{"id":7173,"date":"2017-03-08T15:00:44","date_gmt":"2017-03-08T15:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/67272bb316.nxcli.io\/heroclix\/?p=7173"},"modified":"2017-03-08T16:46:36","modified_gmt":"2017-03-08T16:46:36","slug":"heroclix-2017-rules-4-as-a-free-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/2017\/03\/08\/heroclix-2017-rules-4-as-a-free-action\/","title":{"rendered":"HeroClix 2017 Rules 4: As a Free Action"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-padding-top:20px;--awb-padding-bottom:20px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/gameplay\/rules-format\/\" target=\"_blank\">For earlier articles in this series please\u00a0click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>Reminder:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><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\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"mailto:gamefeedback@wizkids.com\"><em>gamefeedback@wizkids.com<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0with 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<p>Hey HeroClix fans,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a free action\u201d is one of those common HeroClix phrases that can cause confusion among players and judges. This confusion has only grown over time as more uses of \u201cas a free action\u201d have been added as the game progressed. A priority when writing these rules was to really dive deep and clean up all the different uses of that phrase. In fact, it got cleaned up so thoroughly that HeroClix doesn\u2019t need it at all anymore!<\/p>\n<p>The phrase \u201cfree action\u201d is currently used in at least 4 different primary ways, with several more depending on how you categorize it. These ways, while they share certain similarities, fall in 4 distinct buckets:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As a way to say \u201cyou may\u201d in certain triggered effects<\/li>\n<li>As a way to allow a standard power to be activated at its normal time, but without paying the cost, and limited to one use each turn<\/li>\n<li>As a way to allow a standard power to be activated during another action or a triggered effect, and without paying the cost, but not (necessarily) limited to one use each turn<\/li>\n<li>As a way to pay the cost of an actual FREE action like Outwit or Perplex<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>Current Examples:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201cAt the beginning of your turn, make a close attack as a free action\u201d or \u201cAt the beginning of your turn, give this character a free action to deal 1 damage to each adjacent opposing character.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201c[character name] can use Smoke Cloud as a free action.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201cAfter actions resolve, [character name] can use Smoke Cloud as a free action.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201cGive this character a free action to modify by +1 or -1 any combat value of a target character within range and line of fire until your next turn.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\"><p>While these all certainly bear some relationship to each other, they are not the same. Untangling all the uses and what each use was really trying to do and how to fix this took a lot of thought and playtesting and we\u2019re happy to share with you the results.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how each use of &#8220;as a free action&#8221; listed above will be formatted in the new rules:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201c\u201d \u2013 This first use doesn\u2019t really need to be there at all. As part of a triggered effect, \u201cyou may\u201d is all we need to say. We already say \u201cyou may\u201d to indicate an optional choice in several standard powers.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cas FREE\u201d \u2013 This use is the closest to the original meaning of \u201cas a free action\u201d, and has a phrase to match.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cat no cost\u201d \u2013 This use is seen when the action needs to be activated as part of another action or triggered effect. Moving forward, this phrase, and only this phrase, will allow you to do so.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFREE:\u201d &#8211; As we discussed in the article on new language, when it\u2019s a free action that you can activate at a normal time, it\u2019s going to look like other actions do now.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-4\"><p><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>New Examples:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201cAt the beginning of your turn, you may make a close attack\u201d or \u201c<\/em><em>At the beginning of your turn, you may deal 1 damage to all adjacent opposing characters\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201cSmoke Cloud as FREE.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201cAfter resolutions, [character name] can use Smoke Cloud at no cost.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em>\u201cFREE: Choose a target character within range and line of fire. Modify one of that character\u2019s combat values by +1 or -1 until your next turn.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-5\"><p>Now, some of you might have an instinctive reaction that all this nuance seems a bit unnecessary. But we\u2019ve seen several benefits that we\u2019d like to share with you.<\/p>\n<p>First, the 3<sup>rd<\/sup> use (\u201cat no cost\u201d) does one of the most rule-breaking things in HeroClix \u2013 it lets you activate actions inside of other actions or triggered effects. It\u2019s the one exception that thumbs its nose at the otherwise clear timing established in the last article (and even the timing we have now). And currently, it shares its name with 3(!) other related but distinct things. That\u2019s a recipe for very understandable confusion on when you can and can\u2019t activate your current free (or as free) actions.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, the specific phrasing helps indicate when something can happen. FREE: (and \u2018as FREE\u2019, which looks similar) can be activated when normal actions can be. \u201cAt no cost\u201d is something very different, and can only be activated inside of something else that gives it timing.<\/p>\n<p>So how does it all come together? Well, there\u2019s a chart! This chart may seem complicated at first, but here\u2019s the thing: it\u2019s <u>exactly<\/u> the same system we have right now, except it\u2019s written out and \u201cas a free action\u201d has been separated into its distinct uses. So if you\u2019ve never before needed to know the details on exactly how actions can be activated, you probably still won\u2019t. If, however, there are arguments about what can be activated when, this complements the simple rule of timing (<em>\u201c<\/em><em>Actions <\/em><em>may only be activated during the action phase of your turn, when nothing is resolving.\u201d)<\/em> by filling in some details for how specific existing effects will work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"table-1\">\n<table width=\"744\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"460\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"71\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Costed actions (MOVE:, CLOSE:, RANGE:, POWER:)<\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"71\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">FREE:<\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"71\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Costed actions &#8220;as FREE&#8221;<\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"71\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Costed actions &#8220;at no cost&#8221;<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Current Action Total decreases by one<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Give action token immediately after resolutions<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Can only activate while having zero or one action tokens<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Can only activate during Action phase, with nothing is resolving<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Can activate if already given a costed action this turn<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"460\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Can activate more than once per turn (the exact same action, and activated in same way by same character)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\">N<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>Y<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-6\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There are still a few deeper rules issues that may be added to or clarified on the chart, so don\u2019t panic if you\u2019re a HeroClix rules aficionado and still have some questions after reading it. Things like DOUBLE POWER actions, how activating an action \u201cat no cost\u201d or \u201cas FREE\u201d doesn\u2019t change the type of action given, and more. Do note that now you can activate the same power more than once in a turn, as long as it\u2019s activated in different ways (costed, as FREE, at no cost).<\/p>\n<p>These 5 lines contain almost everything you need to know about activating actions in a game of HeroClix. Everyone we\u2019ve talked with has the same goal of wanting the 2017 rules to be the final authority on the modern HeroClix rules and not have any large \u201cgaps\u201d where effects or interactions become unclear. So we took the approach of being very clear and specific on all of the differences between costed actions, FREE actions, costed actions \u201cas FREE\u201d, and costed actions \u201cat no cost\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The action chart is not intended to be something you need to reference every game, or even very often. Just like now, most of the time you can just read what an effect does, and then do it, and not spend much time thinking about timing. But part of creating a \u201ccomplete\u201d timing system for HeroClix is having charts like these to resolve disputes when they do arise.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s all for today. Keep on Clixin\u2019!<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7100,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[113,112],"tags":[115,114,109],"class_list":["post-7173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-113","category-heroclix-rules","tag-2017-rules","tag-as-a-free-action","tag-heroclix-rules"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wizkids.com\/heroclix\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}