Drillers · Board game rules
How do I use the text at the bottom of Drillers cards?
Quick answer
The text at the bottom of a card describes its unique effect, which triggers only when you play that card for its main effect (not when played for fuel).
Details
Each card can show several elements, including "Instant effects" and "Unique effects" printed toward the bottom of the card. These are resolved only if you play the card for its main effect — never if you play it simply to gain fuel [p.8 — CARDS]. Instant effects resolve immediately as part of the main effect, while unique effects also resolve when you play the card for its main effect, unless they are marked with a special icon [p.8 — CARDS].
If a unique effect has the "any number of times this turn" icon (🔁), you may use it as many times as you like during that turn. If it has the "once, at any time during Operations" icon (♾), you can trigger it a single time, whenever you choose during your Operations phase, rather than being forced to resolve it immediately when the card is played [p.8 — CARDS].
Watch out: Don't confuse card text with the effect printed at the bottom of a mine tile — that's a different mechanic. Mine tiles can be exhausted as a default function: resolve the effect at the bottom of the tile, then flip it face down. This can be done during Operations or Surfacing, often to pay for battery or fuel costs, and reduces the tile's end-game point value once exhausted [p.9 — DEFAULT FUNCTIONS], [p.11 — ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY].