Index -> Playing the Game -> Main Phase -> Using Activated Abilities

Using Activated Abilities

Some of your cards in play have effects that are not continuous, but instead require you to specifically “activate” them. Each of these abilities has a symbol in its game text, and begins with a keyword telling you when you may use it. Activated abilities you can use in your main phase begin with the “[Main]” keyword.

The next portion of game text, the part that appears before the symbol, is the cost you must pay to use it. Sometimes, it is literally a power cost, but often some other requirements are specified, such as swerving the card with the ability. Within the limits of paying these costs, you may perform an activated ability any number of times during a single turn.

The last portion of the game text, the part that appears after the symbol, is the effect of using that ability. You cannot use an activated ability if no part of its effect can be carried out. For example, if the effect of an activated ability is to “destroy a swerved enemy gear,” you cannot use the ability unless there is a swerved enemy gear for you to destroy. If you cannot carry out the full effects of an activated ability, but can still perform some portion of it, you may still use that effect. For example, if the effect of an activated ability is to “deal 2 damage to an enemy unit combatant,” you may still use the ability even if the only enemy unit combatant available has only 1 armor remaining.

To use an activated ability, right-click on the card that has it, then select it from the pulldown menu. If the text in the pulldown menu appears “greyed out,” then you are not eligible to use the ability – you might not be able to pay the cost or perform its effects, or it might not be the appropriate phase for you to use it.