The Cards
Explanation of markings, icons and termsCard Icons And Their Meanings
Explaining different card types in the game
Each card has a similar look and layout. Take a moment and place down a few of the cards. The sideways cards mostly have map pictures; they are the realms that make up an empire. The rest of the cards are laid out upright. In the upper left-hand corner is an icon that identifies the card type. The wizard champion icon and wizard spell icon have the same shape but different colors. The same is true for the cleric champion icon and the cleric spell icon, the psionicist champion icon, the psionicist power icon, etc. The pale cream icons are special cards usable by champions; the champions generally have darker icons.
Seven of these icons belong to a single card type: champion. Clerics, heroes, monsters, wizards, psionicists, thieves, and regents are all champions. Rules that discuss champions apply to all of these cards, and there are some rules unique to individual types of champions.
All champions have a number in their icons, just as many other cards also have numbers. The number is the level of the card, and the higher the level, the more powerful the card. Most cards have levels ranging from 0 to 9, though a few cards, notably the avatars, have much higher power levels.
For example, wizard champions have a book icon, and clerics have a shield icon. Most cards have some unique abilities bestowed upon them by their particular icon. Wizards, for instance, gain the ability to cast wizard spells, psionicists gain the ability to use psionic power cards, regents can use blood abilities, and so on.
Any card that removes a champion's special power does not negate the champion's icon ability. However, any card that changes the type of the champion changes the champion's icon ability, and such a champion loses the icon ability.
Note that monster champions have no icon ability.
