Card rules · 2026-10-29
Following a Cross-Reference in Card Rules
Clause 8 permits an action “subject to clause 3”. Clause 3 restricts it to the active player’s turn, apart from a named response window. Read together, the clauses grant a conditional…
Clause 8 permits an action “subject to clause 3”. Clause 3 restricts it to the active player’s turn, apart from a named response window. Read together, the clauses grant a conditional permission; clause 8 does not remove the timing restriction.
What travels with the reference?
Suppose clause 3 permits an action only during the active player’s turn, with an exception for a named response window. Clause 8 has not granted permission at any time. Its reference carries the relevant timing restriction and the exception’s limits.
Read the actual scope of the reference. “As defined in clause 3” may import a definition, while “subject to clause 3” may impose a condition. Those phrases should not be paraphrased as if they always perform the same job.
Build a short rule chain
Write the proposed action, the clause permitting it and the referenced limitation. Then match the current facts to that chain. If the referenced text is missing, mark the conclusion unresolved. A confident answer based on half a rule is less useful than identifying the exact sentence still needed.
Definitions and permissions answer different questions
If one clause defines a response card, it tells you which cards qualify for that name. Another clause may still restrict when such a card can be used. Finding the definition does not remove the timing restriction. Write the definition beside the permission rather than treating the first relevant sentence as the entire rule.