After we published the official rules on Friday, we’ve gotten a few rulings questions. We’ll do our best to answer those for you here.

Main Phase + Combat

How does the Main Phase and Combat work?

During your Main Phase you can start (and finish) any number of Combats, one at a time. Each of those Combats takes place during your Main Phase.

You can start a combat by exhausting one or more attackers and choosing a legal defender. This starts the Combat. Now players can activate “Combat” Super Powers and play “Combat” Plot Twists.

While technically you’re still in your Main Phase during a Combat, you can’t use “Main” Super Powers or play “Main” Plot Twists.

After the Combat is over, you go back to being able to use “Main” Super Powers and Plot Twists. You can also start another Combat which works the same way as the first, and then another, etc.

Starting an Attack

Is there any difference between attacking a ready character or an exhausted character?

No, unless a card effect says otherwise.

Can an attack become illegal after it’s already started? For example, if I make a Ranged Attack against someone and then my opponent uses “Uncanny Defense” to switch the defender with someone who has Dodge (and can’t be Ranged Attacked)?

No. The only time you check to see if an attack is legal is right when you start the attack. In your example, the Ranged Attack would continue against the character with Dodge. (Think of them as usually being able to dodge bullets or blasts but in this case they’re stepping right into the line of fire.)

Can my Main Character attack on the very first turn of the game?

Yes.

Can a Supporting Character attack on the turn it appeared?

Yes.

If a Front Row attacker gets moved mid-combat to the Back Row, what happens? Same question but this time a Back Row attacker gets moved mid-combat to the Front Row?

In the first question it would become a ranged attack, and in the second question it would become a melee attack. However, cards are purposefully designed to avoid either of those situations.

Canceling a Combat

How can an attack get canceled?

A combat gets canceled if all of the attackers or the defender gets removed from the combat (usually by getting stunned).

There are also card effects which can cancel a combat.

What happens if an attack gets “canceled?”

All attackers and the defender are removed from the combat. They do not change orientation (i.e. if they’re exhausted, they stay exhausted).

The combat is now over and you’re back in your Main Phase.

Resolving Combat

Can I choose not to have my character strike in combat?

No, it happens automatically.

How do I determine if an attacker gets “credit” for stunning a defender in a team attack?

As long as the attacker is face-up when the defender gets stunned, it will get credit.

For example, let’s say you have Gamora (Supporting Character) who is Lethal. Her 3 ATK isn’t enough to stun a 5/5 defender so she team attacks with her 8/8 teammate. When the combat resolves, she’s still part of the attack so her Lethal power triggers.

In the above example, what if the 5/5 defender was Ferocious and chose to stun Gamora before the 8/8 then stunned it?

In that case, Gamora was already stunned when the 8/8 struck the defender, so her Lethal power won’t trigger.

What if the 8/8 was Ferocious?

Why, you have a lot of questions! In that case, when it strikes the 5/5, Gamora is face up so her Lethal power will trigger. It doesn’t matter that she never actually got a chance to strike the defender; she was still part of the attack.

Daredevil’s ATK doubles if he attacks a Main Character. If I’m attacking with Daredevil into a Main Character and my opponent plays “Metal and Fire” to give Daredevil a -1/-1 counter during the Combat, will that -1/-1 be applied before or after his ATK gets doubled?

Daredevil’s ATK will be doubled when he actually strikes the defender. So Daredevil would get a -1/-1 counter first, as Combat Super Powers and Combat Plot Twists are being played. Then, when both players pass, Combat resolves and Daredevil strikes, Daredevil’s ATK doubles, increasing him from a 2/2 into a 4/2.

Team Attacks

If I’m team attacking with two attackers and one of them gets stunned in the middle of combat (by a Plot Twist or Super Power), is it still a team attack?

If a team attack gets reduced to just one attacker, it stops being a team attack and becomes a solo attack.

Let’s say I have Star-Lord whose Team Up power is making my other Supporting Characters into Guardians. I team attack with him, Groot (a Guardian), and Wolverine (X-Men). But in the middle of the combat, Star-Lord gets stunned so his power turns off. Now Groot and Wolverine are different Team Affiliations but they’re Team Attacking together. What happens?

The combat continues as normal. You only check for team affiliations when you first start the team attack.

Can the defender in a team attack purposefully strike back against an attacker it won’t stun?

Yes. For example, if a 3/3 and a 5/5 team attack a 4/4, when the combat resolves, the defending player can have the 4/4 strike back against either attacker, even though striking back against the 5/5 won’t stun it.

Similar question — If I have a Leader in a team attack, can I force the defender to strike back against an attacker it won’t stun?

Yes. In the above example, if you were attacking with a Leader, you could force the 4/4 defender to strike back against the 5/5.

Can the defender in a team attack choose for the defender to strike back against an attacker “it can’t strike back at?” For example, let’s say Namor and Gambit are team attacking a back row defender. Can the defending player choose to have the defender strike back at Namor?

Yes, he can choose Namor, but the defender won’t actually strike Namor because of his Invade power.

If I have a Leader in a team attack, can I choose for the defender to strike back against an attacker “it can’t strike back at?” For example, let’s say Namor and Cyclops are team attacking a back row defender. Can I choose to have the defender strike back at Namor?

Yes, and then the defender won’t actually strike Namor because of his Invade power.

Flight and Range

If I have a character with Flight, does it have to attack the Back Row?

No. It can attack the Front Row or the Back Row. (Note: You can’t fly over the Front Row and attack the Back Row if there are any enemy Flight characters in that Front Row.)

If I have a character with Ranged, can I attack with it from my Front Row?

Yes, but then it’s a Melee attack, not a Ranged attack.

Leveling Up

Can I choose not to gain an XP?

No.

Can I choose not to Level Up?

No, once you have enough XP, you automatically Level Up.

Can a character Level Up mid-combat?

Yes.

Can a character Level Up mid-card effect? For example, Rocket levels up when your hand is empty, and Emma Frost has you discard your hand and draw a new one. For a second there in the middle of discarding and drawing, your hand is empty before you refill it. Would Rocket Level Up?

No. You must finish resolving Emma Frost’s effect before you check for Level Up conditions.

Do Level Up powers turn off while a Main Character is stunned?

Yes.

What happens if my Main Character would Level Up and get stunned at the same time? For example, Wolverine makes a solo attack and stuns the defender but gets stunned in return.

You put the Level 2 version of your Main Character into play stunned.

Power-Ups

Can I Power-Up a character during Combat if that character is not part of that Combat?

No. During a Combat you can only Power-Up a character in that Combat. During your Main Phase you can Power-Up any of your characters.

Can I Power-Up an enemy character?

No.

In a Two-Headed Teammates game can I Power-Up a character my teammate played?

Yes.

Modifying  and Stealing Characters

Do effects stay on a stunned character?

Yes, unless the effect says otherwise. For example, if a character has been “Frozen” by Iceman, it will remain frozen even if it gets stunned.

Can a character’s ATK go below 0?

Yes and no. If its ATK goes below 0 treat is as 0. However, if it later gains ATK, that gain is applied against the negative number.

Example: Cosmo has 1 ATK and an effect gives him -3 ATK. Treat him as though he as 0 ATK. But if he then gains +2 ATK, he will stay at 0. (1 – 3 + 2 = 0.)

What happens if I steal a Supporting Character (i.e. via Dormammu or Professor X) and it gets KO’d?

Put it into its owner’s KO Pile.

Locations

Are Locations unique?

No.

Timing

Can I ever react or respond to something my opponent does before it takes effect?

No. When an effect is played (whether it’s a Plot Twist, Super Power, or Power-Up), it resolves immediately.