Action Cards

Rules Reference

Action cards provide players with various abilities that they can resolve as described on the cards.

  1. Each player draws one action card during each status phase.
  2. Players can draw action cards by resolving the primary and secondary abilities of the Politics strategy card.
  3. When a player draws an action card, they take the top card from the action card deck and add it to their hand of action cards.
  4. Each player’s hand can have a maximum of seven action cards. If a player ever has more than seven action cards, that player must choose seven cards to keep and discard the rest.
    1. A game effect can increase or decrease the number of cards a player’s hand can have.
  5. A player’s action cards remain hidden from other players until those cards are played.
  6. The first paragraph of each action card is presented in bold text and describes the timing of when that card’s ability can be resolved.
    1. If an action card contains the word “Action”, a player must use a component action during the action phase to resolve the ability. A player cannot resolve a component action if they cannot completely resolve its ability.
    2. Multiple action cards with the same name cannot be played during a single timing window to affect the same units or game effect. Canceled cards are not treated as being played.
  7. To play an action card, a player reads and resolves the card’s ability text, making any decisions as prompted by the card. Then, that player discards the card, placing it in the action discard pile.
  8. If an action card is canceled, that card has no effect and is discarded.

Notes

  1. Players start the game with zero action cards.
  2. A player may choose to reveal any or all of the action cards in their hand, if they so choose.
  3. If the action card deck is depleted, immediately shuffle the discard pile to form a new action card deck.
  4. During the action phase, action cards are dealt out in initiative order.
  5. If a player’s action card is cancelled, usually via a Sabotage action card, then if that player has a second copy of that action card, they may play it.
  6. A player cannot target themselves with offensive action cards, such as Lucky Shot.
  7. If an action card targets “any number”, “up to”, or “each” of a particular type of object, that action card may target zero of those objects. As such, these cards may be played even if they would cause no effect.
  8. If an action card targets a specific number of a particular type of object, that action card cannot be played if those objects do not currently exist. For example, Repeal Law cannot be played if there are no laws in play.
  9. If a player has more than seven action cards, they must discard the excess immediately. They cannot play them to get down to seven, and the Hacan player cannot trade them.
  10. For notes about specific action cards, see the action card component notes page.

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