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Keyforge Rules v17.2

The KeyForge Master Rulebook has been significantly restructured with the release of a new Learn to Play companion document. Several card rules have been updated and new FAQ entries have been added regarding Paradox Shield, Curse of Cowardice, and Mimic Gel. The Glossary entry for Scrap has also been updated.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

247 views49 pages

Keyforge Rules v17.2

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kika88269

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MASTER RULEBOOK

VERSION 17.2

CHANGE SUMMARY – OCTOBER 2023

The KeyForge Master Rulebook now has a companion document titled Learn to Play KeyForge;
as a result, this document has been significantly restructured. Numerous revisions to the text have
been made throughout the KeyForge Master Rulebook for greater clarity and consistency. New text
appears in red. Additional changes include:

New card errata for SHRINK-RAY TECHNICIAN, YIPYAX ABDUCTOR, GLIMMERSPORE, and DUSKWITCH

New FAQ entries for PARADOX SHIELD, CURSE OF COWARDICE, and MIMIC GEL

Updated Glossary entries for SCRAP

CONTENTS
WELCOME TO THE CRUCIBLE............................................3
GAME SETUP.........................................................................4
TURN SEQUENCE..................................................................5
CARD ANATOMY...................................................................6
GLOSSARY.............................................................................7
ERRATA................................................................................24
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS...................................26
GENERAL FAQ.....................................................................26
CARD-SPECIFIC FAQ...........................................................34
THE ORIGIN OF KEYFORGE..............................................44
CREDITS...............................................................................45
TIMING CHART....................................................................47

Copyright 2023. KeyForge and the KeyForge logo are registered

trademarks of Ghost Galaxy, Inc. Ghost Galaxy is a trademark
of Ghost Galaxy, Inc. The Ghost Galaxy logo is a registered
trademark of Ghost Galaxy, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Permission is granted to print this document for personal use.

Contents
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 2
WELCOME TO THE CRUCIBLE GAME OVERVIEW
You are an Archon. Hailed by some as a god, respected by KeyForge is a two-player card game in which each player takes
others for your wisdom, you were born—or perhaps created—on the role of an Archon, and leads that Archon’s deck against their
the Crucible, a world in which anything is possible. opponent.

The Crucible is ancient, but ever renewed. An artificial planet A player’s deck represents a team that is attempting to gain
hanging in the center of the universe, the Crucible’s many layers Æmber and forge keys. The first player to forge three keys is
remain constantly under construction by the enigmatic and able to unlock a Vault and win the game.
mischievous Architects. For raw materials, the Architects have
The defining feature of KeyForge is that no two decks are alike.
harvested countless worlds, blending them into a new whole
KeyForge cards are not sold individually; they are always sold as
both familiar and alien to the creatures that dwell there.
complete decks. Every deck in existence is unique!
Whether lone specimens or entire cultures, the beings brought
to the Crucible find themselves in a strange wonderland with no
obvious means of returning to their former homes. Some thrive, USING THIS DOCUMENT
building new societies and developing new technologies with
the aid of the mysterious psychic substance known as Æmber. If you have never played a game of KeyForge before, start by
Some discard the trappings of their old lives, adopting the ways reading the Learn to Play KeyForge document included in the
and customs of new tribes discovered in this new world. Others starter set to learn the basics of the game.
devolve, bodies and minds twisted beyond all recognition,
The KeyForge Master Rulebook is the definitive source for all
incorporating Æmber into their very bodies.
rules of play for the KeyForge card game. It includes a detailed
As an Archon, you have gathered followers in your journeys turn sequence, card anatomy diagrams, a glossary of important
throughout the Crucible, allies who find value in your ageless game concepts and terminology, official errata, an extensive list
wisdom and your ability to speak to all creatures. With the aid of of frequently asked questions, and timing charts.
these allies, you seek out Vaults hidden throughout the Crucible
If the KeyForge Master Rulebook contradicts the Learn to
by the cryptic Architects. Each Vault can only be unlocked by
Play KeyForge book, the KeyForge Master Rulebook takes
Æmber-forged keys. Once open, a Vault’s contents—the power
precedence.
and knowledge of the Architects—can be consumed by only a
single Archon. All KeyForge rules documents can be viewed and downloaded
at keyforging.com.
When two Archons discover a Vault, only one can gain its
knowledge. Only one can move one step closer to the secret of
the Crucible…

Welcome to the Crucible

KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 3
SUGGESTED PLAY AREA (MID-GAME)
Opponent's Play Area

Common Supply

Skullback Crab Bumpsy Shock Herder Specialist Guthrak

1 CREATURE
~ 5 CREATURE
~ 3 CREATURE
~ 3 CREATURE
~
BEAST GIANT GOBLIN ALIEN • HANDUHAN
Poison. (Any damage dealt by this .
Play: Your opponent loses 1 Deploy. (This creature can enter play Skirmish. (When you use this creature to
creature’s power during a fight destroys Whatever he doesn’t like, he breaks. He doesn’t anywhere in your battleline.) fight, it is dealt no damage in return.)

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

the damaged creature.) like anything. Play: Ready and fight with a  for each
After Fight/Reap: Capture 1
.
Action: Steal 1 neighboring creature. house represented among Specialist
Liberty of Weirdwater Guthrak and its neighbors.
Roman Semenenko  396 Liberty of Weirdwater Grigory Serov  039 Liberty of Weirdwater Edgar Hidalgo  051 Liberty of Weirdwater Diego Gisbert  338 Liberty of Weirdwater

Battleline

discards that card.

and choose a card from it. That player
you do, look at your opponent’s hand
Play: Destroy a friendly creature. If
Æmber Pool

Caravan Studio
ty of Weirdwater
Liber

”Cadet Byron, cancel the undersea walk.”

 384

Abyssal Sigh
Might Club Transporter Platform

ACTION
ARTIFACT ARTIFACT

Liberty of Weirdwater

t
Skirmisher
2
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

TOKEN CREATURE

GOBLIN
~
Skirmish. (When you use this creature to
fight, it is dealt no damage in return.) ©2022 Ghost Galaxy
Discard Pile
WEAPON LOCATION
Brobnar Unfathomable Liberty of Weirdwater
Action: Ready and enrage a creature. Action: Return a friendly creature and
”The first rule of the Might Club is: the one who each upgrade attached to it to their Kevin Sidharta  055 Liberty of Weirdwater Star Alliance
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

holds the Might Club makes the rules.” owners’ hands.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Reference Card Archon Identity Deck

Liberty of Weirdwater
Michele Giorgi  044 Liberty of Weirdwater Marko Fiedler  323 Liberty of Weirdwater

Artifacts

Archives
Æmber Pool Forged Key Unforged Keys

GAME SETUP
To set up the game, perform the following steps, in order:

1. Place all damage tokens, Æmber tokens, and status counters

in a common supply within easy reach of both players.

2. Each player places their Archon identity card to the left or

right side of their play area.

3. Each player places three key tokens, one of each color, with
the unforged side faceup near their Archon identity card.

4. Randomly determine who is the first player. That player takes

the first turn when the game begins.

5. Each player shuffles their deck and offers it to the opponent

for additional shuffling and/or a final cut.

6. The first player draws a starting hand of seven cards. The

other player draws a starting hand of six cards.

7. Each player, starting with the first player, has one opportunity
to mulligan their starting hand by shuffling it back into their
deck and drawing a new starting hand with one fewer card.

The game is now ready to begin.

Game Setup
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 4
TURN SEQUENCE STEP 3: PLAY, DISCARD, AND USE CARDS
The game is played over a series of turns. Players alternate OF THE CHOSEN HOUSE
taking turns until one player wins the game.
The active player may play or discard any number of action
Each turn consists of five steps, which are described in the cards, artifacts, creatures, and upgrades of the active house from
following sections: their hand and may use any number of cards of the active house
that are in play under their control. Eligible cards may be played,
1. Forge a key. used, or discarded in any order.
2. Choose a house. A card’s house is determined by an icon in the upper-left corner.
3. Play, discard, and use cards of the chosen house. If the active house corresponds to a card’s icon, that card is
eligible to be played, used, or discarded.
4. Ready cards.
5. Draw cards. The active player cannot play, use, or discard cards that aren’t of
the active house unless specified by a card ability.
The player taking a turn is referred to as the active player. The
active player is the only player that can perform actions or make Rules for playing, discarding, and using action cards, artifacts,
decisions; a player does not make any decisions when it is not creatures, and upgrades are described in each card type’s
their turn. glossary definition.

First Turn Rule: During the first player’s first turn of the game,
that player cannot play or discard more than one card from their
STEP 1: FORGE A KEY hand. Card effects can modify this rule.
If the active player has enough Æmber to forge a key during this
step, they must do so. To forge a key, the active player spends
Æmber from their Æmber pool equal to their current key cost,
then they flip any one of their key tokens to its forged side.
STEP 4: READY CARDS
The active player readies each of their exhausted cards.
). Some card abilities may
The default key cost is six Æmber (6
increase or decrease this cost.
No more than one key can be forged during this step each
turn, even if the active player has enough Æmber to forge
STEP 5: DRAW CARDS
multiple keys. The active player draws cards from the top of their deck until
they have six cards in their hand. After a player completes this
Some cards have effects that allow Æmber on those cards to be step, their turn ends.
spent when forging keys. If the active player controls such a card,
the Æmber on it can be spent along with Æmber in the active If the active player has more than six cards in hand, they do not
player‘s Æmber pool, in any combination. discard down to six.
Spent Æmber is returned to the common supply.
If a player needs to draw cards (during this step or at any other
A player immediately wins the game when they forge their time) and cannot because their deck is empty, that player
third key. shuffles their discard pile to reset their deck, and then continues
to draw (cards are drawn one at a time).

STEP 2: CHOOSE A HOUSE When a player’s turn ends, if that player has enough Æmber in
their pool to afford a key, the player announces “Check!” so that
Each KeyForge deck is composed of three different houses,
their opponent knows the forging of a key at the start of that
which are shown on the Archon identity card. During this step,
player’s next turn is imminent.
the active player chooses one of the houses on their Archon
identity card to be the active house for the remainder of the
turn and announces the choice to their opponent. This active HOUSES OF THE CRUCIBLE
house determines which cards the active player can play, discard
from their hand, and use this turn.

After choosing a house, the active player has the option to take
all cards in their archives and add them to their hand. Brobnar Dis Ekwidon Geistoid

If a player controls a card that does not belong to one of the

three houses on their Archon identity card, they may (if they
desire) choose and activate that house during this step instead
of one of the three houses in their deck. Logos Mars Sanctum Saurian

A player cannot choose to activate a house unless it is either on

their Archon identity card or they control a card that belongs
to that house. If a card effect instructs a player that they
must activate a house other than one in the aforementioned Shadows Star Alliance Unfathomable Untamed
categories, that card effect is ignored.

Turn Sequence
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 5
CREATURE ARTIFACT ACTION
2
1 1 Ornate Talking Tray 1
ARTIFACT
3
4

2 2
p
8 4 CPO Zytar
1 9 Crushing Dee
5 CREATURE
5 3
ACTION
ALIEN • PROXIMAN • SCIENTIST 3 ITEM

Enhance . (These icons have

6 Omni: Destroy Ornate Talking Tray. 6 Play: During your opponent’s next turn,
6 Make a token creature.  for each forged key
keys cost +3
already been added to cards in your
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

“Conversation is an exchange. they have.
deck.)
The counters keep us in balance.” “I don’t understand! This worked perfectly in a
7 “I’ll get the configuration right one of these times.”
7 –Gĕzdrutyŏ the Arcane 7 vacuum!”

10 Leandro Franci  327 The Loving Progenitor 14 10 Andreas Zafiratos  100 The Loving Progenitor 14 10 Dany Orizio  388 Liberty of Weirdwater 14
11 12 13 11 12 13 11 12 13

UPGRADE ARCHON IDENTITY

2 CARD ANATOMY
1 Ostentatiioous Mount 1. House
ty of Weirdwater
UPGRADE 3 Liber 14 2. Card Name
Play: Move this creature anywhere
4 in its controller’s battleline. 3. Card Type
This creature gains taunt. (This 4. Bonus Icons
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

6 creature’s neighbors cannot be

attacked unless they have taunt.) 5. Traits
6. Card Ability Text
15 7. Flavor Text
8. Power
9. Armor
10. Artist
11. Set Icon
12. Card Number within Set
13. Rarity
1 Brobnar 1 Unfathomable 14. Deck Name
10 Marzena Piwowar  219 The Loving Progenitor 14 1 Star Alliance 15. Archon Image

11 12 13 16. Deck Registration Code

RARITY
DECK LIST 16 A card’s rarity symbol can be found at the bottom of the card, near
the card number. It is used by the deck-generation algorithm to
Liberty of Weirdwater 14 4H6WP-XVF8R-RH7RG determine how frequently a card will appear in decks. Special cards
11  DECK LIST
do not obey the game’s standard rarity rules.

Brobnar Star Alliance Unfathomable
 006  Champion’s Challenge  311  Camaraderie  355  Offering to Kiligog
 025  Earthshaker  323  Transporter Platform  370  Dragnet
Common Uncommon Rare Special Token
 039  Bumpsy 2  325  C.R. Ofﬁcer Hawkins  381  Watch Your Step
Creature
 040  Crogg the Clumsy  325  C.R. Ofﬁcer Hawkins  383  “Bubbles”
 040  Crogg the Clumsy  331  Photon Blast  384  Abyssal Sight
 044  Might Club  333  Recorded History  387  Covetous Hema
SET ICONS
 044  Might Club  333  Recorded History  388  Crushing Deep
See KeyForge Set Icons, page 16.
 046  Pound  334  Red Alert  389  Fathom Reaver
 046  Pound  335  Rogue Operation  395  Mælstrom
 050  Rowdy Skald  337  Securi-Droid  395  Mælstrom
 051  Shock Herder  338  Specialist Guthrak  396  Skullback Crab
 052  Stratosmack  339  Teamwork  397  Sunk Cost

13
055  Skirmisher 12 3 Enhanced
Card anatomy
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 6
GLOSSARY ÆMBER
Æmber is the basic currency in the game
This Glossary includes a number of concepts and terms players and is tracked with Æmber tokens. It is often
may encounter while playing the game, in alphabetical order. represented in rules text with this symbol: . Æmber Token
Instead of reading this section from beginning to end, players
are encouraged to only look up new concepts as they are Only Æmber in your own Æmber pool is considered “yours” for
encountered during play. the purpose of card effects.

Gain: When you “gain” Æmber, you take the specified amount
ABILITY, CARD ABILITY from the common supply and add it to your Æmber pool.
An ability is the special game text a card contributes to the
Capture: When you “capture” Æmber, you take the specified
game.
amount of Æmber from your opponent’s Æmber pool and place
Unless an ability explicitly references an out-of-play area (such it on a friendly creature. Unless otherwise specified, the captured
as a hand, deck, archives, or discard pile), that ability can only Æmber must be placed on the creature with the capture ability.
interact with cards that are in play. Abilities that interact with a Captured Æmber is not part of any Æmber pool. When a
card after it is destroyed can interact with that card while it is in creature you control leaves play, any Æmber on it is moved to
an out-of-play zone that is not hidden. your opponent’s Æmber pool.

Abilities on a creature, artifact, or upgrade are only active (and Lose: When you “lose” Æmber, you remove the specified
can only be resolved) while that card is in play, unless the ability amount from your Æmber pool and place it in the common
explicitly references being used from an out-of-play area. Once supply.
an ability on a card has started to resolve, that ability will finish
Pay: When you “pay” Æmber to your opponent, you remove the
resolving even if the card leaves play.
specified amount of Æmber from your Æmber pool and add it
If resolving part of the instructions of a card ability causes other to your opponent’s Æmber pool. If an ability instructs a player to
card effects to begin to resolve, resolve those other card effects pay an opponent “in order to” perform an instruction, the entire
before continuing to resolve the instructions of the first card. amount must be paid.

Related Topics: Cannot, Constant Abilities, Destroyed, Enters Spend: You only “spend” Æmber to forge keys. When you
Play, Leaves Play, “Play:” Abilities, Out-of-Play Zones spend Æmber, you remove the required amount from your
Æmber pool and place it in the common supply.

Steal: When you “steal” Æmber, you take the specified amount
“ACTION:” ABILITY
of Æmber from your opponent’s Æmber pool and add it to your
The active player can resolve an ”Action:“ ability during their
Æmber pool.
turn if it is on a ready card they control that belongs to the active
house. Using a card with an “Action:” ability causes the card to Related Topics: Capture, Steal
become exhausted.

If a card has multiple “Action:” and/or “Omni:” abilities, only

one of them can be resolved each time the card is used.
ÆMBER BONUS ICON 
See “Bonus Icons” on page 9.
Related Topics: Omni, Using Artifacts, Using Creatures

ÆMBER POOL
ACTIVE HOUSE Each player has an Æmber pool, which is any convenient part of
The active house is the house that the active player has chosen a player‘s play area that is distinct from the common supply.
for the current turn.
Whenever a player “gains” Æmber, it is added to that player‘s
Æmber pool. Whenever a player “loses” or “spends” Æmber, it
is removed from their Æmber pool and returned to the common
ACTIVE PLAYER
supply.
The active player is the player taking the current turn. Unless
otherwise specified by the card’s ability, the active player makes If you steal Æmber from your opponent, you move it from their
all necessary decisions for all card abilities. Whenever multiple Æmber pool to your own.
effects happen at the same timing point, the active player
decides the order in which those effects resolve. Related Topics: Æmber, Capture, Steal

ADJACENT ALPHA
When a creature card refers to a game element as being When a card has the alpha keyword, it can only be played if you
“adjacent” to that creature or being played “adjacent” to that have not played, used, or discarded any other cards during the
creature, it is referring to a card being in or being played into the current step of your turn.
position to the immediate right or immediate left of that creature.
If a card would gain alpha as it enters play, that card can only
Related Topics: Battleline, Neighbor, Splash, Splash-Attack (X), be played if you have not played, used, or discarded any other
Taunt cards during the current step of your turn.

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 7
ANOMALY already prevented by the armor.
This symbol indicates that a card is an anomaly card. An
anomaly card is an extremely rare card that is a preview If a creature loses any amount of armor, it loses armor that has
of possible future sets of KeyForge. An anomaly card may been used to prevent pending damage this turn before it loses
appear in any house, and is treated as belonging to that armor that has not been used to prevent pending damage this
house for all game purposes. turn.

If a creature has a “~” symbol in its armor field, the creature has
“ANY NUMBER” no armor. Such creatures may gain armor through card effects.
When a game rule or card ability states that a certain action
Related Topics: Damage, Fight
involves “any number,” that number includes zero.

Likewise, if a card ability states a certain action involves doing

something “up to” a specified number of times, the active player ARTIFACTS
may resolve the ability using any number in the specified range, Artifacts are one of the basic card types in the game. Artifacts
including zero. enter play exhausted and are placed in a row in front of the
controlling player but behind that player’s battleline. Artifacts
remain in play from turn to turn.
ARCHIVES Related Topic: Using Artifacts
A player’s archives is a facedown game area in front of that
player’s Archon identity card. Card abilities are the only means
by which a player is permitted to add cards to their archives.
During step 2 of a player’s turn, after they select an active house,
AS IF IT WERE YOURS/AS IF YOU CONTROLLED IT
If a card effect instructs you to use a card “as if it were yours” or
the active player is permitted to pick up all cards in their archives
“as if you controlled it,” it causes you to use the card even if you
and add those cards to their hand.
don’t control it. You never gain control of the card during this
Cards in a player’s archives are considered out of play. A player process, but you resolve the effect as if you controlled the card.
may look at their archives at any time. A player is not permitted
When using a card “as if it were yours/as if you controlled it”
to look at an opponent’s archives.
that instructs you to destroy (or sacrifice) the card as part of the
If the ability instructing a player to archive a card does not specify effect, the card is still destroyed as if you controlled it.
where the card is archived from, the archived card comes from
Related Topic: Control and Ownership
that player’s hand. If an ability “puts” a card into a player’s
archives, abilities that resolve when a card is archived will not
resolve.
ASSAULT (X)
Related Topics: Out-of-Play Zones When a creature with the assault (X) keyword is used to fight,
it deals pending damage equal to its assault value (X) to the
creature it is fighting before the fight resolves. (The active
ARMOR player chooses whether this occurs before or after other “Before
Some creatures have an armor value to the right of the card name. Fight” effects and keywords.) If this damage destroys the other
Armor prevents an amount of pending damage equal to the creature, the rest of the fight does not occur.
armor value that the creature would be dealt each turn.
If a creature with the assault (X) keyword gains another instance
of the assault (X) keyword, the two X values are added together.
CPO Zytar
4 CREATURE
1 Related Topics: Damage, Fight
ALIEN • PROXIMAN • SCIENTIST

creature’sarmor
AEnhance . (These
value isicons have to the
displayed ATTACK, ATTACKER, ATTACKING
already been
right of theadded
name,to cardsthe
within in your
shield.
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

See “Fight” on page 14.

deck.)
Example: You have “I’ll getathe
creature in play
configuration that
right one has times.”
of these 2 armor. It is dealt
1 from an opponent’s card ability (which is considered pending
damage duringLeandro
theFranci
resolution
 327
of theTheability). Your creature’s armor
Loving Progenitor
prevents the pending damage, and the creature’s armor is reduced
by 1 for the remainder of the turn. Later that same turn, your
creature is in a fight with an enemy creature that has 3 power. Your
creature has 3 pending damage, its remaining 1 armor prevents
1 pending damage, and your creature is dealt 2 damage.

If a creature gains armor, the gains are additive and accumulate

on top of the creature’s printed armor value.

If a creature gains armor during a turn, the gained armor does

not prevent damage already dealt that turn. If a creature loses
armor during a turn, it is not retroactively dealt damage that was

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 8
BATTLELINE BONUS ICONS
The battleline is the ordered line of creatures a player controls in Many cards have one or more bonus icons in the upper-left
play. corner, below the house icon. After a card with a bonus icon
is played, the first thing the active player does is resolve each
The far left and right edges of a battleline are the flanks. When bonus icon on that card. These icons are resolved after the card
a creature is in one of these positions, it is “on the flank” and is is revealed (if it is an action card), or after the card enters play (if
also known as a “flank creature.” When a battleline consists of it is an artifact, creature, or upgrade), but before resolving any
exactly one creature, that creature is on both flanks. “Play:” abilities on that card or any abilities that resolve “after”
that card is played.
Creatures enter play on the flank of their controller's battleline
(the active player chooses which flank). Bonus icons must be resolved in the order printed on the card,
from top to bottom. Resolving each bonus icon is mandatory.
A creature‘s “neighbors” are the creatures to its immediate left
and right in the battleline. These creatures are also said to be There are five types of bonus icons:
“adjacent.”
): Gain 1
Æmber (  from the common supply.
Each time a creature leaves play, the battleline shifts inward to
close the gap. Capture ( ): A friendly creature captures 1
 from the
opponent. This Æmber may be captured by any friendly
creature, including the creature with the capture icon. If a
card has multiple capture icons, the captured Æmber may be
Left Flank Right Flank distributed among multiple creatures.
3 Specialist Guthrak 3 Shock Herder
1 Skullback Crab
CREATURE

ALIEN • HANDUHAN
~ CREATURE

GOBLIN
~ CREATURE

BEAST
~

Damage (): Deal 1 to a creature in play. This damage may

Skirmish. (When you use this creature to Deploy. (This creature can enter play Poison. (Any damage dealt by this
fight, it is dealt no damage in return.) anywhere in your battleline.) creature’s power during a fight destroys
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

 for each
After Fight/Reap: Capture 1 Play: Ready and fight with a the damaged creature.)
house represented among Specialist neighboring creature. .
Action: Steal 1
Guthrak and its neighbors.
Diego Gisbert  338 Liberty of Weirdwater Edgar Hidalgo  051 Liberty of Weirdwater Roman Semenenko  396 Liberty of Weirdwater

be dealt to the creature with the damage icon. Note that if there
The Battleline are no enemy creatures in play, this damage must be dealt to
a friendly creature. If a card has multiple damage icons, each
damage icon is resolved separately, one at a time, and the
damage may be distributed among multiple creatures. Damage
Bumpsy
dealt by a bonus icon is not considered to be dealt by the card
5 ~
on which the icon appears.
CREATURE

GIANT
.
Play: Your opponent loses 1
Whatever he doesn’t like, he breaks. He doesn’t
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

like anything.

Draw (): Draw 1 card.

Grigory Serov  039 Liberty of Weirdwater
5
Play: Your opponent loses 1
Grigory Serov

Whatever he doesn’t like, he breaks. He doesn’t

Discard (): Choose 1 card in your hand and discard it. The
 039

3 Specialist Guthrak 3 Shock Herder

1 Skullback Crab
~ ~ ~
like anything.

Bumpsy
CREATURE

card you choose may belong to any house.

CREATURE CREATURE CREATURE
GIANT

ALIEN • HANDUHAN GOBLIN BEAST

Liberty of Weirdwater

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

.

 for each
After Fight/Reap: Capture 1 Play: Ready and fight with a the damaged creature.)
house represented among Specialist neighboring creature. .
Action: Steal 1

Creatures enter play on the

flank of the battleline. CANNOT
If two card effects are simultaneously instructing a player that
they “cannot” do something and that they “must” or “may” do
the same thing, the “cannot” effect takes precedence.
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reads “Play: Choose a house. Your opponent cannot choose that

house as their active house until Restringuntus leaves play.” and
3 Specialist Guthrak
CREATURE
~ 3 Shock Herder
CREATURE
~ 1 Skullback Crab
CREATURE
~ 5 Bumpsy
CREATURE
~ chooses Dis for its ability. On Anna’s next turn, she both must and
cannot choose Dis, but because cannot takes precedence over
ALIEN • HANDUHAN GOBLIN BEAST GIANT
Skirmish. (When you use this creature to Deploy. (This creature can enter play Poison. (Any damage dealt by this .
Play: Your opponent loses 1
fight, it is dealt no damage in return.) anywhere in your battleline.) creature’s power during a fight destroys Whatever he doesn’t like, he breaks. He doesn’t
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

 for each
After Fight/Reap: Capture 1 Play: Ready and fight with a the damaged creature.) like anything.
.
Action: Steal 1

must, she only cannot choose Dis and must choose one of her
house represented among Specialist neighboring creature.
Guthrak and its neighbors.
Diego Gisbert  338 Liberty of Weirdwater Edgar Hidalgo  051 Liberty of Weirdwater Roman Semenenko  396 Liberty of Weirdwater Grigory Serov  039 Liberty of Weirdwater

other houses instead.

If a creature leaves play, the
battleline is shifted inward.
CAPTURE
Captured Æmber is taken from an opponent’s Æmber pool
Related Topics: Creatures, Fight, Playing Cards
and placed on a creature controlled by the capturing player.
Captured Æmber is not part of a player’s Æmber pool and
cannot be spent to forge keys.
BEFORE
If the word “before” is used in an ability (for example, “Before When a creature with Æmber on it leaves play, the Æmber
Fight:”), that ability resolves before resolving the game effect is placed in the opponent’s Æmber pool. Unless otherwise
of the reap or fight (but after the card exhausts, if exhausting is specified, Æmber is placed on the creature that captured it.
required to use the card).
Related Topic: Playing Cards

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 9
CAPTURE BONUS ICON  CHAIN HANDICAP (OPTIONAL RULE)
See “Bonus Icons” on page 9. Chain handicap is an optional rule that is not used in official
KeyForge tournaments. Chain handicap should not be combined
with chain bidding (described above).
CENTER OF THE BATTLELINE
A creature is in the center of the battleline when there are an When two players of similar skill play a game using decks the
equal number of creatures to both that creature’s left and right players both agree are not equal in strength, chains may be used
side. as means to handicap the stronger deck. Similarly, if two players
of unequal skill are playing against each other using equally-
There is only a center of a battleline if there is an odd number strong decks (such as an experienced player teaching a new
of creatures in that battleline. When there is an even number of player), the more skilled player may start the game with some
creatures in a battleline, there is no center. If there is only one chains to make the game more fair. These starting chains affect
creature in the battleline that creature is in the center. the size of the player’s opening hand.

Related Topic: Battleline Start the stronger deck or the more experienced player with four
chains. From then on, every time the chained deck or player
wins two games in a row against the weaker deck, or less skilled
CHAINS player, adjust the number of chains up by one. If the chained
Some card abilities cause a deck or player loses two games in a row, adjust the number of
player to gain one or more chains down by one.
chains. If a player gains chains,
that player increases their chain
tracker by the number of chains COMMON SUPPLY
gained. A player cannot have The common supply contains all game counters and tokens not
more than 24 chains. currently being used to track a game state. The common supply
can be shared by both players, or each player can provide their
If the active player has at least A chain tracker currently own counters and tokens. If players choose to use their own
one chain when refilling their showing a player has 4 chains. counters and tokens instead of sharing, they are still considered
hand during step 5 of their turn to be in the common supply when not being used to track a
and would draw cards based on game state.
the number of remaining cards in their hand, they draw fewer
cards according to the chart below. After chains prevent a player Related Topic: Counters and Tokens, Game State, Play Area
from drawing one or more cards, that player sheds a chain by
reducing the number on their chain tracker by one.
CONSTANT ABILITIES
Chains 1-6: Refill your hand to 1 fewer card. If a card has an ability that does not have a boldfaced precursor,
Chains 7-12: Refill your hand to 2 fewer cards. the ability is a constant ability that is active so long as the card
Chains 13-18: Refill your hand to 3 fewer cards. remains in play and meets all conditions specified by the ability.
Chains 19-24: Refill your hand to 4 fewer cards.
A boldfaced precursor includes any word or phrase from the
Related Topic: Drawing Cards following list, as well as any combinations of such words or
phrases. Abilities that begin with any of these words or phrases
are not constant abilities:
CHAIN BIDDING (OPTIONAL RULE)
Chain bidding is an optional rule that is not used in official Action: Destroyed:
KeyForge tournaments. Chain bidding should not be combined After Fight: Omni:
with chain handicaps (described below).
After Reap: Play:
At the start of a new game, two players may opt to create a pool Before Fight: Scrap:
of decks available to both of them, then bid chains for the right
to choose a particular deck from that pool to play. Chain bidding Constant abilities on a card are active even while that card
is best used when both players are reasonably familiar with all of is exhausted. Applying the effects of a constant ability is not
the decks in the pool. considered using a card and therefore does not cause the card
to exhaust.
Randomly determine which player will make the first bid, then
that player announces how many chains they are willing to take
at the start of the game for the right to make the first deck CONTROL AND OWNERSHIP
choice from the pool. The opposing player can then make a A player owns the cards that begin the game in their deck.
counter-bid, which must be at least one chain more than the
previous bid. Alternate the bidding until one player refuses to When a card is played, it enters play under the control of the
further increase the bid. The player who bid the highest amount active player.
chooses their deck first from the pool and begins the game with
a number of chains equal to their winning bid. These starting A player can take control of an opponent’s card. When this
chains affect the size of the player’s opening hand. happens, that card is placed in the new controller’s play area.
If it is a creature, it is placed on a flank of the new controller’s
battleline. If multiple effects that take control of a card are used

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 10
on the same card, the most recent effect takes precedence. CREATURES
Creatures are one of the basic card types in the game.
If a player takes control of a card that belongs to a house not in
the new controller’s deck, they can make that house the active Creatures enter play exhausted and are placed in the front row
house during step 2 of their turn. of the active player’s play area. This row is referred to as the
battleline. Creatures remain in play from turn to turn.
If a card that has changed control leaves play for any reason, it
moves to its owner’s appropriate out-of-play zone. Creatures have a power value and may also have an armor value.
Creatures can take damage, and if a creature takes damage
If an ability refers to cards that a player “has” in play, it is equal to its power, it is destroyed.
referring to cards that player controls.
Creatures can be used to fight, reap, or for their “Action:” or
Related Topics: Swap Control, Using Cards Via Other Card “Omni:” abilities (if any).
Abilities
Related Topics: Battleline, Damage, Fight, Reap, Using
Creatures
COST, AT CURRENT COST
). This cost may be
The base cost to forge a key is six Æmber (6
modified by card abilities. The modified cost is referred to as the DAMAGE
current cost. Damage a creature has taken is tracked by placing damage
tokens on the creature. A creature with damage tokens on it is
See “Turn Sequence” on page 5. considered “damaged” for the purposes of card effects.

Each time damage would be dealt to a creature, it is considered

pending damage. Pending damage can be reduced or
prevented in a variety of ways. Follow the steps below, in order,
to resolve the pending damage:
+1 Power Enrage Stun Ward
Counters Counters Counters Counters 1. If the creature “cannot be damaged,” or “cannot be dealt
Some cards may refer to counters that do not have damage,” all of its pending damage is prevented.
official components to represent them. Examples
2. If the creature has a ward counter, all of its pending damage
include “Awakening,” “Doom,” “Fuse,” and
is prevented, then the ward counter is discarded.
“Growth” counters. Players can use any available
resources to represent these counters, including the 3. If the creature has armor, each point of armor prevents
Generic
generic counters included in the KeyForge Starter 1 pending damage, and the creature's armor value is
Counters
Set. These counters have no inherent rules, instead reduced for the remainder of the turn by the amount of
the card that creates them provides context to how pending damage prevented.
the counters function.
4. All pending damage not prevented becomes damage dealt
Æmber in a player’s Æmber pool, as well as Æmber on to the creature. If a creature has damage equal to or greater
cards in play, is tracked with Æmber tokens. Æmber
than its power, it is destroyed.
Token
Damage tokens are placed on creatures to track the amount Related Topic: Destroyed
of damage a creature has taken. Each damage token has a
numeric value of “1,” “3,” or “5.”
The total value of all damage tokens DAMAGE BONUS ICON 
on a creature determines how much See “Bonus Icons” on page 9.
damage the creature has taken.
Damage Tokens in
There is no limit to the number Values 1, 3, 5 DECK
counters or tokens that can be in the
A KeyForge deck consists of 36 cards, 12 from each of three
game state. If the game state requires
different houses. Each KeyForge deck comes with an Archon
more of a particular counter or token than is available in the
identity card with a list of the deck’s contents printed on the
common supply, any convenient substitute can be used provided
reverse side (known as the deck list) and may also include an
both players clearly understand what the substitute represents.
additional reference card, commonly known as ”the 38th card.”
Related Topic: Common Supply
The Archon identity card and any additional reference cards
that came with the deck are never shuffled into the deck during
gameplay.

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 11
Cards in a player’s deck are out-of-play. Players cannot look at neighbors have already been tagged for destruction and cannot
the contents of their decks during a game, unless allowed by a gain a new “Destroyed:” ability, so they are placed in the discard
card effect. pile along with Archimedes.

The order of the cards in a deck must be maintained unless a Example: Emily has a Jehu the Bureaucrat, Duma the Martyr
card effect or game effect requires the deck to be shuffled. with 2 damage, and Commander Remiel with 1 damage in play.
Her opponent plays a Poison Wave, dealing 2 damage to each
creature. This damage causes Duma the Martyr and Commander
DEPLOY Remiel to be tagged for destruction. Duma the Martyr’s
A creature with the deploy keyword does not need to be placed “Destroyed:” effect resolves, healing Jehu the Bureaucrat and
on the flank of its controller’s battleline. Instead, when it enters Commander Remiel. Since Commander Remiel was already
play, it can be placed anywhere in its controller’s battleline, tagged for destruction, it still goes to the discard pile with Duma
including between two other creatures. the Martyr, but Jehu the Bureaucrat survives unscathed.

Example: Marcus has a Groggins with a Phoenix Heart in play.

DESTROYED His opponent, Janelle, has a Dust Imp with a Soulkeeper, a
When a card is destroyed by a card effect or when a creature Drumble, and a Shaffles in play. Marcus fights Dust Imp with
has damage on it equal to or greater than its power, that card Groggins, causing Dust Imp to be tagged for destruction. Dust
is tagged for destruction. After it is tagged, then that card’s Imp’s “Destroyed:” ability and the “Destroyed:” ability that
“Destroyed:” abilities resolve, and finally the tagged card Soulkeeper grants it both resolve simultaneously. Marcus chooses
is placed into its owner’s discard pile. If multiple cards are to let his opponent gain the 2 Æmber first, then resolve the
simultaneously tagged for destruction, the active player chooses Soulkeeper, which will destroy Marcus’s most powerful creature—
the order in which to resolve the “Destroyed:” abilities of any Groggins. When Groggins is tagged for destruction, the Phoenix
of those cards. All the tagged cards are put into their owners’ Heart attached to it resolves, returning Groggins to Marcus’s
discard piles simultaneously, and the active player chooses the hand and dealing 3 damage to each other creature. This damage
order in which those cards are arranged in their owner’s discard then tags Drumble and Shaffles for destruction. Finally, all the
piles. destroyed creatures still in play (Dust Imp, Drumble, and Shaffles)
are placed in their owner’s discard pile in the order of the active
Once a card has been tagged for destruction, the only thing that player (Marcus’s) choice.
can remove this tag is a replacement effect that uses the word
“instead” and replaces the destruction of that card. An effect Related Topics: Damage, Leaves Play
that heals a tagged creature does not remove the destroyed tag.
An effect may move a tagged card to a different out-of-play area
(such as the hand or archives), but that card is still considered to DISCARDING CARDS
have been “destroyed” for the purposes of card effects. The active player can discard from their hand any number of
cards belonging to the active house during step 3 of their turn.
If a “Destroyed:” ability causes more cards to be destroyed,
they are also tagged for destruction, and their “Destroyed:” When a card is discarded, it is placed faceup on top of its
effects will also resolve before cards are placed in the discard owner’s discard pile.
pile. None of the cards that have been tagged for destruction
are put into their owners’ discard piles until all “Destroyed:” Unless otherwise specified, when an ability refers to a player
effects have finished resolving. discarding a card, the discarded card must come from that
player’s hand.
Players cannot choose to sacrifice or destroy a creature that is
already tagged for destruction. A card that is already tagged If an ability requires a player to discard multiple cards from either
for destruction cannot be tagged for destruction again, and any their hand or the top of their deck, the cards are discarded one
effect that attempts to destroy or sacrifice that card fails. That at a time.
card still only resolves its “Destroyed:” abilities once.
If an ability instructs both players to discard cards, the active
A card only resolves “Destroyed:” abilities that it had at the time player decides which player will discard first. That player reveals
it was tagged for destruction. If a card gains a “Destroyed:” all cards to be discarded to fulfill the instructions of the ability,
ability after it is already tagged, that ability does not resolve. then the active player places the cards into the owner's discard
pile in the order of their choosing. Once all revealed cards
If an ability resolves “after” a card is destroyed, the card with have been discarded, the other player reveals all cards to be
that ability must be in play at the time the destroyed card leaves discarded to fulfill the instructions of the ability and the active
play. player places the cards into the owner's discard pile in the order
of their choosing.
Cards that are sacrificed also count as being destroyed. They
are tagged for destruction following the same process outlined DISCARD BONUS ICON 
above. See “Bonus Icons” on page 9.

Example: Dan has Archimedes in the middle of 4 other creatures

and his opponent plays Gateway to Dis, destroying all creatures.
First, all of Dan’s creatures are tagged for destruction. Then
Archimedes’ neighbors “Destroyed:” effects resolve, archiving
them. The battleline immediately collapses, but Archimedes’ new

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 12
DISCARD PILE Example: Mutant Cutpurse has “Enhance ”. As a result,
The cards in each player’s discard pile are open information, and three  bonus icons have been randomly added to cards in your
may be referenced at any time. deck. The Mutant Cutpurse itself gets no special ability from
Enhance during gameplay.
The order of cards in a player’s discard pile is maintained during
play, unless a card ability causes this order to change.
ENRAGE
When a player runs out of cards in their deck and is required to When a creature becomes enraged, place an enrage
draw, that player shuffles their discard pile to create a new deck. status counter on it. When a creature with an enrage
counter on it is used, it must be used to fight, if
able. After a creature with an enrage counter on it is
DRAW BONUS ICON  used to fight, remove all enrage counters from it. Enrage
See “Bonus Icons” on page 9. Counter
If there are no enemy creatures in play, an enraged
creature may be used to reap, or for its Action: or Omni: ability
DRAWING CARDS (if any). While a creature has an enrage counter on it, it cannot
Each time a player is instructed to draw a card, they take the top be enraged again. If an effect attempts to enrage an enraged
card of their deck and add it to their hand. If an ability or game creature, that effect does not enrage the already enraged
step instructs a player to draw multiple cards in a row, the cards creature.
are drawn one at a time until the total required number of cards
have been drawn. Related Topics: Fight, Using Creatures

If a player needs to draw cards and cannot because their deck is

empty, that player shuffles their discard pile to reset their deck, ENTERS PLAY
and then continues to draw. Some abilities modify how cards enter play. These abilities
resolve as the card is entering play and modify how a card enters
See “Turn Sequence” on page 5. play (e.g. ”enters play ready,” “enters play stunned,” etc.). An
ability that modifies how a card enters play modifies how any
Related Topics: Chains, Discard Pile
cards that meet the criteria of the ability enter play, including the
card with the ability. These abilities all resolve before the card is
actually in play.
ELUSIVE
The first time a creature with the elusive keyword is chosen to be If a card ability adds an ability or keywords, such as deploy, to a
fought each turn, it is dealt no pending damage and deals no card, that text is added as the card enters play and will modify
pending damage to the opposing creature in the fight. how the card enters play.
Elusive only stops pending damage that would be dealt by each Related Topics: Playing Cards
creature’s power; damage dealt by keywords or other abilities
still applies.
EXALT
 from
When an effect instructs you to “exalt” a creature, take 1
END OF TURN the common supply and place it on that creature.
End of turn effects are resolved when a player’s turn is
over—after step 5, the “Draw Cards” step. Note: When a creature with Æmber on it leaves play, the Æmber
is placed in the opponent’s Æmber pool.
See“Turn Sequence” on page 5.

EXHAUST, EXHAUSTED
ENEMY An exhausted card is not able to be used until it is readied by a
If a card ability refers to an “enemy” game element, it refers to game step or card ability.
an element currently controlled by the opponent.
See “Ready and Exhausted” on page 20.
Related Topic: Control and Ownership, Fight, Friendly

FACEDOWN CARDS
ENHANCE Some card abilities can result in cards that are facedown while
Each card with the enhance keyword has added the indicated in play. You may look at the reverse side of a facedown card that
bonus icons to random cards in your deck. (This has already is in play and that you control. You may also look at the reverse
happened during the deck generation process.) side of a card that is placed facedown under a card you control.
You cannot look at the reverse sides of cards you do not control.
Bonus icons that have been added by enhance can
be identified by the graphical element shown here:

The enhance keyword has no effect during

gameplay. An enhanced
damage
bonus icon

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 13
ecialist Guthr
FIGHT FLANK
The active player may use any ready creature they control of The creatures on the far right and far left of a player’s battleline
the active house to fight. To resolve a fight, the active player are on the flanks of the line. A creature in this position is “on
performs the following steps in order: the flank” and is referred to as a “flank creature.” Any time
a creature enters play or changes control, the active player
1. Choose one friendly, ready creature and exhaust it. This is the chooses which flank of its controller’s battleline it is placed on.
attacking creature.
If a battleline only has one creature in it, that creature is on both
2. Choose one eligible enemy creature to be fought. Taunt the left and right flank and is considered a flank creature.
and other card abilities may affect this choice. The creature
chosen to be fought is the “attacked creature.” Related Topic: Battleline

3. Resolve any “Before Fight” effects, Assault X effects on FLIP

the attacking creature, and any Hazardous X effects on the If an ability instructs you to flip a card, that card remains in the
enemy creature. If any of these effects cause one or both same position in the play area, and the card is placed with its
creatures to be destroyed, the fight does not occur. opposing side face up.
4. Both creatures deal pending damage to each other equal to
their power and are considered “fighting” for the purposes Any counters and tokens remain on the card, and their effects
of card effects. If the attacking creature has Splash-attack X, it apply immediately. Upgrades attached to cards remain attached
also resolves now. Note that elusive, Skirmish, and other card to the card as long as it remains in play.
abilities may affect the resolution of this step.
Cards that are flipped are not considered to have entered play or
5. If the attacking creature survived the fight, all “After Fight:” left play for the purpose of card effects. If a card that is flipped
abilities on the attacking creature resolve. If either creature in a is not eligible to remain in play in its location (e.g., an action
fight has a constant ability referencing the end of the fight, the card in the battleline, or an upgrade not attached to a creature),
creature must survive the fight to resolve the ability. that card is discarded (along with any upgrades attached to it).
If either creature in a fight is destroyed while resolving assault, Any tokens or counters on the discarded card are moved to the
hazardous, or “Before Fight:” abilities, then the fight (dealing common supply.
damage based on power) is skipped. The creatures are not
considered to have been in a fight for the purpose of card
effects that reference “fighting” or “in a fight”, and “After “FOR EACH”
Fight:” abilities will not resolve. Card effects that reference “after Some abilities include an effect that uses the term “for each”
a creature fights” or “after a creature is used” will still resolve, to determine the magnitude of the effect. Unless otherwise
as the creature was used to fight (even though the fight did not specified, a player may choose to affect a different card with
resolve). each instance of such an effect.

A creature cannot be used to fight if there are no enemy Example: Shard of Pain reads “Play: Deal 1 damage to an
creatures to be fought. enemy creature for each friendly Shard.” That damage may be
distributed among multiple creatures.
Note: As of version 16.0 of the KeyForge Master Rulebook, all cards
that have abilities that begin with “Fight:” should be read as “After Some abilities specify that a player must “choose a creature,”
Fight:”. then do an effect to that creature using the term “for each.”
Such abilities only affect a single creature.
Related Topics: Assault (X), Elusive, Hazardous (X), Skirmish,
Splash-Attack (X), Taunt, Using Creatures Example: Red Planet Ray Gun reads “This creature gains, “After
Reap: Choose a creature. Deal 1 damage to that creature for
each Mars creature in play.”” That damage must be dealt only to
“FIGHT WITH” the chosen creature—it cannot be distributed among multiple
If an ability instructs a player to “fight with” or “ready and fight creatures.
with” a creature, the ability is granting the player permission
to use the designated creature to fight. The fight is resolved
following the standard rules for fighting, against a creature FORGE
controlled by the opponent. See “Step 1: Forge a Key” on page 5.

FIRST PLAYER FRIENDLY

During game setup, one player is randomly determined to be If a card ability refers to a “friendly” game element, it refers to
the first player. That player takes the first turn of the game and an element currently under the control of the same player.
must adhere to the first turn rule.
Related Topics: Control and Ownership, Enemy
First Turn Rule: During the first player’s first turn of the game,
that player cannot play or discard more than one card from their
hand. Card effects can modify this rule. GAME STATE
The current position and status of all game components is known
as the game state. Players are responsible for maintaining a legal
game state in their own games at all times.

2” next to its name, while its enemy creature.

Fight/Reap: Move 1A from Deusillus to the common

corresponding bottom half supply. Deal 2D to each enemy creature.

shares the same name and has Caio Monteiro 244 / 2 of 2 Wu, the Naturalist of Car Keys

the text “2 of 2” next to its If an ability “heals” a creature, remove the specified amount of
rarity icon. damage from the creature.

A gigantic creature counts as 2 cards while out of play, but as If an ability “fully heals” a creature, remove all damage from the
a single creature card while in play. Playing a gigantic creature creature.
only counts as playing 1 card, and therefore it is allowed on the
first turn. After a gigantic creature leaves play, the 2 halves are Any creature can be chosen to be healed by a card effect that
treated as separate cards again. heals, even if it does not have any damage on it. However, if
no damage is removed from the creature, it is not considered
Both halves of a gigantic creature have the same name, house, to have been “healed” for the purpose of card effects that
and card type. Otherwise, each half has the attributes printed on reference healing.
it: the top half has bonus icons, while the bottom half has power,
armor, and the text box. Related Topic: Damage

If a card instructing you to play or put into play a creature

chooses one half of a gigantic creature, that effect fails. If a card HOUSE CHOICE
instructs you to play or put into play both halves of a gigantic During step 2 of each turn, the active player must choose one
creature, the gigantic creature is played or put into play. of the three houses indicated by their Archon identity card, if
able. Some card abilities may restrict a player’s house choice.
Example: Bella plays Wild Wormhole, allowing her to play the The active player must make their house choice obvious to their
top card of her deck. She looks at the top card and sees that it opponent, such as by saying the choice aloud.
is the top half of Deusillus. She cannot play that card from the
top of her deck (even if she has the other half of Deusillus in her If a player has gained control of a card that does not belong to
hand), so the card is returned to the top of her deck. one of their three houses, that card’s house becomes an eligible
choice for that player while the player retains control of the card.

GOLDEN RULE A card’s house can be modified by card abilities. Unless

If the text of a card directly contradicts the text of the rules, the otherwise specified, if an ability modifies the house of a card, the
text of the card takes precedence. card belongs only to the house specified in the ability. If multiple
abilities modify the house of a card, the most recent effect takes
The only exception to the Golden Rule is when a card has precedence.
received official errata. In such cases where a card has received
an official errata, if the text of the errata directly contradicts the If there is no legal choice of house, the player plays the turn with
text of the rules, the text of the errata takes precedence. no active house.

If the active player is instructed they “must choose” two (or

more) houses, the active player may choose any one of those
GRAFT houses.
If a card ability instructs you to graft a card onto another card,
the card being grafted is placed faceup under the other card.
The grafted card is not considered to be in play. If the card onto
which it is grafted leaves play, the grafted card is placed in its
“IF YOU DO” AND “IN ORDER TO”
If an ability includes the phrase “if you do” or “in order to,”
owner’s discard pile.
the player referenced by the ability must successfully and
completely resolve the text that precedes that phrase before
they can resolve or perform the text that follows that phrase. In
HAUNTED other words, if the first part of the ability is not successfully and
While a player has 10 or more cards in their discard pile, that
completely resolved, that which follows the phrase does not
player is haunted. Being haunted has no inherent game effect,
resolve or cannot be performed.
but it may be referenced by card abilities.
Related Topic: Ability, Card Ability
Related Topic: Discard Pile

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 15
INFINITE LOOPS KEYS
While most repeatable interactions involve playing or using Each player’s progress towards winning the game is tracked by
cards are limited by the Rule of Six, in very rare cases, an infinite the number of keys they have forged. The first player to forge all
loop can occur. Where two or more card abilities will continue three of their keys immediately wins the game.
to resolve each other repeatedly in a way that is not limited by
the Rule of Six, the active player first chooses how many times Each player has one key of each color: red, blue, and yellow.
they want to resolve the loop, then stops resolving the loop Some card abilities may reference the color of your keys,
and adjusts the game state accordingly so play can resume as including which of your keys are forged or unforged.
normal.
For details on forging keys, see “Step 1: Forge a Key” on page 5.
Related Topic: Rule of Six

IN-PLAY ZONE
All cards currently in play exist in one in-play zone. Cards in play
can interact with and be affected by other cards in play.

When a card is added to the in-play zone, it “enters play,” and Unforged
when it leaves the in-play zone, it “leaves play.”

 Call of the Archons LASTING EFFECTS

Some card abilities create effects or conditions that affect the
 Age Of Ascension game for a specified period of time, such as “until the start of
your next turn,” “for the remainder of the turn,” or “the next
 Worlds Collide time.” These are called lasting effects.
 Mass Mutation Lasting effects are treated as constant abilities that are active for
the duration specified by the effect. A lasting effect persists even
 Dark Tidings
if the card that created the effect leaves play.
 Winds of Exhange
If a lasting effect refers to “the next time,” it applies to the next
 Grim Reminders time the text that follows that phrase begins to happen during
the current turn.
 Unchained 2023
If a lasting effect affects cards in play, it applies to all cards in
 Vault Masters 2023 play during the specified period, regardless of whether they
were in play at the time the lasting effect was established.
 Menagerie 2024

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 16
LEAST POWERFUL including tournament play.
A reference to the “least powerful” creature refers to the
creature in play with the lowest power. If there are multiple
creatures that qualify, each is considered “least powerful.” “LOSE” VS “GAIN”
If two effects are simultaneously instructing a game element
If an ability requires the selection of a single least powerful “loses” a keyword, trait, or other attribute and that same
creature, and multiple creatures are tied, the active player element “gains” the same keyword, trait, or other attribute, the
chooses one. “loses” effect takes precedence.

After a player chooses to mulligan, that player must keep the

new starting hand. OUT-OF-PLAY ZONES
Cards not currently in play exist in one of several out-of-play
If a player is using a deck that has chains applied to it at the start zones. Out-of-play cards can be hidden from one or both players
of the game and takes a mulligan, they do not shed a chain from depending on which out-of-play zone they occupy:
the mulligan, but do draw one fewer card than they had before
the mulligan as per the normal mulligan rules. Archives: A player may look at the cards in their archives at
any time. A player cannot look at the cards in their opponent’s
See “Game Setup” on page 4. archives.
Related Topic: Chains, Shuffle Deck: Cards in a deck cannot be viewed by either player during
a game.

NEIGHBOR Discard Pile: Cards in discard piles are faceup and may be
The creatures to the immediate left and right of a creature in a viewed by either player at any time. The order of the cards in the
player’s battleline are its neighbors. discard pile must be maintained.

Related Topic: Adjacent, Battleline Hand: A player can view the cards in their hand at any time, but
they cannot view the cards in their opponent’s hand.

OFF HOUSE Purged: Purged cards are kept faceup and may be viewed by
An off house card is any card that belongs to a house that is not either player at any time.
the active house.
Card abilities may create additional out-of-play zones. Unless
Related Topic: Active House otherwise specified, if a card ability instructs that a card be
placed “facedown,” it can only be viewed by the player who
controls the card. This also applies to cards that are placed
OMEGA facedown under other cards; they can only be viewed by the
The Omega keyword creates a lasting effect that states, “The controller of the card that the facedown card is under.
active player cannot play, use, or discard any more cards for
the remainder of the current step of the turn sequence except Related Topic: In-Play Zone
through the resolution of pending abilities and effects.”

When playing a card with Omega, this lasting effect is created

as the card enters play (for artifacts, creatures, and upgrades), or
immediately after the card is revealed (for action cards). If a card
would gain omega as it enters play, the lasting effect is created

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 18
PAY creature chosen by the active player. An upgrade can
If a player must pay Æmber to an opponent, the Æmber is be attached to a creature controlled by either player.
removed from the paying player’s Æmber pool and added to the The upgrade is controlled by the player who played it,
opponent’s Æmber pool. even if the creature to which the upgrade is attached is
controlled by the opponent.
If an ability instructs a player to pay an opponent “in order to”
perform an instruction, the player must pay the entire amount 3. The card is considered “played”. Resolve bonus icons (if any)
required by the ability. from top to bottom, one at a time.

Related Topic: Æmber, Æmber Pool 4. Resolve “Play:” abilities, “after a card is played” abilities, and
”after a card enters play” abilities in the order of the active
player’s choosing.
PENDING DAMAGE
Pending damage is used in other glossary definitions to help 5. If the played card is an action card, it is placed faceup on top
explain damage prevention. of the owner’s discard pile.

PLAYING CARDS POWER COUNTER +1, POWER STATUS CARD

The active player may play cards of the active house during step When a creature is given a “+1 power counter,” one such status
3 of their turn. When a card is played, the active player takes the counter is placed on the creature. For each of these counters
appropriate card from their hand and does the following: that is on a creature, that creature’s power is increased by one.

1. Reveal the card being played and confirm it is eligible to be Note: The original Call of the Archons starter set used +1 power
played. cards, instead of cardboard counters. These cards are used
exactly like +1 power counters.
2. If the card is an action, continue to step 3. If the card is an
artifact, a creature, or an upgrade, it enters play and is placed
in the appropriate play area: PRECEDING, REPEAT THE PRECEDING
If card text instructs players to repeat a preceding effect, the
• If the card is a creature, it enters play exhausted on entirety of the effect before the text providing the instruction to
either flank of the controlling player’s battleline. repeat resolves again.

• If the card is an artifact, it enters play exhausted in a Note: Repeating an effect does not interact with the Rule of Six
row below the controlling player’s battleline. (see page 21), as the Rule of Six only applies to playing or using
cards, not triggering (or resolving) their effect multiple times.
• If the card is an upgrade, it enters play attached to a

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 19
PURGE (see page 21) as the Rule of Six only applies to playing or using
When a card is purged, it is removed from the game and placed cards, not triggering (or resolving) their effect multiple times.
faceup beneath its owner’s Archon identity card. Purged cards
are out of play and no longer interact with the game state. See also “Preceding.”

Pandulf the Provoker

 221

”Thou art so ugly...”

4 Pandulf the Provoker 2

HUMAN • KNIGHT
Note: As of version 16.0 of the KeyForge Master Rulebook, all

CREATURE
CREATURE

HUMAN • KNIGHT

cards that have abilities that begin with “Reap:” should be read as
The Loving Progenitor

Taunt. (This creature’s neighbors cannot

be attacked unless they have taunt.)
“After Reap:”.
©2022 Ghost Galaxy

Play: Enrage an enemy creature.

”Thou art so ugly...”
2
JB Casacop  221 The Loving Progenitor ©2022 Ghost Galaxy

REFERENCE CARDS Ready Exhausted

Reference cards are included in KeyForge Archon decks to
convey helpful information to players. These cards should be Example: Katherine has a Commander Remiel with an
kept near the play area, where either player can view them. Armageddon Cloak attached to it, and her opponent
Reference cards never enter play and are not controlled by either plays Gateway to Dis, destroying each creature in play. The
player. destroyed effect given to Remiel by the Armageddon Cloak
is a replacement effect that is replacing the destruction of the
Examples of reference cards include the Archon Identity card, creature. This destruction is being replaced with healing the
the Tide reference, Token Creature references, and Quick creature fully and destroying the Armageddon Cloak instead.
Reference cards. This causes the destroyed tag to be removed from Commander
Remiel and be given to the Armageddon Cloak.
REPEAT Example: Jamie plays Ronnie Wristclocks while her opponent
If card text instructs players to repeat an effect, the entirety of has 7. Normally, Ronnie Wristclocks’s play effect steals 1
 from
the effect resolves again, including the text to repeat the effect. her opponent, but since Jamie’s opponent has 7 or more Æmber,
If the card that is creating a repeating effect is removed from the replacement effect kicks in and replaces stealing 1 with
play, the effect can no longer repeat.  instead.
stealing 2
Cards with the text “trigger this effect again” will also repeat the
entire effect, including the text to trigger the effect again.

Note: Repeating an effect does not interact with the Rule of Six

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 20
RESOLVE ABILITIES IN THE ORDER WRITTEN When a card is sacrificed, that card is considered to have been
While resolving the text of a card ability, fulfill the instructions of destroyed, and any “Destroyed:” abilities the card has resolve.
that ability in the order the text is written. This may be modified
by replacement effects, including replacement effects which A player cannot sacrifice a card they do not control.
appear later in the ability that is being resolved.
Related Topics: Control and Ownership, Destroyed
Example: Hyde 167 has the text: “After Reap: Draw a card. If
you control Velum, draw 2 cards instead.” The later text applies a
replacement effect for the earlier text, altering how it resolves. SCRAP
After the active player discards a card with a “Scrap:” ability
However, all damage dealt by a card’s ability is dealt from their hand, they resolve the card’s “Scrap:” ability. “Scrap:”
simultaneously regardless of where it appears in the ability’s text. abilities can resolve in the discard pile.

Example: Mighty Lance 221 has the text: “Play: Deal 3 to a If multiple cards with “Scrap:” abilities are discarded
creature and 3 to a neighbor of that creature.” That damage simultaneously, they are resolved one at a time in the order of
to both creatures is dealt simultaneously even though it appears the active player's choosing.
twice in the ability’s text.
If an ability discards a card from a zone other than the active
player’s hand, any “Scrap:”abilities on the card do not resolve.
RESOLVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
While resolving a card ability, resolve as much of the ability as
can be resolved, and ignore any parts of the ability that cannot SEARCH
be resolved. When a player searches a game area (such as a deck), that player
looks at all the cards in the specified area without showing those
Example: Aaron plays the card Anger 001, that reads “Play: cards to the opponent. A player may choose to fail to find the
Ready and fight with a friendly creature.”, and chooses his object of a search.
friendly Snufflegator 358 to resolve the ability on. However, the
Snufflegator is already ready, so Aaron ignores that part of the If an entire deck is searched, the deck must be adequately
ability and just uses his friendly Snufflegator to fight. shuffled upon completion of the search.

After a player searches a hidden game area for a card with

RESTRICTIONS specified characteristics, they must reveal that card.
Many abilities include specific instructions that limit when or how
While a game area (or a part of a game area) is being searched,
a card may be played or used.
the cards being searched are kept in the same order and are
If a card includes one or more play restrictions, the card cannot considered to still be in that game area.
be played unless all play restrictions are met.
Related Topics: Deck, Discard Pile, Shuffle
If a card includes multiple different restrictions on how it can be
used, all such restrictions must be observed.
SELF-REFERENTIAL TEXT
If two restrictions are limiting the exact same effect or game If a card’s ability refers to its own name, that reference is only to
step, the more restrictive of the two applies. itself and not to other copies of the card.

Related Topics: Ability, Card Ability, Cannot, Playing Cards, If a card copies or gains the text of another card, any self-
Replacement Effects referential text now refers to the creature gaining the text.

If an upgrade gives a creature an ability that refers to the

RETURN upgrade’s own name, that reference is considered self-referential
When captured Æmber is returned, it is placed in the opponent’s text. It refers only to that copy of the upgrade and not any other
Æmber pool. copies of the upgrade.

Related Topic: Capture If a creature gains an ability that refers to that creature’s own
name, that reference is considered self-referential text.

RULE OF SIX
Occasionally, a situation may emerge in which, through a SHUFFLE
combination of abilities, the same card may be played or used When a player is instructed to shuffle their deck, they must do so
repeatedly during the same turn. A player cannot play and/or in a manner that sufficiently randomizes the order of the cards in
use the same card and/or other copies of that card (by name) their deck so that the order of the cards in the deck cannot be
more than six times during a given turn. deduced.

After shuffling, the player should offer their deck to the

opponent to perform an additional shuffle and/or “cut”. To
SACRIFICE perform a cut, the player divides the deck into two piles, then
When a player is instructed to sacrifice a card, that player must
re-stacks the piles in any order to form a single deck.
discard that card from play.

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 21
SKIRMISH cards instead of cardboard counters. These cards are used
When a creature with the skirmish keyword is used to fight, it is exactly like stunned status counters.
not dealt any pending damage from the opposing creature.
Related Topic: Using Creatures
This applies only to damage that would be dealt by the
opposing creature’s power, not damage that is dealt by keywords
or other card abilities. SWAP
If two game elements are swapped, they exchange places with
one another.
SPLASH
When an ability deals damage to a creature “with splash When two creatures in the same battleline are swapped, they
damage,” the splash damage is dealt to each of the chosen exchange positions. This means that each takes the position
creature’s neighbors. in the battleline of the other. The two creatures swapped must
always be controlled by the same player.

SPLASH-ATTACK (X) If cards from two distinct game areas are swapped (such as a
When a creature with the splash-attack (X) keyword is used to card in play and a card in hand), the cards switch game areas,
fight, it deals pending damage equal to the splash-attack (X) maintaining the order of the cards in the game areas as required.
value to each of the opposing creature’s neighbors. This damage
is dealt simultaneously with the pending damage dealt by the
fighting creature’s power. Creatures that are destroyed by splash- SWAP CONTROL
attack damage are considered to have been destroyed in a fight When a card ability instructs players to swap control of cards, the
as well as destroyed fighting the attacking creature. cards exchange places with one another, and each player gains
control of the specified cards from their opponent.
If a creature with the splash-attack (X) keyword gains another
instance of the splash-attack (X) keyword, the two X values are When two creatures in different battlelines swap control, they
added together. each move to occupy the space of the other in the opposing
batteline. Any upgrades, tokens, and counters on the creatures
remain on the creatures in their new positions.
STEAL
When an ability steals Æmber, the stolen Æmber is removed
from the opponent’s Æmber pool and added to the Æmber pool TAUNT
of the player resolving the steal ability. If a creature has the taunt keyword, any of its neighbors that do
not have the taunt keyword cannot be chosen to be fought by
If an ability steals more Æmber than a player has remaining in an enemy creature that is being used to fight. In the battleline,
their pool, the ability steals only the amount remaining in the taunt creatures are slid slightly forward to indicate their presence
pool. to the opponent.

STUN “THIS WAY”

When a creature becomes stunned, place a stun counter on it. If an ability refers to an effect that occurred “this
While a creature is stunned, it cannot fight, reap, or use Action: way,” it is referring to an effect that was produced by
or Omni: abilities. the same resolution of that same ability. Stun
Counter
Any time a stunned creature could normally be used, it can Related Topic: Ability, Card Ability
instead be used by exhausting it to remove its stun status card.

If a card effect would cause a stunned creature to fight, reap, TIDE

or use an Action: or Omni: ability, instead that creature is The tide is a game state represented by the Tide reference card,
exhausted and the stun counter is removed. This is considered which is included with some KeyForge decks. If one or more
“using” that creature. KeyForge decks used in a game include a Tide reference card,
then all players can interact with, and be affected by, the tide.
Constant abilities and abilities that do not require the creature to
reap, fight, or be used are still active. The tide reference card helps players track whether the tide is
high or low for them, and to serve as a reminder that they have
A stunned creature cannot be used to fight, but if a stunned access to the “Omni:” ability to raise the ride.
creature is chosen to be fought, it still deals damage equal to its
power in that fight. At the start of each game, the tide is neutral (neither high nor
low). When either player raises the tide, the tide becomes high
While a creature is stunned, it cannot have another stun counter for them and low for their opponent. If the tide is already high
placed on it. If an effect attempts to stun a stunned creature that for a player, they cannot raise the tide.
effect does not stun the already stunned creature.
During the active player’s turn, they may use the ability “Omni:
Note: The original Call of the Archons starter set used stunned Raise the tide. Gain 3 chains.” This ability is granted by the

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 22
game rules and not by a card ability. Unlike most “Omni:” Related Topics: Control and Ownership, Enters Play
abilities, this ability does not require a player to exhaust any
card. A player can use this ability any number of times in a turn.
TURN SEQUENCE
When a card effect instructs a player to raise the tide, they See “Turn Sequence” on page 5.
should rotate the Tide reference card such that the side labeled
“High Tide” is facing them and the side labeled “Low Tide” is
facing their opponent. UNFORGE
If a previously forged key is “unforged,” flip the key token to its
Card abilities that refer to the tide are indicated by this icon: . unforged side. The key no longer counts toward its controller’s
victory condition and must be forged again to win the game.

TOKEN CREATURES
Some KeyForge decks include a token creature reference card. UPGRADES
Such decks have the ability to make token creatures through Upgrades are one of the basic card types in the game. When
card abilities. the active player plays an upgrade, it enters play attached to
a creature chosen by the active player. Upgrades remain in
When a card ability instructs you to make a token creature, take
play from turn to turn and modify the cards to which they are
the top card of your deck and put it into play, facedown, as an
attached.
exhausted creature on a flank of your battleline. This facedown
card is considered to be a copy of the creature described on If the card to which an upgrade is attached leaves play or
your token creature reference card. becomes a non-creature, the upgrade is discarded. If an upgrade
cannot attach to a card in play, the upgrade cannot enter play.
Token creatures can be used just like creatures and count as
creatures for the purposes of card abilities. An upgrade modifies the creature it is attached to and is not
used independently of that creature. If an upgrade causes a
You may look at the reverse side of token creatures you control. You
creature to gain text such as an ability, traits, or keywords; that
cannot look at the reverse side of token creatures your opponent
text is considered to be in the text box of the attached creature.
controls.

When a token creature leaves play, it reverts to its printed card

type after it is moved to the appropriate out-of-play zone. USING ARTIFACTS
The active player may use ready artifacts they control during their
If a player takes control of their opponent’s token creature, it turn. When the active player uses an artifact, they exhaust the
remains a token creature with the same name as when it was card and then resolve its abilities.
made; it does not change to the token creature of its new
controller. The active player can only resolve an “Action:” ability if it is on a
card that belongs to the active house.
If you take control of an opponent’s card that makes token
creatures, but your deck does not include a token creature The active player can resolve an “Omni:” ability even if it is on a
reference card, the “make a token creature” effect does nothing. card that does not belong to the active house.
Likewise, if you take control of an opponent‘s card that refers
If an artifact has multiple “Action:” and/or “Omni:” abilities, only
to a specifically named token creature, and your deck does not
one of them can be resolved each time the artifact is used.
contain that named token creature reference card, any ability
that refers to named token creature does not resolve. Some artifacts require that they be destroyed (or sacrificed)
as part of the resolution of their ability. When an artifact is
Example: You play “Borrow” 213 to take control of your
destroyed (or sacrificed), it is placed in its owner’s discard pile.
opponent's Blorb Hive 121, which reads ”Omni: Destroy a
The active player must still exhaust such an artifact when using it.
friendly creature. If you do, make 2 Blorbs. Then, if you control 10
or more Blorbs, destroy Blorb Hive and forge a key at no cost.” Artifacts cannot be used to reap or to fight.
Your deck does not contain a token creature reference card, so
when you use Blorb Hive's Omni: ability, it destroys a friendly
creature, but it cannot make 2 Blorbs. USING CREATURES
When the active player uses a creature, that player must exhaust
the creature, and the player has the option to reap, fight, resolve
TRAITS the creature’s “Action:” ability, or resolve the creature’s “Omni:”
Traits are descriptive attributes (such as “Knight” or “Specter”) ability. Any card effect that causes a creature to fight, reap,
that may be referenced by other cards. Traits are listed at the top resolve its “Action:” ability, or to resolve it’s “Omni:” ability is
center of a card’s text box. Traits have no inherent game effect, causing that creature to be used.
but may be referenced by card abilities.

TREACHERY
When a card has the Treachery keyword, it enters play under the
control of your opponent.

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 23
USING CARDS VIA OTHER CARD ABILITIES
If a card ability allows a player to play or use another card (or to
ERRATA
fight or to reap with a card), the chosen card may belong to any This section contains the official errata that have been made to
house unless the ability specifically states otherwise. previously printed KeyForge cards or rules. Errata overrides the
previously printed information.
When using a card via a card ability, all other restrictions and
requirements of using the card (such as exhausting to reap, fight,
or resolve its “Action:” ability) must be observed, or the card
cannot be used. GENERAL ERRATA
General errata are broad changes to the game rules and/or large
Players can only use cards they control, unless a card ability
sections of the card pool.
specifically states otherwise.

Fight Abilities
VERSATILE All abilities that begin with “Fight:” should read “After Fight:”.
If a card has the Versatile keyword, it can be used as if it
This does not change the timing of when such abilities resolve.
belonged to the active house.
The errata has been made for clarity about the proper timing.

WARD Reap Abilities

When a creature becomes warded, place a ward status counter
All abilities that begin with “Reap:” should read “After Reap:”.
on it. If a creature with a ward counter on it would be damaged,
This does not change the timing of when such abilities resolve.
destroyed, or leave play, instead discard each ward counter on it.
The errata has been made for clarity about the proper timing.
(Note: This prevents the creature from being tagged
for destruction.)

While a creature has a ward counter on it, it cannot be CARD-SPECIFIC ERRATA

warded again.
Ward The following errata applies to specific KeyForge cards. Note
If an effect attempts to ward a warded creature, that Counter that many times cards are reprinted in later sets, and in such
effect does not ward the already warded creature. If cases, the cards are printed in their updated state.
a ward counter is placed on a creature after it has already been
tagged for destruction, the ward counter will not prevent the
creature from leaving play. However, it will prevent the creature
Auto-Legionary 214
from leaving play in other ways, such as being returned to hand. Should read:

Related Topic: Damage, Leaves Play Action: Put Auto-Legionary on a flank of your
battleline. While in the battleline, it is considered
a creature with 5 power and may be used as if it
X belonged to the active house.
Sometimes X is used to specify a value that is defined by a card
ability. Unless defined by a card ability, the value of X is equal to 0.
Bait and Switch 267
Example: Picaroon has a power of X and the ability “X is the Should read:
combined power of Picaroon’s neighbors.” If your opponent
plays Shadow of Dis, Picaroon will no longer have that ability, so Play: If your opponent has more  than you, steal
Picaroon’s power will be 0. . Repeat the preceding effect if your opponent
1
still has more  than you.

ZONES OF PLAY
During a game, every card exists in one of several areas of the Biomatrix Backup 208
play area known as zones of play. See the related topics for more Should read:
information.
This creature gains,”Destroyed: Put this creature into
Related Topics: In-Play Zone, Out-of-Play Zones its owner’s archives.”

Collector Worm 162

Should read:

After Fight: Put the creature Collector Worm fights

into your archives. (Both creatures must survive the
fight.) If that creature leaves your archives, put it in its
owner’s hand instead.

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 24
Corner the Market 061 Play: Stun and exhaust this creature.
Should read:
Glimmerspore 190
Play: During your opponent's next turn, they cannot
play cards, and each time they discard a card from Should read:
their hand, they may archive that card from their
discard pile. Play: Put an artifact from play into your archives. If
you are not the owner of that card and it leaves your
archives, put it into its owner’s hand instead.
Curse of Forgetfulness A14
Should read:
Incubation Chamber 186
Treachery. (This card enters play under your Should read:
opponent's control.)
Omni: You may reveal a Mars creature from your
At the end of your turn, purge the top card in your hand. If you do, archive it.
discard pile.

Keyforgery 271
Custom Virus 183 Should read:
Should read:
When your opponent would forge a key on their
Omni: Destroy Custom Virus. You may purge a turn, that player names a house. Reveal a random
creature from your hand. If you do, destroy each card from your hand. If that card is not of the named
creature that shares a trait with the purged creature. house, destroy Keyforgery and they do not forge that
key (no  is spent).

Drummernaut 006
Should read: Library Access 115
Should read:
Play/After Fight/After Reap: Return another friendly
Giant creature to your hand. Play: For the remainder of the turn, each time you
play another card, draw a card. Purge Library Access.

Duskwitch 320
Life for a Life 273
Should read:
Should read:
Omega. Elusive.
Your creatures enter play ready. Play: Destroy a friendly creature. If you do, deal 6
to a creature.

Experimental Therapy 157

Magda the Rat 303
Should read:
Should read:
This creature may be used as if it belonged to the
active house. Elusive.

. If Magda the Rat leaves play, your

Play: Steal 2
opponent steals 2 .

Offering to Kiligog 360

The second “Omni:” ability should read:

Omni: Make each card under Offering to Killigog a

token creature as if the card was on top of your deck.

Pain Reaction 78

Should read:

Play: Deal 2 to an enemy creature. If this damage

destroys that creature, deal 2 to each of that
creature’s neighbors after it leaves play.

Glossary
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 25
Shrink-ray Technician 215 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Should read: The following sections provide answers to frequently asked
questions (FAQ) about the game. These questions are presented
After Reap: Choose an enemy creature. It gets –2
in a “Question and Answer” format and are divided into two
power until the end of the turn.
groups: general questions about the rules, and card-specific
Scrap: Choose the most powerful enemy creature. questions.
Until the end of the turn, that creature is considered
to have 1 power and 0 armor.
GENERAL FAQ
Space Invaders 157 The following questions are about the general rules of KeyForge.
Should read: Even though these questions may refer to specific cards
as examples, the answers apply to all situations that fit the
Play: Reveal any number of creatures from your description of the question.
hand. Make each creature revealed this way a token
creature as if the card was on top of your deck.
0-Power Creatures
I play King of the Crag 038 while my opponent has Looter
Tendrils of Pain 64 Goblin 041 in play. What happens?
Should read:
The rules for damage state that “If a creature has as much or
Play: Deal 1 to each creature. Deal 4 to each more damage on it as it has power, the creature is destroyed and
creature instead if your opponent forged a key on placed on top of its owner’s discard pile.” When a creature has 0
their previous turn. power, if it has 0 damage on it, it is destroyed.

Yipyax Abductor 201 Alpha

Should read: Can I play Mimicry 328 as a copy of Eureka 128 if I have
already played another card this turn?
Play/After Fight: Put an upgrade from play into your
archives. If you are not the owner of that card and No. If Mimicry is played as a copy of Eureka, it will have the
it leaves your archives, put it into its owner’s hand alpha keyword. Since you have already played another card this
instead. turn, you are not able to play an alpha card this turn and so the
Mimicry will not be played and will go back to your hand instead.

Yzphyz Knowdrone 210 Can I play Mimicry 328 as a copy of Eureka 128 as the first
thing I do during step 3 of my turn?
Should read:
Yes. Mimicry is being played as a copy of Eureka and will have
Play: Archive a card. You may purge an archived card.
the alpha keyword. Since you haven’t done anything else (played
If you do, stun a creature.
a card, discarded a card, or used a card) this turn you can still
play the alpha card.

Archives
My opponent puts two of my creatures into their archives using
Sample Collection 175. On my next turn I play Dysania 141.
What happens?

Playing the Dysania will cause each of your opponent’s archived

cards to be discarded, however since the Sample Collection
states that when these creatures leave the archives they are put
into their owner’s hand instead these cards are returned to your
hand. Since these cards were not discarded by Dysania’s effect,
you will not gain any Æmber from the resolution of that effect.

My opponent has 2 cards in their archives and I play Yzphyz

Knowdrone 210. Can I purge a card from their archives?
If one of the cards in their archive is my own and I can tell
because of the card back, can I intentionally choose the card I
own/the card I don’t own?

Yes, you can purge a card from any player’s archives. No, you
may not decide which card to purge from your opponent’s
archives based on card backs. Your opponent’s archive is fully

General FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 26
hidden information, so when you purge a card from their online before you deal damage with its bonus icons.
archives you must choose which card randomly.
If I play Bonesaw 002 enhanced with a damage bonus icon
that I use to destroy a friendly creature, will Bonesaw enter play
Armor ready?
I have Shadow Self 310 with Raiding Knight 255 as a
neighbor. My Raiding Knight is then attacked by a 4 power No. Because Bonesaw is already in play before you resolve its
creature. How much damage does each creature take in this icons, it will have already entered play exhausted.
situation?
When I play Wild Bounty 392, is “bonus icons” referring to all
In this case, the Shadow Self will take 2 damage, the Raiding the icons on a card, or just the icons added to that card by the
Knight will take no damage, and the 4 power creature will take enhance keyword?
4 damage and be destroyed. This happens because before
All icons. Even Æmber icons that always appears on a card are
the damage can be dealt to the Raiding Knight, two of it is
considered bonus icons.
prevented by its armor. Then when the damage is actually being
dealt, the damage that would be dealt to the Raiding Knight If I play Shoulder Id 257 with a bonus damage icon on it,
is dealt to the Shadow Self instead. At the same time as the does resolving that damage count as Shoulder Id dealing the
Shadow Self is being dealt damage, the 4 power creature takes damage, and therefore would that icon let me steal instead?
4 damage from the Raiding Knight’s power.
No. Although the bonus icon is on Shoulder Id, Shoulder Id itself
I use my Hallowed Shield 218 to protect my Maruck the is not the source of that damage.
Marked 220 from damage and then I attack my opponent’s
3-power creature. Do I capture an Æmber with Maruck’s ability? If I play Rad Penny 255 with a damage bonus icon on it while
no other creatures are in play, will that damage destroy Rad
No. Protection effects like Hallowed Shield prevent damage ?
Penny before its Play: effect lets me steal 1
before armor. Maruck still has 1 armor left after the fight.
Yes. Rad Penny will leave play before its Play: effect has a chance
to resolve.
“As If It Were”
I reap with Nexus 305, which allows me to use an opponent’s If I play Rad Penny 255 with a damage bonus icon and a draw
artifact “as if it were” mine. I choose to use my opponent’s icon on it while no other creatures are in play, will the damage
Shard of Greed 315, which lets me gain 1  “for each friendly destroy Rad Penny before I can resolve its draw icon?
Shard.” Shard of Greed is the only Shard in play. How much
Æmber do I gain? No, the draw icon will still resolve. Once a card has been played,
all bonus icons on that card will resolve, even if the card leaves
. You are using Shard of Greed as if it were yours, so Shard of
1 play.
Greed counts itself as a friendly Shard for the purposes of its ability.
If I play a card with two bonus damage icons and my opponent
I reap with Replicator 150, and use its ability to trigger the has a 1 power creature with a ward counter, can I destroy that
reap effect of my opponent’s Sequis 257 as if I controlled it. creature?
Which player’s pool does Sequis capture Æmber from?
Yes. Each damage icon resolves separately, so the first damage
Sequis captures 1 from your opponent’s pool. You are using icon can remove the ward counter, and the second damage icon
Sequis as if you controlled it, so the default capture rules cause can then damage the creature.
the Æmber to be captured from your opponent’s pool.
If I use the Action: ability on Fission Bloom 087 and then use
the After Fight/After Reap: ability on Ultra Gravitron 125 to
Before Fight purge an enemy creature and resolve each of its bonus icons,
What happens if I use a creature with both assault and a do I get to resolve all its icons twice?
“Before Fight:” ability?
Yes. Ultra Gravitron’s “as if you had played” text is intended to
If a creature has multiple abilities or keywords that resolve in trigger all card effects like Fission Bloom’s “The next time you
the “before fight” window (including “Before Fight:,” assault X play a card this turn.”
and hazardous X), and that creature is used to fight, all abilities
in the “before fight” window must resolve before the fight My opponent has Master of the Grey 169 in play. If I use the
proceeds, even if the attacked creature is destroyed by “before Action: ability on Ensign El-Samra 340, does the constant
fight” abilities. The effects are resolved in the order of the active ability of Master of the Grey prevent the bonus icons from
player’s choosing. resolving or is the “as if you had played it” enough to get
around Master of the Grey’s ability to stop it?

Bonus Icons The constant ability of Master of the Grey prevents any bonus
icons from resolving on the card revealed by Ensign El-Samra’s
If I play Maleficorn 040 that also has a damage icon on it,
ability.
does its damage icon deal a bonus damage?
I have Scrivener Favian 155 and Amphora Captura 215
Yes. Creatures are already in play before their bonus icons
in play. Can I use Amphora Captura’s replacement effect to
trigger, so in this case Maleficorn’s constant ability would be
resolve a bonus icon as a capture, and then use Scrivener

General FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 27
Favian’s replacement effect to resolve that as a steal? If Explo-rover is in my discard pile, can I use Dr. Verokter‘s
008 “After Reap:” ability to put Explo-rover on top of my
Yes. Both of these replacement effects happen in the same deck?
window, so the active player chooses the order of their
resolution. You may choose to first treat the bonus icon as a No. Explo-rover is a creature when it is in any out-of-play zone,
capture bonus icon, and then replace that with a steal. including your discard pile. Dr. Verokter‘s ability only affects
upgrades and action cards in your discard pile.
Chains
I have 2 chains and 7 cards in hand when moving to my draw Damage, Source of
cards step. Will I shed a chain during this step? Can Rock Hurling Giant’s 44 ability deal damage to Ardent
Hero 126?
No, you will not shed a chain during this draw cards step. Chains
are only shed when a player would draw cards during the draw No. Because Rock Hurling Giant has 6 power, it cannot deal
step and the chains prevent them from doing so (see “Chains” damage to Ardent Hero from its power or from its printed
on Page 10). Since you already have 7 cards in your hand, you abilities. In general, the source of damage is the card that is
aren’t going to be drawing any cards, and thus don’t lose any of dealing that damage, with the exception of damage bonus
your chains. icons, because that damage is done by a game step.

I have 2 chains and 5 cards in hand when moving to my draw

cards step. Will I shed a chain during this step? “Destroyed:” Effects
On my opponent’s turn they use their Yxilo Bolter 204 to reap
Yes, you will shed a chain during this step. Chains are only shed and choose to resolve its “After Fight/After Reap:” effect on
when a player would draw cards during the draw step and the my Bad Penny 296. Is the Bad Penny purged or does it end
chains prevent them from doing so (see “Chains” on Page 8). You up back in my hand?
only have 5 cards in hand, and normally you would draw a card to
refill your hand. However because of the chains you are prevented The Bad Penny goes back to your hand. “Destroyed:” effects
from drawing that card. Since you would normally have drawn the (see “Destroyed” on Page 12) happen immediately before a
card and the chain prevented it, you then shed 1 chain. creature is destroyed, meaning that Bad Penny is back in its
owner’s hand before the Yxilo Bolter can try to purge it with its
reap effect. At that point, any pending effects waiting to resolve
Control of Cards
on Bad Penny no longer do. This is because Bad Penny is moving
My opponent plays Collar of Subordination 105 to take to an out-of-play zone in which the identity of cards is hidden
control of a creature in my battleline. On my turn, I play from the opponent (see “Leaves Play” on Page 16).
Hypnobeam 101 to take control of the creature back. How do
these two control effects resolve? I have Stealer of Souls 098 in play and my opponent has Valdr
029. I use Stealer of Souls to fight Valdr and both creatures
Hypnobeam’s lasting effect acts as a constant ability while it are destroyed. Does the Stealer of Souls’ ability resolve?
is in effect. As it is the most recently played effect, it takes
precedence and the creature will remain under your control. No. In order for Stealer of Souls’ ability to resolve, it must be in
play; if both Stealer of Souls and the creature it is fighting are
destroyed, they are destroyed (and leave play) simultaneously
Creatures Played as Upgrades and Stealer of Souls’ ability will not resolve (see “Destroyed” on
Can I play Explo-rover 297 as an upgrade if my opponent Page 10).
sacrificed Lifeward 077 on a previous turn?
If Duma the Martyr 242 and another of my creatures are both
If I have Matter Maker 349 in play, can I play Explo-rover destroyed by a damage effect like Poison Wave 280, can
297 as an upgrade when Star Alliance is not my active house? Duma the Martyr save my other creature from destruction?

If my opponent has Kaupe 341 in play, and I've already No. If the damage causes Duma the Martyr and your other
played a creature, can I still play Explo-rover 297 as an creature to both be tagged for destruction, healing that creature
upgrade? afterwards will not prevent its destruction.

Yes to all three. Explo-rover’s ability allows it to be played as an If I have out Tolas 103 when my Bad Penny 296 is
upgrade anytime an upgrade could be played. destroyed, do I gain Æmber even if Bad Penny goes to my hand
instead of my discard pile?
If I play Exhume 059 and choose an Explo-rover 297 in my
discard pile, can I play it as an upgrade, or must I play it as a Yes. Cards still count as being destroyed even if their
creature? “Destroyed:” effect moves them out of play.

You can play Explo-rover as either an upgrade or a creature with If my Jargogle 131 is destroyed on my turn and its
Exhume. When Exhume specifies “creature” in your discard pile, “Destroyed:” ability lets me play a card with Omega, can I still
this is a restriction on which card in your discard pile you can play cards afterwards?
choose, but not a requirement that card must remain a creature
as you play it. Not usually. If Jargogle was destroyed during your Step 3 you
may not play or use any more cards—just finish resolving any

General FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 28
more triggered effects and then move on to the next step. No. Elusive applies the first time a creature with elusive is chosen
If Jargogle was destroyed during your Step 1, however (for to be attacked by the active player.
example, because you forged a key while Strange Gizmo 134
was out), you only move on to Step 2, where you may then In my battleline I have a creature that has been upgraded with
choose your house and move on to Step 3, where you are Siren Horn 212 and has 1  on it. My opponent has Boss
allowed to play and use cards again as normal. Zarek 264 and another creature in their battleline. I use my
upgraded creature to fight my opponent’s non-elusive creature.
If I have a 2-power creature with Soulkeeper 83 attached. My I resolve the “Before Fight:” ability granted by Siren Horn and
opponent has a 6-power creature and a 5-power creature, and move the 1  to my opponent’s creature. Does the creature
I play Opal Knight 260, are both of my opponent’s creatures gain elusive from Boss Zarek’s ability in time for it to prevent
destroyed, or just the 6-power one? the damage of the fight?

Just the 6-Power creature will be destroyed. Soulkeeper’s Yes. The elusive keyword resolves while setting the pending
“Destroyed:” ability resolves before the creatures that are damage during a fight (damage exchanged via the creature’s
tagged for destruction leave play, so it will try to tag the 6-power power), which is after the “Before Fight:” ability of Siren Horn
creature for destruction even though it has already been tagged. resolves.

I have Optio Gorkus 226 in play upgraded with Imperial

Scutum 185. Then I play a card that destroys all creatures. Enrage
Can I use the “Destroyed:” effect on Optio Gorkus’s neighbors If I play Ghosthawk 356 next to an enraged creature, can that
to move all Æmber on them to Optio Gorkus before I use the creature reap?
“Destroyed:” effect granted by Imperial Scutum to return all
that Æmber to the common supply, keeping the Æmber out of Yes. You are only forced to fight with an enraged creature if
my opponent’s hands? you use them and they are able to fight. Because Ghosthawk
instructs you to reap with that creature, not to use it, you are
Yes. The active player chooses the order of “Destroyed:” not able to fight with it, and therefore you can reap with it. The
effects. If the creatures are being destroyed on your turn, you creature will exhaust, but will not lose its enrage counter.
can send the Æmber from your destroyed creatures to the
common supply, but if the creature are being destroyed on your
opponent’s turn, they could choose the opposite order so that First Turn Rule
they get the Æmber from those destroyed creatures instead. It's the first turn of the game and I am going first. I choose
Logos to be the active house and play Phase Shift 117. Does
Elusive this allow me to play another card this turn even though the
First Turn Rule (see page 5) is in effect?
If I use Gabos Longarms 86 to attack a creature without
elusive, can I use Gabos’s “Before Fight” ability to deal damage Playing Phase Shift will allow you to play another card from your
to an elusive creature instead, or will the elusive keyword hand this turn, since the First Turn Rule can be modified by card
prevent the damage? effects.

Gabos Longarms can deal damage to an elusive creature using It's the first turn of the game and I am going first. I choose
its ability. The elusive ability prevents damage only when the Logos to be the active house and play Wild Wormhole 125.
creature is attacked—because Gabos is not actually attacking the Can Wild Wormhole’s effect be resolved even though the First
elusive creature, the elusive keyword will not protect it. Turn Rule (see page 5) is in effect?

My Gabos Longarms 86 attacks my opponent’s Æmber Imp Yes, Wild Wormhole’s effect can be resolved.
53. Is Gabos Longarms’ damage prevented by elusive, or can
I deal that damage to another creature?
Flank
You may still deal Gabos Longarms’ damage to another creature. What happens if I use Spectral Tunneler 133 on a non-flank
Elusive only prevents damage dealt to the creature with the creature (causing it to be considered a flank creature), then play
elusive ability during the fight. Positron Bolt 118 on that creature?
If I attack a creature that has both hazardous and elusive, and Positron Bolt will deal 3 damage to that creature. You will choose
the hazardous destroys my creature that was attacking, has one of that creature’s neighbors to deal 2 damage to, and then
elusive been turned off, or is it still in effect for a future attack? deal 1 damage to the other neighbor of that second creature.
Elusive applies the first time a creature with elusive is chosen to If I have Sinestra 047 and Dexus 054 both out and my
be attacked by the active player. Even if the fight itself doesn’t  the first time
opponent has no creatures out. Do they lose 2
happen, the creature was still chosen to be fought, so elusive will they play a creature?
not be in effect for a future attack.
Yes. The first creature they play will be on both their left flank
I attack my opponent’s Culf the Quiet 020 with a Niffle and their right flank, so both Dexus and Sinestra’s abilities will
Ape 363, ignoring the elusive and dealing 3 damage and resolve.
destroying the Niffle Ape. If I attack Culf the Quiet again with
another creature, will elusive prevent damage for that second
fight?

General FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 29
“For Each” player to move a creature to a flank and the creature is already
on a flank, then the creature can remain on that flank or move to
I play Sack of Coins 312 with 3
 in my pool. Can I divide the
the opposite flank.
3 among multiple creatures?
What happens if I use Replicator 150 to trigger the reap
Yes. Because Sack of Coins deals 1 damage “for each” Æmber in
effect of an opponent’s Sanctum Guardian 256?
your pool, each point of damage may be assigned to a different
creature. Sanctum Guardian’s reap effect will do nothing. A creature
cannot be moved from one player’s battleline to the other
House player’s battleline except by effects that explicitly change control
of that creature.
If I play Orator Hissaro 205 and ready and exalt its neighbors,
do the neighbors belong to house Saurian and their printed
house? What happens if one of those cards is upgraded with Omega
Academy Training 161? My opponent has Autocannon 019 in play and I play
Duskwitch 320. Can I resolve the effects in such a way that
Unless otherwise specified, if an ability modifies the house of a
Duskwitch’s Omega keyword does not resolve?
card, the card belongs only to the house specified in the ability.
In this case, the neighbors of Orator Hissaro are considered to No. Omega’s lasting effect is established as Duskwitch enters
belong to only House Saurian for the remainder of the turn. play, meaning the active player cannot play, use, or discard any
If one of the neighbors is upgraded with Academy Training, more cards for the remainder of the step except through the
the most recent effect (making the neighbor belong to House resolution of pending abilities and effects.
Saurian) takes precedence. At the end of the turn, the upgraded
neighbor will belong only to House Logos. The resolution of Autocannon’s ability in the “after a card is
played” window will result in Duskwitch being destroyed, but the
lasting effect from Omega is already established and the step
Leaves Play
will still end once pending abilities and effects complete their
In my play area, I control Spangler Box 132 that has purged resolution.
my own Kelifi Dragon 037. Spangler Box is returned to its
owner's hand with Grasping Vines 324, but I don't have My opponent has Duskwitch 320 in their battleline. I play
any Æmber in my pool. Does my Kelifi Dragon return to my Cyber-Clone 102, and purge the Duskwitch. Does the Omega
battleline? keyword from Duskwitch resolve ending my Step 3?

Yes. Kelifi Dragon is not being played when it is returned by No. Cyber-Clone’s ability causes Cyber-Clone to gain the Omega
Spangler Box’s ability, it is being put into play, which bypasses keyword after Cyber-Clone has entered play, so the Omega
normal play restrictions. Kelifi Dragon will return to play no keyword will not resolve.
matter how much Æmber is in your pool.
My opponent has Chronophage 017 in play, with 2 damage
My Scowly Caper 313 is under my opponent’s control and is on it. I play a creature that has a damage bonus icon on it, and
purged by Spangler Box 132. If Spangler Box is destroyed apply the damage to my opponent’s Chronophage. Did my
and Scowly Caper is returned to play, whose control is it under? creature still gain the Omega keyword, meaning I end the step,
or was Chronophage moved out of play before its ability could
Scowly Caper’s ability causes Scowly Caper to enter play under resolve on my creature, meaning I can continue to play and/or
the control of your opponent. This happens any time Scowly use cards in the current step?
Caper enters play regardless if Scowly Caper is played, “put into
play,” or returned to play. The creature that was played gained the Omega keyword as it
entered play, so the Omega keyword will resolve as if it were on
 on it. My opponent
In my battleline I have a creature with 2 the card when the card was played.
has Magda the Rat 303 in their battleline. Neither of us has
any Æmber in our pools. If I play a Gateway to Dis, does the
Æmber on my creature go to the opponent’s pool before the Replacement Effects

lasting effect of Madga the Rat that allows me to steal 2 I play Nerve Blast 276 while my opponent has 2  in their
resolve? pool and controls a Po’s Pixies 362. Am I able to deal 2
damage with Nerve Blast’s effect?
Yes. All counters and tokens (including Æmber) are removed
from cards as they leave play. Magda the Rat’s lasting effect Yes. Po’s Pixies has a replacement effect that changes where the
resolves after Magda the Rat leaves play. stolen Æmber is taken from (the common supply instead of its
controller’s pool). However, that Æmber is still considered to be
“stolen,” and therefore the “if you do” condition of Nerve Blast
Moving Creatures
has been satisfied.
When an effect allows you to move a creature in the battleline
are you required to move it to a different position? My opponent has Sir Marrows 223 in play. If I play Dimension
Door 108 and then reap with a creature, does Sir Marrows
No. If an effect instructs a player to move a creature anywhere in capture the Æmber from the creature reaping?
the battleline, the creature may move anywhere in the battleline,
including where the creature is currently. If an effect instructs a No, in this case the effect of gaining the Æmber from reaping

General FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 30
is being replaced by stealing Æmber from your opponent. This  in my pool and my opponent has 6
I have 4 . If I play
means that you aren’t getting Æmber directly from the reap and Crassosaurus 217, am I forced to capture 10  onto
your opponent’s Sir Marrows will not be able to capture it. Crassosaurus, or can I choose not to capture from myself and
let Crassosaurus get purged?
I have a creature in play upgraded with Discombobulator 149.
My opponent has Gargantodon 203 in play. What happens Resolve as much as you can. In this case, if there is a total of
when my opponent tries to steal Æmber from my pool?  in all players’ pools when you play Crassosaurus, you must
10
capture 10 onto Crassosaurus.
Nothing. Discombobulator’s ability says that your Æmber cannot
be stolen, which means there will be nothing for Gargantodon’s
replacement effect to replace. Your opponent’s steal effect will Restrictions
fail to resolve. In my battleline I have Tantadlin 333 in play, as well as Creed
of Nurture 386. If I sacrifice Creed of Nurture and reveal
I have Po’s Pixies 362 and my opponent has two copies of Terrordactyl 211, when I use Tantadlin to fight, will it do 2
Sir Marrows 223. I reap with Po’s Poxies. Do both of the Sir damage (as Tantadlin says), 4 damage (as Terrordactyl says),
Marrows capture Æmber from the common supply? or 6 damage (combining the damage of both Tantadlin and
Terrordactyl)?
Yes. Each copy of Sir Marrows resolves after you gain Æmber
from reaping, and both will try to capture it. Normally only 2 damage. If two conflicting restrictions apply to the same card,
one of them would be able to successfully capture it, however, follow the more restrictive of the two.
because Po’s Pixies replaces the capture attempt with a capture
from the common supply, when the second Sir Marrows attempts
to capture the same specific Æmber, it is still available. Therefore Rule of Six
both of the Sir Marrows will attempt to capture the same Æmber, If I play Mimicry 328 as a copy of an action card in my
one by one, and each attempt will be replaced with a capture opponent’s discard pile, which card does the Rule of Six apply
from the common supply. to?

Resolve Abilities in the Order Written For the purposes of the Rule of Six, you are considered to have
played the copied card.
My opponent has Witch of the Eye 368 next to Shadow Self
310 upgraded with Phoenix Heart 051 in their battleline. I If I play Mimic Gel 170 as a copy of a creature in play, which
attack and destroy Shadow Self. Will Witch of the Eye survive card does the Rule of Six apply to?
due to Shadow Self taking the Phoenix Heart damage or does
Shadow Self return to hand before damage from Phoenix Heart For the purposes of the Rule of Six, you are considered to have
is dealt? played the copied card.

Resolve the ability in the order the text is written. When the I have two copies of Nirbor Flamewing 020, one in play,
“Destroyed:” ability granted by Phoenix Heart resolves, it puts and one in my discard pile. Can I resolve the ability on one in
Shadow Self in its owner’s hand and then deals the damage to my discard pile, choose the one in play to be destroyed, then
each creature still in play. repeat this process indefinitely? Will this be limited by the rule
of six?

Resolve As Much As You Can The timing of Nirbor Flamewing’s ability does allow you to
My opponent has Banner of Battle 020 in play. Can I play repeat this loop if you have two copies. It is not limited by the
Poltergeist 069 to destroy the Banner of Battle, even if the rule of six because the rule of six only applies to playing cards
artifact can’t be used? and using cards, not resolving abilities on cards.

Yes, you can resolve the effect of Poltergeist on any artifact in

Self-Referential Text
play even if the artifact cannot be used. You just resolve as much
of the card effect as you can (see “Resolve As Much As You Can” I have two copies of Sensor Chief Garcia 313 in play, one of
on Page 20), and to resolve this situation you just destroy the which is upgraded with Garcia’s Blaster 347. Can I reap with
artifact. the Sensor Chief Garcia that has the Blaster, then attach the
Blaster to the other Garcia so I can resolve the Blaster‘s steal
I have no creatures in play and my opponent has two. Can I 1 ability?
play Lost in the Woods 327 even though I don’t have two
creatures in play? No. When a card ability refers to its own name, that reference
is only to itself and not to other copies of the card. This also
Yes you can. The “Resolve As Much As You Can” rule (see Page applies to abilities that are gained from other cards. When
20) says that you resolve as much of a card effect as possible and Sensor Chief Garcia has Garcia’s Blaster attached to it, it is
any part of a card you cannot resolve is ignored. In the context gaining an ability from the Blaster. Since that gained ability refers
of Lost in the Woods, it means that you shuffle in as many of the to ”Sensor Chief Garcia” it is self-referential text and only applies
creatures as you can. So in the case that your opponent has two to itself, not to other copies of the card.
or more creatures in their battleline and you have none, you will
shuffle in two enemy creatures and no friendly creatures.

General FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 31
How does Creed of Nurture 386 work when it is used to copy Tide
the ability of a creature with self-referential text in its ability?
If I play Cross Porpoises 400 when the tide is already high,
Any self-referential text will refer to the creature gaining the text. can I resolve the constant ability on Hydrocataloguer 053?
For example, if you use Creed of Nurture to give Shorty’s 013
You cannot raise the Tide if it is already high for you, so effects
ability to Ghosthawk 356, Ghosthawk gains an ”After Reap:”
like Hydrocataloguer will not resolve if the tide is already high for
ability that says “Enrage Ghosthawk.”
you.
Is the “Destroyed:” ability a creature gains when it is upgraded
with Armageddon Cloak 263, which refers to Armageddon Timing
Cloak itself, considered self-referential text?
I have Grasping Vines 324 under Masterplan 288. If I use
If an upgrade gives the attached creature an ability that refers to Masterplan’s “Omni:” effect to play Grasping Vines, can I return
the upgrade by name, the reference is only to that copy of the Masterplan to my hand before it is sacrificed?
upgrade.
Yes. Masterplan’s effect allows you to play the card beneath it
before sacrificing Masterplan. Masterplan is still in play at the
Stun time you play Grasping Vines, and therefore can be returned to
I have a stunned creature in my battleline, play the card your hand using Grasping Vines’s effect.
Anger 001, and choose to resolve its effect on that stunned
If a card like Gateway to Dis 59 destroys multiple creatures
creature. What happens?
and Tolas 103 is one of those creatures, does anyone gain
If a card (such as Anger) allows you to use a creature, and that Æmber off of Tolas’ ability?
creature is stunned, remove the stun instead of doing anything
No. Tolas’ ability does not trigger until cards are actually put into
else.
discard piles, at which point Tolas is already destroyed.
I play Smaaash 046, but each of my opponent’s creatures
I have Pingle Who Annoys 43 and my opponent plays King
is already stunned. Do I have to resolve the effect against
of the Crag 38. Will King of the Crag take a damage before
Smaaash itself?
Pingle is destroyed?
No. You may still choose to resolve Smaaash’s “Play:” effect against
No. Because King of the Crag’s ability is a constant, its effect
one of your opponent’s creatures, however you cannot put a stun
applies as long as it’s in play and destroys Pingle before Pingle’s
counter on an already stunned creature so nothing will happen.
“after it enters play” effect can trigger.
What effects allow you to unstun an off-house creature?
I reap with Nexus 305 and resolve its “After Reap:” ability
You can unstun a creature anytime it could normally be used, to use my opponent’s Spectral Tunneler 133 to give Nexus
whether because it belongs to the Active house or because a the ability “After Reap: Draw a card.” Will that “After Reap:”
card effect allows you to use it. ability resolve?

I have a stunned Saurian Egg 210 in play. I have chosen a Yes. You are still in the timing window to resolve any “After
non-Saurian house this turn. Can I use Saurian Egg's “Omni:” Reap:” abilities after Nexus has reaped, so the “After Reap:”
ability to remove the stun? ability gained from Spectral Tunneller will resolve.

Yes, an “Omni:” ability lets you use the creature outside of the My opponent has 10 Æmber and is about to forge their second
active house, which will allow you to remove the stun from the key. I play Interdimensional Graft 112. My opponent has
creature. Forgemaster Og 38 in play. On their turn they forge a key for
6 Æmber. What happens to their remaining 4 Æmber?

“This Way” The effect of Interdimensional Graft and Forgemaster Og both

occur at the same time step (after the key is forged), so the
If I resolve the “Action:” on Obsidian Forge 025 and choose
active player (your opponent) chooses which to resolve first.
to destroy a warded creature, will that creature reduce the cost
to forge that key? When does the ability of the Encounter Suit 330 resolve?
No. If they are not “destroyed this way” they do not reduce the Encounter Suit’s ability occurs after an action card is played and
key cost. its bonus icons are resolved, at the same timing point as other
effects that occur “after” an action card is played. However,
If I use Saurian Egg (MM 210)’s “Omni:” ability and both the
the active player must resolve Encounter Suit’s effect before
cards revealed are Saurian creatures, do they both come into
resolving the “Play:” effect on that action card.
play? Do they get three +1 power counters each?
If I have Siren Horn 212 on a creature with Assault 2, and I
Yes and yes. Sometimes the egg contains twins!
attack an enemy creature with only 2 health remaining, does
the Assault damage destroy them before or after I can move an
Æmber onto them?

Assault damage resolves in the same timing window as “Before

General FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 32
Fight:” abilities, so the active player gets to choose the order to have Jargogle 131 in play with Wild Wormhole 125 under
resolve them in. it. I play Unlocked Gateway 67. Will Omega prevent me from
playing Wild Wormhole when resolving Jargogle’s “Destroyed:”
If I play Pain Reaction 078 on an opponent’s creature to ability? If Wild Wormhole’s “Play:” ability plays a creature
destroy it, when is the damage dealt to its neighbors? If the from my deck, does that creature get destroyed by Unlocked
creature has already left play, how do I know what its neighbors Gateway?
are?
No, Omega will not prevent Jargogle’s “Destroyed:” ability
Pain Reaction is an exception to the rule that all damage from from resolving. Omega creates a lasting effect that ends the
an ability is dealt simultaneously, because it explicitly establishes step once all pending abilities and effects have been resolved,
that the damage is dealt after the destroyed creature leaves play. so Jargogle’s “Destroyed:” ability will resolve, playing Wild
This damage is dealt to whatever creatures were the neighbors Wormhole. Similarly, Wild Wormhole’s “Play:” ability will
of the destroyed creature immediately before it left play. also resolve. If a creature is played by the resolution of Wild
Wormhole’s “Play:” ability, that creature will not have been
If I use Smite 224 to make my Firespitter 032 fight my tagged for destruction by the resolution of Unlocked Gateway,
opponent’s 1 power creature which has 2 neighboring 1 power and will remain in play while the other creatures (that were
creatures, each of which has neighboring 2 power creatures on tagged for destruction) complete their destruction.
the flanks, will Smite kill the 2 power flank creatures?
If I deal enough damage to destroy my opponent’s Venator
No. Smite’s damage effect refers to the neighbors that the Altum 183 when the tide is high for me, would he be exalted
defending creature had immediately before leaving play. As the before being destroyed so that I can get 1 Æmber?
1 power defending creature will leave play at the same time as
its 1 power neighbors due to Firespitter’s Before Fight ability, No, Venator Altum will be destroyed before being exalted, so
Smite’s damage effect will fail because the creatures it refers to you would get no Æmber.
are no longer in play.

If I use Phalanx Strike 189 and choose to exalt a friendly Token Creatures
creature to repeat the damage effect, will this allow me to When I make one or more token creatures, can I look at both
remove a ward counter from a creature and also damage the sides of each card before I place it in my battleline?
same creature?
No. The card is not a token a creature until it is in play in your
Yes. Phalanx Strike is an exception to the rule that all damage battleline. Only then can you look at the reverse side of the card.
from an ability is dealt simultaneously, because it explicitly
establishes that the damage effect repeats a second time. This
allows you to use the first instance of damage to remove a Using Creatures
ward from a creature, and then use the repeated effect to deal I have an exhausted Bumpsy 030 in play and my opponent
damage to the same creature. has no creatures in their battleline. I play the card Anger 001
and choose to resolve it on Bumpsy. What happens?
If I fight and destroy my opponent’s Tolas 103 with Overlord
Greking 087, after putting Tolas into play under my control, Bumpsy will be readied by the effect of Anger, but since there
will Tolas’s ability resolve? are no enemy creatures in play it cannot be used to fight so it
remains ready.
No. Tolas has a constant ability that is active only while it is in
play. Because Tolas is not in play at the time it is destroyed, its I have Combat Pheromones 180, “John Smyth” 195, and
constant ability will not resolve. Mindwarper 196 in play. I sacrifice the Combat Pheromones
and reap with Mindwarper, then reap with “John Smyth” and
I
use “John Smyth’s” “After Reap:” effect to ready Mindwarper.
Can I use the Mindwarper again?

Yes. Combat Pheromones is granting permission to use a

creature during that turn. If you have an effect that readies one
of the Mars cards affected by the Combat Pheromones (Such as
“John Smyth”), you will be able to use that card again.

Ward
What happens if a creature is warded after being tagged for
destruction, but before leaving play?

A ward will prevent a creature from being tagged for destruction,

but if a creature that is already tagged for destruction gets
warded before it leaves play, the ward will not be able to prevent
it from leaving play.

General FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 33
CARD-SPECIFIC FAQ Auto-Legionary
All of the following questions are about resolving specific I play Remote Access 120 and use its ability to use my
KeyForge cards. They are arranged alphabetically by card name. opponent's Auto-Legionary 214. Does Auto-Legionary enter
my battleline?

Æmberlution No. Auto-Legionary will exhaust and try to move to your

battleline, but since nothing in the resolution of Remote Access’
If I play Æmberlution 394, what is the order of the creatures
ability gives you control of Auto-Legionary, Auto-Legionary
when they come into play?
cannot enter your battleline.
The active player chooses the order of your creatures. The active
player also decides the sequence in which your opponent’s Bait and Switch
creatures come into play.
My opponent has 14  in their pool and I have 0 in mine. I play
Bait and Switch 267. How many times will the effect on Bait
Animator and Switch resolve?
On my turn, I use Animator’s 100 Action: ability to move an
Bait and Switch’s effect will resolve twice. When the effect
artifact into the battleline as a creature. If I play an upgrade
resolves the first time it checks if your opponent has more
on that creature what happens when the artifact is no longer
Æmber than you and steals 1 . It then checks to see if your
a creature? What happens to counters and tokens like Ward,
opponent has more Æmber than you. Since your opponent still
Æmber, etc.?
has more Æmber than you, the preceding effect repeats, after
When the card reverts to an artifact, the upgrade is discarded. which the resolution of the “Play:” ability is complete.
All other counters will remain on the artifact, and will become
relevant if the artifact becomes a creature again. All counters Bouncing Deathquark
and tokens (including Æmber) on the artifact go to the common
supply when the artifact leaves play. In my battleline, I have Reassembling Automaton 158
and another creature. I play Bouncing Deathquark 107,
targeting my Reassembling Automaton and an enemy creature.
Armageddon Cloak Reassembling Automaton’s Destroyed: ability resolves and the
I have a creature upgraded with Armageddon Cloak 263 replacement effect means it is not destroyed. Can I repeat the
in my battleline. In my opponent’s battleline there are two effect of Bouncing Deathquark and destroy my Automaton
Harbingers of Doom 076. If I destroy one Harbinger of again even if is not destroyed?
Doom, resolving its Destroyed: ability, can the replacement
Yes. Bouncing Deathquark’s effect can be repeated as long
effect of Armageddon Cloak’s ability protect my creature from
as you have a friendly creature in play where the effect can
both waves of destruction?
be applied. For example, you could keep choosing your
Yes, since both of the effects happen simultaneously, the active Reassembling Automaton to repeat the effect multiple times.
player can choose the order of how the effects resolve. You
could resolve the Destroyed: ability of the first Harbinger of Captain Val Jericho
Doom, tagging all of your creatures for destruction. Then the
second Harbinger of Doom’s Destroyed: ability would resolve, I have three cards in my battleline; Captain Val Jericho 326
but your creature can't be tagged for destruction a second in the center of the battleline with Com. Officer Kirby 295
time. Then resolve the Armageddon Cloak, removing the tag as a neighbor. On my turn, I reap with Com. Officer Kirby,
for destruction and replacing it with the destruction of the granting me a play allowance of a non-Star Alliance action,
Armageddon Cloak. artifact, or upgrade for the rest of the turn. Captain Val Jericho
is also granting a play allowance of a card that is not of the
active house. If I play a Shadows action, does this use up both
Auto-Encoder allowances?
I have Sacro-Bot 122 and Auto-Encoder 066 in play. If I
No. Playing a Shadows action in this case will only use up
reap with Sacro-Bot, its After Reap: ability causes me to discard
one of the two play allowances, leaving one more to use. The
a card from hand, which allows me to resolve Auto-Encoder.
Active Player can choose whether to use Com. Officer Kirby's
Does the resolution of Auto-Encoder’s ability happen at the
or Captain Val Jericho's play allowance first, leaving the other
same time as the “If you do”, from Sacro-Bot (meaning the
open, provided Captain Val Jericho remains in the center of the
active player can choose the order to resolve them) or does
battleline to grant the play allowance).
Auto-Encoder have to resolve first?

Auto-Encoder has to resolve immediately after you discard a Code Monkey

card, so when you reap with Auto-Encoder, you discard, then
archive, then draw. These effects are not simultaneous, so the I play Code Monkey 147 between two creatures of the
active player can not change their order. same house, but both are warded, so the creatures will not be
?
archived. Do I still gain 2

Yes, Code Monkey’s ability only checks whether the neighbors

are the same house, not whether they are successfully archived.

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 34
Collector Worm Dexus
Will the “After Fight:” ability on Collector Worm 162 resolve I have Dexus 054 in my battleline. In my opponent’s
and put the creature Collector Worm fights into Collector battleline, they have two creatures of the same house. On
Worm’s controller’s archives if the target is destroyed? their turn, they play Code Monkey 147, resulting in both of
the creatures going to their archive and leaving Code Monkey
No. Collector Worm’s “After Fight:” ability will not archive the alone in their battleline (and hence on both flanks). Will Dexus’
target if it destroys the creature it is fighting. The creature will no ability resolve?
longer be in play, and Collector Worm’s ability does not interact
with cards in the discard pile. No. Code Monkey was not played on your opponent’s right
flank, so Dexus’ ability will not resolve.
Curse of Cowardice
If my opponent controls Curse of Cowardice 006 and on my Drecker
turn I destroy their only creature, does Curse of Cowardice If two Dreckers 006 are neighbors and I fight one of them
immediately get destroyed? with my 2-power creature, what happens?

No. Curse of Cowardice's ability only resolves at the end of its Both Dreckers simultaneously take 2 damage. The damage is
controller's turn. dealt only once, it does not create a second instance of damage.

In my battleline, I have Drecker 006 next to another creature.

Cyber-Clone My opponent attacks Drecker's neighbor with Macis Asp 301.
When Cyber-Clone’s 102 “Play:” ability resolves, does the Does the poison from Macis Asp also apply to the damage
ability set Cyber-Clone’s power, armor, keywords, and traits dealt to Drecker?
to those printed on the purged creature, or does it include
bonuses granted by things like +1 Power Counters and other Yes. Macis Asp’s power is still the source of the damage being
card effects? If Cyber-Clone’s “Play:” ability resolves cloning a dealt to Drecker, which means that poison also applies to that
Mimic Gel 170, does Cyber-Clone become a 0 Power creature damage.
that is immediately destroyed?
Duskwitch
Cyber-Clone only copies the base power, armor, keywords, and
traits of the purged creature, and does not include any bonuses I have Duskwitch 320 in my battleline. I play Scowly Caper
granted from counters or other cards. If Cyber-Clone’s ability 313 into my opponent’s battleline. Does Scowly Caper enter
is used to purge Mimic Gel, Cyber-Clone would be a 0-power play ready?
creature and be destroyed.
Yes. Scowly Caper is your creature, and therefore it will enter
My opponent has Auto-Legionary 214 that is a creature in play ready, under your opponent’s control.
their battleline. I play Cyber-Clone 102 and target Auto-
Legionary to purge. Does Cyber-Clone gain the power after
Dysania
Auto-Legionary is purged (meaning Cyber-Clone would be a
0-power creature) or does Cyber-Clone look at Auto-Legionary When resolving the “Play:” ability of Dysania 141, should
just before it leaves play? “Your opponent discards each of their archived cards” be
interpreted as “Your opponent discards each card in their
If cards leave play while resolving an ability, later instructions in archives”?
the same ability refer to the cards as they were immediately prior
to leaving play. Therefore, Cyber-Clone’s ability will treat Auto- Yes.
Legionary as a 5-power creature.
Earthbind
Dark Harbinger My opponent played Earthbind 352 on one of my creatures
In my battleline I have my opponent’s Dark Harbinger 381. last turn. The rules for sacrifice say I discard a creature from
On my turn, I play Mimicry 328 to copy a Shadows card from play. Would this satisfy the discard requirement for Earthbind?
my opponent's discard pile. Does Dark Harbinger's ability
resolve? No. Unless otherwise stated by the ability, text referring to a
player discarding a card means a card that is discarded from
No. Mimicry was played as a copy of the Shadows action in your their hand. Earthbind’s condition is not met by discarding a card
discard pile, so Dark Harbinger will not resolve. from play (such as with a sacrifice effect) or discarding a card
from the top of your deck, such as with Sound the Horns 015.
The condition would be met by an effect like Yurk’s 068 that
instructs its controller to discard from your hand.

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 35
Encounter Suit Faygin
On my turn, I play Wild Wormhole 125, and in resolving its I have Faygin 300 in play and my opponent has Urchin 315
“Play:” ability, play Encounter Suit 330, attaching it to a in play. I reap with Faygin and with its reap effect I choose my
creature in my battleline. Can Encounter Suit’s ability resolve opponent’s Urchin. What happens?
and ward the creature?
Faygin’s effect causes the Urchin to try and go into your hand,
No. Encounter Suit resolves after an action card is played, “but however when a card leaves play it always goes to its owner’s
before resolving its play effect”. Wild Wormhole’s “Play:” effect corresponding out of play zone (See “Leaves Play” on Page 16)
has already begun resolving, so Encounter Suit’s ability will not unless the card causing it to leave play specifies otherwise. The
resolve. Urchin is returned to your opponent’s hand instead of yours.

Endless Hordes Furtive Investors

My opponent has seven creatures in play, and I play Endless In a previous turn, I played Key Hammer 066 to unforge my
Hordes 011. Do I make a token creature, ready it, and have opponent’s first key, leaving them with zero keys currently
it fight an enemy creature, then repeat that process six more forged. On my current turn, I play Furtive Investors 269.
times? Do I get to gain an Æmber for the key they had forged but I
unforged?
No. Resolve the ability in the order it is written. Endless Hordes
says: No. Furtive Investor’s ability refers to the number of keys your
opponent has forged currently.
Play: For each enemy creature, make a token
creature, ready it, and it fight that enemy creature,
ignoring taunt. Resolve these fights one at a time. Gargantodon
If stealing Æmber is replaced by a replacement effect such as
First, you would make seven token creatures, then ready each Gargantodon 203, will Molephin’s 360 ability resolve?
of them, then have them each fight an enemy creature ignoring
taunt. Note that you are still limited by the rule of six, so while No. Molephin’s ability will not resolve unless Æmber is actually
you could make seven token creatures in this example, you could stolen.
only fight with six of them.
My opponent has Gargantodon 203 in their battleline. I have
no creatures in play and I play Trust No One 248. How does
End of Turn Effects Trust No One’s “Play:” ability resolve?
In my play area, I have Animator 100 and Fangtooth Cavern
370. If I use Animator to treat Fangtooth Cavern as a Gargantodon replaces “steal Æmber” with “capture Æmber”.
creature belonging to the active house, can the lasting effect of Since you have no creatures in play which can capture Æmber,
Animator's ability expire before resolving Fangtooth Cavern’s the effect does not resolve.
“At the end of your turn” ability, or does Animator refer to the
end of turn timing point?
Gebuk
Animator’s ability creates a lasting effect that expires at the end I have Gebuk 373 in my battleline. On my opponent’s turn,
of the turn, which is after Fangtooth Cavern’s “end of turn” Gebuk is destroyed. Gebuk’s “Destroyed:” ability is resolved
effect resolves. and I discard Spartasaur 231, a creature. Are “After Gebuk
Leaves Play” and “After a friendly creature is destroyed” in
the same window of the Timing Chart? If so, does Spartasaur’s
Exterminate! Exterminate! ability resolve when Gebuk leaves play or can the active player
How do you resolve the “Play:” ability on Exterminate! order it so that Spartasaur’s ability will not resolve?
Exterminate! 180?
Spartasaur’s ability and Gebuk’s ability resolve in the same timing
For each friendly Mars creature, the active player chooses a window, the “after a creature is destroyed” window. However,
non-Mars creature with lower power (A different creature must Spartasaur is not in play at the time Gebuk leaves play, and
be chosen each time). Then, destroy the chosen creatures therefore Spartasaur’s ability will not resolve due to Gebuk being
simultaneously. destroyed.

Fandangle
I have a maverick Fandangle 365 in Dis in play. Fandangle’s
ability says “While you have 4 or more, your non-Untamed
 or more, does
creatures enter play ready.” If I have 4
Fandangle enter play ready when I call Dis?

Yes. An ability that modifies how a card enters play modifies how
any cards that meet the criteria of the ability enter play, including
the card with the ability.

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 36
General Sherman been used, the new right neighbor will be used to reap. Once
both neighbors have reaped, the resolution of Ghosthawk's Play:
My opponent plays General Sherman 323 and purges each
effect is complete.
creature in play. In my battleline, I had several copies my token
creature, Grunt 117. What happens when General Sherman
leaves play? Grommid
When token creatures leave play, they revert to their printed card When does Grommid’s 194 “You cannot play creatures”
types. When General Sherman leaves play, all of the cards that ability resolve? It looks like it is a play restriction, but is it active
were purged try to reenter the battleline, but any card that is not while in my hand?
a creature cannot do so. Any non-creature cards that were token
The part of Grommid‘s ability that says “You cannot play
creatures when they were purged by General Sherman’s “Play:”
creatures” is a constant ability that is only active while Grommid
ability cannot return to the battleline, as they are no longer
is in play.
creatures. Those cards will remain purged. If a token creature
was purged and reverted to a creature, that creature will return
to play. Harmonia
Does Harmonia’s 357 constant ability resolve when you play it
Gĕzdrutyŏ the Arcane and there are more enemy creatures in play?
I have Gĕzdrutyŏ the Arcane 076 in play with 1 on it, then I Yes, Harmonia’s constant ability is immediately active once it is in
 and flip it facedown, making
use its Action: ability to steal 2 play. If there are more enemy creatures than friendly creatures in
it a token creature. My deck’s token creature is Blorb, so what  after playing Harmonia.
play, you will gain 1
happens?

Tokens, counters, and upgrades are not removed when a card Helper Bot
is flipped, so the Blorb is immediately destroyed because it has
I have chosen Dis as my active house for the turn. I play Exhume
damage on it equal to its power.
059 and choose to play Helper Bot 112 from my discard
I have Gĕzdrutyŏ the Arcane 076 in play and my token pile. If the next card I play is a card from house Dis, does that
creature is Berserker. When I use the Action ability on utilize the play allowance granted by Helper Bot’s ability?
Gĕzdrutyŏ the Arcane to flip it into a Berserker, does it ready
Yes. Helper Bot grants you a play allowance to play one non-
and is it enraged?
Logos card at any point on your turn. The first time you play a
No, it is not ready or enraged. When Gĕzdrutyŏ the Arcane flips non-Logos card, even if it is of the active house, the allowance is
into a Berserker, it is not considered to be entering or leaving resolved. In this case, you could play a card from your 3rd house
play. The ability on Berserker specifically says it “enters play via Helper Bot’s ability only if you do so before you play any
ready and enraged.” more Dis cards.

If my opponent is playing a non-Winds of Exchange deck and

Horseman of War
takes control of my Gĕzdrutyŏ the Arcane 076, what happens
if they use its Action: ability? When I play Horseman of War 249 on a Sanctum turn, does
that mean that I can no longer reap with Sanctum creatures that
, then when Gĕzdrutyŏ the Arcane
First your opponent steals 2 turn, since Horseman of War says that my creatures can only
is flipped it becomes a copy of its owner’s token creature fight? If so, is that true even if there are no enemy creatures to
reference card. fight?

Yes. Once Horseman of War’s “Play:” ability resolves, all friendly

Ghosthawk creatures belong to the active house and can only be used to
I have Fangtooth Cavern 370 in play. In my battleline, I have fight. If there are no enemy creatures, friendly creatures cannot
Jargogle 131 with Ghosthawk 356 underneath. As my turn be used for the remainder of the turn.
ends, Jargogle is destroyed. Resolving Jargogle’s “Destroyed:”
ability plays Ghosthawk. Does Ghosthawk’s “Play:” ability
Inspiration
resolve, allowing me to reap with Ghosthawk’s neighbors?
I have Witch of the Eye 368 in my battleline. On my turn, I
Yes. While creatures normally wouldn’t be able to reap outside choose house Sanctum and play Inspiration 220. Can I reap
of Step 3, the Golden Rule will allow Ghosthawk’s “Play:” ability with Witch of the Eye and return Inspiration to my hand?
to resolve.
No. An Action card‘s ability fully finishes resolving before it is
In my battleline I have 3 creatures with Sinder 013 on the placed into the discard pile. Playing Inspiration and resolving
left flank. If I deploy Ghosthawk 356 between the middle its ability to use a card with an ability that would return a card
creature and Sinder and then reap with Sinder and destroy from the discard pile (such as Witch of the Eye) could not return
Ghosthawk’s right neighbor, can I reap with the new neighbor? Inspiration to a player’s hand.

Yes. Ghosthawk’s ability allows the active player to reap with

Ghosthawk's left neighbor (Sinder) and its right neighbor, one at
a time in the order of the active player's choosing. If using the
left neighbor to reap destroys the right neighbor before it has

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 37
Jargogle Kompsos Haruspex
In my battleline I have Jargogle 131 with a creature How does Kompsos Haruspex 224 work with “Play/After
underneath. I play Unlocked Gateway 067 and resolve Fight:” abilities?
Jargogle’s “Destroyed:” ability to play the creature. Does the
creature get destroyed by Unlocked Gateway as well? Kompsos Haruspex allows the effect of the “Play/After Fight:”
ability to be resolved like a “Play/After Fight/After Reap:”
No. Resolving Unlocked Gateway’s “Play:” ability tags all ability.
creatures in play for destruction, the creature under Jargogle was
not in play at the time, so it will not be tagged for destruction.
Lethal Distraction
If Jargogle 131 ends up with multiple cards underneath it, I play two copies of Lethal Distraction 305, choosing the
what happens when its “Destroyed:” ability resolves? same creature each time. Later in the turn, I deal 1 damage to
that creature. How much total damage does the creature take?
Jargogle’s “Destroyed:” ability refers to a single card. When the
ability resolves, the active player will play or archive one of the The creature takes 5 damage total: 1 from the initial damage, 2
cards underneath Jargogle and discard the others. If the active from the first Lethal Distraction, and 2 from the second Lethal
player is the controller of Jargogle, they can look at the cards Distraction. Each resolution of Lethal Distraction’s “additional”
beneath Jargogle and choose which one to play. If the active damage adds 2 to the original damage, it is not a separate
player is not the controller of Jargogle, they choose one of the instance of damage.
cards under Jargogle at random and put it in its owner’s archives,
then all other cards under Jargogle go to their owner’s discard
pile(s). Library Access
I have chosen house Logos to be my active house this turn
Keyforgery and start off by playing Library Access 115, I then play Wild
Wormhole 125. In what order do I resolve this combination of
Can the active player name a house which is not on the Archon effects?
Identity card of the owner of Keyforgery 271?
When you play Wild Wormhole after playing a Library Access the
Yes. Keyforgery does not specify that your opponent must following happens in this order:
choose a house on your Archon card, so they can name a house
not in their opponent's deck if they so choose. 1. You gain 1 Æmber from Wild Wormhole’s Æmber bonus.
2. Library Access’s effect and Wild Wormhole’s play effect are
simultaneous, so you may resolve them in either order.
Keyfrog 3. You gain Æmber from any Æmber bonus on the card played
My opponent has 5  in their pool, a Senator Shrix 193 with from the top of your deck.
5 on it, and a Keyfrog 369 in their battleline. Their key cost 4. If there are any play effects on the card played from the top of
is 6. If I destroy their Keyfrog, do they forge a key? If so, where your deck, they are simultaneous with Library Access’s effect. You
does the Æmber come from? may resolve them in either order.

Yes, your opponent will forge a key through the resolution of

Keyfrog’s “Destroyed:” ability. Forging is not optional; if a player Lightsmith Clariel
has enough Æmber to forge, including Æmber on cards like If Lightsmith Clariel 080 uses its armor to prevent 2 damage
Senator Shrix, they must do so. The active player will make the and then in the same turn I resolve its “Before Fight:” ability,
decision regarding how much Æmber will be taken off of Senator will it be destroyed?
Shrix and how much will come from the opponent's pool.
No, Lightsmith Clariel will not be destroyed. Lightsmith Clariel’s
power will become its total armor value (its printed armor plus
Key Hammer any effects that change its armor), even if that armor has been
My opponent forges two keys on their turn. On my next turn, I used to prevent damage already. So after the switch it will have
play Key Hammer 66. What happens? 2 power.

Key Hammer only affects a single key. You will choose one of If the upgrade with the text “This creature gets +2 armor”
the two keys your opponent forged on their previous turn and is attached to the Lightsmith Clariel 080 and I resolve its
unforge it. “Before Fight:” ability, will it become 4 power/5 armor or 2
power/7 armor?
Knowledge is Power 4 power/5 armor. Lightsmith Clariel’s power will become its total
When resolving the “Play:” ability of Knowledge is Power armor value, which in this case is 4 (2 printed and +2 from the
113, should “for each archived card you have” be interpreted upgrade).
as “for each card in your archives”?

Yes.

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 38
Little Niff If I play Mimic Gel 170 copying an Auto-Legionary 214 that
is currently a creature, what does Mimic Gel become?
I have Ronnie Wristclocks 276 next to Little Niff 289 in my
battleline. I attack one of my opponent’s creatures with Ronnie Mimic Gel becomes a 5-power creature that can be used as if it
Wristclocks, but it is destroyed during the fight. Does Little belonged to the active house.
Niff’s ability still allow me to steal 1 Æmber?
Can Mimic Gel 170 be used to copy a creature with the alpha
Yes. Little Niff’s neighbor does not need to survive in order for keyword if it is not the first card played in the step?
Little Niff to steal the Æmber.
No. If a card would gain alpha as it enters play, that card can
only be played if you haven’t played, used, or discarded any
Mack the Knife
other cards during the current step of your turn.
If I have Mack the Knife 302 with two damage on it, can I use
Mack the Knife’s “Action:” ability to deal 1 damage to Mack the
Knife to destroy it, and still gain 1 Æmber? Mimicry
If I play Mimicry 328 that has been enhanced with a Capture
Yes. The damage and the Æmber gain are part of the same bonus icon and use it to copy a card out of my opponent’s
ability. Once an ability on a card has started to resolve, that discard pile that has an Æmber bonus icon, which bonus icons
ability will finish resolving even if the card leaves play. resolve?

The Æmber bonus icon on the copied card will resolve. The
Mars Ambassador
Capture bonus icon on Mimicry will not resolve.
I have Duskwitch 320 and Mars Ambassador 238 in play. If
I reap with Mars Ambassador, and play a Mars creature (which
enters play ready because of Duskwitch), can I use the Mars Mug
creature as a part of resolving the Ambassador’s ability? If I play Mug 244 and resolve its “Play:” ability, do I have to
choose a creature with Æmber on it?
No. The “play or use” text on Mars Ambassador means you have
to choose to either play or use that card, not both. No. You may resolve Mug’s “Play:” ability on any creature. If
there is Æmber on the creature, move 1 Æmber to your pool
and then deal 2 damage to the creature. If there is no Æmber
Might Makes Right
on the creature, resolve as much as you can, and just deal 2
My battleline consists of three cards: Lollop the Titanic 014, damage to the creature.
Knoxx 326, and Mushroom Man 362. Lollop has 11 power,
Knoxx has 2 neighbors so has 9 power, and I have no keys
forged, so Mushroom Man has 8 power. Can I choose Brobnar Neutron Shark
and play Might Makes Right 043 to sacrifice these three My opponent has two creatures in play and I have none. I play
creatures with a total of 28 power to forge a key for free, or will Neutron Shark 146 and use its play effect to destroy an
the power levels change as I start sacrificing creatures? enemy creature as well as the Neutron Shark. If the top card of
my deck does not belong to house Logos, can I repeat Neutron
You will forge a key at no cost. When resolving Might Makes Shark’s ability and destroy my opponent’s other creature?
Right, you select all of the creatures to be sacrificed, and tag
them for destruction. The rules for Leaves Play state that if cards No. The destruction of Neutron Shark and the first enemy
leave play while resolving an ability, the instructions later in that creature resolves fully before you proceed with the rest of
ability refer to the cards as they left play. So if the total power of Neutron Shark’s ability. Once Neutron Shark is no longer in play,
the sacrificed creatures was 25 or more before leaving play, you its Play/After Fight/After Reap: ability cannot be resolved again.
will forge a key.

Overlord Greking
Mimic Gel
I use Overlord Greking 087 to fight and destroy my
If I play Mimic Gel 170 copying a creature that has damage opponent's Hexpion 113. Hexpion’s “Destroyed:” ability
tokens, +1 power counters, a ward counter, and an upgrade archives Hexpion. Can Overlord Greking’s ability put Hexpion
which gives it additional text, does Mimic Gel also copy the into play from my archives?
various counters and upgraded text?
No. Overlord Greking will only put creatures into play from your
No. Mimic Gel enters play as a copy of the base card, opponent's discard pile. If an effect sends the destroyed creature
unmodified by any other effects. to a different out of play zone, Overlord Greking's ability will not
resolve.
If I play Mimic Gel 170 copying a Crash Muldoon 327 will
Mimic Gel enter play ready? Can I use the Deploy keyword to
have Mimic Gel enter play anywhere in my battleline?

Yes to both. Mimic Gel enters play as a copy of the chosen card,
and both Deploy and Crash Muldoon’s “enters play ready”
ability take effect as the card enters play, so Mimic Gel will also
copy these effects.

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 39
Pale Star Pitlord’s ability), but also cannot choose house Dis (because
of Restringuntus). Cannot effects take precedence over must
I have the The Pale Star 049, Chonkers 396, and Dark
effects, thus you cannot choose Dis (see “Cannot” on page
Æmber Vault 001 in play. Chonkers has 1 printed power, one
9). You may choose either of your other houses.
+1 power counter, and +2 power from the Dark Æmber Vault.
If I sacrifice The Pale Star, how much power will Chonkers have? I have a maverick Pitlord 093 in play in a deck without house
If I attack with Chonkers and it gains another +1 power counter Dis. Am I forced to choose house Dis as my active house?
this turn, how much power will it have then?
No. You cannot choose an active house unless it is on your
1 Power in both cases. Restrictive (“cannot”) effects overrule Archon identity card or you control a card of that house. This
permissive (“may”) effects, and The Pale Star is essentially saying restriction overrides Pitlord’s effect, allowing you to choose any
“creatures cannot have power other than 1 and armor other than of your houses as your active house.
0”, So Chonkers will still only have 1 power this turn, despite
any other counters or card effects that would usually increase If my opponent has a maverick Pitlord in a deck that does not
its power, even if those counters are added after The Pale Star’s contain house Dis and I play Flame-Wreathed 106 on one of
ability has resolved. my opponent’s creatures while Pitlord is out, does my opponent
now control a Dis card and is forced to choose house Dis?
Paradox Shield No, Flame-Wreathed itself is still under your control, even if it's
If Paradox Shield 232 is attached to a 3 power creature and attached to an opponent's creature.
I only have 1 card in my deck, can the replacement effect of
Paradox Shield’s ability protect my creature from destruction?
Rampaging Brutodon
No. Resolving the Destroyed: ability granted by Paradox Shield How does Rampaging Brutodon 247 work? If it’s my only
would cause the controller of the attached creature to discard creature, does it have to destroy itself to be used?
only 1 card, which does not satisfy the "if you do" condition.
The attached creature would not be healed, and Paradox Shield You must destroy a friendly creature in order to use Rampaging
would not be destroyed. Brutodon for any reason (to fight, to reap, or to use an Action: or
Omni: ability). This means that before you exhaust the creature
as a part of using Rampaging Brutodon, you must choose a
Phase Shift friendly creature and destroy it. If Rampaging Brutodon is the
I chose Logos as my active house this turn and play Phase Shift only friendly creature, it would destroy itself before it could be
117 then play another copy of Phase Shift. How many non- exhausted to resolve anything else from its use.
Logos cards can I play this turn?

You can play two non-Logos cards this turn. Each copy of Phase Reassembling Automaton
Shift that you play allows you to play an additional non-Logos If I attack a Hazardous 3 creature with Reassembling Automaton
card. 158, will the fight still happen?

I choose Logos as my active house. I play Phase Shift 117, Yes. The fight will still happen. If Reassembling Automaton is
then play Mimicry 328 as a copy of Foggify 110. Can I still not the only creature you have in play, the Hazardous 3 will
play another non-Logos card using Phase Shift’s effect? cause Reassembling Automaton to be destroyed, then resolve
its “Destroyed:” ability, replacing the destruction. Reassembling
No. Phase Shift grants you permission to play 1 non-Logos card Automaton never leaves play or becomes a new object, it just
this turn. Playing Mimicry uses up this effect, as you would not moves to a flank position, where it will then complete its attack
have been able to play Mimicry without Phase Shift’s effect. against the target.
On my turn, I play Phase Shift 117 and then Wild Wormhole
125. Wild Wormhole’s “Play:” ability resolves and plays a [REDACTED]
non-Logos card from the top of my deck. Does that also mean
If I put a 4th Æmber on [REDACTED] 139 through a method
Phase Shift’s “Play:” ability has resolved or can I still play a non-
other than its own ability, can I immediately sacrifice it and
Logos card from my hand this turn?
forge a key?
Phase Shift’s “Play:” ability creates a lasting effect that grants
No. [REDACTED] has a single ability that triggers after you
an allowance to play a non-Logos card. If the resolution of Wild
choose Logos as your active house, placing 1  on it then
Wormhole’s ability plays a non-Logos card, that will use the
 or
allowing you to sacrifice it and forge a key if there are 4
allowance granted by Phase Shift’s ability.
more on it. You cannot use the “forge a key” part of the ability
independently.
Pitlord
I have Pitlord 093 in play and my opponent plays
Restringuntus 094 and chooses house Dis. What happens
when I try to declare my house on my next turn?

During the Choose a House step of your next turn, you will be
in a position where you must choose house Dis (because of

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 40
My opponent has [REDACTED] 139 in play. I play Sneklifter effect like Almsmaster 093, how do the multiple “Play:”
313 and take control of [REDACTED]. Sneklifter’s ability effects resolve?
means [REDACTED] is considered to be of house Shadows.
Does that mean I couldn’t declare Logos as my active house to After playing Almsmaster, the active player chooses which
resolve [REDACTED]’s ability? “Play:” ability to resolve first, then resolves it a second time.
Then the second “Play:” ability resolves and then resolves a
Unless you have Logos as one of the three houses on your second time.
Archon identity card, you will not be able to choose Logos.
[REDACTED] is considered to be of house Shadows (and only
house Shadows) due to Sneklifter’s ability. Sci. Officer Qincan
In my battleline I have Sci. Officer Qincan 304 and Techivore
Pulpate 341 in play. My opponent has Sacrificial Altar 078,
Relentless Assault a Dis artifact, in play. At the start of my opponent’s turn, when
When playing Relentless Assault 013, do I choose the three they choose a house and choose Dis, does the active player
creatures I am going to ready and fight immediately after resolve these in the order of their choosing, or does only the
playing the card, or can I resolve the first ready and fight with ability of Techivore Pulpate resolve? In other words, is Sci.
one creature then decide if I want to continue? Officer Qincan’s timing window the same as that of Techivore
Pulpate, or is it more specific?
You do not need to choose the creatures first. Ready and fight
with a creature, then once that fight has completed decide if you Sci. Officer Qincan's ability and Techivore Pulpate’s ability
are going to resolve the ability a second and third time. resolve in the same timing window; the active player can choose
which to resolve first.
Replicator
How does Replicator’s “After Reap:” effect interact with a Scowly Caper
creature that has multiple “After Reap:” effects? My opponent put two copies of Scowly Caper 313 in my
battleline, one on each side of my Dextre 138. At the end
Replicator’s ability refers to a singular “After Reap:” effect. If a of my turn, if I have no other creatures in my battle line, will I
creature has multiple “After Reap:” effects, the active player can destroy one of the Scowly Capers and Dextre, or does Dextre
choose which of the “After Reap:” effects they wish to resolve. get tagged for destruction by both Scowly Capers?

Dextre and one of the Scowly Capers will be destroyed. When

Researcher the first Scowly Caper you choose to resolve destroys Dextre,
I have Praetor Marius 282 and four Researcher 174 Dextre’s “Destroyed:” ability will immediately remove it from
token creatures to its left in my battleline. My opponent has play, causing the Scowly Capers to become neighbors, and then
Barrister Joya 094 in play. Can I use the Omni: ability on my the second Scowly Caper destroys the first.
researchers even if I don't have any Mars cards in my hand?

Yes. Resolve as much as you can when resolving card abilities. Self-Bolstering Automata
What does the ”if you do” refer to in the last sentence of Self-
Bolstering Automata’s 176 ability?
Reverse Time
When resolving the ability of Reverse Time 121, how should The Self-Bolstering Automata must actually heal, exhaust,
the discard pile be ordered after swapping my deck to the AND move in order to gain the +1 Power counters. If all three
discard pile? conditions are not successfully and completely resolved, Self-
Bolstering Automata will not gain the +1 Power counters. If
The entire deck should be turned over without changing the Self-Bolstering Automata is already on a flank, it is allowed to
order of the cards and placed face up in the discard pile. (The remain on that flank and still be considered to have moved for
top card of the deck should be the bottom card in the discard the resolution of the ability.
pile.)

Senator Shrix
Ritual of Life
If I have Senator Shrix 193 in play with 1
 on it and my
On my turn, I use the “Action:” ability of Ritual of Life 391, opponent plays Bumpsy 030, can I choose to lose Æmber off
and sacrifice a friendly Deepwater Gruen 416. I have another of Senator Shrix instead of from my pool to resolve Bumpsy’s
copy of Deepwater Gruen in my discard pile already, can I “Play:” ability?
resolve the ability of Ritual of Life to bring it back to my hand?
No. Senator Shrix’s ability only refers to spending Æmber.
Yes, Ritual of Life’s ability can bring back any other creature from Æmber is only spent when forging keys; if your Æmber would
the discard pile except for the creature card that was sacrificed be lost, stolen, or captured, you cannot use Æmber on Senator
during the resolution of the first sentence of its “Action:” ability. Shrix.

Sci. Officer Morpheus

In my battleline, I have Sci. Officer Morpheus 318. I choose
Sanctum and play Charge! 214. If I play a card with a play

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 41
Shadow of Dis Shadow Self instead, meaning Shadow Self is destroyed. Is the
Shadow Self purged due to Special Delivery's ability?
My opponent plays Shadow of Dis 103, forcing me to treat
my creatures’ text boxes as if they were blank until their next No, Shadow Self is not purged. You must choose a creature for
turn. I play Silvertooth 311. Does Silvertooth enter play Special Delivery, and the “that creature” in the text refers only to
ready? the chosen creature.
Yes. Shadow of Dis only affects creatures while they are in play.
Silvertooth’s ability modifies how it enters play, so it is in effect Shoulder Id
before the Shadow of Dis effect applies to it.
My Shoulder Id 257 is attacked by a creature with 6 armor.
My opponent plays Shadow of Dis 103. I have two copies of Does Shoulder Id steal 1 Æmber?
Glimmer 323 in my hand. May I play them both?
Yes. Shoulder Id’s ability is a replacement effect that occurs any
No. Alpha is a play restriction that is active while in your hand time Shoulder Id would attempt to deal damage, even if another
before playing the card. After you have played a card in a step, card’s effect would end up preventing that damage. This applies
you may not play an Alpha card even if its text box will be to armor, ward, invulnerable, and “cannot be dealt damage”
considered blank once it is in play. effects such as Shield of Justice 225.

My opponent plays Shadow of Dis 103. I have Duskwitch My Shoulder Id 257 is attacked by a creature with skirmish.
320 in my hand. May I play Duskwitch, then play other cards Does Shoulder Id steal 1 Æmber?
afterwards?
No. Shoulder Id’s replacement effect does not occur in situations
No. Omega’s lasting effect is established as Duskwitch enters when it would not attempt to deal any damage. This applies
play, meaning the active player cannot play, use, or discard when it is attacked by a creature with skirmish, or if Shoulder Id
any more cards for the remainder of the step except through gains elusive and is attacked for the first time in a turn.
the resolution of pending abilities and effects. Even though
Duskwitch’s text box is blank once it is in play, the effect from Sir Marrows
Omega has already been created.
I have 2 Æmber in my pool and I reap with a creature. My
My opponent played Shadow of Dis 103 on their last turn. opponent has 2 Sir Marrows ( 223) in play. Do both Sir
I have a Bad Penny 296 that has been upgraded with Marrows capture an Æmber, and if so, where does the second
Duskrunner 316. If I reap with Bad Penny, do I get to use the one come from?
additional “After Reap:” ability provided by Duskrunner?
 that was just gained
Sir Marrows can only capture the 1
If an upgrade causes a creature to gain text such as an ability, from reaping. The active player determines which Sir Marrows
traits, or keywords; that text is considered to be in the text box captures the Æmber.
of the attached creature. The “After Reap:” ability granted by
Duskrunner would also be “blanked” by Shadow of Dis and
Smite
therefore will not resolve.
If I play Smite 224 and during the resolution of the fight the
attacked creature is destroyed, what happens?
Shadow Self
If I attack a creature next to Shadow Self 310, and the Smite’s damage effect refers to the neighbors the attacked
redirected damage destroys Shadow Self, was it destroyed in a creature had immediately before leaving play.
fight?
I play Smite 224 and attack and destroy my opponent’s Duma
Yes, even though the Shadow Self was not attacked directly, it the Martyr 242. Does Duma the Martyr’s “Destroyed:” ability
was destroyed by damage done by the creature's power. resolve before Smite deals 2 damage to Duma the Martyr’s
neighbors?
In my opponent's battleline, they have Bulwark 238 next to
Shadow Self 310. In my battleline I have Gluttony 057. If I Resolving the first part of the instructions of Smite’s ability causes
use Gluttony to fight Bulwark, how much damage does Shadow Duma the Martyr’s “Destroyed:” ability to resolve, healing
Self end up with? both of Duma the Martyr’s neighbors. Once the destruction is
complete, continuing to resolve the instructions of Smite.
Shadow Self will take 4 damage in this example. Gluttony sets
6 pending damage for Bulwark. This is reduced by 2 due to
Bulwark’s armor, and finally the damage is placed onto Shadow
Self via Shadow Self’s replacement effect. The damage placed
on Shadow Self is not mitigated by the armor granted by
Bulwark’s constant ability, because it has already passed the
point in the damage timing where armor could prevent damage.

In my opponent’s battleline, they have 3 creatures, with Shadow

Self 310 with 6 damage in the middle. I sacrifice Special
Delivery 292, and choose to do the damage to the left flank
creature. Shadow Self’s ability means the damage is dealt to

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 42
Sneklifter Symon
I play Sneklifter 313 and take control of a Spangler Box 132 Should Symon 247 have the Elf trait or the Alien trait?
that is under the control of my opponent, making it a house
Shadows artifact while under my control. I use Spangler Box, Alien. The previous version with the “Elf” trait was a printing
returning control to my opponent and Spangler Box’s house to error.
Logos. On a later turn, my opponent uses Spangler Box again
and it returns to my control. Will Spangler Box’s house return to
The Chosen One
Shadows due to the lasting effect provided by Sneklifter?
My opponent has The Chosen one 332 with 8 damage on it.
Yes. Sneklifter’s lasting effect on Spangler Box applies until During my “ready cards” step I have 4 exhausted creatures.
Spangler Box leaves play. If your opponent takes control of Since 1 damage will destroy The Chosen One, can I ready my
Spangler Box, and then you take control of it at a later time, other 3 exhausted creatures?
Sneklifter’s lasting effect will make Spangler Box belong to house
Shadows again. No. All the damage dealt to The Chosen One is dealt
simultaneously in this case, so you ready no creatures, The
Chosen One is dealt 4 damage, it is destroyed, and all excess
Spangler Box damage to it is ignored.
I control Spangler Box 132 that has purged my own Kelifi
Dragon 037. Spangler Box is returned to its owner’s hand
The Promised Blade
with Grasping Vines 324, but I don’t have any Æmber in my
pool. Does Kelifi Dragon return to play? What happens if my opponent has The Promised Blade 193
and at the start of my turn, we each control the same number
Yes. Kelifi Dragon is not being played when it is returned by of creatures?
Spangler Box’s ability, it is being put into play, which bypasses
normal play restrictions. Kelifi Dragon will return to play no As the active player, you can choose which player counts as
matter how much Æmber is in your pool. having the “fewest creatures” in play when both players have
the same number of creatures in play. If you chose yourself, you
My Scowly Caper 313 is under my opponent’s control and is would take control of The Promised Blade.
purged by Spangler Box 132. If Spangler Box is destroyed
and Scowly Caper is returned to play, whose control is it under?
The Warchest
Scowly Caper’s ability causes Scowly Caper to enter play under If I use Ancient Bear 345 to fight Bulleteye 297, Bulleteye is
the control of your opponent. This happens any time Scowly destroyed by assault damage. If I use The Warchest 027 does
Caper enters play regardless if Scowly Caper is played, “put into its “Action:” ability resolve Bulleteye’s destruction?
play,” or returned to play.
No. The Warchest’s “Action:” ability only resolves for creatures
If I use Universal Recycle Bin 179 to archive a creature that that were destroyed during the fight itself (exchange of damage
was purged by Spangler Box 132, then play that archived based on a creature’s power). Since Bulleteye was destroyed in
card, then the archived card gets destroyed, and then somehow the “before fight” window, it is not considered to have been
destroy Spangler Box, does the creature go back into play? destroyed in a fight.
No. When a card purged by Spangler Box is moved to your
archives, any pending effects that would interact with that card Throwing Stars
(such as returning to play) will no longer resolve. My opponent’s battleline consists solely of 3 Gubs 060. If I
play Throwing Stars 279, dealing 1 damage to each Gub, how
Survey much Æmber do I gain?
When I play Survey 316, what happens to the card that I look You would gain 2 Æmber. The two Gubs on the flanks have
at but do not discard? one power, so they are destroyed by the one damage from the
Throwing Stars and you gain 1 Æmber from each of them. The
Just put it back on top of your deck. By default, if you are non-flank Gub has 5 power, so it is not destroyed by Throwing
instructed to look at a card and not do anything else with it, it Stars, as it is not destroyed “this way.”
will return to the same spot it was in previously.

Undagnathus (Evil Twin)

Swallow Whole
In my battleline, I have Undagnathus (Evil Twin) 130 with
If I play Swallow Whole 148 with just one creature in play, 2 armor. The tide is low and my opponent uses a 5 power
what happens? creature to attack Undagnathus (Evil Twin). How much damage
does Undagnathus (Evil Twin) end up with?
Resolve abilities in the order in which they are written. In the
case of Swallow Whole, the active player will choose one The damage is doubled after damage mitigation (Step 3 of
creature (resolving as much as they can), then purge the creature the damage timing chart), resulting in the attacking creature
with the lowest power, which will purge the single creature in attempting to deal 5 damage, mitigated by 2 armor, then
play. The remainder of the ability text on Swallow Whole will not doubled by the ability of Undagnathus (Evil Twin), resulting in 6
resolve. damage.

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 43
United Action
If I play United Action 343, and play no cards from another
house, am I able to use creatures this turn?

No. The “may” in United Action is allowing you to play cards

from other houses, but it does not extend to the last sentence of
the ability. Regardless if you play cards from other houses or not,
you cannot use cards for the rest of the turn.

Waking Nightmare
After I play Waking Nightmare 017, if more Dis creatures
then enter or leave play, will my opponent’s key cost change, or
is it locked in when I played Waking Nightmare?

The key cost will change. This is a lasting effect that will update
every time the board state changes.

Wild Bounty
If I played Wild Bounty 392 and a card with an Æmber,
Damage, and Capture bonus icons, in what order are the bonus
icons resolved?

When resolving bonus icons “an additional time”, the resolution

happens immediately after each bonus icon is resolved. In this
case, the bonus icons will resolve in the following order: Æmber,
Æmber, Damage, Damage, Capture, Capture.

Wild Wormhole
 in my Æmber pool and have chosen house Logos
I have 0
to be my active house this turn. I play Wild Wormhole 125
and try to play the top card of my deck, which is Kelifi Dragon
037. What happens?

The Kelifi Dragon is returned to the top of the deck. Kelifi

Dragon has a play requirement of needing to have 7  in your
Æmber pool, and since you didn’t have any initially (you now
have 1 from playing the Wild Wormhole) you don’t have
enough to be able to play the Kelifi Dragon. Since you can’t play
the card it is returned to the place you tried to play it from, in
this case the top of the deck.

If I play Wild Wormhole 125, and the card that I draw and
play is Library Access 115, do I get to draw a card for playing
Wild Wormhole, since I am still in the window of resolving Wild
Wormhole's “Play:” ability?

Yes. When you play Wild Wormhole, you reveal the card and
resolve its “Play:” ability, playing Library Access. Once the
lasting effect of Library Access is established, you fall back to the
“after play effects” window of Wild Wormhole, where there is
now a new ability created by Library Access.

Card-Specific FAQ
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 44
THE ORIGIN OF KEYFORGE
In the early days of trading card games, they were played in
many ways – and some of my favorite ways disappeared over
time. Among those were sealed deck and league play. Both
were awkward to manage because cards had a tendency to
get lost in one’s collection. Also, players could only play with
trusted friends because it was easy to cheat by improving
one’s deck surreptitiously.

I have often wondered if I could get back some of that really

exciting play, which was characterized by tools that weren’t
universal. Each player had treasures no other player had, but
also had less powerful cards that needed to be used in clever
ways to get the most value. One’s sealed or league deck was
never ideal – but it was unique, and there was a great deal of
skill in getting the most out of it.

While I enjoy constructing or drafting decks, I am often

longing to play cards that are not powerful enough to
compete within these formats. When playing with sealed
or limited decks, these cards often become viable, since
you can’t just replace them with top tier cards. I find special
pleasure in winning a game using cards that many people
ignored or overlooked.

I have always been attached to good procedurally generated

content. Game worlds generated in this way really feel as if
they belong to me, the player – I am discovering them as I
play; the designer didn’t even know they existed. Often games
without such content are extremely managed experiences;
everyone goes through the same story lines and can
experience the same gameplay by making the same decisions.
Everything they experience feels planned. The contrast feels
to me like the difference between exploring a jungle and
walking in an amusement park. When trading card games first
came out the feeling was like exploring a jungle – and as the
cards became more like commodities, it became more and
more like an amusement park.

In the amusement park there are experts telling you how to play
the game, the safest strategies, what net decks to use. In the
jungle you have the tools you have. There is every chance that
you are going to be the best in the world at playing your decks –
you can’t just look up what the synergies are or the weaknesses;
you will only find out by playing.

Welcome to the jungle!

Richard Garfield
April 2018

The Origin of Keyforge

KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 45
CREDITS AGE OF ASCENSION 
Expansion Design and Development: Brad Andres, Skaff Elias,

CALL OF THE ARCHONS 

and Richard Garfield
Producer: Jason Walden
Game Design: Richard Garfield Fiction: Daniel Lovat Clark
Game Development: Brad Andres, Skaff Elias, and Nate French Proofreading: Christine Crabb
with Daniel Schaefer Card Game Manager: Merceded Opheim
Producer: Erik Dahlman Graphic Design: Caitlin Ginther and Neal W. Rasmussen
Fiction: Daniel Lovat Clark Graphic Design Coordinator: Joseph D. Olson
Editing: Adam Baker and Kevin Tomczyk Graphic Design Manager: Christipher Hosch
Card Game Manager: Mercedes Opheim Cover Art: Radial Studios
Story Manager: Katrina Ostrander Art Direction: Any Christentsen and Crystal Cheng
Graphic Design: Christopher Hosch with Monica Helland, Technology Implementation: Evan Hall and Lukas Adrian
Michael Silsby, and Neal W. Rasmussen Peregrine
Graphic Design Coordinator: Joseph D. Olson Quality Assurance Coordinaton: Andrew Janeba and Zach
Graphic Design Manager: Brian Schomburg Tewalthomas
Cover and Concept Art: David Kegg Production Management: Jason Glawe and Dylan Tierney
Art Direction: Andy Christensen and Taylor Ingvarsson with Visual Creative Director: Brian Schomburg
Crystal Chang Senior Project Manager: John Franz-Wichlacz
Managing Art Director: Melissa Shetler Senior Manager of Product Development: Chris Gerber
Technology Implementation: Lukas Adrian Peregrine and Executive Game Desginer: Corey Koniexzka
Evan Hall
Head of Studio: Andrew Navaro
Quality Assurance Coordinator: Zach Tewalthomas
Playtesters: Larry Allen, Kayli Ammen, Carl Anderton, Jackie
Production Management: Jason Beaudoin and Megan Duehn Anderton, Nick Barker, Ron Beyer, Ryan Billington, Benjamin
Senior Project Manager: John Franz-Wichlacz Bottorff, Federico Castelo, Mark Conkle, Lee Dalton, Clarissa
Senior Manager of Product Development: Chris Gerber DeGan, Emeric Dwyer, Tyler Gatrost, Xavier Gombaud, Richard
Executive Game Designer: Corey Konieczka Greenaway, Jonna Hind, Clinton Jeffrey, Jennifer Kapphahn,
Head of Studio: Andrew Navaro Doug Keester, Tobin Lopes, George “Joren” Meadows, Tom
Melucci, Chris Mogensen, Conrad Murphy, Brad Rochford,
Special thanks to Koni Garfield for countless hours of playtest,
Brodi Scott, Edsel Soto, Nick Springer, Tim Stillman, Devin
support, and good ideas.
Stinchcomb, Geoff Suthers, George Tinkham, Jason Wallace,
Playtesters: Aaron Haltom, Alex Davy, Allie, Andrew Aarestad, and Yu-Chi Wang
Andrew Fischer, Andrew Gross, Benjamin Bottorff, Boyd Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Bottorff, Brian Weissman, Brodie Bensend, Bryden Cole,
Bubbles the Hammer, Caleb “Bulldog” Grace, Carl Anderton,
Carl Beyer, Chasina Beyer, Chris Bizzell Clough, Christopher
Bates, CJ Heintz, Cyd Gardner, Damon Stone, Doug Keester,
WORLDS COLLIDE 
Edward West, Elliot Murray, Emeric Dwyer, Erika Baraišytė, Expansion Design and Development: Brad Andres, Skaff Elias,
Giedrius Čeniauskas, Grace Holdinghaus, Ian Moore, Richard Garfield, Aaron Haltom, and Daniel Schaefer
Jacqueline Anderton, Jake Ryan, Jason M. Wallace, Jason Producer: Jason Walden
Walden, Jeremy “Niffle” Zwirn, Jim Cartwright, Jim Lin, Josiah Fiction: Daniel Lovat Clark
Leis, Julia Jannace, Katie Leis, Kayli Ammen, Ken Uy, K.F.B. Editing: Andreas Wolfsteller
Fletcher, Kortnee Lewis, Liam MacDonald, Luca Chilefone,
Proofreading: Tobin Lopes and Jeremiah J. Shaw
Lukas Litzsinger, Luke Eddy, Margaret Miller, Martin Vroom,
Matrim Charlebois, Matt Lansdowne, Matthew “Ratt” Newman, Card Game Manager: Mercedes Opheim
Matthew Pjecha, Matthew Watson, Michael Bernabo, Michael Expansion Graphic Design: Nate Carnahan and Caitlin Ginther,
Boggs, Micah Crosley, Miglė Pučetaitė, Nathan Gardner, Nathan with Neal W. Rasmussen
Karpinski, Nicholas Cyr, Nick Howard, Paul Klecker, Quinn Waller, Graphic Design Coordinator: Joseph D. Olson
Rick Reinhardt, Reuben Fries, Ron Beyer, Russell Jones, Ryan Graphic Design Manager: Christopher Hosch
Anthony Wolohan, Schuyler Garfield, Scott Lewis, Sean Monson, Cover Art: David Kegg
Terance Taylor, Tim Huckelbery, Tobin Lopes, Tony Fanchi,
Art Direction: Andy Christensen and Crystal Chang
Ugnius Dovidauskas, Weston Garrett Bradley, WiL Springer, and
William Morton Managing Art Director: Tony Bradt
Technology Implementation: Evan Hall and Lukas Adrian
Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Peregrine
Quality Assurance Coordination: Andrew Janeba and Zach
Tewalthomas
Production Management: Jason Glawe
Visual Creative Director: Brian Schomburg
Senior Project Manager: John Franz-Wichlacz

Credits
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 46
Senior Manager of Product Development: Chris Gerber Editing: Jakub Nosal
Executive Game Designer: Corey Konieczka Proofreading: Mark Pollard
Head of Studio: Andrew Navaro Card Game Manager: Jim Cartwright
Playtesters: Kael Barend, Leo Berman, Michael Bernabo, Ben Creative Director of Story and Setting: Katrina Ostrander
Bottorf, Tim Bunn, Federico Castelo, Micah Crosley, Nick Cyr, Expansion Graphic Design: Caitlin Ginther with Neal W.
Vann Daugherty, Ira Fay, Matt Giese, Doug Keester, Tobin Rasmussen
Lopes, Zachary P. Lopes, David McCulloch, Paraic Mulgrew, Graphic Design Coordinator: Joseph D. Olson
Michael Nerman, Josh Noe, Mark Ortego, Eugene Png, Jamison
Graphic Design Manager: Christopher Hosch
VanLoocke, Marc Vialva, and Jason Wallace
Cover Art: Angelo Bortolini
Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Art Direction: Christina Doffing, Jeff Lee Johnson, Chelzee
Lemm-Thompson, and Preston Stone
MASS MUTATION  Managing Art Director: Tony Bradt
Technology Implementation: Evan Hall and Lukas Adrian
Expansion Design and Development: Brad Andres, Aaron Peregrine
Haltom, and Daniel Schaefer
Quality Assurance Coordination: Zach Tewalthomas
Producer: Jason Walden
Production Management: Jason Glawe
Fiction: Daniel Lovat Clark
Visual Creative Director: Brian Schomburg
Editing: Andreas Wolfsteller
Senior Project Manager: John Franz-Wichlacz
Proofreading: Molly Glover
Executive Game Designer: Nate French
Card Game Manager: Jim Cartwright
Head of Studio: Chris Gerber
Expansion Graphic Design: Caitlin Ginther with Nate Carnahan
and Neal W. Rasmussen Playtesters: Nathaniel Brelsford, Jayson Burns, Devin Chiriboga,
Steven Christian, Brooks Clark, Micah Crosley, Lee Dalton, Dale
Graphic Design Coordinator: Joseph D. Olson
de Andrade, William “Trey” Dismukes, Catherine Down, Martin
Graphic Design Manager: Christopher Hosch Down, Ollie Erholtz, Ira Fay, Charlie Fiddler, Simon Fox, David
Cover Art: David Kegg Hansell, Beka Hemken, Daniel Hemken, Luke Hemken, George
Art Direction: Crystal Chang and Preston Stone Keagle, Joe Kell, Matt Lansdowne, Brett Leeson, Scott Lewis,
Managing Art Director: Tony Bradt Tobin Lopes, Zachary Lopes, Daniel McLaughlin, Ben Miller,
Technology Implementation: Evan Hall and Lukas Adrian Lilian Nelson, Robert Nelson, Michael Nerman, Luke Olson,
Peregrine Trevor Payton, Ben Rothman, Jason Scarrow, Benjamin Sissel,
Alex Slotnick, Asher Stuhlman, Coleen Tanyag, Noah Young, and
Quality Assurance Coordination: Andrew Janeba and Zach
Frances “Fran” Zeller
Tewalthomas
Production Management: Jason Glawe Published by Fantasy Flight Games
Visual Creative Director: Brian Schomburg
Senior Project Manager: John Franz-Wichlacz
VP of Product Development: Chris Gerber WINDS OF EXCHANGE 
Executive Game Designer: Nate French Expansion Design and Development: Aaron Haltom, Michael
Head of Studio: Andrew Navaro Hurley, Tyler Parrott, and Daniel Schaefer
Playtesters: Ryan Alexander, Jayson Burns, Brooks Clark, Amy Producer: Michael Hurley
Claxton, David Claxton, Jacob Claxton, Mallorie Coan, Bryden Expansion Graphic Design: WiL Springer
Cole, Don Cox, Micah Crosley, Tori Dismukes, Trey Dismukes, Technology Implementation: Evan Hall, Francesco Moggia, and
Ira Fay, Charlie Fiddler, David Gagner, Chelley Henry, Jeff Lukas Adrian Peregrine
Henry, Teri Sue Hitchcock, Marty Hoppock, Nicholas Johnson, Rules Editing: Gee Barger
Hyungmin Kang, George Keagle, Erik Kemnitz, Ben Kline, Joe Marketing Coordinator: Jeremy Culver
Kell, Matt Lansdowne, Brett Leeson, Kortnee Lewis, Scott Lewis,
Head of Studio: Christian T. Petersen
Tobin Lopes, Zachary Lopes, Chris Mayfield, Ben-Jammin Miller,
Noel Miller, Robert Nelson, Chase Peterson, Ícaro Veneroso Special thanks to Luke Olson for data analysis and insights, and
Rocha Silva, Marlus Clayton de Oliveira Rocha Silva, Ben to the entire KeyForge community for their loyalty and support.
Rothman, Jason Scarrow, Asher Stuhlman, Colleen Tanyag, Zach Playtesters: Patrik Åhlberg, hydrophilic attack, BotOrNot,
Tedford, Peter Yang, Noah Young, Ryan Young, and Frances Dave Cordeiro, Micah Crosley, Evan Hall, Mark Hannibal, Geoff
Zeller Heppenheimer, Stephane Honnorat, Dominic Hurov, Luke Olson,
Published by Fantasy Flight Games Matt Lansdowne, Mason Lehto, Daniel McLaughlin, Andrew
Marshall, Josh Mathews, Robert Nelson, Adrien “Drallieiv”
Nguyen, Riku Nguyen, Alexandre ‘fakyrr’ Pagès, Giang

DARK TIDINGS 
Riversking, Aaron Phillips, Justin Russell, Sebastian Russell, Noah
Salaway, Chris Steele, Sydnie Steele, Doug Stover, Erich Taylor,
Expansion Design and Development: Brad Andres, Aaron Francisco “Pancho” Varas, Giuseppe Villa, and Zaramis
Haltom, Tyler Parrott, and Daniel Schaefer Published by Ghost Galaxy, Inc.
Producer: Jason Walden
Fiction: Daniel Lovat Clark

Credits
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 47
GRIM REMINDERS 
Expansion Design and Development: Aaron Haltom, Michael
Hurley, Luke Olson, Tyler Parrott, and Daniel Schaefer
Producer: Michael Hurley
Expansion Graphic Design: WiL Springer
Technology Implementation: Evan Hall, Francesco Moggia, and
Lukas Adrian Peregrine
Rules Editing: Gee Barger
Marketing Coordinator: Jeremy Culver
Events & OP Coordinator: Josh Swaner
Head of Studio: Christian T. Petersen
Playtesters: Patrik Åhlberg, Dan Barrett, BotOrNot, Marcus
D’Amelio, John Gradel, Evan Hall, Nick Hall, Stephane Honnorat,
Dominic Hurov, Matt Lansdowne, Mason Lehto, Tobin Lopes,
Josh Mathews, Daniel McLaughlin, Kurtis Meilink, Riku Nguyen,
Alexandre ‘fakyrr’ Pagès, Aaron Phillips, Ben Rothman, Z Smith,
Ben Sissel, Sydnie Steele, Zack Stephenson, Doug Stover, Josh
Swaner, Francisco “Pancho” Varas, and John Ziegler
Published by Ghost Galaxy, Inc

Credits
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 48
This chart provides a detailed timing structure for all standard
game steps and a number of frequently used card abilities.

Whenever two or more effects occur at the same time step in

TIMING CHART this chart, the order that those effects resolve is determined by
the active player.

Note: Effects that use the term “each time” occur at the same
timing point as effects that use the term “after.”
» “Start of turn” effects resolve.

STEP 1: FORGE A KEY

1. Check to see if you are able to forge a key. DAMAGE CHART
2. If able, spend Æmber equal to the current forging cost and forge a key. If The following steps occur each time pending
you forged your third key, you immediately win the game. damage is dealt to one or more creatures:
3. “After a Key is forged” effects resolve.
1. If the creature has invulnerable or “cannot
be dealt damage” all its pending damage
is prevented.
STEP 2: CHOOSE A HOUSE 2. If the creature is warded, all its pending
damage is prevented and the ward is
1. Choose which house will be the active house for this turn.
removed.
2. “After you choose a house” effects resolve.
3. Each point of armor reduces the creature’s
3. You may take all the cards from your archives and put them in your hand. pending damage by 1.
4. All pending damage not prevented
becomes damage dealt to the creature. If
STEP 3: PLAY, DISCARD, OR USE CARDS a creature has damage equal to or greater
You may perform these actions in any order and repeat them any number of times. than its power, it is destroyed.

PLAY A CARD FIGHT WITH A CREATURE

1. If your card is a creature, artifact, or upgrade, add it to your 1. Exhaust the attacking creature and choose the creature
play area, resolving any “enters play” effects. If your card is it is fighting.
an action, reveal it. 2. “Before Fight” effects, Hazardous X, and Assault X
2. Resolve each Bonus Icon on the played card, top to resolve.
bottom. 3. Each creature in the fight deals pending damage equal
3. Resolve “Play:” effects, “after play” effects, and “after to its power to the opposing creature (see Damage
enters play” effects. Chart). Splash-attack X resolves.
4. If your card is an action, place it in your discard pile. 4. Pending damage is prevented or reduced according to
the Damage Chart, then damage is dealt to creatures
REAP WITH A CREATURE simultaneously.
1. Exhaust the reaping creature
5. If the attacking creature survived, its ”After Fight”
 from the common supply.
2. Gain 1 effects resolve. “Each time a creature fights” effects
3. “After Reap” and “after a creature reaps” effects resolve. resolve.

USE AN ACTION OR OMNI ABILITY DESTROYED

1. Exhaust the card with the “Action:” or “Omni:” ability.
The following steps occur each time one or more cards are
2. Resolve the effects of the ability.
destroyed.

1. Cards are tagged for destruction.

STEP 4: READY CARDS 2. “Destroyed” effects resolve.
1. Ready each of your exhausted cards. 3. All destroyed cards are put into their owner’s discard
piles. Battlelines immediately shift inward to fill destroyed
creatures’ places.
STEP 5: DRAW CARDS 4. “After a creature is destroyed” and “each time a creature
1. Draw cards until you have six or more in your hand is destroyed” effects resolve.
(adjusting for chains or card effects).

» “End of turn” effects resolve.

timing chart
KEYFORGE MASTER RULEBOOK • 17.2 49

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Keyforge Rules v17.2

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Keyforge Rules v17.2

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MASTER RULEBOOK

CHANGE SUMMARY – OCTOBER 2023

Updated Glossary entries for SCRAP

Copyright 2023. KeyForge and the KeyForge logo are registered

Permission is granted to print this document for personal use.

Welcome to the Crucible

Skullback Crab Bumpsy Shock Herder Specialist Guthrak

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

discards that card.

”Cadet Byron, cancel the undersea walk.”

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

holds the Might Club makes the rules.” owners’ hands.

Reference Card Archon Identity Deck

1. Place all damage tokens, Æmber tokens, and status counters

2. Each player places their Archon identity card to the left or

4. Randomly determine who is the first player. That player takes

5. Each player shuffles their deck and offers it to the opponent

6. The first player draws a starting hand of seven cards. The

The game is now ready to begin.

If a player controls a card that does not belong to one of the

A player cannot choose to activate a house unless it is either on

Enhance . (These icons have

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

UPGRADE ARCHON IDENTITY

6 creature’s neighbors cannot be

11 12 13 16. Deck Registration Code

If a card has multiple “Action:” and/or “Omni:” abilities, only

Likewise, if a card ability states a certain action involves doing

See “Fight” on page 14.

If a creature gains armor, the gains are additive and accumulate

If a creature gains armor during a turn, the gained armor does

Damage (): Deal 1 to a creature in play. This damage may

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

Draw (): Draw 1 card.

Whatever he doesn’t like, he breaks. He doesn’t

3 Specialist Guthrak 3 Shock Herder

card you choose may belong to any house.

ALIEN • HANDUHAN GOBLIN BEAST

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

Related Topic: Playing Cards

Creatures enter play on the

Example: Anna controls a Pitlord 093 which reads “While

Pitlord is in play you must choose Dis as your active house.” On

their next turn Anna’s opponent plays Restringuntus 094 which

reads “Play: Choose a house. Your opponent cannot choose that

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

©2022 Ghost Galaxy

other houses instead.

Related Topic: Forge If a creature has an amount of damage on it equal to or greater

Each time damage would be dealt to a creature, it is considered

Example: Marcus has a Groggins with a Phoenix Heart in play.

Example: Dan has Archimedes in the middle of 4 other creatures

If a player needs to draw cards and cannot because their deck is

The enhance keyword has no effect during

3. Resolve any “Before Fight” effects, Assault X effects on FLIP

FIRST PLAYER FRIENDLY

Related Topic: Play Area

2” next to its name, while its enemy creature.

corresponding bottom half supply. Deal 2D to each enemy creature.

If a card instructing you to play or put into play a creature

GOLDEN RULE A card’s house can be modified by card abilities. Unless

If the active player is instructed they “must choose” two (or

Related Topics: Enters Play, Leaves Play, Out-of-Play Zones

 Call of the Archons LASTING EFFECTS

Related Topic: Cannot

After a player chooses to mulligan, that player must keep the

When playing a card with Omega, this lasting effect is created

Related Topic: Damage

Related Topic: Playing Cards POWER