Rules Card
Many ENVIRONMENT cards feature a new keyword: LASTING. Lasting cards are essentially cards that stay in play (unlike most other cards in the game) but they don't equip to anything.
Commander's Rules
There are 2 ways to play ENVIRONMENT type cards. The standard way involves a different format known as Commander's Rules. Commander's Rules allow for Support Craft and an Environment deck, and these new dimensions make for a very different gaming experience. A rules card is included in the Core Set to explain ENVIRONMENT cards.Commander's Rules do not require players to use ENVIRONMENT cards but those who choose to are restricted to EXACTLY 5. All ENVIRONMENT cards players bring to the game are shuffled together into a community pile. Each turn, the Priority player begins the turn by flipping face up the top card of the Environment deck. In this way new rules are added to the game or some other wide-spread effect may apply each turn until the Environment deck is empty.
The alternate way to play ENVIRONMENT cards is to simply include any number of them face up next to the play area as part of set up. The Alternate Rules cards are intended for this method.
Alternate Rules Cards
The Core Set and all four Extension Sets each include an Alternate Rules ENVIRONMENT card. For example, the Core Set includes the card Alternate Rules: Drift, which is always a recommended rule.
Players can utilize both the standard and alternate methods of Environment cards, such as establishing the Alternate Rules cards during set up but also having different cards for use in the Environment deck.
You can see all currently released Alternate Rules cards at the card database.
One last thing: ENVIRONMENT cards are restricted to 1 copy per player. See the Restricted List for more detail on restricted cards.
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