Heresy: Kingdom Come ^(TM)
Official FAQ, 2/7/96

NOTE: This FAQ supercedes any official FAQ that may have been posted earlier or elsewhere.

What's new this FAQ?

Well, new stuff (or rewordings of things that weren't clear enough) have been marked throughout with a **NEW!** marker before the question. If those aren't attention-getting enough, let me know, and I'll try something else.

Hopefully, a tips and strategy discussion. If anyone wants to email me something they find particularly helpful, I'd appreciate it. This really hasn't gotten far, though - I don't have enough to make a coherent section from.

Also, answers to those troublesome questions that haven't quite made it into this version. Don't worry, they're coming up.

Costs and Calling:

=How exactly does an "X" call value work? Is it fixed, or what?=

A card's call value is set at the time the card leaves your hand. In the case of cards with fixed call values, this is self-evident. However, when calling cards with "X" as part of the call value, it is not clear in the rules whether the "X" value is fixed, or if the card can be "pumped up" once it is called. To set the record straight, "X" in a card's call value cannot be changed after the card leaves your hand, either by adding to "X" or subtracting from it, even if the modifications to the target of the card's effect would change the target value of "X" as defined on the card.

Timing and Effects:

=How does timing really work, and when are costs actually paid?=

The difference between calling cards, generating effects, and resolving effects wasn't really made clear enough in the past. Starting with the simplest case, a player declares an effect he intends to use. None of the costs are paid during this generation step, which applies only to using the abilities of cards in play. If the effect isn't responded to, it then enters resolution, at which time effect costs are paid for. If it is responded to, then the response follows the same sequence and they are resolved, and costs paid if possible, in LIFO (or FCLR, as the rulebook puts it) order.

The call values on cards complicate this process. Calling a card from your hand is an immediate activity, and unless countered by something will then generate the effect on the card. Paying the cost for its calling is part of the generation, or declaration, of its effect. If the card then had a separate cost in the text, that would be an effect cost, and thus paid for upon resolution, as all other costs are. Imagine, for example, a card read "2 aura, 1 Stag: Demonstrate Timing, Miracle. Open target Host you control and pay X aura to obliterate target Heathen, where X is the call value of the Heathen." I choose to Demonstate Timing, thus I pay 2 Aura and if necessary find a way to get 1 Stagnation influence. At that point, I've paid to generate the effect, and can now do so by pointing out the target Host and Heathen. You, in an effort to save the hapless mortal, can now respond, either by countering the card or by generating effects. If you don't, I then pay the X aura in the effect cost and open my Host, and it's byebye Heathen. If you do respond, say with an Invocation on the Host, he can no longer open, so the effect will fizzle - I don't have to pay the X, but the calling cost is still gone, as is the card.

=What exactly can I use to respond to my opponent's effect?=

Only effects that can be played as reactions are allowed in response to other effects. This means that only one non-reaction effect will be present in any reaction "chain" (i.e. the one that started the chain). After that effect has been declared, then only effects allowable as reactions may be declared. As stated on page 33 of the rules, effects that are allowed to be played as reactions are limited to miracles, opening locations to store/spend tau or gain aura, and scrambles. Remember that a card's special ability must say that it is playable as a miracle in order for it to be played as a reaction. Other effects that are generated during a turn are not considered reactions and cannot be played as such.

=What effect exactly does a counter have, if my reactions can now affect the original action?=

The confusion here revolves around the unfortunate use of the term "counter" in the timing rules and the statement that once a player generates an effect, nothing can stop that effect from being resolved, unless it is countered (page 32). Really what we meant by that was to define what the term counter meant when it appeared on a card, and apparantly we didn't do a particularly good job there. So, what we really want to do is entirely withdraw the sentence "Once a player generates an effect, nothing can stop that effect from being resolved (regardless of when it is actually resolved), unless an effect specifically states that is counters another effect." If you look at the rest of the paragraph it goes on to say that if the target of an effect disappears (or otherwise becomes an illegal target) then the effect does not resolve, but the player generating the effect suffers all costs associated with generating it. Obviously this contradicts the first sentence in the paragraph, and is what we really intended--effects do not resolve unless they are still capable of doing so when it comes time to resolve them. A counter merely forces the acting player to pay the cost anyway if she had not already done so.

=Let's try another version of this muddy timing stuff: Zaphkiel opens to attack my unguarded Old World City. I respond by calling Invocation (Miracle, target character cannot open, ready, or recover for remainder of turn). Because of LIFO resolution, Zaph can therefore not attack because he cannot open. But is he left ready (as in Magic) or open? The rules seem to imply that he is restored to ready position, because the card never uses the word "counter".=

OK, here we go:

Zaphkiel opens to attack. Invocation is called as a response, with Zaphkiel as the target. Because of "first called, last resolved," Invocation resolves first, disallowing Zaphkiel from opening, readying, or recovering for the remainder of the turn. When the time comes for Zaphkiel's effect (opening to attack) to resolve, he finds that he cannot open thanks to the resolved Invocation. He is therefore left in the ready position (since he never actually opened) and play proceeds normally.

Conflict (General):

=What's the difference between challenges, combat, and conflict?=

Challenges and combat are the two forms of conflict within Heresy. Both may involve "combat" in the broad sense, but for the purposes of determining if a particular card or effect can be used during one or the other, it needs to made clear that challenges are not considered combat in the strict sense. Thus, cards or effects that specifically modify a "combat" or refer to attacking or defending cards may not be used during challenges. However, cards that modify A/D values may be used in a challenge if (and only if) their text does not refer to combat, attacking, defending, attacker, defender. For example, Castrum (Target card loses -X/-X for remainder of turn) may be used during a challenge, but Blitz is a combat-only ability and does not have an effect during a challenge. Thus, if a Puffer (special ability "during combat gains +1/+1 for each character or location opposing it) were carrying the Crown of Solomon (allows a Heathen to issue challenges) and then challenged a Host, the Puffer would not get its +1/+1 since it is not facing the challenged Host in combat.

Combat and Resolution:

=When defending a specific location, can hosts from different locations join to defend the location?=

A "defense" involves only those cards actually attached to the location targeted by the attack, as well as the location itself. Thus, Hosts attached to locations other than the target location cannot "defend" the target location. The only way Hosts from different locations can come together to protect a location is if they perform an intervention. Intervention is not defense in the true sense, since the location itself cannot participate in the resolution of the combat. However, during an intervention, cards that refer to "defense" that might modify the outcome of the combat (miracles, for example) may be used to do so, as long as the effect of the card makes sense within the context of the combat (e.g. cards that modify a domain's A/D values don't make sense during an intervention because the domain isn't involved in the resolution of the combat).

=What exactly is the phrase about "distributing" damage to defending characters before applying it to locations trying to say? Can I give each of them just 1 point, then hit the location?=

It's meant to read so that all damage must be assigned to characters first.

=What happens to stricken characters attached to a defending location during combat resolution?=

If a character is stricken either before or during combat it cannot participate in combat resolution, thus cannot inflict damage or have damage inflicted on it. If the location on which it resides is removed from play (i.e. killed or crashed), then the stricken character is obliterated; otherwise it is left exactly where it lies.

=IC cards like Force Majeure state the opponent immediately obliterate cards when revealed. But the rules state that if the attacking force is greater than the IC's defense, the defending IC card is flipped down and ignored. Which takes precedence?=

Well, the IC cards are not as clearly worded as they should be. Essentially, if the attacker has a higher combat total than the IC's defense, the IC is ignored and placed face down, otherwise the defender gets to activate the IC for the remainder of the combat. In the case of the Force Majeure card (and cards like it), cards would be obliterated after it is determined if the IC is defeated, but before the rest of the combat is resolved.

=Wait, how does Populeum work, then?=

If you look closely, you'll notice a difference in the phrasing between the two - Populeum is worded not as an outcome of the attack, but as an ability intrinsic to the IC and affecting only itself.

=How do I resolve multiple IC's attached to an array?=

Multiple IC enhancements attached to a single array are dealt with just like multiple characters. Compare the attacking combat total against the defending IC's defense total and apply results as if the combat were happening against characters. For example, if Mike has two IC's attached to his array (both 0/3, for a defense total of 6), and Samantha attacks the array with a combat total of 5, then Samantha could evade one of the IC's, but would activate the other one. The choice of which IC she evades is up to her.

Voting and Challenges:

=When are votes actually allocated in a challenge? For instance, if I play Grift, when's the last chance I have to play it to steal all the votes from a specific character?=

Votes are allocated "on the fly" as it were, with each vote being delclared as it is cast (this is why we have a two-stage voting process, so players can react to votes already cast). Once a character casts and declares it's votes the votes cannot be rescinded. Grift cannot change the votes a Host has already cast, but it can determine votes which have not yet been cast. Thus one possible strategy for using Grift would be to allow a host to cast votes during presentation, but then Grift it before execution, effectively preventing it from voting during that phase.

**NEW!**

=How does this "on-the-fly" system work, in detail?=

Well, it can generally be handled very informally, but if a need for formality arises, here's how it works. The player calling the vote has the floor, and may either cast a vote or pass. (This holds true for both phases.) Once a vote has been successfully cast, the player then may cast another, or pass. This continues until the floor is passed, in which case the next player seated in the order of play has the floor. The process continues until all players pass in succession. Generally, that's far more specific than you'd need, though.

**NEW!**

=When am I able to cast miracles during a Convocation?=

In response to any of the steps taken - the player calling the vote (declaring the challenge or whatever) gets the first vote, but in response to any declaration of votes a chain of miracles may be played. Note, too, that since voting isn't a legal reaction, it can't be done is response to a miracle. However, once an effect is resolved, the player who last voted still has the floor.

=Are Hosts damaged during challenges, or are they merely comparing numbers?=

Hosts are damaged during challenges only when the challenger's objective is obliteration of a Host. Effects that do direct damge (i.e. they specifically say they "inflict damage") can be used during this type of challenge. If the objective of the challenge is to revoke or steal a title, then the Hosts aren't actually taking damage during the challenge so effects that inflict damage may not be used, but effects that raise or lower A/D values may target either Host in the challenge.

**NEW!**

=What do cards like Uriel mean when they allow me to decide the outcome of a challenge?=

Well, for instance, a Challenge to obliterate has four possible outcomes. The challenger might be obliterated, the challengee might be obliterated, both, or neither. Such cards allow you to pick from among these four.

The First Turn:

=What exactly can a character do or not do when it is called?=

The turn you call a character it may do the following things: move, scramble, and vote in the presentation phase of Aereopagus voting (i.e. using it's AV value only). Additionally, it may defend or scramble during an opponent's turn, and it may join during defense. Until the character begins your next turn in play it may not be challenged, nor may it take any action that would open it (other than moving or scrambling), jack in or jack out (because this requires opening and is not considered movement), use it's special ability (even if the ability does not require the character to be opened), or vote in the execution phase of Aereopagus voting. You may attach enhancements or alephs to a character immediately after it is called.

=Wait, I thought Jacking in was a form of movement. Isn't it?=

Unfortunatly, jacking in is mentioned under the "Move Characters" rule on page 23 of the rulebook. Technically, jacking in is not considered movement, and since it requires a character be opened to do so, you can't jack in a character the turn it is called. The sentence "Moving a character from the Wilds into the Matrix (and vice versa) is called "jacking in"..." should really read "Transferring a character from your Wilds to your Matrix is called "jacking in" and is not considered movement." This will hopefully clear things up.

We've decided that it isn't really a special ability, it's an intrinsic part of being a host. All hosts have an AV and a FW value just as all heathens have a VS value. Thus AV can be used the first turn. Since using FW votes requires opening, though, they can't.

**NEW!**

=What's the case with continuous special abilities, such as Blitz, Malik's effect, or Wall's bonus?=

As briefly mentioned above, they're allowed. The reasoning is that they're not an optional ability in that they don't require any cost and are an intrinsic part of the character's nature. As such, they're effective first turn.

=What's the case with continuous special abilities, such as Blitz, Malik's effect, or Wall's bonus?=

Well, the jury's still out on this - the current leaning seems to be toward the interpretation that these abilities are not optional in their use, and thus are active immediately. But play it however, and let us know what you think.

=What's the case when Incubi, for example, take over a host? Can it attack immediately, or use its special abilities?=

When the Incubi (and cards like it) take control of a character that character can be used immediately, unles the card specifies otherwise. In general, the rules above only apply to cards just called, and effects which specifically instruct you to treat the character as just called.

**NEW!**

=So... if Incubi steal my opponent's brand-new Rashiel, I can attack?=

No. Remember that upon calling, the can-and-can't list pertains until one full cycle of turns has passed. Upon the caller's next maintenance phase, the character (no matter who controls it) becomes fully functional, but until then it's still in first-turn shock.

Miscellany:

=Is there a website you'd recommend a look at?=

http://www.best.com/~sendai/rich/heresy

http://www.worldscope.net/gothtech/heresy/index.html
(If anyone has others, let me know... that is, as long as you don't mind people being referred there en masse).

=What's the distribution of rarity in a pack?=

First, note that these are average or typical numbers and placements, and in no way are meant to constitute a guarantee of any sort on the part of Last Unicorn Games with reference to any of these issues or numbers. That said, reading the pack from back to front, you get:

	          Starter  Booster
	Rare        3        1
	Uncommon   12        3
	Common     25       11
	UltraC     20        0

=When do I get to call alephs?=

Somehow the text about calling alephs did not make it into the Player Turn Sequence, beginning on page 21. Personally I think it's a Templar plot, but it could be because the designer is an over-worked, drooling heap in the corner. In any case, here's what happens when you call alephs (add this to your player turn sequence): Call Aleph. During your may call as many alephs as you wish. Alephs may be attached to either a location or a character unless oterwise specified on the card. Like enhancements, alephs are attached to the card in what ever position the card currently holds (i.e. either open, ready, or stricken). An aleph may be used the turn it's called, so long as its special ability allows it to do so. Thus, an aleph attached to an open character may not be used if its special ability requires that it be opened to do so.

=Are stricken hosts exempt from all effects except whatever's striking them?=

No, stricken Hosts are still subject to effects, they just can't generate any of their own.

**NEW!**

=Wait, continuous effects of stricken cards *do* work? That's in direct conflict with the rulebook!=

We know, but the sheer headaches and questions raised by having a continuous effect shut off, combined with the fact that they weren't really considered when the rule was originally made, served as reason enough to make it worth errataing the rulebook. The correct rule will appear in the Unlimited printing when it comes out.

=Are "usable as a miracle" effects which don't require opening their card to activate them usable multiple times?=

Yep, that's the way they work. You can use them over and over as long as they don't require opening or striking the card in question.

=Can special abilities be used in either area of play (Matrix or Wilds) if no otherwise stated? For instance, can The Grigori in the Wilds take out a Puffer (a 1/1 Construct) in the Matrix?=

Unless otherwise stated, special abilities can be used in either the Wilds or the Matrix, and can cross the border between the two, so yes, the Grigori could kill the Puffer.

=With a face-down archive, there's a high potential for the unscrupulous to cheat in an ante or tournament setting. How do you plan to remedy this in official tournaments One idea might be to turn the archives face-up, but that makes some cards (Bookworm, etc.) much more powerful...=

Yeah, but who wants to play with a cheater? Seriously, though, we're discussing tournament rules right now. We're brainstorming to see what solutions we can come up with. Meanwhile, if you have fair and inventive solutions, I'd love to hear 'em. Honestly, we just never had this problem in playtesting because we're such suckers for an honest face... ;)

=After I have used a Technolgy-convicted card (Wipe, for example) can I discard it to my Archive?=

No, you may not discard Technolgy cards to your archive after you have used them. Unless the specific card states otherwise, after use, Technology cards must be obliterated just like non-technolgy cards. The only time you may discard Technolgy cards to your archive is before your first turn, and during your end of turn interval, and these cards must be discarded from your hand.

=Some of the conviction icons in the upper right are in squares, and some in diamonds. What is the intended difference?=

Merely a stylistic difference. It has no effect on gameplay.

=I heard that distributors are sold out of Heresy, is this true? If so will there be another print run? Will it have different borders or what?=

The little gold ankh in the lower left of every card signifies that it is from the first, or "limited," print run. Expect this symbol to change color with each edition of Heresy. We wanted to keep this subtle so people wouldn't get upset about different editions being so graphically dissimilar. With this system we keep the cards looking pretty much the same, but you'll be able to notice the difference for trading and so on. As for the news that the game is sold out -- absolutely not true! We've got plenty of Heresy for all those budding fans out there, at least for a while. If a dealer tells you Heresy is out of stock at the manufacturer, tell them to call us or e-mail us, and we'll straighten out the trouble. The numbers are in the rulebook. Email on such topics should go to phantombox@aol.com.

**NEW!**

=How do face-down cards, such as result from the Maskweavers, work? And in what way are they different from stricken cards?=

Well, to start, "stricken" is a state a card is in - the face-down card just serves as a reminder. Note, too, that when a card is stricken it's open as well, thus stricken Incubi don't lose control.

But beyond that, a card which is turned face-down is "hiding", in a sense - it's mixing into the crowd, in disguise, something. Face down cards can only be targeted by name, not by just pointing to a card. If you don't remember what was there, well, that's the point. Since they can only be targeted by name, they must have been revealed first. A face-down card is revealed if:

It takes any action or is opened or otherwise affected by any effect.
It becomes eligible to deal or receive damage on defense in a combat.
Its special ability has some effect on the game's current status.
Its controller chooses to reveal it in order to allow it to have an effect in some other way (Such as revealing Archangels to boost Michael while they're face-up, or drawing 9 cards with Melchisedec.)
Another player attempts to call a second copy, and it is unique - in this case the new copy is obliterated immediately.

A card being turned face up may be responded to.

Any face-up cards may be returned to a face-down status during the controller's next maintenance phase.

Note that: In point 1, being at a location when defense is declared is not grounds for revealing, but point 2 is phrased as it is because unless a blitzer is present only on the defending side, all characters become eligible to receive damage at once from attacking characters. In a case such as a Pestilence, non-characters need not be revealed, since they are not affected, but all characters must be in order to prove they survive. In the case of a Firestorm, meanwhile, characters and locations may be revealed one at a time until enough total defense has been revealed that the Firestorm's X is insufficient.

Specific Card Rulings:

=How exactly do I play Firestorm and other X-type cards?=

The way these should be played is to treat the X as a minimum value, and as the maximum result permissible. Thus, if the Defense value at a location decreases as a result of a scramble, the Firestorm works fine, but if it increases due to, say, an Urban Defense Grid or Mansemat, and the X isn't high enough to cover this, it fizzles.

=Can I use Kushiel (strike him), pay 0 tau and obliterate a stricken character?=

Since a stricken character has an effective defense value of 0, Kushiel could pay 0 tau and obliterate the character.

=Sybil, a heathen, can acquire the stats of any character in any oblivion; does this mean if she mimics a host she can vote? Also, is she required to use her special ability every turn?=

It helps to think of Sybil as a kind of vessel for the character she becomes. Once her activation cost is paid, she completely assumes the identity of the character she's copying, including any ability to vote, uniqueness, card type, conviction, special ability and so on. As long as Sybil assumes the identity of another card, and the only attributes she maintains of her original identity are her card type and her special ability. Thus she can be affected by cards that target Heathens and Hosts if she has a Host attached to her. Sybil does is not required to switch characters every turn; she is merely limited to using her special ability only during her controller's maintenence phase. Sybil's special ability should be amended to read: "When called, place on an array you control. Open and pay X aura to attach target character in any oblivion to Sybil. X equals aura required to call target character. While target card is attached to Sybil, she retains only her own card type and special ability. In addition she assumes the name, conviction, card type, values and special abilities of the attached card. During your maintenence phase, you may open Sybil and pay X aura to swap Sybil's current character with a new one from any oblivion. Neither Sybil or attached character require virtual support."

=Hey, what's up with the two versions of Corporate Arcology and why is there no uncommon Evolution domain?=

During development the common and uncommon domains of any given conviction were given the same name, but we later decided to change the names to make the card list less confusing (see also the note about Governmant Geodesic and Industrial Underground, below). When Corporate Arcology (the common Acquisition domain) was assembled in pre-press, we made a mistake and dupicated the card instead of changing it into Research Arcology. If you want, you can play the uncommon Corporate Arcology (the one who's italic flavor text begins "Often located in remote areas...") as the Research Arcology with the following stats: Conviction: Evolution, A/D: 2/3, VS: 2, special ability: Open to provide one aura. This will be corrected in the standard edition.

=What if you use the Holy Grail to pull a netwalker out of the Matrix? Since netwalkers can't jack in, they're doomed by the current card text. Is it meant to refer instead to being back on an array?=

Well, that was supposed to mean that as long as the character was attached to an array when the last token was removed then everything would be fine. Amend Holy Grail's last sentence to read "If target is not attached to an array when last token is removed, obliterate target." Ditto for the card "Replication."

=The Host Malik causes all opponent's Miracles to increase by a cost of 2. Does this mean miracle cards, or does it include abilities which perform like miracles (probably the former, but it is unclear)?=

If you read the card's text, it says "miracles cost an additional 2 aura to call". Calling is the act of putting a card from your hand into play, not activating a special ability that can be used as a miracle, so no, Malik cannot affect special abilities, only call values.

=The Rodolphine Tables cause all face-down cards in play to be put face up. Stricken cards are placed face-down to show they are stricken. Does that mean the Rodolphine Tables (called "Ralph" in our games) causes stricken cards to immediately go to Open status? (Again, it seems that the intent of the card is to refer to ICs, which are put face-down, but it could be argued to include Stricken cards as well).=

The intent of cards like the Rololphine tables is to turn face-up only those cards that have not been stricken. Stricken cards remain exempt from similar effects.

=I'm not sure I understand Ethnarch. It says, "When Ethnarch is called, name a domain you control. When target Host is attached to or intervenes on behalf of the named domain, Host gains +2/+2." Does that mean that when I call Ethnarch, I can simply say, "Urban Sprawl," and the bonus counts for any Urban Sprawl I control, or does the bonus only kick in for a particular Urban Sprawl of my choosing? In other words, does "domain" mean single card in play or a domain type?=

Ethnarch and cards like it are meant to target a specific domain card in play, not general domain types. Thus, when Ethnarch is called you must name one specific domain card it applies to.

**NEW!**

=So can two Hosts be Ethnarchs of the same domain? How about one Host and two domains?=

Well, despite the fact that it doesn't make perfect sense in a game world context, it's perfectly legal.

=I'm not sure I understand Renunciation. It says, "Name a new conviction for target card. Cards that provide influence now provide influence of the new conviction." By using the plural, "cards," Renunciation kind of implies that if I cast it on a Seafloor Metroplex and choose the Rebellion conviction, then all influence-providing cards will produce Rebellion influence.=

Renunciation and cards like it only affect the specific target card they are attached to. The last line of Renunciation should read: "If target card provides influence, it now provides influence of the new conviction."

=Can Silat target an already-open host?=

Since Silat's special ability opens the target Host, the Host must be in the ready position to be considered a valid target for Silat's ability.