Fundamentals

EvN is a card game for two players. Each player brings a deck of their own and plays it against the other.

Each player has a Leader, a Soul that stands on the altar at the back of their field. A player whose Leader is captured loses the duel at once (16.1.1).

There are two other ways a duel ends: a player who has been Decked Out for too long loses (16.2.1), and either player may surrender at any time (16.3.1).

The game enforces every rule in this Codex. The Codex describes what the game does; where an older printed rulebook says something else, the game and this Codex are right.

Card text beats the rules. When a card says something that contradicts a rule in this Codex, the card wins, as far as its text reaches.

ExampleThe rules say an effect may only target Souls in the Front Line. Chrome Chains says "Any Soul", so it may target a Soul in any line.

"Can't" beats "can". When one effect says something may happen and another says it may not, it may not.

ExampleA Soul with Dual Wielding that is Frozen can't attack at all: the restriction wins over the permission.

Do as much as you can. When an effect can't be carried out in full, it is carried out as far as possible. A part that has nothing left to act on is skipped, and the rest still happens (11.6.3).

Steps of 5. Damage, healing and paid HP always come in steps of 5, rounded down (14.1.2).

A card that leaves the field forgets. When a card leaves the field and comes back, it is a new card. Nothing that applied to it before carries over (15.5.1).

The turn player is the player whose turn it is. The other player is their opponent.

NoteDuring setting up, before the first turn, the turn player is the player who acted last (6.4.4).

The owner of a card is the player whose deck it started in. The controller of a card on the field is the player on whose side it is. No effect in EvN hands a card to the other player, so the owner of a card is always its controller.

On a card, "you" and "your" mean its controller. "Opponent", "opposing" and "your Opponent" mean the other player.

A card that goes to a hand, an Elysium or an Exile goes to its owner's.

When an effect asks for a choice, its controller makes it, unless the card names another player (a card that makes "your Opponent discard" lets the opponent choose the card).

NoteWhen all options are the same (two copies of one card in your hand, for example), the game picks one for you; it makes no difference which.

A card is active while it lies face up on the field: a Soul on a soul slot, an Armament under its Soul, a Realm on a realm slot.

Cards in a hand, a deck, an Elysium or an Exile are not active. Face-down cards on the field are not active either: captured Souls, shattered Realms and Ambushes that have not been sprung.

Only active cards have effects. A captured Soul has no keywords, no Static Effects and no triggers, and what its Static Effects gave other cards ends (13.1.2). What its effects did when they resolved (a bonus, a "cannot attack", Frozen on a Soul Spot) lasts for its full duration.

Many rules ask for an active Soul: only active Souls attack, can be attacked, cast Events, spring Ambushes, carry Armaments and count for the lines.

Public: every face-up card on the field, both Elysiums and both Exiles, the number of cards in each hand and each deck, and the last action taken.

Hidden: the cards in a hand (from the opponent), the order of a deck (from everyone) and face-down Ambushes (from the opponent; their owner knows them).

When an effect finds a particular card in a deck, its controller shows the card to the opponent before taking it (15.6.2).

The game never reveals hidden information by itself. It passes priority for a player automatically only when that player has no response anyone could see coming (12.3.4).