An effect is card text that affects the game. Card text is the source of effects.
If a card’s effect text is unclear based on the official rules, refer to the FAQ on its official card database (https://cyberpunktcg.com/cards/) page.
Within card text, a line break indicates the end of the effect text.
Each separate paragraph on a card is considered a single effect.
When an effect refers to “this card,” “this Unit,” “this Legend,” “this Gear,” or another similar phrase, it refers to the source of that effect unless another rule or effect says otherwise.
If an effect refers to multiple potential targets, you can assume any restrictions and stipulations apply to all of them unless the effect delineates them separately.
If you control the source of an effect, it is considered “your” effect. You are the one who resolves it.
To “resolve” an effect, follow the instructions of that effect in the order they appear.
Always resolve as much of an effect as possible. See GOLDEN RULES > Resolve as Much as Possible (see rule 2.1).
If an effect instructs both players to act at the same time, the turn player performs their actions first, followed by their Rival.
Once an effect starts resolving, you cannot play cards, activate effects, or resolve other pending effects until the current effect finishes resolving.
Effects cannot interrupt the activation or resolution of other effects. If an effect triggers in the middle of an activation or resolution, it becomes “pending resolution.” See Pending Resolution (see rule 10.11).
After an effect resolves, perform any required rule processing before resolving a new one or taking any actions.
An effect may include conditions. A “condition” is a requirement that must be true for an effect to apply. (Conditions are often “if” or “when” clauses.)
If a condition is false, do not apply its corresponding effect.
A condition is not a cost unless it is specifically within a cost. See Cost (see rule 11.1).
A condition within an effect’s resolution is checked when that part of the effect resolves.
There are four types of effects: triggered effects, activated effects, persistent effects, and replacement effects.
A “triggered effect” becomes pending when its trigger condition is met.
You may use an “activated effect” at your discretion during your Main Phase.
A “persistent effect” continuously applies while its conditions (if any) are met.
A “replacement effect” replaces one game action or process with another.
An effect is “valid” if it can apply according to its text, the game rules, and the current game state.
An effect is “invalid” if it cannot apply according to its text, the game rules, or the current game state.
If all of an effect is invalid, ignore that effect.
If part of an effect is invalid, ignore the invalid part and resolve as much of the remaining effect as possible.
Even if an effect is invalid, it is still considered an effect on the card.
If an effect requires a target or choice with no legal options, the effect is invalid and the controlling player does not make a choice.
If an activated effect requires a target or choice as part of activation cost but no legal target or choice exists, the effect is invalid and you cannot activate it.
If an activated effect has additional activation conditions that are invalid, you cannot activate the effect.
If an effect becomes invalid after it activates or becomes pending, still resolve as much of the effect as possible.
If resolving a pending effect requires information about a game piece that is no longer valid, use the information from when the piece was last valid.
A “pending” effect is an effect that is waiting to resolve.
You cannot take any game actions until all pending effects are resolved.
Once an effect becomes pending, it remains pending until it resolves or a rule or effect removes it from pending.
After a pending effect resolves, it stops being pending.
If you have multiple pending effects, you may resolve them in any order.
If both players control pending effects at the same time, the turn player resolves all their pending effects before their Rival resolves all of theirs.
If a new effect triggers while resolving one, the new effect enters pending too. Finish resolving the current pending effect before resolving any new pending effects.
If both players have a new effect become pending while resolving an effect, the player currently resolving pending effects finishes resolving all of their pending effects (including the new ones) before their Rival resolves their new ones.
Once an effect is pending, later changes to the game state do not stop that effect from resolving (unless the effect includes a condition that must be true during resolution).
If a pending effect includes a condition that must be true during resolution, that condition must still be true when the effect resolves.
A triggered effect has a trigger condition.
A triggered effect becomes pending when (and only if) its trigger condition is met.
If a trigger effect has conditions beyond the trigger, those conditions do not need to be true when it triggers, only when you resolve it.
If multiple triggered effects trigger at the same time, they all become pending.
If the same trigger condition is met multiple times, the triggered effect becomes pending once for each time that condition is met.
Triggered effects may use timing labels such as [ATTACK], [CALL], [PLAY], or [DEFEATED], or timing text such as “when,” “at the start of,” “at the end of,” and variations thereof. See TERMS > Trigger Keywords (see rule 11.21).
When there are multiple trigger keywords before an effect, the effect activates when either trigger is met.
EXAMPLE: A Unit's effect reads "[PLAY] [ATTACK] Adjust a Gig by up to 1." The effect triggers when you play the Unit, and also triggers each time the Unit attacks.
You may activate “activated effects” as an action during your Main Phase. See Activate an Effect (see rule 8.14).
You cannot activate an activated effect while resolving another action or effect, nor while any effects are pending resolution.
When an activated effect has a colon, the bolded text preceding the colon is the activation cost, and the text following the colon is the effect that resolves after you pay the activation cost. See Cost (see rule 11.1).
Choices and costs before the colon are made or paid while activating the effect. Choices after the colon are made while resolving the effect.
You must pay all activation costs for an effect. If you can’t pay all required costs, you cannot activate the effect.
If an effect has multiple activation costs, pay them in the order that they appear.
Activate an activated effect by completing these steps in order.
Choose a valid friendly effect to activate. See EFFECTS > Valid & Invalid Effects (see rule 10.5).
If the activated effect is on a card in a hidden area (like your hand), reveal it.
If the effect requires a choice or valid target, choose them.
Pay all activation costs in the order they appear. When you do, any effects triggered by the activation become pending.
Communicate the effect and any choices/targets to your Rival.
Resolve the effect. When you do, any effects triggered by the resolution become pending.
Resolve any pending effects.
Once an activated effect is activated, it resolves even if its source leaves the area it was in.
A persistent effect continuously applies while it is active.
A persistent effect is not activated.
A persistent effect never becomes pending.
A persistent effect applies only while its source is in the area where that effect is active.
If a persistent effect has a duration, it applies only for that duration.
When a persistent effect’s duration ends, that effect stops applying immediately once there are no other pending effects.
A replacement effect replaces one action or process with another. (They often use “would” and “instead.”)
A replacement effect applies before (and instead of) the action or process it replaces. The replaced action or process does not occur at all.
If a replacement effect is optional, the player who controls that replacement effect may choose not to apply it.
If it’s not possible to perform the replacement, that replacement effect cannot be applied.
If one or more replacement effects could apply to the same action or process, apply mandatory replacement effects before optional replacement effects.
If multiple mandatory replacement effects could apply to the same action or process, the affected player (or the controller of the affected card) chooses which one to apply.
If multiple optional replacement effects are chosen to apply to the same action or process, the affected player (or the controller of the affected card) chooses which one to apply.
After a replacement effect is applied, check whether any other replacement effects can still apply to the new action or process.
Once a replacement effect has been applied to an action or process, that same replacement effect cannot apply to that same action or process again.
A replacement effect from a game mechanic supersedes mandatory replacement effects.
If an effect instructs a player to choose, select, or otherwise make a choice, that choice is made when the effect instructs the player to make that choice.
If an effect requires a choice and no legal choice can be made, that choice is not made.
If an effect requires you to choose a specific number of targets, you must choose that number of targets. If you can’t, choose as many valid targets as possible up to that number instead.
If an effect requires a player to choose a number, that player must choose a non-negative whole number.
If multiple choices are required while resolving an effect, make those choices in the order written.
If an effect instructs multiple players to make choices at the same time, the turn player makes their choices first, followed by their Rival.