Save Your Bacon! Rules

1.0 Objective #

To gain bacon, you will need to defeat your opponent’s champions in battle. If you have three or more pieces of bacon at the start of your turn you will win, but look out! Your cards cost energy to use and if you have spent 21 or more energy before claiming three pieces of bacon you will instead lose, leaving the last player standing the winner! #

2.0 Components #

2.0.1 Cards #

Champions: A card representing one of the personalities fighting over bacon. All players start the game with three champions in their champion row, and you gain 1 bacon ({B}) when an opponent’s champion is defeated. The back of every champion card includes a list of that champion’s card pod and may be used for deck building and drafting but has no game impact. #
Equipment: A card representing the gear used by a champion. Equipment cards are played to your equipment row near the champion that is using the equipment. Each champion can have up to two equipment cards. If a champion has their maximum amount of equipment, new equipment cannot be played to that champion. Please note: equipment cards do not modify the champion’s attack or defense value; they instead can be used to attack or counter with on their own. #
Actions: A card representing an event, special power, or other one-time effect. When playing an action card, reveal the card from your hand, choose the champion that is using the card, pay its cost, resolve its effect text, then place it in your discard. #
Reactions: A card representing an event, special power, or other one-time effect that can be played in response to something happening in the game. Reactions have [reaction text] as their first line of text and may only be played based on the timing described by their [reaction text]. They are otherwise played identically to Actions. #
Conditions: A card representing an ongoing condition applied to a champion. Conditions are brought into play by other cards and should be set aside in reach of all players. A champion can have any number of conditions, but no more than one copy of a given condition. When instructed to apply a condition to a champion that already has that condition, do nothing. #

Save Your Bacon! also includes reference cards. Reference cards provide a reminder of the steps you take during your turn, upon champion defeat, upon attack, and icon meanings. They may be placed near your play space, but have no game impact. #

2.0.2 Tokens #

Damage tokens ({D}): for tracking damage dealt to cards. #
Bacon tokens ({B}): for tracking your progress towards delicious victory. #
Upgraded energy tokens ({E+}): used to pay for Reaction cards. You gain {E+} when you overpay for costs. #

2.1 Card anatomy #

2.1.1 Champions #

An example Champion card — **Archetype**

**Name**

**Trait icons** (dictate which cards this champion can use)

**Effect text** (what the card does)

**Flavor text** (no game impact)

**Attack value** (how much damage the champion places when attacking or countering)

**Defense value** (how much damage is necessary to defeat the champion)

2.1.2 Equipment, Actions, and Reactions #

An example Equipment card — **Name**

**Type**

**Energy value** (energy the card generates to pay for other cards)

**Energy cost** (cost required to play the card)

**Usage requirements** (the champion equipping or using the card must have this trait). Some cards may have the readied symbol ({R}). When this symbol is present, the champion using the card must be readied (readied cards are upright; exhausted cards are rotated 90 degrees).

**Effect text** (what the card does)

**Flavor text** (no game impact)

**Attack value** (equipment only; how much damage this card places when attacking or countering)

**Defense value** (equipment only; how much damage is necessary to destroy this card)

2.1.3 Conditions #

An example Condition card — **Name**

**Effect text** (what the card does)

3.0 Set up #

All players select a deck (or draft a deck or build a deck; see 8.0 Building a deck) and place their three champion cards face up in front of them, then shuffle their deck and place it face down to the side. #
Randomly choose a player; that player chooses who will take the first turn. #
All players draw 5 cards. #

You are now ready to start playing! Starting with the player chosen in step 2, players will take turns in clockwise order until one player has won, or all but one player has lost (at which point the remaining player will be the winner)! #

3.1 Play space #

Each player’s play space should be arranged similar to the following: #

Top row: bacon, unspent energy tokens, status row. Middle row: spent energy stack, champion row. Bottom row: discard, deck, equipment row.

4.0 Player turns #

On your turn, do the following in order: #

Check for Victory: #
1. If you have 3+ {B}: you win! #
2. If you have 21+ {E} value on cards in your spent energy stack: you lose! #
Take Two: You must take two of the actions below in the order of your choice. You can repeat an action, unless otherwise stated. #
- Play a card: Play an action or equipment card from hand. #
- Activate an effect with an action cost ({A}) #
- Attack ({R} - {X}): See 6.0 Attacking. You cannot take another Attack action this turn. #
- Refresh: #
  1. Draw until you have 5 cards in hand. #
  2. Ready up to 3 cards you control by rotating them upright. #
  You cannot take another Refresh action this turn. #
- Pass time: Spend your action to do nothing. If you have cards in your hand, you must pitch 1-2 of them to your spent energy stack and gain {E+} energy tokens equal to their energy value. #

Please note: when a card effect instructs you to “attack” or “refresh”, this does not count as an “Attack action” or “Refresh action” (e.g. you could use an action to attack, then play a card that causes a champion to attack). #

If you ever need to draw a card and your deck is empty, shuffle your discard to create a new deck and continue drawing. If you need to draw a card and both your deck and discard are empty, you cannot draw that card. Cards pitched to your spent energy stack are never reshuffled. #

4.1 Damage, defeat, and gaining bacon #

Champions and equipment cards can have damage tokens ({D}) placed on them by attacks, counters, and card effects. When any card has {D} equal or greater than its defense value, it is defeated (if it is a champion) or destroyed and placed in its owner’s discard (if it is equipment). See 11.0 Destruction and removing cards from play. #

4.1.1 Champion defeat #

After a champion is defeated: #

Exhaust the champion #
Remove all tokens and conditions on the champion (note: tokens on equipment remain!) #
The opponent who defeated the champion gains 1{B}. If a friendly effect defeated the champion, choose an opponent to gain 1{B}. #

When gaining bacon ({B}) as a result of defeating an opposing champion, take each {B} from that opponent until they have less than 3{B}, then take any remaining {B} from the supply. #

5.0 Playing cards and paying costs #

In order to play a card, you must first choose a champion that meets all of that card’s usage requirements. For instance, if the card has the usage requirements “{R} {CU}” this means you must have a ready champion ({R}) with the cunning trait ({CU}) in order to play the card. #

To play cards or activate effects, you must also pay their costs. Cards cost energy to play (see Equipment, Actions, and Reactions). Card effects are formatted like “Name: [Reaction text] Costs → Effect actions” with common costs represented by icons: #

{A} — Spend one of your turn’s two actions #
{E} or {E+} — Spend the energy cost #
{X} — Exhaust the card the effect is on by rotating it 90 degrees #
{R} — The champion using the card must be ready. This is a usage requirement rather than a cost, but is shown alongside costs. #

Card effects will refer to the champion using the card as “this champion”. #

5.1 Energy costs #

To pay an energy cost: #

Pitch cards: Optionally pitch cards one at a time from your hand by placing them on your spent energy stack so that the energy values of all cards in the stack are visible. You must stop pitching cards once the energy value of your pitched cards exceeds the cost you need to pay (but may stop earlier, as long as the cards you pitch plus {E+} tokens meets the cost). If you are paying a cost that requires only upgraded energy ({E+}), you cannot pitch any cards. #
Spend tokens: After you are done pitching cards, pay any remaining cost with {E+} tokens. {E+} tokens may be used to pay normal {E} costs. #
Gain tokens: If the energy value of cards you pitched exceeds the cost you need to pay, gain {E+} energy tokens equal to the difference and place them in your unspent energy pool. #

6.0 Attacking #

To perform an attack: #

Declare attacking card: Choose a ready friendly champion or a ready card equipped to a ready friendly champion to be the attacking card and exhaust it. #
Declare target: Choose an opposing champion or equipment card to target with the attack. #
Declare counter: If the defending card is ready, the defending player may choose to exhaust the defending card to counter. (Note: unlike when attacking, equipment may counter even if its champion is exhausted!) #
Place damage: The attacking card places attack damage equal to its attack value on the target and if the defending player countered, the defending card simultaneously places counter damage equal to its attack value on the attacking card. #

If an attacking card is defeated or otherwise leaves play before placing damage, do not proceed to placing damage (instead exit the attack after the current step completes). #

7.0 Exhaustion and readiness #

To exhaust a card, rotate it 90 degrees so it is sideways from your perspective. An exhausted card cannot be exhausted again. To ready a card, rotate it so it is upright from your perspective. You can ready cards using the Refresh action during your turn (see Refresh) or through card effects. #

The icon {X} in costs means you must exhaust the card the effect is on as part of the effect’s cost. #

An exhausted card cannot attack or counter, and an exhausted champion cannot use cards or effects that require a ready champion. An exhausted card cannot be exhausted to pay for an {X} exhaust cost. #

8.0 Building a deck #

There are four ways to create a deck to play with. Which you choose depends on how much you and your play group have bought into and played the game. You can play best-of-one or best-of-three matches (best-of-one is recommended when learning the game; best-of-three for after you are familiar with the card pool). #

8.1 Pod preconstructed: best for first games #

For your first few games, you may wish to use a preconstructed deck. To build a preconstructed deck, gather the listed champions along with two copies of each card in that champion’s pod (listed on the back of the champion card). Keep the champions separate and shuffle the pod cards to create your deck. #

Dangerous Darkness
- The Dark Space Lord, Rylo Ken
- The Ninja, Reverse Gap Moe-chan
- The Xeno Hunter, “Stalker”
#
Lacking Limits:
- The Berserker, Brunhitta
- The Killbot, Killinator
- The Medbot, Probe-biotic
#
Light Fight
- The Wizard, Mandwelf
- The Cleric, Friaretta Priest
- The Light Space Monk, Ken Benobi
#
Powerful Potential
- The Kaiju, Gourdzilla
- The Dinosaurs, Velociraptor Pack
- The Ice Queen, Kelsa of Barrendell
#
Spooky Specters
- The Demon, Lamia
- The Ghost Pirate, LeChonk
- The Haunted Armor, “Bakin’ Knight”
#

8.2 Pod draft: best when sharing your copy #

This is the recommended way to play with a single copy of Save Your Bacon! once you are familiar with the card pool! To perform a pod draft: #

Create your draft pool by either gathering all champion cards in your collection, shuffling them, and dealing out four times the number of players or by choosing that number of champion cards from your collection (e.g. two players = 8 pod draft cards. Three players = 12 pod draft cards, etc.). #
Place all champion cards in the draft pool within reach of all players and return any unused champion cards to the box (they will not be used for this draft). #
Randomly choose a player to go first, then perform a snake draft with each player picking a single card on their turn until no champion cards remain: #
1. The first player picks a card, followed by all other players in clockwise player order. #
2. The last player picks a card, followed by all other players in counter-clockwise reverse player order. #
3. Repeat the above two steps until all cards are picked. #
Each player returns one of the champion cards they picked to the box (these will not be used). #
Each player gathers two copies of each card in their chosen champion’s pods (listed on the back of the champion cards) to create their deck. #

8.3 Pod constructed: balanced play with multiple copies #

If both players have their own copy of Save Your Bacon!, you can construct a pod deck. Build pod decks by choosing any three champions and assembling two copies of each card in those champions’ pods to create your deck. Experiment with different combinations to find the most potent alliances! #

8.4 Full constructed: explore the limits with multiple copies #

If you want the ultimate in custom deck building, you can choose any three unique champions and then construct a custom deck: #

Select six cards with an energy value of 3 #
Select twelve cards with an energy value of 2 #
You may only include up to 2 copies of any given card (by name) #

Advanced Rules

You now know everything you need to start playing! The following rules provide explicit timing structures and detailed information about how to play cards, resolve effects, and handle champion defeat and equipment destruction. These are useful for resolving timing issues but are not strictly necessary when you are learning the game. Feel free to read through them now or use them for reference if questions come up!

9.0 The golden rules #

When a card’s text contradicts the rules, the card text takes precedence. #

Different words mean different things even if the effects have the same end results. #

Card text that forbids something takes precedence over card text that allows or requires that thing (e.g. if one card says you must perform an attack and another says you cannot perform an attack, you cannot perform an attack). #

10.0 Playing cards and activating effects #

Cards are played from your hand. To play a card: #

Declare: Reveal the card you intend to play and declare which champion is using the card. If you do not have a champion who matches all the card’s usage requirements (see 10.1 Usage requirements), you cannot play the card. If the card is equipment and the champion who will use it is at their equipment limit (two, by default), you cannot play the card. #
Pay costs: Pay the energy cost (see 5.1 Energy costs). If you cannot pay the energy cost, you cannot play the card. #
Resolve: Resolve the card based on its type: #
- Equipment: place the card in the equipment row nearest the champion who used the card. The card is now equipped to that champion. #
- Action or Reaction: resolve the card’s effect text in its entirety (see 10.2 Card effects), then discard the card. #

If you reveal a card that you realize you cannot play, return it to your hand. You must take a different action in order to fulfill your two-action requirement for the turn. #

10.1 Usage requirements #

In order to play a card—or activate certain effects—you must choose a champion to use it who matches its usage requirements: #

Readied ({R}): If a {R} symbol is in the usage requirements, it means the champion must be ready when you play the card or activate the effect. #
Traits: The champion must possess all traits shown in the card’s usage requirements. #

Usage requirements on equipment are only checked when first playing the equipment card. They are not checked to see if the card can remain equipped or if the champion is able to attack with it or use its effects. #

10.2 Card effects #

Card effects are the text printed in the main text box of the card. Resolving a card effect means performing the actions described in the effect text. There are three types of card effects: #

Activated effects: activated effects are card text on cards with [reaction text] and/or associated costs using the following formatting and only resolve when you choose to activate them (or the condition specified in their [reaction text] occurs, if any):

Name: [Reaction text] Costs → Effect actions.
#
Constant effects: constant effects use the same formatting as activated effects but have no [reaction text] or costs. The duration, if any, for constant effects will be indicated in the effect text (for instance: “While performing an attack”); no indicated duration means the effect lasts as long as the card it is printed on is in play. #
Immediate effects: Action and Reaction card effects are immediately resolved when you play the card. Reaction cards additionally have stand-alone [reaction text] at the top that dictates when you may play the card. #

To activate an effect: #

Declare: Declare which effect you are activating. You may only activate effects on champions or cards that are equipped by a champion. That champion is the champion using the effect (referred to as “this champion” in card text). #
Pay costs: Pay all required costs (everything before the arrow; for energy costs, see 5.1 Energy costs). If you cannot pay all costs, you cannot activate the effect. #
Resolve: Resolve the effect actions in order, performing as much of each effect action as you can and skipping any instructions that you cannot perform. #

You may only activate effects for which any indicated conditions within [reaction text] have occurred within the effect action or game step just prior, and you must be able to pay all associated costs (anything before the arrow). #

Effects with a cost are always optional. Effects with [reaction text] but no cost are optional if they state that “you may” perform the effect. #

When resolving an activated effect, resolve only that activated effect but resolve all paragraphs that follow the [reaction text] and/or cost but are not preceded by a name. A separate effect will have its own name. #

10.2.1 Reaction sequencing #

Cards and effects can have [reaction text] that dictates when that card may be played or effect activated; these are collectively called “reactions”. Reactions are always played immediately after the effect action or game step that triggers them is fully resolved, interrupting the normal resolution of effects and rules. #

Each effect is made up of one or more effect actions separated by a period or semi-colon. Game steps are outlined by the rules, usually as a numbered list (e.g. attacking involves four game steps; see Attacking). #

If you know or suspect multiple reactions will be activated after an effect action or game step, do the following: #

Completely resolve the effect action or game step. Effect actions and game steps cannot be interrupted but must be wholly resolved before any reactions can be resolved. #
Check for destruction and defeat: Check all cards that had damage ({D}) placed on them by the effect action or game step to see if they are destroyed or defeated. #
1. Optionally note destroyed cards (e.g. by rotating them 45 degrees beyond their current orientation). #
2. In player order, each player resolves defeated champions in the order of their choosing (see 4.1.1 Champion defeat). #
Activate reactions: In player order, each player activates and immediately resolves all reactions triggered by the effect action, card destruction, or champion defeat one by one in the order of their choice. Fully resolve each reaction’s effect actions and additional reactions triggered by those effect actions before advancing to the next. After each reaction is fully resolved, check to see if there are any other reactions that should be activated before passing priority to the next player. #

If a card is discarded or otherwise removed from play between resolving its effect actions, stop resolving its effect actions. #

When resolving effects: once all reactions to the current effect action are fully resolved, continue to the next effect action. When there are no more reactions or effect actions to resolve, discard all destroyed cards (see 11.0 Damage, destruction, and removing cards from play) then continue to the next game step. #

Note: don’t panic! During normal play, you will not need to worry about strictly following these steps. They are here for if you ever are unsure how to sequence cards and effects (e.g. if you have multiple reactions to the same triggering condition). #

10.2.2 Instructions in effect actions #

Skip any instructions in effect actions that you cannot complete. If an effect action modifies multiple game elements but you can only perform the action for some of them, perform the action for as many elements as possible (e.g. if an effect instructs you to choose 2 opposing equipment cards, but there is only 1 opposing equipment card in play, then you will choose that single card). If an effect requires you to choose between options, you must pick an option if possible (e.g. if you are resolving an action that says “choose a ready champion; place 2{D} on that champion” and your opponent has no ready champions, you must choose one of your champions). Note: you do not need to evaluate whether future actions will be possible when choosing options (e.g. in the example above, if you have a champion that says “Effects cannot place {D} on this card” you can still choose that champion, but the “place 2{D}“ effect action will do nothing). #

If an effect action instructs you to choose a card, you must choose a card that is in play (unless the effect action states otherwise). #

11.0 Destruction and removing cards from play #

If after an effect action, attack, or counter the number of damage tokens on an equipment card is equal or more than its defense value, it is destroyed. A destroyed card remains in play until all effect actions and reactions from the current card or rules step have been resolved, after which it is placed in its owner’s discard. #

When a card moves from an in play to an out of play area (e.g. discarded from play, removed from the game, or placed from play into your hand or deck) do the following: #

Return all tokens on the card to the supply. If the card has any other cards underneath it, discard them. #
Place the card in its final destination: #
- If the card was discarded: place the card in its owner’s discard (or, if it is a Condition, in the shared Condition deck) #
- If the card was removed from the game: place the card away from the game play space. It is no longer part of the game #
- If the card was moved from an in play to an out of play area: place it in the area specified. #

Note: remember that a destroyed card is not physically placed in the discard until after all current effect actions, reactions, and/or game steps have been completely resolved (see 10.2.1 Reaction sequencing). #

11.1 Modifying stats or damage #

If two or more effects modify a stat or the amount of damage placed, first perform all calculations requiring addition or subtraction, then all calculations requiring multiplication or division. Unless a card effect specifies otherwise, you should always round up to the nearest whole value when performing division. #

If after all calculations an attack value, defense value, or number of tokens would ever be less than zero, it is considered to be zero. #

12.0 Gameplay variants #

12.1 Multiplayer: Free-for-all #

To play a standard free-for-all game with 3 or more players, play using all standard rules with the following exceptions: #

During your Check for Victory step, you will only win if you have 3+ {B} and more {B} than any other player. #
When gaining bacon, always take {B} from the supply, not the player whose champion you defeated. #

12.2 Multiplayer: Widdershins #

When playing with 3 or more players, you can opt to play Widdershins: follow all normal rules, except that you may only attack champions controlled by the player to your right. #

13.0 Card-specific clarifications #

Wake the Beast: Per 10.2.1 Reaction sequencing, if your champion is defeated by the damage placed, Wake the Beast will ready the champion after it is defeated.

14.0 Glossary & index #

Action: A type of card playable as one of your actions during your turn; see Actions.

Discrete things you can during your turn; see Take Two.
Action cost ({A}): See 5.0 Playing cards and paying costs.
Activate
Activated effects: As a verb: Declare and resolve an effect on a card in play.

See Activated effects.
Archetype: The main identifier for champion cards (champion names are for flavor). See Champions.
Attack damage: The {D} placed by an attacking card in step 4 of attack resolution; see Place damage. Damage placed by countering or card effects is not attack damage, even if it is placed during an attack. See also counter damage and effect damage.
Attack
Attack value: The numeric stat associated with champions and equipment representing the amount of damage ({D}) the card places when attacking or countering. Can be modified by card effects (e.g. “While attacking an exhausted champion, this card has +1 Attack.”).

As a verb: Performing the steps outlined at 6.0 Attacking.

See also While attacking.
Bacon: Acquiring bacon is your goal! See Bacon tokens, the final step of champion defeat, gain bacon, and the Check for Victory step of your turn.
Best-of-one
Best-of-three: Two main ways to determine an overall winner in a Save Your Bacon! matchup. Best-of-one you play a single game, and the winner of the game is the winner of the matchup. For best-of-three you play until one player has 2 wins, at which point they are the winner of the matchup.
Cannot: When an effect states you “cannot” do something, it takes precedence over rules or card effects that state you can or must do something. See The golden rules.
Card: See 2.0.1 Cards. Also That/those card(s) and This card.
Card pod: Every champion has a pod of six cards associated with them and listed on the back of their champion card (typically two copies each of three unique cards). See Champions and 8.0 Building a deck.
Champion: See Champions. Also That champion and This champion.
Champion row: The portion of your play space where your three champion cards are placed. See 3.1 Play space.
Change target: Changing an attack target means the attacking card will afterward be attacking a different defending card than originally declared. You cannot target the same card that is currently being attacked when changing the attack target.
Check for Victory: The first step in a player turn. See Check for Victory.
Choose
Chosen: When an effect says to “choose” something, the player who activated the effect (or played the card with the effect, for immediate effects) chooses the specified game element. A when referring to a “chosen” game element, effects always refer back to the choice made in the most recent effect action.
Condition: A type of card brought into play by other cards; see Conditions. All conditions should be considered “unlimited”. If you run out of a particular condition card, you should substitute slips of paper or other small objects. If a condition is ever removed place it aside in reach of all players (conditions cannot enter any play zone other than a player’s status row).
Considered exhausted: When an effect states a card is “considered” exhausted, it means that for the purpose of rules and card effects the card is exhausted regardless of its actual position on the table. If you ready a card that is exhausted on the table (rotated 90 degrees) that is also “considered exhausted”, you will rotate it upright per Exhaustion and readiness but it will still be considered exhausted afterward (and thus cannot attack, counter, or be exhausted).
Constant effect: An effect that is constantly active (or is constantly active over a given duration). See 10.2 Card effects.
Constructed: Constructed matches pit two decks that are assembled before the match against one another. These can include pod constructed (where a deck is built by choosing three champions and assembling their card pods; see Pod constructed) or by following the rules at 8.4 Full constructed. Contrast with drafting.
Control: You control the cards in your champion row, equipment row, and status row.
Counter: The defending player may exhaust the defending card to simultaneously deal damage equal to its attack value back to the attacker. See 6.0 Attacking.
Counter damage: The {D} placed by a defending card countering in step 4 of attack resolution; see Place damage. Damage placed by card effects is not counter damage, even if it is placed during an attack by the defending card. See also attack damage and effect damage.
Damage: Damage dealt by attacks, counters, or card effects is tracked with {D} tokens 4.1.1 Champion defeat and 11.0 Damage, destruction, and removing cards from play.
Deck: A face-down, shuffled pile of cards associated with a single player. When you are instructed to draw a card, draw it from the top of your deck and place it in your hand. Cards in your deck are out of play.
Declare: Declaring a card or effect means stating your intent to play or resolve it. See the Declare step.
Defeat: A champion is defeated if it has damage ({D}) on it equal or greater than its defense value. See 4.1.1 Champion defeat.
Defending card
Defending player: During an attack, the defending card is the card that is the target of the attack. The defending player is the player who controls the defending card.
Defense
Defense value: The numeric stat associated with champions and equipment representing the amount of damage ({D}) that will defeat or destroy the card. Can be modified by card effects (e.g. “This champion has +1 Defense.”). See 11.1 Modifying stats or damage.
Destroy
Destruction: Equipment cards are destroyed when they have damage ({D}) equal or greater to their defense value. See 11.0 Damage, destruction, and removing cards from play.
Discard: As a noun: a face-up pile of cards next to each player’s deck. Cards in your discard are out of play, but are public information (other players may look through your discard pile).

As a verb: place a card face-up on the top of your discard pile. Outside of card effects, action and reaction cards are discarded after you play them and fully resolve their effects, while equipment cards are discarded after they are destroyed because they have damage ({D}) on them equal or greater than their defense value (see Damage, destruction, and removing cards from play).
Draft: In a draft match, you and your opponent create your decks together immediately prior to the match from a shared group of champions. See 8.2 Pod draft.
Draw: To draw a card, take the top card of your deck and place it in your hand.
Each: When instructed to perform an action to “each” game element, perform the action for all specified elements. These actions are considered simultaneous within the effect action.
Effects
Effect text
Effect actions: Text on a card that defines how the card interacts with the game beyond the standard rules. See 10.2 Card effects and 10.2.1 Effect actions.
Effect damage: The {D} placed by a card effect. Damage placed by card effects during an attack not attack or counter damage. See also attack damage and counter damage.
Energy ({E})
Upgraded energy ({E+}): The resource spent to play cards. Energy is generated by pitching cards from your hand, and upgraded energy is gained when you have unspent energy after pitching cards and paying costs (see Pass time and 5.1 Energy costs).
Energy cost: See 5.1 Energy costs; the value you must pay to play an equipment, actions, or reaction or to activate some activated effects.
Energy value: The amount of energy ({E}) that a card produces when you pitch it from hand, represented by icons in the top right corner of the card.
Equipment: See Equipment.
Equipment row: The portion of your play space where your champions’ equipped cards are in play. See 3.1 Play space.
Equipped card(s): A champion’s equipped cards are the equipment cards that the champion used as they were played. Equipped cards should always be placed nearest the champion to which they are equipped in the equipment row.
Exhaust
Exhausted
Exhaustion: A card is exhausted if it is rotated 90 degrees. See 7.0 Exhaustion and readiness.
Flavor text: Flavor text (or anything else defined as “flavor”) has no game effect.
Friendly: Friendly game elements are game elements that you control.
Gain tokens: When instructed to gain tokens, take them from the supply and place them in the appropriate part of your play space (see 3.1 Play space). The only exception to this is if you are gaining bacon ({B}) and the opponent whose champion was defeated has 3+ {B}, in which case you take the token from your opponent; see gain bacon.
Game step: A sequencing step defined by the game rules. See 10.2.1 Reaction sequencing.
Golden rules: See 9.0 The golden rules.
Hand: The cards you may play and pitch to pay for energy costs. Cards in your hand are out of play. The specific cards in your hand are private, but the number of cards in your hand is public information.
If you do: When an effect states “if able”, it means that you may only resolve the effect action if it is possible to fully resolve it.
If you do: When an effect states “if you do”, it means that you may only resolve the following effect action(s) if you fully resolved the previous effect action(s).
Immediate effect: The effects on Action and Reaction cards that you immediately resolve when you play the cards. See 10.2 Card effects.
Lacks: A champion lacks a trait if it does not have the given trait icon printed on the champion card, and if no effect has granted the champion that trait.
Modify: Card effects can modify card values (such as attack, defense, damage, cost, etc.). See 11.1 Modifying stats or damage.
Name: A card’s name uniquely identifies that card. The only exception is champion cards, which are uniquey identified by their archetype.
Negative values: Numbered values cannot be negative. If a value is ever modified below zero, consider it to be zero.
Opponent
Opposing card/champion: A player competing with you over bacon. An opposing card or champion is a card or champion controlled by an opponent.
Own: You own the champions and cards that started the match in your deck.
Pass time: As one of your two actions per turn, you may pass time.
Pay costs: You must pay a card’s costs to play the card, and an effect’s cost to activate the effect. See 5.0 Playing cards and paying costs.
Pitch: Placing a card from your hand on top of your spent energy stack to produce energy ({E}). See 5.1 Energy costs.
Place damage: A card only places damage if an effect printed on that card instructs you to place damage, or if that card attacks or counters another card. A champion using a weapon to attack or counter does not place damage as a result of that attack/counter (the weapon places the damage).
Play cards: See Playing cards.
Player order: When instructed to do something “in player order”, start with the player whose turn it is, then proceed around the table clockwise.
Play space: Each player has an individual play space where they organize their cards and other game components. See 3.1 Play space
Pod: See card pod.
Preconstructed: See 8.1 Pod preconstructed.
Randomly choose: When instructed to randomly choose something, use any external method agreeable to all players (such as flipping a coin to choose between two options, rolling a die, etc.).
Reaction: A type of card; see Reactions.

An activated effect with [reaction text]; see 10.2.1 Reaction sequencing.
[Reaction text]: Text between square brackets is reaction text, and specifies the timing at which you may play the card (for Reactions) or activate the effect. See 10.2.1 Reaction sequencing.
Ready
Readied: A card is readied if it is upright and in play. See 7.0 Exhaustion and readiness.
Refresh: One of the actions you can take during your turn, which upgrades your energy, refills your hand, and allows you to ready up to 3 of the cards you control. See Refresh.
Remove: When instructed to remove a token or condition, return them to the supply. When instructed to remove any other game element, place it in its owner’s discard.
Remove from the game: When instructed to remove a card from the game, return it to the game box or other out-of-play area. It cannot be interacted with by cards for the duration of this game.
Resolve: Resolving a card effect means doing what it says in order. See 10.2 Card effects.
Reveal: When instructed to reveal a card, show it to the specified player(s), allowing them time to read the card. If instructed to reveal a card without specifying to whom, reveal it to all players.
Shuffle: When instructed to shuffle a group of cards, randomize them to your opponent’s satisfaction.
Spend tokens: When spending tokens, return them to the supply.
Spent energy stack: The portion of your play space where the cards you pitched for energy are placed (see 3.1 Play space). If the total energy value of cards in your spent energy stack is 21+ after checking for victory, you will lose (see Check for Victory).
Status row: The portion of your play space where you place conditions (and optionally damage tokens) associated with each champion. See 3.1 Play space.
Supply: The tokens and Condition cards that are shared between all players. The supply is out of play, and all tokens and cards in it are considered unlimited (if you run out of physical copies of a given token or card, use coins, scraps of paper, or other small objects to represent them).
Take Two: The main portion of your turn, in which you will take two actions. See Take Two.
Target: The card chosen by the attacker that will be the defending card in an attack. See 6.0 Attacking.
That/those card(s)
That/those champion(s): Refers to one or more cards or champions chosen earlier within the same effect.
This card: The card the effect being resolved is printed on.
This champion: The champion chosen to use the card the effect being resolved is printed on, or the champion the card is equipped to.
Tokens: Small components used to track damage ({D}), energy ({E+}), and bacon ({B}). All tokens should be considered “unlimited”. If you run out of a particular type of token card, you should substitute coins or other small objects. Some damage tokens show three icons instead of one but they count as that many tokens. For example: a card places 3{D} on a unit, so you place a single physical token with three icons on it. If an effect causes you to remove a damage token, you will remove the “3” and replace it with two “1” tokens.
Traits: Each card typically has at least one trait in its usage requirements; to play the card, you must choose a champion with the matching trait to use that card. Available traits include:

{AG} Aggression

{CU} Cunning

{PR} Protection

{PH} Physical

{MA} Magic

{TE} Techno

{SE} Self-sufficient

{SU} Supernatural

{TO} Tool-user
Turn: Player take turns in player order until one player has won or all but one player has lost. See 4.0 Player turns.
Type: A card’s type defines what happens when you play the card. See Resolve card.
Unspent energy tokens: The portion of your play space where you keep {E+} tokens representing the energy you have not spent yet. See 3.1 Play space.
Up to: When instructed to perform an action on “up to” a number of game elements, you may choose any number from zero to the specified limit (e.g. if you can do something to “up to 2” cards, you can do it to 0, 1, or 2 cards).
Usage requirements: Playable cards and activated effects include usage requirements specifying which champion can use that card or effect. See 10.1 Usage requirements.
Use
Used
Using: When playing a card, you must choose a champion that matches its usage requirements; the champion is “using” the card. When attacking with an equipment card, the champion that has that card equipped is using the card.
While attacking: After you declare a card to attack with (the first step of attacking), that card is considered to be attacking until you complete all the steps of the attack as outlined at 6.0 Attacking.

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