This is not a complete and comprehensive list of all keywords used in the VS. System card game. This is, however, a listing of major keywords used and introduced in the ComicGenesis fantasy expansion of the game. If you want an exhaustive list of keywords used in the game, your best bet is the Summary of Terms FAQ at the official Upper Deck Entertainment website.
- Ally
- Found as an attribute on character cards. Whenever a character or type of character you control becomes powered-up, that character gets a bonus from the Ally card.
- Army
- Characters with the version "Army" are non-unique. They, unlike unique character cards, can have any number of identical cards in play at the same time. Also, unlike other cards, they are not limited to four copies of the card per deck.
- Backup
- A character card may have "Backup" powers. The Backup power can only be used during the build phase.
- Boost #
- As an additional cost of recruiting this card, you may pay # resource points. If you do, you get the bonus described. ("Boost X" describes a variable resource point cost.)
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| This shows the playing field in front of each player, composed of cards he controls. |
- Concealed
- A concealed character has a black border. It comes into play in the hidden area, and cannot be moved to the visible area without a special effect of some sort.
- Concealed-Optional
- - A concealed-optional character can come into play in either the hidden or visible area. Once in play, it stays in that area.
-Concealed-optional equipment can be equipped on a hidden or visible character, and is not lost when the character is transferred from one area to the other.
- Cosmic
- A charater with this comes into play with one cosmic counter, and can never have more than one cosmic counter on it. When it is stunned, it loses its cosmic counter. While a cosmic counter is on it, the character has that text.
- Cosmic-Serge
- Normal "cosmic" rules apply to this character, except that it does not come into play with a cosmic counter. It gains one cosmic counter at the beginning of recovery phase.
- Crossover
- Characters that have any of the affiliations specifically mentioned in your hand, deck, K.O.'d pile or in play now have all mentioned affiliations.
- Evasion
- "Evasion" translates to Stun this character -> Recover this character automatically at the start of recovery phase.
- Free
- This means "pay 0 endurence." You can use it even if your endurence is negative.
- Hidden
- - A hidden character cannot be attacked unless a special condition allows an opponent to do so.
- A hidden character cannot be equipped, except with concealed-optional equipment.
- A hidden character cannot be moved to the visible area without a special condition allowing it.
- When crossing between hidden and visible areas, all equiped items are KO'd, except for concealed-optional equipment.
- Direct endurence attacks are possible if the defending player controls no attackable visible characters. However, if the attacker can attack a visible character, he must do so before making direct attacks.
- Invulnerability
- A character with invulnerability does not lose endurence from being stunned. It can still lose endurence from breakthrough.
- Leader
- A leader character gives bonuses to adjacent characters.
- Loyalty
- A character with loyalty can only be recruited if you already control another character with the same affiliation.
- Loyalty-Reveal
- You can recruit a loyalty-reveal character either if you already control a character with the same affiliation or by revealing a character of the same affiliation from your hand.
- Mutant
- There are three varieties of mutant traits: mental (psionics), physical (physical abilities), and energy (projection or manipulation of energy). They are refered to by other cards, doing nothing on their own. Unlike other keywords or card text, stunned characters keep their mutant traits.
- Press
- For each press card a player recruits, additional character cards cost one less to recruit. The minimum recruit cost for any character is 1.
- Reinforcement
- A reinforced character does not sustain breakthrough endurence loss. A character can be reinforced two ways:
[1] If an effect says so
[2] If an adjacent, ready support row character of the same affiliation exhausts itself for this purpose.
- Replace
- To replace a resource, reveal and K.O. it, then place the top card from your deck in its place. (This can only occur if triggered by an event.)
- Reservist
- A reservist can be recruited from your hand or resource row. If you recruit it from your resource row, you may place a card from your hand in its place.
- Vengeance
- A vengeance power is triggered when the character is stunned.
- Willpower #
- Willpower refers to the character's ability to manipulate energy, wield magic, or use psionics. All characters without printed willpower and stunned characters are assumed to have willpower of 0.
- Laziness
- Laziness functions in the same manner as willpower. However, it is a measure of the opposite of willpower: a general indicator of the character's level of sloth, vice, and slovenliness. As with willpower, all characters without printed laziness and stunned characters are assumed to have laziness of 0.
- Traits
- The physical, mental, and energy traits are attatched to some ComicGenesis characters without them being mutants. Other traits may be added as further expansions develop.
- Author Avatar
- Like "Mutant," it is a trait. It is represented by a symbol in a manner similar to "Flight" and "Range." It has no effect on gameplay by itself, but is referenced by other cards. It shows that a particular character in play is loosely based on the creater of that character's webcomic.
