Common keywords in practice

A keyword is shorthand for a sentence in the rules, and nearly every keyword question is answered by expanding it. Read the sentence, then apply it literally.

Worked example. Inferna has Ambush and Assault 2. Ambush is short for "I may be played to a battlefield where you control units" and "I have Reaction as long as I'm being played to a battlefield where you control units" (rule 822.1.b). So Inferna can come down in response to a spell, but only where you already have a unit. Assault 2 is short for "While I am an attacker, I have +2 Might" (rule 807.1.c). Inferna has 1 Might, but as an attacker she has 3, and as a defender she is back to 1. If Assault is written without a number it is 1, and values granted again by another source are summed (rule 807.1.b.3 and rule 807.2). Shield is the defender's version, +X Might while a defender (rule 814.1.c and rule 814.1.b.3).

Damage order. Tank and Backline change how combat damage may be assigned. A unit with Tank must be assigned lethal damage before any unit with the same controller that doesn't have Tank (rule 815.1.b). A unit with Backline must be assigned lethal damage after every unit with the same controller that doesn't have Backline (rule 826.3). Lethal damage must still be assigned to one unit before moving to the next (rule 815.1.c.1 and rule 826.4.a), and several Tank or several Backline units may be assigned in any order (rule 815.1.c.2 and rule 826.4.b).

Stun is a state, not a keyword (rule 424). A stunned unit does not contribute its Might to damage in the combat damage step, but it needs damage at least equal to its full Might to be killed (rule 424.1.b and rule 424.1.c). It can't be stunned again, and it loses the state in step 3d of the end-of-turn cleanup (rule 424.1.a.1 and rule 424.1.a.2).

Taxes and permissions. Deflect X makes spells and abilities an opponent controls that choose the permanent cost X more Power each time, of any domain (rule 809.1.c and rule 809.1.c.1). Ambush stops being a valid location if you have no units there before finalization completes (rule 822.3). Action lets a card be played in showdowns on any player's turn, and Reaction adds Closed States and includes everything Action allows (rule 806.1.b and rule 813.1.b).

Dependent keywords. A Dependent Keyword is a condition plus an ability written after it (rule 727.1). The ability is Inactive until the condition is met (rule 727.1.b), and with several dependent keywords all must be met (rule 727.1.b.3). Legion is short for "If you have played another card this turn, this card gains [Text]" (rule 812.1.b.1). It is active as long as a different card has been finalized by you that turn, and a spell that was countered still counts as finalized (rule 812.1.c and rule 420.4.b). Playing one card satisfies every Legion on cards you control (rule 812.2). Level N is "While you have N or more XP, this card gains [Text]" (rule 824.1.b.1), and Hunt X is "When I conquer or hold, my controller gains X XP" (rule 823.1.c.1).

Costs and others. Accelerate and Repeat are optional additional costs. Accelerate makes a unit enter ready, and Repeat executes the instructions one more time while the card is played once (rule 805.1.b, rule 820.1.d and rule 820.3.a). Flow lets you play a spell from your trash for its flow cost, then banish it (rule 829.1.b). Vision is "When this is played, Predict" (rule 817.1.b). Ganking lets a unit use its standard move from battlefield to battlefield (rule 810.1.b). Empower pays a cost to give a permanent or legend the Empowered status (rule 827.1.a and rule 827.1.c.1). Deploy (new in the October 2026 rules) lets gear be played to any battlefield, and requires that it be played or created only to a battlefield, keeps it from being recalled there, and kills it when an opponent holds the battlefield (rule 830.1.b). Disarm X (also new in the October 2026 rules) is "When I attack, give an enemy unit here -X Might this turn" (rule 831.1.d). Show Off (also new in the October 2026 rules) lets you reveal or pick objects as you play the card (rule 832.1.c). Unique limits a deck to one card of that name (rule 825.3.a). Deathknell and Temporary are in the cleanup lesson, Hidden has its own lesson, and Equip, Quick-Draw and Weaponmaster are in the gear lesson.

Common mistake. "Keywords just add a number." Assault and Shield apply only while the unit holds the designation, Legion only while the condition holds, and Level only while you have the XP.