19. Resolution Rules

19.1 Resolution Sequence#

Effects that cascade — a triggered ability that causes a state change that triggers another ability — resolve as a sequence. No players may play cards or activate abilities during the sequence; the chain runs to completion.

After the sequence completes, triggered abilities created during the sequence fire in active-player-first order. The active player resolves all of their newly-triggered abilities first (in any order they choose), then each non-active player in clockwise order does the same.

19.2 State Transitions#

A card "becomes Contested" whenever its visible face changes to a face whose type line is labeled "Contested," regardless of the cause:

• Combat destruction (per §11.7)
• Successful Liberation (per §12.2)
• Self-induced ability flip
• Any other effect that flips the card to its Contested face

A card "becomes Fallen" whenever its visible face changes to a face whose type line is labeled "Fallen," regardless of the cause:

• CP reaching 0 (per §7.5)
• Successful Liberation of the Character (per §12.2)
• Disruption of a Bound Storyline (per §8.8)
• Un-partnering of a Partner-keyword card (per §18.15)
• Any other effect that flips the permanent to its Fallen face (including non-Character permanents that flip into a Fallen state)

A card "becomes Prime" whenever its visible face changes to a face whose type line is labeled "Prime," regardless of the cause:

• Redeem clause flip-back (per §7.8)
• Original owner re-buying a Contested Location (per §13.2)
• Original owner combat-destroying their own Contested Location (per §11.7)
• Any other effect that flips the card back to its Prime face

Triggered abilities that key on these state transitions fire on any such transition, mirroring the standard pattern.

19.3 Activated Ability Timing#

All activated abilities are Fast by default — they may be played during any phase on any player's turn, with the exception of the Ready Phase and the End Phase (matching the timing window for Fast Maneuvers, §10.3).

A card may explicitly restrict its activated ability's timing in printed text (e.g., "Use only during your turn") to make the ability Slow or otherwise constrained. Absent such restriction, the default Fast timing applies.

The Bind ability on Storylines (§8.10) is Slow-timing by rule, not by per-card restriction.

Resource generation abilities tied to specific phases (e.g., Locations generating Income during Admin Phase, Locations contributing Votes during Politics sub-phase) are not activated abilities in this sense — they follow their phase-specific rules.

19.4 Flipping Does Not Destroy#

A card flip (whether triggered by combat, Liberation, ability, or any other means) is not a destruction event. Triggers keyed to destruction (e.g., War Crime) do not fire on flips. A card that flips to a different face remains in play.

19.5 Visual Identification of Contested, Fallen, and Prime Faces#

For ease of identification during play, card faces labeled "Prime," "Contested," or "Fallen" on the type line are visually distinguished (typically by a color treatment on the card face) so players can quickly count permanents toward the 8-permanent Lose condition (§16).