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Target

If a game function or card ability is directed toward a game element (such as an attack that deals damage to an enemy), that game element becomes the target of that function or ability for the duration of that function’s or ability’s resolution.

  • Examples of targets include but are not limited to: “the villain,” “a minion,” “an enemy,” “a scheme,” “a hero,” “an ally,” “a character,” “a player,” “you,” “a card.”

  • If an ability or game function requires one or more targets, that ability or game function can only be initiated if it has at least one valid target.

    For example, an ability that says “deal 5 damage to a minion” cannot be initiated if there are no minions in play.

    • Basic powers are game functions that require a valid target.

    • The phrase “choose a [game element]” indicates that one or more targets must be selected in order for an ability to initiate.

    • Abilities that cause a player to draw one or more cards always have a valid target so long as that player has at least one card in their deck.

  • A target is valid for an ability or game function if any part of that ability can affect that target.

    • Examples of effects on a target include but are not limited to: dealing/healing damage, adding/ removing threat, giving/removing a status card, exhausting/readying the target, defeating/ discarding the target.

    • Exception: A character with an ATK, SCH, or THW of 0 can perform an activation or basic power using that value against a target that is otherwise valid for that activation or basic power.

      (For example, a hero with a THW of 0 can perform a basic thwart against a scheme with threat on it.)

    • The cost of an ability or game function is not considered when determining if that ability or game function can affect a target.

    • If an ability or game function has multiple effects on its target, the target is valid if at least one of those effects can affect the target.

    • A target is not valid for an ability if that ability would cause the target to perform a game function that another ability says the target cannot perform.

      For example, a character with an attachment that says “attached character cannot ready” is not a valid target for a card that readies a character.

    • Damage that is dealt but not taken (for example, if the damage is prevented) is considered to affect a target.

    • A target that “cannot take damage” is not a valid target for an ability whose only affect on that target is to deal it damage.

    • A target that cannot be attacked is not a valid target for an attack-labeled ability.

    • A target that cannot be thwarted is not a valid target for a thwart-labeled ability.

    • An effect that uses “that [target]” refers to the target of a previous effect and can only be resolved for a valid target of the previous effect.

      For example, an ability that says “Deal 5 damage to an enemy. Stun that enemy.” can only be used to stun an enemy that can be dealt (and take) damage.

  • An ability or game function that targets multiple game elements of a specific type (for example, “each enemy”) can be initiated as along as at least one of those game elements is a valid target.

    • That ability or game function does not resolve against any of those game elements that is not a valid target.

    • For example, the crisis (c) icon prevents threat from being removed from the main scheme. An ability that says “remove 1 threat from each scheme” can be used while there is a crisis icon in play if there is at least 1 scheme from which threat can be removed. In this case, no threat would be removed from the main scheme.

  • An ability that refers to a future target (i.e. “the next card you play”) does not require a target to initiate.

  • An ability with a search effect requires only a searchable game area in order to initiate.
See also