JUDGE! 011: Better Know an Effect - REWINDING THE EARTH'S SPIN

Today's subject inspired this little re-occurring feature. We'll see if people like it. This is the first installment of “Better Know an Effect,” where we dig into a specific power or ability to hopefully clear up confusion on the matter.

First up is Masters of Time #100 Superman's “Rewinding the Earth's Spin.” As always, let's start by quoting the effect.

REWINDING THE EARTH'S SPIN Once per game at the beginning of your turn, if a standard friendly character was KO'd by an opposing effect since the end of your last turn, you may have each player, starting with you, place all figures on their force into their starting area on their starting clicks. If you do, each player may generate any number of non-bystander characters with a cost greater than 0 from their KO area into their starting area on their starting clicks, so long as doing so does not bring the total points of characters on that player's force above their build total. Each player scores 100 Victory Points, and your turn ends.

So there's the wording. I'm going to try and go line by line, or so, and restate it in plain English.

So, once per game. Simple, straight forward. You only get to do this once per game. Doesn't matter what other effects are in play, it's just once per game.

It triggers at the beginning of your turn but can only be resolved if a standard friendly character was KO'd by an opposing effect since the end of your last turn. So, a friendly standard character (no bystanders, no Tiny, Giant, Colossal, or multi-base bigger than a 1x2) has to be KO'd on your opponent's turn by an opposing effect. In multi-player games, this gets a little more time to happen, but in a regular 1v1 match, it's straightforward. Remember, as well, that knock back damage is not an opposing effect, it's a game effect, so it's neutral as far as forces go.

So, if this triggers and the conditional clause is met (a standard friendly character was KO'd) you may choose that both players place all characters on their force into their starting area on their starting clicks. You, as the controller of Superman, start this process. Note, this is not healing. And this is not turning characters to “click 1,” this is turning characters to their starting click this game. Whatever click number that may be. Also, because it refers to your force, it refers to the characters on the map and off the map (for instance, Frenchie, who begins on the map but is then placed on a character's card) but does not refer to characters on your Sideline or in your KO area (though we'll get to that later).

Then, if you choose to do that and both players do it (if you choose to do it, your opponent has to, they don't get to choose not to) you may then choose to generate a number of non-bystander characters with a point value of more than 0 from your KO area into your starting area on their starting clicks. But you can only do that until your force (characters on the map, now) hits the build total. You don't get to go over.

This is where people seem to have some misunderstanding. Nothing in this effect allows you to change the point value of the characters in your KO area. If a character has multiple starting lines that all cost the same, and you could start it on any of those lines normally, you can also choose any of them here. But if a character was added to your force for 35 points and is being generated from your KO area, it still has to cost 35 points. You don't get to choose its 70 point line.

The build total language is to address a situation like this: Darkseid is a pilot for Sleipnir. Darkseid goes to the KO area. This effect is applied. Darkseid has a cost greater than 0, but if generating him at 300 points would put your team total above the build total (which it would in a 300 point match) you don't get to generate him. That language is there entirely to prevent point value shenanigans and keep this effect thematic and fun. And if someone can figure out a way to make it effective, good for them. But it's not there to let you switch your 35 point Death of Superman Superman onto his 160 point line.

Each player scores 100 Victory points and then your turn ends. Seems fairly straight forward, right?

And that's it. A lot of words, but when creating an effect like this it needs all those little words to keep things within the realm of reasonableness. Imagine if the build total language wasn't there and you had to KO a Pilot Darkseid three times to score any points off of him?

I already have the next article cooking and it's going to deal with an old Heroclix concept that's becoming incredibly relevant again.

If you have something you'd like covered in a future JUDGE! article, email joenexus36@gmail.com  

And if you'd like to read back over past JUDGE! articles, you can check out the archive here.  

Until next time, they can explain it to you, they can't understand it for you. They're just the JUDGE!