{"id":7160,"date":"2017-03-06T15:27:15","date_gmt":"2017-03-06T15:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/67272bb316.nxcli.io\/heroclix\/?p=7160"},"modified":"2017-03-06T16:56:11","modified_gmt":"2017-03-06T16:56:11","slug":"heroclix-2017-rules-3-timing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/2017\/03\/06\/heroclix-2017-rules-3-timing\/","title":{"rendered":"HeroClix 2017 Rules 3: Timing"},"content":{"rendered":"

For earlier articles in this series please\u00a0click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Reminder:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>These rules are not finalized yet and will not replace the current rules until sometime after the\u00a0 2017 HeroClix World Championship at Origins Game Fair. Email <\/em>gamefeedback@wizkids.com<\/em><\/a> with feedback on this topic. We will try and read everything on topic but can only respond via articles we write addressing shared concerns.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hey HeroClix fans,<\/p>\n

This time, we\u2019re going to be talking about one of the most important changes. One of the things that came up again and again when talking to players is that when you can activate effects in HeroClix can be unclear.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a little quiz (answers at the end). Right now, can you activate FREE actions in response to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Your beginning of turn trigger?<\/li>\n
  2. Your end of turn trigger?<\/li>\n
  3. Your beginning of game trigger?<\/li>\n
  4. Your opponent\u2019s beginning of game trigger?<\/li>\n
  5. Clearing action tokens?<\/li>\n
  6. An effect that triggered while clearing action tokens?<\/li>\n
  7. Your \u2018after actions resolve\u2019 (now called after resolutions) trigger?<\/li>\n
  8. Additionally, can you activate a FREE action inside of your other action?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We spent a lot of time thinking and talking to players about the best way to simplify things. Timing shouldn\u2019t be something to argue about in games of HeroClix, we\u2019d much rather see players playing the game. We want to provide a framework where it is clear for both new and veteran players exactly when something can happen.<\/p>\n

    We wanted something intuitive and easy to remember. So the rule that evolved was simply this:<\/p>\n<\/div>

    <\/div><\/div><\/div>

    THE RULE OF ACTION TIMING<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Actions may only be activated during the action phase of your turn, when nothing is resolving. The only exceptions to this involve costed actions used \u201cat no cost\u201d during other actions or special triggered effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We\u2019ll dive into the exceptions and \u201cat no cost\u201d very soon when we talk about what\u2019s happening to the phrase \u201cas a free action\u201d. \u201cCosted\u201d is our new way to say \u201cnon-free\u201d actions.<\/p>\n

    But let\u2019s focus on the first part. \u201cActions may only be activated during the action phase of your turn, when nothing is resolving.\u201d This is pretty simple to read, but there\u2019s a lot of implications to unpack.<\/p>\n

    First, let\u2019s talk about the turn structure. A HeroClix turn is being divided into 4 phases.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Beginning of Turn phase<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Action phase<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. End of Turn phase<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Clear phase<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The vast majority of the time, you won\u2019t have to pay close attention to phases. You certainly don\u2019t have to formally \u201cpass\u201d from one phase to another, it changes when you do something that can only happen in a later phase. However, the turn structure will always be in the rules to handle questions that arise about\u00a0what<\/i>\u00a0can happen\u00a0when<\/i>.<\/p>\n

      Here\u2019s the first 3 phases: (We\u2019ll cover the Clear phase another time.)<\/p>\n

      2. BEGINNING OF TURN PHASE<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \u2018Beginning triggered effects\u2019 trigger and resolve now. No actions can be activated now (one exception).<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u2018Beginning triggered effects\u2019 say \u201cat the beginning of your turn<\/u>.\u201d Variations of this phrase are also considered \u2018beginning triggered effects\u2019. Those may include \u201cat the beginning of each turn<\/u>\u201d or \u201cat the beginning of each opponent\u2019s turn<\/u>\u201d and other close variations.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The Beginning of Turn phase ends when a character is given an action.<\/span>
      \n SIDEBAR: If you don\u2019t give a character an action, then this phase and your Action phase end when you trigger an \u2018end triggered effect\u2019. If you don\u2019t give a character an action or trigger an \u2018end triggered effect\u2019, then this phase and your Action phase and your End of Turn phase end when you begin clearing action tokens. If you don\u2019t give a character an action or trigger an \u2018end triggered effect\u2019 or clear action tokens, then your entire turn (and its phases) ends when you declare you are passing the turn. Similarly for the other phases below.<\/span><\/p>\n

      2. ACTION PHASE<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      The Action phase is where most of the game takes place. Actions can only be given in this phase, and only when nothing is resolving (one exception).<\/span><\/p>\n

      The Action phase ends when a player begins resolving an \u2018end triggered effect\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

      3. END OF TURN PHASE<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \u2018End triggered effects\u2019 trigger and resolve now. No actions can be activated now (one exception).<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u2018End triggered effects\u2019 say \u201cat the end of your turn<\/u>.\u201d Variations of this phrase are also considered \u2018end triggered effects\u2019. Those may include \u201cat the end of each turn<\/u>\u201d or \u201cat the end of each opponent\u2019s turn<\/u>\u201d and other close variations.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The End of Turn phase ends when a player begins clearing action tokens.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The exception mentioned is using costed actions \u201cat no cost\u201d that will be covered in an article very soon. You\u2019ll also note a new templating that will carry over to character cards: \u2018beginning (and end) triggered effects\u2019 will be underlined. So you can quickly scan your card to see if anything triggers at the beginning (or end) of your turn<\/u>, no more hunting through text.<\/p>\n

      So, in the Beginning of Turn phase, \u2018beginning triggered effects\u2019 happen, and that\u2019s it. Those \u2018beginning triggered effects\u2019 themselves may contain move and attacks if we specifically want them to. (For example, \u201cAt the beginning of your turn<\/u>, make a close attack.\u201d) But you can\u2019t activate FREE actions of any kind in response to them or during them. You need to save your actions for the aptly named Action phase, where they are meant to be used. Same thing for the End of Turn phase.<\/p>\n

      One of the main reasons that \u201cat the beginning of your turn<\/u>\u201d is even part of HeroClix language is to stop effects from \u201ccomboing\u201d with others that may be potentially confusing or make them too powerful when combined. Keeping \u2018beginning triggered effects\u2019 separate and before you can start normally moving, attacking, or<\/strong> giving actions including FREE actions allows for powerful effects without piling on the confusion.<\/p>\n

      We recognize that this is a big change, but after testing it and talking to players who\u2019ve played with it, we are confident that it will be much easier for both new and veteran players to understand how timing works and how effects interact if we separate out FREE actions from \u2018beginning and end triggered effects\u2019.<\/p>\n

      Now, some of the important HeroClix rules changes that fulfill our shared goals described in earlier articles are going to either increase or decrease the power level of certain standard powers. In the case of this change, it keeps coming back to one thing: Poison. Poison no longer “combos” with Outwit or Sidestep.<\/p>\n

      When we introduced Sidestep, we wanted a simple \u201cmove 2\u201d power. Making it a FREE action was the simplest implementation of that. Of course, current rules allowed it to \u201ccombo\u201d with Leadership and Poison.\u00a0We didn’t think those \u201ccombos\u201d were game-breaking, so we let them stand instead of adding text to Sidestep for the corner case of forbidding them.<\/p>\n

      Outwit was decided very early in the game\u2019s history to \u201ccombo\u201d with Poison, but not as part of a complete HeroClix timing system. With where the rules are heading, it\u2019s a decision that needs to be re-examined.<\/p>\n

      This is going to remove some of the ways in which veteran players use Poison. We understand that it has lost some familiar functionality. Without \u201cbreaking\u201d the timing system just for this one power, there are several potential ways to adjust the text of Poison itself to address this. We listened to player feedback and had some internal debates about what to do with Poison. In the end, though, anything added to Poison was inelegant or brought up other corner case issues, or just changed it too much. So the effect is the same now as it was (barring a few grammar differences):<\/p>\n

      Poison<\/span><\/p>\n

      At the beginning of your turn<\/u>, you may deal 1 damage to all adjacent opposing characters.<\/span><\/p>\n

      It no longer combos with Outwit or Sidestep, but everything else about it is the same. The next time we do a rules pass, after these rules have been played for a while by everyone, it will be a goal to focus on \u2018standard power\u2019 power levels and Poison is one power to be examined closely.<\/p>\n

      That\u2019s all for today. Keep on Clixin\u2019!<\/p>\n

      Quiz answers for current (2015) rules:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Your beginning of turn trigger? – YES<\/strong><\/li>\n
      2. Your end of turn trigger? – YES<\/strong><\/li>\n
      3. Your beginning of game trigger? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
      4. Your opponent\u2019s beginning of game trigger? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
      5. Clearing action tokens? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
      6. An effect that triggered while clearing action tokens? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
      7. Your \u2018after actions resolve\u2019 (now called after resolutions) trigger? – YES<\/strong><\/li>\n
      8. Additionally, can you activate a FREE action inside of your other action? \u2013 YES<\/strong>, but only \u201cas a free action\u201d. \u201cFree actions\u201d themselves (the kind you give to characters, like Outwit) can\u2019t be activated then. Confused? We\u2019ll clean that up in an article very soon.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Quiz answers for upcoming (2017) rules:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Your beginning of turn trigger? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
        2. Your end of turn trigger? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
        3. Your beginning of game trigger? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
        4. Your opponent\u2019s beginning of game trigger? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
        5. Clearing action tokens? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
        6. An effect that triggered while clearing action tokens? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
        7. Your \u2018after actions resolve\u2019 (now called after resolutions) trigger? – NO<\/strong><\/li>\n
        8. Additionally, can you activate a FREE action inside of your other action? \u2013 NO<\/strong>, but costed actions can be activated \u201cat no cost\u201d in them<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          PS:\u00a0 We\u2019d like to thank the community for the many thoughtful and supportive emails!\u00a0 We do appreciate it when you call out areas that could use clarification and while many should be addressed in planned articles we are making notes for how to improve from your feedback.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

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