Card Effects

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Effect Structure
Timing: Timing is usually the first thing stated on a card effect. One of the most commonly used examples you will see in game is 'When this card is played,'. The timing of the effect shows when the effect can be used and is usually shown in the opening statement and ended by a comma (which is usually followed by the cost of the effect or the effect itself).

Cost: Anything written between two commas - usually in the centre of an effect - is a cost that must be paid to use the effect. For example, As a second example, 'Seal of the Dark Dominion' states 'At the start of your turn, if you draw a Dark Dominion creature, reveal and discard it to draw a card'. This may seem confusing, but the cost of this effect, the section written between the two commas is 'if you draw a Dark Dominion creature'. Now this might not actually seem like a negative cost to play the card but it is a condition that must be met for the effect to be used.

If there are multiple statements which are each between two commas, they are all costs. For example, if an effect states 'When this creature is played, dedicate, discard a creature from your hand, draw a card'. then the costs to activate this effect are 'dedicate' and 'discard a creature from your hand'.

Effect: The actual effect is written after any timing or cost. Usually effects that have no timing or cost listed are continuous effects. For example, An effect that states 'When played, dedicate, draw a card', the final statement, 'draw a card' is the actual effect of the effect. The cost and timing are still part of that effect.

Once Per Turn: The statement once per turn may be written as if it were either a cost or as if it were a timing. However, it is neither. It is simply a restriction and limitation for how many times it can be used in a given turn. An effect might state 'Once per turn, draw a card'. In that situation, it is written as if it was the timing of the effect. The timing of an effect that begins 'once per turn' is whenever (as long as the effect hasn't already been used). As another example, 'At the start of your turn, once per turn, dedicate, draw a card', then in this instance 'once per turn' is written as if it were a cost. Regardless, it acts as neither. Once per turn simply restricts that effect to only being used once per turn.

Effect Types
Continuous Effects: Continuous effects usually do not state a 'time' when they would be used but more a condition that must be fulfilled for the effect to begin working. They also do not often feature costs. A continuous effect will activate when the condition is met just like a regular effect but, instead of being immediately resolved, it continuous to effect the game until its conditions are no longer met. Effects such as 'When attacking, +500' are continuous effects. These activate once the condition is met - in this instance when the creature begins its attack - and remains constantly active on the creature until the conditions for it no longer exist. The condition in this instance is 'when attacking'.

Another example of a continuous effect is 'Resist'. A creature with, for example, Resist: Spells constantly has the continuous effect of immunity from spells.

The effects of all Gear cards granted to creatures they are attached to a Continuous Effects of the gear card. In addition, that card granting those effects is also a Continuous Effect. However, other effects on gear cards are not continuous. For example: 'When this card is played, draw a card.' is still a regular effect. However, 'The attached creature gets +500' is a continuous effect. Both 'the attached creature gets' and the actual effect which grants the attached creature +500 are continuous effects.

Permanent Conditions are Continuous Effects.