In Echo of Combats, cards have various properties that reflect exactly what a card can do in a game. This guide describes these properties in detail.
Card Ability Guide
Character
Any card that is not a spell is a character.
If the card text mentions a “character” or “characters”, it means both creatures and Heroes on the battlefield may be affected. Example: Fateful prophecy may be played either on a Hero or on a creature.
Creature. If the card text explicitly says that a creature or creatures are affected, it means that any entity on the battlefield, except Heroes, can be targeted. Example: Earthquake will damage all enemy creatures, but not the enemy Hero.
Hero. If the card text explicitly says that the Hero is affected, it means that only Heroes can be targeted by its effect. Example: Gift of Ascension cannot be used to heal any of your creatures, only your Hero.
Melee attack
The character may spend an action to make a simple melee attack against a single opponent.
Unless the attacker has the Backstab ability, all melee attacks cause retaliation, i.e. both the attacker and defender deal their melee damage to each other simultaneously.
Any character is capable of making a melee attack, even if their Attack is 0, suffering retaliation damage and retaliating themselves. You may use this to your advantage, e.g. to remove unneeded creatures from the battlefield or to trigger their abilities (such as Deathrattle). Example: Although the Heap of bones deals 0 damage, it will spawn a Skeleton when suffering retaliation damage.
Creatures that cannot make Ranged attacks or have no Feats make melee attacks by default. Just click on your creature and select an eligible enemy target. Otherwise, you will be presented with a choice, where you have to click on the ‘Axe’ icon to make a melee attack.
If a player has summoned a creature with Taunt, all melee attacks must be directed at this creature.
Armor
Each turn, absorbs up to X damage.
Armor fully restores at the beginning of the player’s turn (i.e. before any actions can be taken), at the same time, when Poison и Regeneration are triggered.
Armor absorbs any damage, such as damage from Melee attacks, Ranged attacks, Feats, spells, Battlecries, etc.
However, Armor does not protect the character from additional Melee… \ Attack… effects. Example: Deadly Gwen is able to kill even a Steel matron.
Ranged attack
The character may spend an action to make a ranged attack, with no retaliation from the opponent.
By making an attack from the distance, your character won’t suffer retaliation damage.
Please note that characters make Melee attacks by default, so in order to make a Ranged attack you have to click your character and then click on the ‘Bow’ icon.
Characters with Camouflage cannot be targeted by ranged attacks. If a player has summoned a creature with Quarry, all ranged attacks must be directed at this creature.
Feat
The character may spend an action to activate a special ability (instead of attacking this turn).
Feats can do all sorts of things, such as deal damage, heal, or produce some special effects.
To activate a feat, click on your character and then click on the ‘Magic ball’ icon.
Spikes
Attacker suffers X additional damage.
This ability is only activated when the character is attacked by a Melee attack; its damage is added to the retaliation damage, if any.
Please note that even attackers with the Backstab ability will still suffer the damage from Spikes.
This is a passive ability that is triggered automatically.
Windfury
The creature can make two Melee attacks during the turn.
Please note that the creature still has only one action. It is impossible to make one attack and perform a Feat or make a Ranged attack instead of the second one.
Just as well, you don’t have to make both attacks, if you don’t want to. In order to cancel the second attack, click the right mouse button or press ESC.
Volley
The creature can make two Ranged attacks during the turn.
Please note that the creature still has only one action. It is impossible to make one attack and perform a Feat or make a Melee attack instead of the second one.
Just as well, you don’t have to make both attacks, if you don’t want to. In order to cancel the second attack, click the right mouse button or press ESC.
Healing
Restore X Health to a damaged character.
The resulting Health cannot exceed the maximum Health of the character (including buffs).
Healing does not affect any debuffs on the character.
Charge
The creature can act immediately after being summoned to the battlefield.
The creature may perform any action it is capable of: make a Melee attack, a Ranged attack, or perform a Feat.
Battlecry
An additional effect that is triggered when the card is played from the hand.
Like a Feat, a Battlecry can do all sorts of things, such as deal damage, heal, or produce some special effects.
Please note that Battlecry effects are triggered before the creature actually appears on the battlefield, and thus it is not affected by other cards yet. Example: If the Mutual enemy kills a Sunset maid with its Battlecry, the Mutual enemy will not suffer damage from the Sunset maid’s Deathrattle effect.
Damage dealt by a Battlecry effect is considered ‘direct’ damage, i.e. it is neither melee, nor ranged, nor magical damage, and thus cannot be affected by Camouflage or Negation abilities, or Spell damage boosts. However, it can still be absorbed by the character’s Armor.
Deathrattle
An additional effect that is triggered when the creature is killed.
Like a Feat, a Deathrattle can do all sorts of things, such as deal damage, heal, or produce some special effects.
Please note that Deathrattle effects are triggered after the creature has been moved from the battlefield to the corresponding graveyard. Example: When the Headless count is killed, even if all first row cells are occupied, it will be able to summon the Count’s head into its own cell, since it is now free.
Damage dealt by a Deathrattle effect is considered ‘direct’ damage, i.e. it is neither melee, nor ranged, nor magical damage, and thus cannot be affected by Camouflage or Negation abilities, or Spell damage boosts. However, it can still be absorbed by the character’s Armor.
Camouflage
The creature is immune to Ranged attacks.
This ability does not protect the creature from Melee attacks, as well as from damage caused by Battlecry/Deathrattle effects of by Feats.
No character can have both Camouflage and Quarry.
If the character has been Silenced, it loses its Camouflage ability, just like any other ability.
Negation
The creature is immune to spells and their effects.
Characters with Negation cannot be targeted by any spell (regardless of who casts it–you or the enemy), nor they suffer damage from AoE spells. Example: Borris the Stone is completely immune to the effects of a Block of Ice or an Earthquake. However, he can’t be buffed by Inner might either.
This ability does not protect the creature from Melee attacks, as well as from damage caused by Battlecry/Deathrattle effects of by Feats.
If the character has been Silenced, it loses its Negation ability, just like any other ability.
Taunt
The opposing player is forced to direct any Melee attacks toward this creature.
This ability does not protect the creature from Ranged attacks, as well as from damage caused by Battlecry/Deathrattle effects of by Feats.
If the enemy has two or more creatures with Quarry, the player may decide which one to attack.
If a second row creature with Taunt is protected by a first row creature, the ability doesn’t work.
Quarry
The opposing player is forced to direct any Ranged attacks toward this creature.
This ability does not protect the creature from Melee attacks, as well as from damage caused by Battlecry/Deathrattle effects of by Feats.
If the enemy has two or more creatures with Quarry, the player may decide which one to shoot at.
Aura
Affects other characters on the battlefield.
The creature with Aura is not affected by its own aura effect.
When the creature with Aura is killed, all its aura effects are also gone.
Please note that when the creature with a health-boosting Aura is killed, if other damaged creatures would lose their last remaining health, they will be left with 1 Health instead.
Usually, Auras affect only creatures, but there are some exceptions, e.g. the Tactical marksman.
Silence
Removes all enchantments and abilities from the targeted card.
Silence can be used to remove any and all buffs and debuffs from spells, Battlecries, Deathrattles, or Feats that have been applied to the creature.
Silence will not remove Aura effects from affected creatures, but it will make the creature with Aura lose this ability.
Silence cannot affect Heroes.
Silence does not affect the creature’s basic abilities, such as Melee attack, Ranged attack, Armor, Health and Creature nature.
Silence removes: Armor from buffs, Spikes, Windfury, Volley, Battlecry, Deathrattle, Camouflage, Negation, Taunt, Quarry, Aura, Deathblow, Backstab, Regeneration, Poison, Stun, and Ethereal abilities, Spell damage buff, as well as poisoning and stun. Also, Silence removes all other text from the card.
Silence does not remove damage from the creature, nor does it reverse the effects of Healing.
Deathblow
The creature automatically kills the attacked creature with X remaining health.
Depending on the card description Deathblow, may be triggered by a Melee attack, a Ranged attack, or a Feat.
Deathblow is not an attack, and the damage cannot be absorbed by the defender’s Armor. Also, this is ability is not affected by Taunt, Quarry, Negation, or Camouflage.
Deathblow cannot affect Heroes.
Poison
At the start of each turn, the affected creature suffers X damage.
Posion damage is dealt at the beginning of the player’s turn (i.e. before any actions can be taken), at the same time, when Regeneration is triggered and Armor is restored. It means that all these effects occur simultaneously. Example: If the Mycelium guardian has 1 health left and is poisoned, it won’t die at the beginning of the turn, with 1 health still remaining.
Poison cannot affect Heroes.
Poisoning cannot be cured by Healing, however, it may be removed by Silence.
Stun
The affected character cannot attack or retaliate.
The stunned character loses its next turn.
All Melee attacks against the stunned character are made without retaliation.
However, Stun does not affect passive abilities, such as Spikes.
Backstab
This creature gets no retaliation when making a Melee attack.
When making a Melee attack, the creature with Backstab deals its melee damage, but does not suffer retaliation damage from the defender.
However, Backstab does not affect passive abilities, such as Spikes.
Regeneration
At the start of each turn, this character restores 1 health.
Regeneration is triggered at the beginning of the player’s turn (i.e. before any actions can be taken), at the same time, when Poison damage is dealt and Armor is restored. It means that all these effects occur simultaneously. Example: If the Mycelium guardian has 1 health left and is poisoned, it won’t die at the beginning of the turn, with 1 health still remaining.
Melee
Effects caused when this character makes a Melee attack against an enemy character.
This ability is triggered by making a Melee attack, regardless of whether it is successful or not. Even if the attack deals no damage, its additional effect still goes off.
This ability can not be triggered by a Ranged attack, a Feat, a Battlecry, a Deathrattle, etc.
Ranged
Effects caused when this character makes a Ranged attack against an enemy character.
This ability is triggered by making a Ranged attack, regardless of whether it is successful or not. Even if the attack deals no damage, its additional effect still goes off.
This ability can not be triggered by a Melee attack, a Feat, a Battlecry, a Deathrattle, etc.
Attack
Effects caused when this character makes an attack against an enemy character.
This ability is triggered by making any attack (either a Melee attack or a Ranged attack), regardless of whether it is successful or not. Even if the attack deals no damage, its additional effect still goes off.
This ability can not be triggered by a Feat, a Battlecry, a Deathrattle, etc.
Spell damage +X
Adds X to the damage dealt by spells that are cast by the player.
This buff is active as long as the creature with this ability stays on the battlefield.
This ability does not affect enemy spells.
Spell damage buffs from different creatures are cumulative.
This buff affects only spell damage, not their healing, card drawing or other effects.
Ethereal
This creature cannot suffer more than 1 damage from non-magical attacks.
All Melee attacks and Ranged attacks deal only 1 damage to Ethereal creatures..
However, this ability does not reduce the damage from Feats, Battlecries, Deathrattles or spells.
Creature nature
A creature may belong to some group, such as Gnomes, Golems, Skeletons, Rats, Mechs, or Spiders.
Nature does not grant any advantages by itself, but the creatures of the same nature usually have abilities or effects that work well together.
Heroes do not have a nature, they are characterized by their Class and Alignment.