Spirit Island · Board game rules
How do Power Cards and Fear Cards interact with each other?
Quick answer
Power Cards can generate Fear (e.g., by destroying Towns/Cities), which may earn Fear Cards. Fear Cards resolve during the Invader Phase and can alter the board state, indirectly affecting Power Card usage in later phases.
Details
Power Cards and Fear Cards interact primarily through Fear generation and board state changes:
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Fear Generation by Power Cards:
- Power Cards that destroy Towns (1 Fear) or Cities (2 Fear) contribute to advancing Fear Markers. When all Fear Markers are advanced, a Fear Card is earned and added to the stack [p.12 — Fear and Terror].
- Some Power Cards explicitly grant Fear symbols (𝒴), directly advancing Fear Markers.
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Fear Card Resolution Timing:
- Fear Cards are resolved during the Invader Phase, after Fast Powers and before Invader Actions (Ravage, Build, Explore). Their effects last only for the current turn [p.9 — Invader Phase].
- This means Fear Card effects (e.g., removing Invaders, adding Defend) are active during the rest of the Invader Phase and the subsequent Slow Power Phase.
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Indirect Interaction:
- Fear Cards can modify the board (e.g., destroying Invaders, preventing Builds), which may create or remove targets for Power Cards played in the Slow Power Phase.
- Fear effects (e.g., "Invaders do not Ravage in target land") can protect lands where Spirits have Presence, preserving Presence for future Power usage.
Watch out:
Fear Cards earned during the Invader Phase are resolved immediately in the same phase. If a Power Card’s effect depends on the board state (e.g., targeting Invaders), ensure the Fear Card’s changes are accounted for before using Slow Powers.