Glossary
Notes about printed instructions
Instructions are carried out in the order they are printed. If any instruction is impossible, skip it, but still follow the rest of the instructions on the card. If it’s partially possible or legal, do as much of it as possible or legal.
Pay special attention to “If” and “You may”.
Car - Draw From Transit - Discard - Flag - Here - Hit - If - - Inspect - Pair - Public - Quadruple - Quintuple - Rank - Rank Straight - Return - Set-set - Shuffle - Triple - Tuples - Visible - You/Your - You may
Car
A card that reads “Six Hive Transit System” or “Utopian Transit System” is a Car. To use a Car from your tableau of Items, swap its position with any public Character. If you are taking a card which is exposed in a player’s hand, replace it by putting a Car face-up in their tableau. “Utopian Transit System” may only carry Utopians and JEDD Mason, and “Six Hive Transit System” may not carry Utopians or JEDD Mason.
Draw from Transit
Any time any cards or tiles instruct multiple players to draw cards, they do so starting with the current player and proceeding clockwise, from the top card of the Transit Deck, or any card in the Transit Row. However, you sometimes discard Characters to the Conclave area of the board, when text on some cards instructs you to do so.
Discard
To discard cards is to put them in the discard pile to which they belong. City and Task cards go in the Tracker Call card discard. Characters and Items go in the Transit Discard pile.
Flag
The insignia in the upper right corner of a Character. Several characters have two Flags, and counts as both simultaneously.
Here
When a card says “here”, it refers to all the cards in its group of cards. For example, a player’s hand; the Transit Row; the Item row if it is an Item in that row; one player’s play area when contributing to completing Tasks; the Conclave.
Hit
To “Hit” a card is remove it from the game.
If
Sometimes the word “if” is used in card text, like this: “If you did that, then do this. Otherwise…” But that is the only time that failing to follow one instruction would cancel another instruction.
Inspect
Look at the front face of a card; or if you are inspecting a deck, look through the entire deck. This does not mean showing what you discover to other players. Remember that it is against the rules to reveal what you know that other players can’t see.
Public
A card is public when all players can see its front face. When they no longer can, it’s no longer public. A face-up card in a City tableau is public. So is a card that is face-out in a player’s hand (because of the use of the “Felix Faust” card, for example). If the “Martin Guildbreaker” card has been played, the Transit Deck is face-up, so the top card of the deck is face-up and therefore public. Cards which are stacked beneath the top card of the Transit Deck are neither visible nor public, because players are not able to see either of their faces.
Rank
The numeral in the upper left corner of a Character. Teams are required to be played in, and remain in, ascending order. Repetitions and gaps are permitted, so you may have “2” “2” “4”, for example.
A card with { } instead of a Rank is a Set-Set (see Set-Set).
Rank Straight
Ranks that are a sequence of consecutive numbers. They do not have to have been played in numeric order in the Team Row.
Q: “Does zero wrap around to nine?”
A: No. Nine is only consecutive with eight. Negative one (Dominic Seneschal) is only consecutive with zero (J.E.D.D. Mason), who is only consecutive with one.
Return
When a token is “returned”, it goes to the Censor’s Office.
Set-Set
Set-Sets are Character cards that have a pair of braces { } above the term “set-set”.
Shuffle
Shuffle the Transit Discard pile to form the new Transit Deck. When a card’s text instructs you to “Shuffle into Transit”, this is shuffling a card (along with the Transit Discard) into the Transit Deck, leaving the Transit Row alone.
This
The word “this” on a card or tile refers to the card or tile it is printed on. Example: “Discard this.”
Up to
When a card’s text says you may choose a number “up to”, (such as “up to two”) zero is an acceptable option to choose.
Visible
Cards are visible if all players are able to see at least one of its faces. For example, a card is not visible if it is in a deck, but not on top.
You/Your
When a card is in a player’s personal Team, “You” refers to that player.
When a card is in Transit, “You” is the player whose turn it is. (Keep in mind while you refresh the board to conclude your turn, it is still your turn.)
You may
If an instruction says you “may”, it is up to the current player whether to follow the instruction. Otherwise, you do not get a choice. (Please forgive my commanding language; it is for concision. I only seek to assist you, formidable masters.)