Highlander the Card Game Keywords Glossary
This page will get you started with Keywords and other common phrases that you'll run into while playing Highlander the Card Game.
Keywords
Keywords are an easy way to identify the intended effect(s) of a card. You can also learn about and use Keywords to help you come up with deck strategies. Each Keyword can be a theme in which a Deck is built around.
Allowance
An effect that lets you either (a) include a card in your deck you would otherwise not be able to include and or (b) to play or put into play a card that you would otherwise not be able to play or put into play.
Example: There is a generic Special in game card that is titled Darius. It is an Event. It allows you to include one non-signature card from an Immortal that you aren't playing as in your deck.
Burn
Burn is an effect that is similar to Discard but with one key difference. You can think of Burn as a Discard effect but instead of discarding cards from your Hand, the cards come off the top of your Endurance.
Capture
Capture effects allow you to take a card from one area of the game (Hand, Endurance, Discard Pile, In Play etc.) and place that card underneath another card, either an in game or pregame card. Captured cards are placed face down.
Face down cards that have been captured have no effect on play.
Example 1: Andre Korda - Crysta Van Pelt (Situation) - CAPTURE: While in play, your opponent must place the top card of their Endurance under this card whenever they play or put into play a Special card. If this card is removed from play, all Captured cards go to their owner's Discard Pile.
Cost
Any effect that causes a player to have to discard a card to play a card from their Hand. Cost effects are not Discard or Burn effects.
Discard
Discard is an effect that causes you to take a card from anywhere other than your Endurance and put it into your Discard Pile. There are two common Discard scenarios:
1.) If you have more cards in your Hand at the end of your turn than your Ability allows, you must Discard down to your Ability.
2.) Your opponent plays a card that removes a card you have in play from play, that card gets discarded.
3.) Cards in play can also force a player to Discard.
Some Discard effects allow you to choose which card(s) to Discard while other cards may state that your opponent may choose the cards. This can be at randomm or in rare cases, your opponent may look at your cards in your Hand.
Draw
Any effect that gives the option or forces the drawing of cards from an Endurance.
Loss
Loss is an effect that causes a player to lose their ability to play a card of a named type during their turn. It's important to remember that Loss is not the same as a Restriction effect.
Example: Evade states in the text, “You lose one attack this turn.” So this means you lose your ability to play your primary attack this turn.
Removal
Removal is similar to a Discard or Burn effect EXCEPT that a card subjected to a Removal effect is removed from the game instead of being placed into your Discard Pile.
Restriction
Any effect that restricts or prevents what cards and/or card types may be played and how they may be played, as well as effects which prevent you from performing an action, are a Restriction effect. Unblockable and/or Undodgeable effects are not Restriction effects. Requirements to perform an action or to play cards are also not a Restriction effect.
Retrieve
Retrieval effects allow a player to "fetch" a card from a source typically other than their Hand.
Common examples would be a player playing a card that lets them Retrieve a card from their Discard Pile and place it into their Endurance.
Reveal
Any effect that allows a player to look at their opponent’s Hand, either player’s Endurance, or at a Hidden Attack.
Trigger
Any effect that allows the player to either discard or remove from the game a card to gain an effect. Trigger effects are not Discard or Removal effects. Triggering Effects that are triggered by damage must be a minimum of one damage unless specified on the card.