effect that adds an ability will state that the
object “gains” or “has” that ability. An effect that removes an ability will state that the object “loses” that ability. Effects that remove an ability remove all instances of it.
108.5a. Blanking an ability of a character occurs when an attack with an opaque character text box successfully hits a character and is stacked on top of it. The opaque portion of the attack would then obscure the character's ability and cause the character to lose that ability.
108.5b. Blanking defense zones works the same way as blanking abilities. If an attack is opaque in
the appropriate area, and it obscures the defense numbers and colors of the character below it in the stack, then that character lose those defenses.
108.6. An effect that sets an object’s Characteristic, or simply states a quality of that object, is different
from an ability granted by an effect. When an object “gains” or “has” an ability, that ability can be removed by another effect.
109. Costs
109.1. A cost is an action or payment necessary to take another action or to stop another action from
taking place. To pay a cost, a player carries out the instructions specified by the card or ability that contains that cost.
109.2. A player can’t pay a cost unless he or she has the necessary resources to pay it fully. For example,
a player with only five Kairu may not lose six Kairu to pay a cost, and a player with one card in hand cannot pay a cost that requires discarding two cards.
109.3. Some costs include an X. X is however much a player wants to pay unless the card specifies
otherwise. 109.4. Some costs are represented by {0}, or are reduced to {0}. The action necessary for a player to pay
such a cost is the player’s acknowledgment that he or she is paying it. Even though such a cost requires no resources, it’s not automatically paid.
109.4a. A card whose Kairu cost is {0} must still be played the same way as one with a cost greater than zero; it won’t play itself automatically. The same is true for an activated ability whose cost is {0}.
109.5. What a player actually needs to do to pay a cost may be changed or reduced by effects. If the
Kairu component of a cost is reduced to zero or less by cost reduction effects, it is considered to be {0}. Paying a cost that was changed or reduced by an effect counts as paying the original cost.
109.6. Some cards and abilities have additional costs. An additional cost is a cost listed in a card or
ability’s rules text, or applied to a card or ability from another effect, that its controller must pay at the same time that player pays the card’s Kairu cost or the ability’s activation cost.
109.6a. Any number of additional costs may be applied to a card as it’s being played or to an
ability as it’s being activated. The controller of the card or ability announces his or her intentions to pay any or all of those costs as described in rule 601.2b.
109.6b. Some additional costs are optional. 109.6c. Additional costs don’t change a card’s Kairu cost, only what its controller has to pay to
play it. Effects that refer to that card’s Kairu cost still see the card’s original cost. 109.6d. Some effects increase the cost to play a card or activate an ability without using the word
“additional.” Those are not additional costs, and are not considered until determining the total cost of a card or ability as described in rule 601.2e.
109.7. Some cards have alternative costs. An alternative cost is a cost listed in a card’s text, or applied to
it from another effect, that its controller may pay rather than paying the card’s Kairu cost. Alternative costs are usually phrased, “You may *action+ rather than pay *this object’s+ Kairu cost,” or “You may play *this object+ without paying its Kairu cost”. Note that some alternative costs are listed in keywords.
109.7a. Only one alternative cost can be applied to any one card as it’s being played. The
controller of the card announces his or her intentions to pay that cost as described in rule 601.2b.
109.7b. Alternative costs are always optional. 109.7c. An alternative cost doesn’t change a card’s Kairu cost, only what its controller has to pay
to play it. Effects that refer to that card’s Kairu cost still see the card’s original cost. 109.7d. If an alternative cost is being paid to play a card, any additional costs, cost increases, and
cost reductions that affect that card are applied to that alternative cost. (See rule 601.2e.)
109.8. Each payment of a cost applies to only one card or ability, or effect. Also, the resolution of an effect doesn’t pay another card or ability’s cost, even if part of its effect is doing the same thing the other cost asks for.
109.9. The actions performed when paying a cost may be modified by effects. Even if they are, meaning
the actions that are performed don’t match the actions that are called for, the cost has still been paid.
109.10. Some cards, activated abilities, and triggered abilities read, “*Do something+. If *a player+ *does
or doesn’t+, *effect+.” or “*A player+ may *do something+. If *that player+ *does or doesn’t+, *effect+.” The action *do something+ is a cost, paid when the card or ability resolves. The “If *a player+ *does or doesn’t+” clause checks whether the player chose to pay an optional cost or started to pay a mandatory cost, regardless of what events actually occurred.
109.10a. Some cards, activated abilities, and triggered abilities read, “*Do something+ unless you
[do something else+.” This means the same thing as “You may *do something else+. If you don’t, *do something+.”
110. Drawing a Card
110.1. A player draws a card by putting the top card of his or her deck into his or her hand. This is done as a turn-based action during each player’s beginning of turn. It may also be done as part of a cost or as an effect of an ability.
110.2. Cards may only be drawn one at a time. If a player is instructed to draw multiple cards, that
player performs that many individual card draws.
110.2a. If an effect instructs more than one player to draw cards, the active player performs all of his or her draws first, then each other player in turn order does the same.
110.3. If there are no cards in a player’s deck and an effect offers that player the choice to draw a card,
that player can choose to do so. However, if an effect says that a player can’t draw cards and another effect offers that player the choice to draw a card, that player can’t choose to do so.
110.4. A player who attempts to draw a card from a deck with no cards in it loses the game the next time a player would receive priority.
110.5. If an effect moves cards from a player’s deck or discard pile to that player’s hand without using
the word “draw,” the player has not drawn those cards. This makes a difference for abilities that trigger on drawing cards and effects that replace card draws, as well as if the player’s deck is empty.
2. Parts of a Card
200. General
200.1. The parts of a card are Name, Version, Card Type, Kairu Cost, Color, Attack Power, Defense Zones, Damage Zones, Attack Text, Attack Power, Character Text, Illustration, Monster Type Icon, Microdots, and Collector Code. Some card may have more than one, any, or all of these parts.
201. Name
201.1. The name of a card is printed on the top center of the card on Monster and Character cards. On Attack cards, the name is printed on the first line under the clear space at the top center.
201.2. Two objects have the same name if their English names are identical. 201.3. Text that refers to the object it’s on by name means just that particular object and not any other
objects with that name, regardless of any name changes caused by game effects.
201.4a. If an ability’s effect grants another ability to an object, and that second ability refers to that first ability’s source by name, the name refers only to the specific object that is that first ability’s source, not to any other object with the same name.
201.4b. If an ability of an object refers to that object by name, and an object with a different
name gains that ability, all instances of the first name in the gained ability should be treated as the second name.
202. Version
202.1. The version of a card is found in the top center of the card under the card’s name. Only Monster and Character cards have versions.
202.2. A card with the same name and a different version are considered different cards.
202. Kairu Cost
202.1. A card’s Kairu cost is indicated by a number in a Kairu symbol in the upper left corner of the card.
202.1a. The Kairu cost represents the amount of charged Kairu a player must exhaust to play that card.
202.2. Any additional cost listed in an object’s rules text or imposed by an effect isn’t part of the Kairu
cost. Such costs are paid at the same time as the card’s other costs.
203. Illustration
203.1. The illustration that is printed in the center of the card has no effect on game play. Illustrations that appear on other parts of the card, such as the defense zones or Monster text box, do have gameplay effects.
204. Card Type
204.1. The card types are Character, Monster, and Attack. 204.2. The type of a card can be determined from which card elements it has. Attacks are the only card
type with an Attack text box. Characters are the only card type without a cost.
205. Attack Text Box
205.1. The Attack text box is printed on the top of the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text defining the card’s abilities.
205.2. The text box may also contain italicized text that has no game function.
205.2a. Reminder text is italicized text within parentheses that summarizes a rule that applies to
that card. It usually appears on the same line as the ability it’s relevant to, but it may appear on its own line if it applies to an aspect of the card other than an ability.
206. Attack Power
206.1. The Attack Power is found on the right-hand side of the Attack text box 206.2. Anything that references the Attack Power of an Attack being played refers to the current
modified power of the Attack. Anything that references the Attack Power of an Attack in any other zone refers to the printed power of that Attack.
207. Character Text Box
207.1. The Character text box is printed on the bottom of the lower half of the card. It usually contains rules text defining the card’s abilities.
207.2. Some Attack card will have graphics obscuring the Character text box. When a card graphic obscures Character text, that text is no longer active.
208. Damage Zones
208.1. The damage zones are located on the top right hand corner of a card.
208.2. Damage zones may be yellow, red, or clear.
208.3. When a red damage zone of an Attack covers a yellow damage zone on a Character, that Character is considered to have been dealt damage, and is now damaged.
208.4. A Character with any damaged damage zones is considered damaged.
208.5. When all of a Character’s damage zones are damaged, that Character is defeated and can no longer have Attacks or Monsters played on it. It no longer has defenses, abilities, costs, colors, or monster icons. It is moved to the defeated zone. (See Section 406. Defeated)
208.6. When a yellow damage zone of a Monster covers a red damaged zone on a Character, that zone is considered to be healed.
209. Defense Zones
209.1. The defense zones are located on the left hand side of a card.
209.2. Defense zones may be clear, contain a color and a number, or obscured by illustration.
209.3. Defense zones with numbers provide a defense value in the color of the zone equal to that number
209.4. A Character’s defense value in a color is equal to the sum of all of the Character’s defense zones in that color.
209.5. If a defense zone is covered and the value is no longer visible, the Character is no longer considered to have the defense value provided by that defense zone.
210. Monster Type Icon
210.1. The Monster Type Icon is located on the right hand side of the Monster Text Box.
210.2. The Monster Type Icon indicates which of the three types a Monster belongs to – Animalistic, Elemental, or Mechanical.
211. Microdots
211.1. Microdots are located on the bottom right hand corner of Attack cards.
211.2. Microdots have no gameplay function.
212 Collector Code
212.1. The Collector Code is an alphanumeric number found on the back of the card near the Redakai logo.
212.2. The collector code has no gameplay function.
3. Card Types
300. General
300.1. The card types are Attack, Character, and Monster.
301. Attacks
301.1. A player may play Attacks on his own turn when there are no other Attacks currently being played unless another card effect instructs a player to play an Attack at a different time.
301.2. Only Attacks have Attack Power. Attack power is a value that is compared to the defense value in
the color of the Attack of the Character the Attack is played against to determine if it hits. 301.3. If an Attack hits, it is stacked on top of the Character it was played against. If an Attack does not
hit, it is placed in its owner’s discard pile. 301.4. Some Attacks have REACT abilities. When an Attack card is played as a REACT, it is not considered
an Attack for purposes of effects that modify Attacks, such as cost reductions.
302. Monsters
302.1. A player may only play Monsters on his own turn when there are no Attacks currently being played, unless another effect instructs that a Monster may be played at a different time. (See Section 108.3b.2 Playing Monsters as a React)
302.2. When playing a Monster, a player chooses a Character to play that Monster on. The Monster is
immediately stacked on top of that Character.
303. Characters
303.1. Character cards begin the game in play.
303.2. The characteristics of a character include the visible characteristics of all cards stacked on top of it. For example, when checking how much defense a character has in a given color, add all visible numbers in the defense zones of the stack of that color together and the resulting sum is the character’s defense in that color.
303.3 The characters that began play under a player’s control are considered to be on that player’s team.
303.4. When a player has only defeated characters on his team, that player loses the game.
4. Zones
400. General
400.1. A zone is a place where objects can be during a game. There are five zones: deck, hand, in play,
being played, and discard pile. 400.2. Public zones are zones in which all players can see the cards’ faces. The discard pile, in play, and
being played are public zones. Hidden zones are zones in which not all players can be expected to see the cards’ faces. Deck and hand are hidden zones, even if all the cards in one such zone happen to be revealed.
400.3. If an object would go to any deck, discard pile, or hand other than its owner’s, it goes to its
owner’s corresponding zone. 400.4. The order of objects in a deck can’t be changed except when effects or rules allow it. 400.5. An object that moves from one zone to another becomes a new object with no memory of, or
relation to, its previous existence. 400.6. Some effects instruct a player to do something to a zone. That action is performed on all cards in
that zone. The zone itself is not affected.
401. Deck
401.1. Each deck must be kept in a single face-down pile. Players can’t look at or change the order of cards in a deck.
401.2. Any player may count the number of cards remaining in any player’s deck at any time.
401.3. If an effect puts two or more cards on the top or bottom of a deck at the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. That deck’s owner doesn’t reveal the order in which the cards go into his or her deck.
402. Hand
402.1. The hand is where a player holds cards that have been drawn. Cards can be put into a player’s
hand by other effects as well. At the beginning of the game, each player draws a hand of three cards. 402.2. Each player has a maximum hand size, which is normally six cards. If a player ever has more cards
in hand than his maximum hand size, that player must immediately discard down to the appropriate number of cards the next time a player receives priority.
402.3. A player may arrange his or her hand in any convenient fashion and look at it as much as he or
she wishes. A player can’t look at the cards in another player’s hand but may count those cards at any time.
403. In Play
403.1. All characters and cards stacked on top of them are in play. 403.2. A card or ability only affects cards in play unless it specifies that it affects another zone. 403.2 Characters in play that a player’s control are considered to be on that player’s team. Effects that
check for characteristics of characters on a player’s team only count characters that have not been defeated, unless they specifically check for defeated characters.
404. Discard Pile
404.1. Any card that is discarded or Attack that fails to hit goes to its owner’s discard pile. Each player’s discard pile starts out empty.
404.2. Each discard pile is kept in a single face-up pile. A player can examine the cards in any discard pile
at any time.
405. Being Played
405.1. When an Attack is played, it goes to the zone called “being played”. 405.2. Unless an effect specifically allows for an Attack to be played while another Attack is being
played, there may only ever be one Attack being played at a time.
5. Turn Structure 500. General
500.1. A player’s turn consists of three phases: Beginning Phase, Main Phase, and Ending Phase. 500.2. When a phase or step ends, any effects scheduled to last “until end of” that phase or step expire.
When a phase or step begins, any effects scheduled to last “until” that phase or step expire. 500.3. When a phase or step begins, any abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or step
occur. 500.4. Some effects can give a player extra turns. They do this by adding the turns directly after the
current turn. If a player gets multiple extra turns or if multiple players get extra turns during a single turn, the extra turns are added one at a time. The most recently created turn will be taken first.
500.5. No game events can occur between turns, phases, or steps.
501. Beginning Phase
501.1. The start of turn phase consists of three steps, in this order: Kairu Step, Upkeep Step, and Draw Step.
502. Kairu Step
502.1 Any abilities that modify the player’s Kairu gain or recharging occur now. 502.2. The active player gains one Kairu, and then recharges all of his or her exhausted Kairu.
503. Upkeep Step
503.1. Any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the turn occur and are resolved in the order of the active player’s choice.
504. Draw Step
504.1. Any abilities that modify the player’s draw occur.
504.2. The active player draws a card.
505. Main Phase
505.1. The main phase is the part of a turn during which the active player may play Attacks and Monsters.
505.2. The main phase has no steps, so a main phase ends when the active player declines to play any more Attacks or Monsters.
505.3. During a player’s main phase, that player may choose to play an Attack or Monster at any time
when there is no Attack being played. 505.4. The non-active player may only play cards during another player’s main phase if if those cards
have the REACT ability and the active player has played an Attack and passed priority.
506. Ending Phase
506.1. All abilities that trigger at the end of the turn occur and resolve in the order of the active player’s choosing.
506.2. All effects that last until the end of turn expire.
6. Playing Attacks 600. General
600.1. Attacks may only be played during the main phase of the active player’s turn unless a specific card effect instructs a player to do otherwise.
601. Playing an Attack
601.1. To play an Attack, a player must choose an opposing Character to play the Attack against, exhaust charged Kairu equal to the cost of that Attack, and pay any additional costs associated with it.
601.2. If a player cannot pay all of the costs of an Attack, he may not legally announce the Attack. An
illegally announced Attack is returned to a player’s hand and is not considered played. 601.3. Some effects may force a player to pay more for Attacks but are not additional costs. For
example, Blizzard Blades says “If this hits, stop each Attack an opponent plays next turn unless he pays (1 Kairu).” This is a trigger that occurs whenever the affected player plays an Attack, not an additional cost to play Attacks, so a player could announce an Attack without the necessary Kairu to pay for the Blizzard Blades effect, in which case the Attack would be stopped.
602. Attack Triggers
602.1. Once an Attack has been legally announced, any abilities that trigger from that Attack being
played occur.
602.2. Whenever a single event generates multiple triggers, all triggers created by the active player occur in the order of his choice, then all triggers controlled by the non-active player occur in the order of his choice. If any of these events generates a trigger, finish this generation of triggers before moving onto the next generation.
602.3. Continuous effects on Characters that allow a player to redirect Attacks are considered triggered
abilities. A player must choose whether they wish to use a redirection ability on a Character when Attack triggers occur.
602.3a. If an Attack is redirected to a Character, it does not trigger abilities that occur when an
Attack is played against that Character. An Attack is only considered played against a Character when it is first announced.
603. REACT Window
603.1. Once all triggered abilities resulting from an Attack being played have resolved, the active player has an opportunity to play REACTs.
603.2. The active player may play any number of REACTs at this time. The non-active player does not
have priority to play REACTs until the active player chooses not to play any further REACTs. 603.3. Once the active player has declined to play REACTs, the non-active player has the opportunity to
play REACTs. 603.4. The non-active player may play any number of REACTs at this time. The active player does not
have priority to play further REACTs until the active player chooses not to play any more. 603.5. If a player passes on the opportunity to play REACTs, the other plays gets the next opportunity. 603.6. If both players pass on the opportunity to play REACTs in a row, the REACT window closes and the
Attack continues to Attack Resolution. 604. REACTs
604.1. REACT abilities may only be played during the REACT window while an Attack is in the being played zone.
604.2. The active player has priority to play REACTs to his own Attack first. Once the active player
declines to play REACTs, the non-active player gains priority. If the non-active player passes, the active player once again gains priority. If both players pass in succession, the REACT Window ends.
604.3. REACT effects occur immediately. A REACT may not be used to respond to or stop another REACT once it has been played.
604.3a. If a REACT stops the Attack being played, the REACT Window immediately ends, as there
is no Attack currently being played. 604.3b. To play a REACT, a player pays the costs of the REACT. The cost of a REACT ability on an
Attack follows the REACT keyword and typically includes a Kairu payment and a cost of discarding the Attack.
604.3c. A player must pay the cost of REACT fully to play it. If a card is not in a player’s hand, that
player may not pay the “discard this” portion of the REACT cost, and cannot play that card’s REACT ability.
604.4. Monsters that may be played as REACTs are played by paying their costs and choosing a
Character to stack them on. 605. Attack Resolution
605.1. An Attack passes to resolution once both players decline to play REACTs and the REACT Window closes.
605.2. Attack Resolution is when it is determined if an Attack hits. 605.3. To determine if an Attack hits, compare the Attack’s power to the Character’s defense in the
color of the Attack.
605.3a. If the Attack’s power is greater, the Attack hits, and is stacked on top of the Character. 605.3b. If the Character’s defense is greater, the Attack is stopped, and is placed in the discard
pile. 605.3c. If an Attack can’t be stopped, the Attack hits regardless of the Character’s defense, and it
is stacked on top of the Character.
605.4. After an Attack is determined to hit or be stopped, triggers generated by the result occur, such as “If this hits” on attacks or “If you hit” on Monster and Character abilities, as well as triggers that occur if a character is damaged or defeated.
605.4a. The active player resolves the triggers generated by his cards first in the order of his
choosing, then the non-active player resolves his triggers. This all occurs before the active player receives priority again during the main phase. See 602 Attack Triggers
7. Playing Monsters
700. General
700.1. Monsters may only be played during the main phase of the active player’s turn unless a specific card effect instructs a player to do otherwise.
701. Playing a Monster
701.1. To play a Monster, a player must choose a Character to play the Monster on, exhaust charged Kairu equal to the cost of that Monster, and pay any additional costs associated with it.
701.2. If a player cannot pay all of the costs of a Monster, he may not legally announce the Monster. An
illegally announced Monster is returned to a player’s hand and is not considered played. 702. Monster Triggered Abilities
702.1. Once a Monster has been legally announced, any abilities that trigger from that Monsters being played occur.
702.2. Whenever a single event generates multiple triggers, all triggers created by the active player
occur in the order of his choice, then all triggers controlled by the non-active player occur in the order of his choice. If any of these events generates a trigger, finish this generation of triggers before moving onto the next generation.
702.3 Once all abilities that trigger from a Monster being played have finished resolving, the Monster is
placed on the chosen Character and is now in play. 703. Monster Activated Abilities 703.1. Some Monsters have Activated Abilities. See section 801. 704. Monster Static Abilities 704.1. Some monsters have Static Abilities, see section 803. 705. Monster Defenses
705.1. Defense values on Monsters add to the defenses of the Character it was played on, until otherwise obscured. If the Monster’s defense values obscure any of the Character’s previous defenses, those are lost.
706. Healing
706.1. Some Monsters have a Damage Zone that is filled with yellow. If this obscures a damaged zone on the Character it was played, then that zone is healed and no longer counts as damaged.
8. Abilities and Effects
800. General
800.1. Many cards in Redakai have various abilities and effects, which can affect the game for one or more players, be activated based on various conditions, or can be active at all times.
801. Activated Abilities
801.1. Activated abilities have a cost and an effect. They are often written as “*Cost+ > *Effect+. *Activation instructions (if any)+.”
801.1a. The activation cost is everything before the arrow (->). An ability’s activation cost must be paid by the player who is activating it.
801.1b. Some text after the arrow of an activated ability states instructions that must be followed
while activating that ability. Such text may state which players can activate that ability, may restrict when a player can activate the ability, or may define some aspect of the activation cost. This text is not part of the ability’s effect. It functions at all times. If an activated ability has any activation instructions, they appear last, after the ability’s effect.
801.1c. An activated ability is the only kind of ability that can be activated. If an object or rule
refers to activating an ability without specifying what kind, it must be referring to an activated ability.
801.2. Activating an ability that alters costs won’t affect Attacks that have already been played.
801.3. A player can’t begin to activate an ability that’s prohibited from being activated.
802. Triggered Abilities
802.1. Triggered abilities have a trigger condition and an effect. They are written as “*Trigger condition+, *effect+,” and usually begin with the word “when,” “whenever,” “the first time,” “the next time,” “if,” or “at.” They can also be expressed as “*When/Whenever/The first time/The next time/If/At+ *trigger event+, *effect+.”
802.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability
automatically triggers. The ability doesn’t do anything at this point.
802.2a. Because they aren’t played or activated, triggered abilities can trigger even when it isn’t legal to played cards and activate abilities. Effects that prevent abilities from being activated don’t affect them.
802.2b. When a phase or step begins, all abilities that trigger “at the beginning of” that phase or
step trigger. 802.2c. An ability triggers only once each time its trigger event occurs. However, it can trigger
repeatedly if one event contains multiple occurrences. 802.2d. An ability triggers only if its trigger event actually occurs. An event that’s prevented or
replaced won’t trigger anything. Example: An ability that triggers on an Attack hitting won't trigger if the Attack is stopped.
802.3e. If multiple abilities trigger from the same event, the active player’s abilities resolve first,
in the order of his choice, and then the non-active player’s abilities resolve, in the order of his choice.
802.3. A triggered ability may read “When/Whenever/At *trigger event+, if *condition+, *effect+.” When
the trigger event occurs, the ability checks whether the stated condition is true. The ability triggers only if it is; otherwise it does nothing. If the ability triggers, it checks the stated condition again as it resolves. If the condition isn’t true at that time, the ability is removed from the stack and does nothing. Note that this mirrors the check for legal targets.
802.4. Some triggered abilities’ effects are optional (they contain “may,” as in “At the beginning of your
upkeep, you may draw a card”). These abilities occur when they trigger, regardless of whether their controller intends to exercise the ability’s option or not. The choice is made when the ability resolves, which is typically immediately unless there was an identical trigger that occurred at the same time. Likewise, triggered abilities that have an effect “unless” something is true or a player chooses to do something will go on the stack normally; the “unless” part of the ability is dealt with when the ability resolves.
802.5. An effect may create a delayed triggered ability that can do something at a later time. A delayed
triggered ability will often contain “when,” “whenever,” or “at,” although that word won’t usually begin the ability.
802.5a. A delayed triggered ability will trigger only once—the next time its trigger event occurs—unless it has a stated duration, such as “this turn.
803. Static Abilities
803.1. Static abilities do something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. They are
written as statements, and they’re simply true. 803.2. Static abilities create continuous effects, some of which are replacement effects. These effects
are active as long as the permanent with the ability remains on the battlefield and has the ability, or as long as the object with the ability remains in the appropriate zone, as described in rule 112.6.
803.3. Some static abilities apply while an Attack is being played. For example, an ability that says “Your
Attacks cannot be stopped” or “Your Attacks have +500 power” only apply to Attacks while they are
being played. An Attack card in your discard pile would not be considered to have +500 power for a card that looked at its power.
803.4. Some static abilities apply while a card is in any zone that you could played or play it from (usually your hand). These are limited to those that read, “You may *played/play+ *this card+ . . . ,” “You can’t *played/play+ *this card+ . . . ,” and “*Played/Play+ *this card+ only . . . .”
804. Effects
804.1. An effect is something that happens in the game as a result of an ability. When an activated
ability, or triggered ability resolves, it may create one or more one-shot or continuous effects. Static abilities may create one or more continuous effects. Text itself is never an effect.
804.2. Effects apply only to Characters in play or Attacks being played unless the instruction’s text states
otherwise or they clearly can apply only to objects in one or more other zones. 804.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible. Example: If a
player is holding only one card, an effect that reads “Discard two cards” causes him or her to discard only that card.
804.4. Some effects state that a player may do something “as though” some condition were true or a
creature can do something “as though” some condition were true. This applies only to the stated effect. For purposes of that effect, treat the game exactly as if the stated condition were true. For all other purposes, treat the game normally. EX – Drudger, Gold Machine says “You may play cards in your discard pile as though they were in your hand.” This means you can pay the cost of an Attack or Monster card in your discard pile to play it. It does not, however, allow you to pay discard costs with cards in your discard pile, since those cards are not actually in your hand to discard.
804.5. Some continuous effects are replacement effects.
805. One-Shot Effects
805.1. A one-shot effect does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. 805.2. Some one-shot effects create a delayed triggered ability, which instructs a player to do something
later in the game (usually at a specific time) rather than as the card or ability that’s creating the one-shot effect resolves.
806. Continuous Effects
806.1. A continuous effect modifies Characteristics of objects, modifies control of objects, or affects players or the rules of the game, for a fixed or indefinite period.
806.2. A continuous effect may be generated by the resolution of a an ability.
806.2a. A continuous effect generated by the resolution of an ability ability lasts as long as stated by the ability creating it (such as “until end of turn”). If no duration is stated, it lasts until the end of the game.
806.2b. Some continuous effects generated by the resolution of an ability have durations worded
“for as long as . . . .” If the “for as long as” duration never starts, or it ends before the moment the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn’t start and immediately stop again, and it doesn’t last forever.
806.2c. If a resolving ability that creates a continuous effect contains a variable such as X, the
value of that variable is determined only once, on resolution.
806.3. A continuous effect may be generated by the static ability of an object.
806.3a. A continuous effect generated by a static ability isn’t “locked in”; it applies at any given moment to whatever its text indicates.
806.3b. The effect applies at all times that the card generating it is in play.
806.4. A continuous effect may be generated by a triggered ability.
806.4a. A continuous effect generated by a triggered ability typically has a duration. It is doesn't state a duration on the trigger, then the effect remains active for the rest of the game.
806.4b. The effect applies during the duration stated, and does not rely on the card that
generated the trigger to remain in play for the effect to remain active.
807. Replacement Effects
807.1. Some continuous effects are replacement effects. Replacement effects apply continuously as events happen—they aren’t locked in ahead of time. Such effects watch for a particular event that would happen and completely or partially replace that event with a different event. They act like “shields” around whatever they’re affecting.
807.1a. Effects that use the word “instead” are replacement effects. Most replacement effects
use the word “instead” to indicate what events will be replaced with other events. 807.1b. Effects that use the word “skip” are replacement effects. These replacement effects use
the word “skip” to indicate what events, steps, phases, or turns will be replaced with nothing.
807.2. Replacement effects must exist before the appropriate event occurs—they can’t “go back in time” and change something that’s already happened. Cards or abilities that generate these effects are often played or activated in response to whatever would produce the event and thus resolve before that event would occur.
807.3. A replacement effect doesn’t invoke itself repeatedly; it gets only one opportunity to affect an
event or any modified events that may replace it.
807.4. If an event is replaced, it never happens. A modified event occurs instead, which may in turn
trigger abilities. Note that the modified event may contain instructions that can’t be carried out, in which case the impossible instruction is simply ignored.
807.5. If a replacement effect would replace an event, but that event never happens, the replacement
effect simply doesn’t do anything. 807.6. An effect that causes a player to skip an event, step, phase, or turn is a replacement effect. “Skip
*something+” is the same as “Instead of doing *something+, do nothing.” Once a step, phase, or turn has started, it can no longer be skipped—any skip effects will wait until the next occurrence.
807.6a. Anything scheduled for a skipped step, phase, or turn won’t happen. Anything scheduled
for the “next” occurrence of something waits for the first occurrence that isn’t skipped. If two effects each cause a player to skip his or her next occurrence, that player must skip the next two; one effect will be satisfied in skipping the first occurrence, while the other will remain until another occurrence can be skipped.
807.6b. Some effects cause a player to skip a step, phase, or turn, then take another action. That
action is considered to be the first thing that happens during the next step, phase, or turn to actually occur.
807.7. Some effects replace card draws. These effects are applied even if no cards could be drawn
because there are no cards in the affected player’s deck.
807.7a. If an effect replaces a draw within a sequence of card draws, all actions required by the replacement are completed, if possible, before resuming the sequence.
9. Glossary Ability Text on an object that explains what that object does or can do. Activate To play an activated ability and pay its costs. Activated Ability A type of ability. Activated abilities are written as “*Cost+ -> [Effect], where the effect happens once the cost is paid. Activation Cost Everything that appears before the arrow in an activated ability’s text. It must be paid to activate the ability. Active Player The player whose turn it is. Additional Cost A cost that a card or ability may have which its controller may pay (or, in some cases, must pay) in addition to its Kairu cost. Alternative Cost A cost that a card or ability may have which its controller can pay rather than paying its Kairu cost. As Though Text used to indicate that the game, for some specific purpose, treats a condition as true even though it’s not. Attack One of the card types in the game. Attack Power A value that is cimpared against an opposing character's defense to determine whether the Attack hits. Card The standard component of the game. A card is only referred to as a card when it is in a player’s hand or discard pile; at other times, cards are referred to by their card types. Card Type A characteristic. Each card type has its own rules. Character
1. A type of card. 2. The term used to refer to a Character or Monster card during game play.
Character Ability An ability on a character. Characteristic Information that defines an object. Charged Kairu that may be used to pay Kairu costs. Color A characteristic of an Attack or of a defense value. The colors in Redakai are Red, Green, and Blue. Concede To quit the game. Conceding a game immediately causes that player to leave that game, therefore losing the game. Constructed A way of playing in which each player creates his or her own deck ahead of time. Continuous Effect An effect that modifies characteristics indefinitely or for a fixed period of time. Cost An action or payment necessary to take another action or to stop another action from taking place. Damage When an Attack covers a previously uncovered damage zone on a character in red, it deals damage to that character. Damage Zone The three green bars on the upper right corner of a character card. When all of a character’s damage zones are covered in red, that character is defeated. Damaged A character with one or more damage zones filled in is considered damaged. Deck The cards a player starts the game with. Defeated Defeated is a characteristic a character has when all of its damage zones have been damaged. Defeated Characters have no abilities and cannot have Monsters or Attacks played on them. Effects that check for the characteristics of characters on a player’s team do not count defeated characters, unless they specifically check for defeated characters. Defense
A characteristic of a character card. Defenses have colors and values. A character may have more than one color of defense, while all instances of the same color defense are added together to produce the character’s defense value in that color. Defense Value
1. The number in a Defense Zone. 2. The sum total of a character’s Defense Values in a single color.
Defense Zone Part of a character card. Defense zones may be blank, contain a defense value, or contain an illustration that covers what it is stacked on. Delayed Triggered Ability An ability created by effects generated when some abilities resolve, or when some replacement effects are applied, that does something later on rather than at that time. Discard To move a card from its owner’s hand to that player’s discard pile. Draw
1. To put the top card of a player’s deck into his or her hand. 2. The result of a game in which neither player wins or loses.
Effect Something that happens in the game as a result of an ability. Event Anything that happens in a game. Exhaust To render Kairu unusable to pay for Kairu costs. Kairu may become exhausted by using it to pay for Kairu costs or as the result of an effect. Extra Turn A turn created by an effect. Gain When a player gains Kairu, that player adds an additional charged Kairu to his maximum. Hand
1. A zone. A player’s hand is where that player holds cards he or she has drawn but not played yet. 2. All the cards in a player’s hand.
Illustration A picture printed on the upper half of a card that has no effect on game play.
Instead Effects that use the word “instead” are replacement effects. The word “instead” indicates what an event will be replaced with. Kairu The resource used to pay Kairu costs. Kairu may be charged or exhausted. Kairu Cost The number of Kairu that must be exhausted to pay for a card or ability. Limited A way of playing in which each player gets a quantity of unopened Redakai product and makes a deck out of those cards. Lose the Game “Losing the game” can take place in several ways:
1. When a player has three characters with all of its Damage Zones damaged. 2. When a player draws from an empty deck. 3. When a game effect dictates that a player loses the game.
Match A series of games played in a tournament. Maximum Hand Size The highest number of cards a player may have in hand at any time. If a player has more cards in hand than his maximum hand size, he must discard down to the maximum immediately. Maximum Kairu The total number of Kairu a player has, including both charged and exhausted Kairu. Monster A type of card. Monsters are played by stacking them on characters. Name A characteristic, and part of a card. Object A card or an ability being played. Obscure When a card obscures values or text of the cards it is stacked on. Obscured values and text have no effect on the game. On Your Team A character is considered to be on your team while it is in play under your control. Any effect that checks for characteristics of characters on your team only checks those characters that have not been defeated, except for effects that specifically check for defeated characters.
One-Shot Effect An effect that does something just once and doesn’t have a duration. See also Continuous Effects. Opening Hand The hand of cards a player starts the game with. Opponent Someone a player is playing against. Owner The player who (for purposes of the game) a card belongs to. This is the player in whose deck the card began the game. Pass To decline to take any action when you have priority. Pass in Succession All players “pass in succession” if each player in the game (starting with any one of them) opts not to take an action upon receiving priority. Pay To perform the actions required by a cost. Phase A subsection of a turn. Play To play a card is to pay its costs and generate its effects. Player One of the people in the game. Power
1. Part of a card that Attacks have. 2. The Power of an Attack being played including all effects that modify it.
Priority Which player can take actions at any given time is determined by a system of “priority.” Public Zone A zone in which all players can be expected to see the cards’ faces. See also Hidden Zone. Reminder Text Parenthetical text in italics in the text box of a card that summarizes a rule that applies to that card, but is not actually rules text and has no effect on play.
Replacement Effect A kind of continuous effect that watches for a particular event that would happen and completely or partially replaces that event with a different event. Resolve When an effect or ability “resolves,” its instructions are followed and it has its effect. Reveal To show a card to all players for a brief time. Rules Text A characteristic that defines a card’s abilities. Skip Effects that use the word “skip” are replacement effects. The word “skip” indicates what events, steps, phases, or turns will be replaced with nothing. Stack To place an Attack or Monster on top of a Character. Starting Player The player chosen to take the first turn of a game. State-Based Actions Game actions that happen automatically whenever certain conditions are met. State Trigger A triggered ability that triggers when a game state is true rather than triggering when an event occurs. Static Ability A kind of ability. Static abilities do something all the time rather than being activated or triggered. Stop When an Attack does not successfully hit the character it is played against, it is stopped. Attacks may be stopped by the game rules or by an effect. Team A character is on the team of the player who began the game with that character in play. Text Box Part of a card. The text box is printed in the lower half of the card and contains the card’s rules text and reminder text. Tournament An organized play activity where players compete against other players.
Tournament Rules Additional rules that apply to games played in a sanctioned tournament. Trigger Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability automatically “triggers.” Trigger Condition The first part of a triggered ability, consisting of “when,” “whenever,” or “at” followed by a trigger event. Triggered Ability A kind of ability. Triggered abilities usually begin with the words “when,” “whenever,” or “at.” They’re written as “*Trigger condition+, *effect+. Trigger Event The event that a triggered ability looks for. Whenever the trigger event occurs, the triggered ability triggers. Turn-Based Actions Game actions that happen automatically when certain steps or phases begin, or when each step or phase ends. Type An object’s card type. Unless A word used to indicate a certain style of cost. Version A characteristic of a character or monster card that distinguishes it from other cards of the same name. Win the Game There are several ways to win the game. See 104 “Ending the Game” Zone A place where objects can be during a game.
