Many units have special abilities that allow that unit to do things beyond the normal rules. Special abilities can do many things from increasing a unit's own damage to reducing the movement of an enemy unit to gaining victory points. If a special ability ever tells you do to something different than what the rules of the game tell you, the special ability takes precedence.
With each unit card comes a special ability card that contains the rules text for each of the unit's special abilities. The image of a special ability on the unit corresponds to an image on the special ability card and its rules text. The special ability card is not required to play and is not needed to use those special abilities-- it is only a reference. You can find a complete list of our Special abilities, their image, and their rules text in the Ability Table.
There are two types of special abilities based on where they are found on the unit.
- Unit special ability: Found on bottom-right of the unit bar, next to the build point cost. These abilities are ready as long as that unit remains on the battlefield.
- Figure special ability: Found next to figure slots, along with the basic icons. These abilities are ready while their corresponding slot is occupied by a figure.
Special abilities are only active while they are ready. (Note: Some special abilities, as described in their rules text, might have different conditions for being ready, or may not even need to be ready at all.)
Special abilities come in one of three types: activated, triggered, and static, as shown by the way they are written.
Written using the following syntax:
[Cost] [Activation restriction (if any)] -- [Effect.]Activated abilities require a cost to be paid in order for an effect to happen. All activated abilities have a dash "--" that separates the cost and activation restrictions (to the left) from the effect (to the right).
Examples: Lord of the Dead, Healing, Fireburst
In order to get the effect of an activated ability, the cost must be paid. The usual cost to use an activated ability is some number of order points, though other costs such as downing one of the unit’s own figures may also be used. All costs must be payable to get the effect.
Some abilities can have an activation restriction. In order for the costs to be paid in the first place the activation restriction must be met. For example, an ability that says "1 OP, if this unit is undead --" can only be used if that unit is undead.
During a player's order phase they may activate an activated ability. Doing so requires giving the unit a special order. Technically an activated ability itself has no inherent use cap (such as once per turn) but a unit may only be given one Special Order a turn. (See Special Orders.)
Written using the following syntax:
[Trigger condition,] [effect.]Triggered abilities begin with the word When, At, or Whenever followed by the time or condition under which the ability will trigger, followed by the effect that happens.
Examples: Aggressive, Death Cloud, Leader of Men
A triggered ability only triggers once each time its trigger event occurs. However, if one event contains multiple occurrences of a trigger event the ability will trigger multiple times. For example, an ability that triggers Whenever a figure is downed from this unit, will trigger three times if another ability is used on that unit that says Down three target figures on an enemy unit. (As long as three figures are actually downed.)
Triggered abilities need only be ready when the trigger event occurs; they need not be ready when the trigger actually resolves. For example, a figure ability that triggers When this unit is dealt damage will trigger and resolve even if damage dealt to that unit also downs the figure causing this ability to be ready.
Some triggered abilities are optional. Usually this is marked by the word may before the effect of the ability. If a played chooses not to use an optional triggered ability, no part of that ability happens. (Note that some abilities may be entirely optional, while others may just have optional pieces.)
A triggered ability may have a cost in order to use the effect, but it is still considered a triggered ability. For example: Whenever this unit is given a ranged combat order, it may spend one order point to gain 2 blue dice until end of turn. This is still considered a triggered ability, though the effect is only gained if the cost is paid.
Static abilities are active as long as they are ready and do not occur because of a trigger or require activation. Static abilities are simply written as statements.
Examples: Hail of Arrows, Nature Magic, Aura of Peace
Some static abilities may have a condition in which the ability is in effect. Intrinsically most static abilities must be ready to be in effect, but some may also require that the unit be attacking or that their owner has a certain number of victory points.
Occasionally two static abilities may be at odds. For example, one ability could say This unit's phantom dice are 1s and another ability could say This unit's phantom dice are 3s. In these cases timing rules must be used. In general the most recent ability to be made ready is the one that takes precedence. (See timing.)
Some abilities require further clarification and contain reminder text. Reminder text is italicized and in parenthesis placed at the end of an ability. It does not actually affect the play of the game; reminder text has no rules implications, and is only meant to make an ability easier to understand.