Card
Anatomy
What Are All These
Cards?
Building Your Deck
What You Need to Play
The Concept
Getting Started
Quickly
Sequence of Play
Winning the Game
Playing
Your Hand
Guards and Other
Standing Defenses
Exertions and Power
Blows
Hidden Attacks
Special Attacks
Ranged Attacks
Rolling Dice
Running Out of Cards
(Exhaustion)
Head Shots
Disarming and Breaking
Weapons
Edge Cards
Special Cards
Damage and Loss of
Ability
Counter Cards
Minimum
Deck Size
Restricted Cards
Persona Cards
Generic Immortals
Master Cards
Welcome to the incredible world of the Immortals, the world of Highlander!
Based on the immensely popular motion pictures and television series of the same name, Highlander: The Card Game is a collectible trading card game of swashbuckling swordplay and dark intrigue.
The first Highlander movie was released in 1986, and became a cult classic. The movie starred Christopher Lambert as the hero, Connor MacLeod; Sean Connery played his friend and mentor Ramirez; and Clancy Brown assumed the role of The Kurgan, Connor's most deadly enemy. Two sequels were produced, followed by a television series starring Adrian Paul as Connor's dashing cousin, Duncan MacLeod.
In Highlander: The Card Game, players assume the roles of Immortals like Connor, Ramirez, The Kurgan, and Duncan. These Immortals are mysterious wanderers who can only die if their heads are severed from their bodies. Immortals spend eternity honing their sword-fighting skills, trying to reach the time of The Gathering, when they will battle to the last. To the victor goes The Prize, an enigmatic goal of legendary proportions that no one really understands. It is simply known among them that he who wields its power will command the destiny of the entire world. Quite a prize indeed.
To attain this goal some Immortals will stop at nothing, while others follow a stricter code of honor and decency in their quest. In the end, for better or worse...
There can be only one.
Open up your deck of Highlander cards, flip through them and look at the different types of cards. Let's examine the way the cards are designed:
Card type icon: In the upper left hand corner of the card, there will be an icon (a small picture) denoting the card type. We'll cover these icons in more detail below.
Title: Across the top of the card is the title bar. The title of the card will appear here, in large letters. Your deck may not contain more than 6 cards of the same title.
Immortal name: Unless the card is "generic," you'll find the Immortal's name just beneath the title, in slightly smaller letters. Most of the special maneuvers are borrowed from the fighting styles of the Immortals whose names appear on the cards. If a card has an Immortal's name in the title bar, it is known as Immortal Specific.
Reserved symbol: If the card is Reserved, it will have a sword in the title bar, over to the right hand side. These cards represent the truly specialized knowledge of a particular Immortal, a certain trick that only he can perform. Only the Immortal named on the card can use the Reserved card.
Restriction number: If there is a number to the far right hand side of the title bar, that card is Restricted. Your deck may not contain more of that card than the Restriction number.
Text: At the bottom of the card you will find the card text, where you will find any special instructions about that card.
The cards come in several varieties, but are easily distinguished by the small icon in the upper left hand corner of the card:
Basic Attacks: The basic attacks have a red grid (like a tic-tac-toe board) in the corner. If you look at the grid, you'll notice that one of the squares in the grid is filled with a red square. That red square shows where the attack is aimed. For example, if there is a square in the lower right corner of the grid, that attack is aimed at the lower right side of your opponent.
Blocks: Blocks have a blue grid. If you have a block that covers the same area where you are attacked, you can play that block to stop the attack.
Dodges: Dodges have a green grid. Dodges are defenses, like blocks, and if your dodge covers the same area as the attack, you move out of the way of the attack and escape harm.
Special Attacks: Special attacks have a gold grid. Special attacks are like basic attacks, but are marked with a different color because they require some special preparation or skill from the attacker.
Events: Events have a lightning bolt in the upper left hand corner. You can use Events to quickly change the course of the battle in your favor.
Situations: Situations have a silhouette in the corner. Unlike Events, which come and go, Situations remain in play and change the conditions of the battle over many turns.
Locations: Locations have a ruin in the corner. They are like Situations in that they change the conditions of the duel while in play. However, they are more likely to affect both players.
Objects: Objects are marked with a sword in the upper left hand corner, and include such things as extra weapons or armor.
Edge: Edge cards are marked with an outstretched hand. Edge cards do very little on their own, but used in conjunction with other cards they can become very powerful, giving you the edge you need in battle.
Persona cards: If you are very lucky, your starter deck may include a Persona card. Totally unlike any other card, Persona cards have a picture of an Immortal on the front, and biographical information about that Immortal on the back. You can use Persona cards to play as your favorite Immortal, such as Connor or The Kurgan. But don't worry if you don't get a Persona card; you can still play the game without one.
Before you can begin playing, you should sort through your cards. You'll probably be able to play with your starter deck right out of the box, but there are a couple of things to look for first:
Persona cards: If you were lucky enough to get a Persona card in your starter deck, you may play as that Immortal. But for now, we're going to show you how to play as a Generic Immortal. Set any Persona cards aside for now.
Reserved cards: These cards are easily identified because they will have a sword on the title bar, over on the right hand side. If a card is Reserved, it means it can only be used by the Immortal whose name appears just below the title of the card. Remove any Reserved cards from your deck and set them aside for now.
Immortal specific cards: Many cards have the name of an Immortal in the title bar. Even if you don't have the Persona card for the Immortal whose name appears there, you can use these cards. As a Generic Immortal you can use cards from all the Immortals. But you can only use one of any card from the same Immortal. You could use one of Connor's Power Blow cards, for example, and one of Connor's Back Away cards, but you couldn't use two of Connor's Power Blow or two of his Back Away cards.
Restricted cards: Remember that some cards are Restricted, with a number printed on the far right hand side of the title bar. Your deck can't have more of that card than the number printed there. For example, if the Restriction number printed on the card is 3, you could use up to 3 of that card, but no more. Set any extras aside for now.
Basic Attacks: You are required to have at least one of every basic attack. They are: Upper Left, Upper Middle, Upper Right, Middle Left, Thrust, Middle Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, and Lower Right.
Basic Defenses: You are also required to have to have at least one of all of the basic defenses. All of the basic defenses are blocks. They are: Upper Left, Upper Center, Upper Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, and Lower Right.
Once you've got your deck sorted, you're almost ready to play. But first you'll need a couple of other items: At least one six-sided die (such as can be found in most board games), paper and pencil to keep score, and an opponent. Your opponent also has to have his own deck of Highlander cards to pit against you.
Highlander: The Card Game is designed to simulate a duel between two Immortals. You represent one of these Immortals and your opponent represents the other. During the course of play, both players will play attacks and defenses, as if they were fighting with swords. You may also play Special cards to simulate the scheming and plotting you do to win. It may help if you think of the game as a series of encounters with your opponent, rather than a single brief duel.
Both players have a deck of cards. This deck of cards is your Endurance. As the game progresses, you'll draw more and more cards from your Endurance, and when it is gone, you are Exhausted. So, it may be said that a player with more cards in his deck has a greater Endurance than his opponent.
Both players can take a certain amount of damage before losing. This amount is known as your Ability. Both players start with the same amount of Ability (15 points). During the game, if you take damage, make a note and reduce your Ability by the amount of damage. You can think of your Ability as your score, if you like; whichever player has the higher Ability can be said to be winning.
Your Ability also represents your skill, luck, and knowledge. The higher your Ability, the better you will fare in a duel. For this reason, you cannot hold more cards in your hand than you have Ability. As your Ability goes down, you will find yourself with fewer cards in your hand, and thus fewer options to attack and defend.
These basic rules will give you a very simple look at how you attack and defend. Granted, we know that Highlander: The Card Game is about a lot more than just sword fighting: there are alliances to be made, plots to hatch, and all sorts of daring or dastardly ways to work your way to The Prize - but we'll cover these later. For now, let's take a quick look at the turn sequence of the basic rules. These rules will give you enough information to get started.
Both players shuffle their deck and offer to let their opponent cut. Then set your deck of cards face down in front of you, a little to one side. Both players draw 15 cards: one card for every point of Ability. Roll a die to decide who goes first. The players then alternate turns through the rest of the turn sequence (1-2-3-4 player one, 1-2-3-4 player two) until one player is defeated.
When your turn starts, if you have any cards in play that should be discarded (old attacks or defenses, for example), go ahead and place them in your discard pile.
The next action you will take in your turn is to play your defenses. If there is not an attack coming, you cannot play a defense. If you've just won the die roll and are taking the very first turn of the game, you won't have to play any defenses, because your opponent has not yet had a turn to attack you.
During your Defense Phase, you may play a defense against each attack that your opponent played in his turn. (Remember that attacks are any card with a red or gold grid in the upper left hand corner.) Now look at an attack card next to a defense card. Notice that in the grid on the attack card, one of the squares in the grid is marked with a colored box. That box shows you where the attack is aimed. Next, look at your defense card. A block will have blue boxes over the areas that it defends, while a dodge will have green boxes. If any of the colored boxes on the defense card you play cover the box on the attack card, the defense is successful, and you take no damage from the attack. Leave any used defense cards on the table for now, because you will need them as a reference in your Attack Phase.
If two or more attacks are made against you, you may play a defense for each attack. On the other hand, if the attacks are made to similar areas, you may be able to defend against more than one attack with a single defense. (This makes Dodges very useful because they defend against MANY possible attack zones.)
Example #1: Connor is training with Nakano, who has just used a Special card to play 2 attacks. The attacks are upper left and lower right. Although he doesn't have a block that covers both of these areas, Connor has a Dodge in his hand. He plays a single Dodge and skitters out of the way of both attacks.
Example #2: Later, Connor faces 3 attacks: Upper left, thrust, and lower right. Connor only has an upper left block. The upper left block covers the first two attacks, but the lower right attack slips through and Connor is wounded.
You may normally play only one attack during your turn. To make an attack, simply play the attack card face up on the table.
There are restrictions on the kinds of attacks you may play. During the game, you must imagine that you are moving around, dodging and blocking with your sword, moving in and out of range of your opponent. It is very important that you take note of the last defense you played in your Defense Phase. If you left your defenses on the table as was suggested, you can easily look back and check the last defense you played.
If you just played a block, you may not attack to any area covered by that block. The basic idea is that you may not move your sword to an area to block, then immediately strike out to the same area to attack.
If the last defense you played was a dodge, you'll probably be out of position to attack. If you read a dodge card, the text at the bottom will explain how your attacks will be affected by that defense. For example, Dodge says that you lose an attack. Because you Dodged, you have to spend your time getting back into striking distance with your opponent, rather than attacking.
No cards may be played once you start this phase. Resolve any outstanding damage or other adjustments to your Ability, as follows:
An attack that you do not defend will normally do 2 points of damage, thus reducing your Ability by 2. Certain other cards may also do damage to you; resolve them at this time. If a card lowers your Ability, make the adjustment now. If you played a card that increases your Ability, make that adjustment at this time, too.
At the end of your turn, you must balance out your hand. At this time, if you have more cards in your hand than your Ability, you MUST discard down to your Ability. If you have fewer cards in your hand than your Ability, you MAY draw up to your maximum.
A player who begins his Attack Phase with an Ability of zero or less is assumed to collapse or flee the area. His opponent wins the game.
In the advanced rules section, we'll show you how to liven up your sword battles with Power Blows, how to use your Special cards for interesting card combinations, and how to go about fine-tuning your Highlander deck. You may want to tackle these rules one section at a time. Each one you master will add another dimension to your sword battles - and put you that much closer to the Prize.
During your turn, you must either a) Play a card or b) Make an Exertion (see below).
There are rules of etiquette to follow when you play your cards. When you play a card that affects your opponent, especially attacks and defenses, turn it toward your opponent so that it can be read and so the grid is easily visible in the corner. This helps you quickly see the attacks and defenses you need to play.
It's also a courtesy to leave all your cards in play until the beginning of your turn so that your opponent has a chance to respond to them in his turn. When your attack is defended, you can discard it and your opponent can discard his defense; if you play an Event that damages your opponent, leave it out until he adjusts his Ability.
It's a friendlier way to play, and it has another advantage: You can quickly see how many cards you played each turn, and you won't have to keep counting the cards in your hand when you draw up at the end of your turn.
Think of Standing Defenses as a fighting stance. They come in many different types, but by far the most common Standing Defenses are Guards. A Guard allows you to block several areas at once, and unlike a normal block or dodge, you do not discard a Guard after you use it. You can leave it in play and block with it again next turn!
Some special rules apply to Guards. First, you can play a single Guard on your turn even if your opponent did not attack. Second, Guards are considered blocks, so attacks that cannot be blocked cannot be stopped with a Guard, either. You can also play multiple Guards in your turn if there are several attacks coming at you. Finally, you can drop a Guard at will in order to play a better defense or to move in to attack. Remember, though, that if you used the Guard as the last defense, you cannot attack to any of the areas blocked by the Guard, even if you drop the Guard.
Dueling is more than just polite parry and thrust. Digging deep down into their reserves, the combatants try to overpower their enemy. Discard the top five cards from the top of your deck - just turn them straight over into your discard pile - to make what is called an Exertion. There are three things you can do with an Exertion: Make a Power Blow, Block a Power Blow, or Search for an attack or defense.
You may only make one Power Blow per turn. Play your attack as normal, then turn the top 5 cards of your Endurance over into your discard pile. Power Blows do more damage (4 points instead of 2) and are harder to block. If you make a Power Blow, your opponent has the right to make his next attack Hidden (see below).
You can also make a Power Block. Play the block as normal, then make an Exertion by turning the top 5 cards of your Endurance over into your discard pile. You can play a block against a Power Blow without making an Exertion, but you still take 2 damage. You can also play a dodge to avoid the attack; this requires no Exertion.
If you find yourself in need of either an attack or a defense, you can make an Exertion to find one. This may happen if you don't have the defense you need, or if you want to attack your opponent but have no attacks in your hand. Tell your opponent whether you are searching for an attack or a defense, then turn over the top five cards of your deck. If, within those cards, there is an attack or defense you can use, pull it out and play it. The other cards go to the discard pile.
You may make only ONE Exertion per turn. If you Exert to defend, you cannot make an Exertion in the same turn to attack, and so on. Furthermore, when you make an Exertion, the current phase ends immediately. You may play no more cards during that phase; move immediately to the next phase. For this reason, it is important to remember to play all defenses or attacks from your hand first, then make any Exertions you need to modify the cards you played.
In certain circumstances you may have the opportunity to make Hidden Attacks. There are cards that specifically allow you to do this, and you may make a Hidden attack on an opponent who has just made a Power Blow (see Power Blows, above).
To make a Hidden attack, play an attack card as normal but play it FACE DOWN. Your opponent attempts to defend against the Hidden attack on his turn by guessing which defense he'll need to play. After he's played the defense, turn over the attack card and see if he got lucky. This is one of the few exceptions where a player may play an "inappropriate" defense. Because you do not know where the attack is aimed, you may play any defense, even if it turns out that the defense is not even close!
If your defense does not stop the attack, you may make an Exertion to search for a better defense, but you may not play another defense from your hand.
Special attacks require some knowledge or preparation on the part of the attacker. They are marked with a gold grid instead of a red grid, and they will also have the words "Special Attack" at the top of the text box. Special Attacks are governed by these additional rules: they may not be Power Blows (or Head Shots), they may not be Hidden, and they may not be pulled from an Exertion.
Ranged Attacks are a specific kind of Special Attack. Ranged Attacks include such things as guns, throwing knives, or even improvised weapons like rocks or bottles - anything you can shoot or throw at your opponent as an attack. Ranged Attacks follow all of the rules of Special Attacks. In addition, Ranged Attacks cannot be blocked, but they can be dodged.
Some cards will require you to roll dice to resolve their effects. The card will list your chance of success, and you must roll the die to see if you succeed. So, for example, if the card says you have a 1 in 6 chance, you will succeed only on a roll of 1 on a normal six-sided die.
When you draw the last card in your deck, you are Exhausted. You lose 5 Ability. Shuffle the cards in your discard pile back into a deck, offer your opponent a cut, and continue playing.
If you draw the last card from your Endurance during your Draw/Discard phase, you are not required to discard down at that time. Because you never both draw and discard in your Draw/Discard phase, you may hold all of the cards you drew until the end of your next turn, at which time you must adjust your Ability and discard as normal.
One key concept to the Highlander game is the Head Shot. With one mighty swing and the familiar refrain, "There can be only one!" you strike the one blow that ends an Immortal's life. You must play the Head Shot card with an Upper attack. That attack instantly becomes a Power Blow, and if your opponent cannot defend against the attack, you take his head and immediately win the game. If your opponent blocks, dodges, or otherwise avoids the attack, the Head Shot fails and play continues.
There are Special cards that can disarm your opponent - even some cards that can break your opponent's weapon. If you have no weapon (because you were disarmed or your weapon was broken or lost) you may not attack, and you may not block, but you may still dodge.
At the beginning of any turn when you do not have your weapon, you may roll a die. On a roll of 1, you recover your weapon and may fight again as normal. You do NOT get to roll each turn if your weapon was broken.
Edge cards are not Special cards. You may play as many Edge cards during your turn as you wish.
You may play a Special card during either the attack or defense phase, but YOU MAY ONLY PLAY ONE SPECIAL CARD PER TURN. Special cards include Events, Situations, Objects, and Locations.
Event cards allow you to briefly affect the battle to favor you or hinder your opponent. Events "happen" as soon as they are played, but depending on the kind of Event they may not actually resolve until later in your turn, or even in your opponent's turn:
Events that modify your attacks take effect immediately. If you play a Combination, for example, you may then play another attack.
Events that damage your opponent or modify his Ability take effect in his Ability Adjustment step. This gives your opponent an opportunity to stop the effect during his turn.
Events that damage both players take effect twice: once in the Ability Adjustment step of the first player, then again in the other player's turn.
If your Event forces your opponent to discard, he must do so during his Defense Phase, before he plays any other cards, unless the card he plays can stop the discard effect.
Events that put cards into play, or remove cards already in play, take effect as soon as they are played.
Extra weapons, quality blades, armor - these are all Objects. Once put into play, Objects remain in play. You may have more than one Object in play at a time.
Although most Objects take effect as soon as you put them into play, some require you to discard them from play in order to trigger their effects. To use these cards, you must play them ahead of time. When you need them, simply place them in your discard pile in order to gain the benefit of the Object. You cannot discard an Object on the turn it is played; you must wait at least until the beginning of your opponent's turn, after he plays his first card.
Like Objects, Situations remain in play, but there are cards that will remove your Situations from play, and some even remove themselves after a period of time. In any case, the effects of a Situation cease as soon as it leaves play.
You may have more than one Situation in play at a time - you may even have multiples of the same Situation out at once.
In most cases, the effects of a Situation begin as soon as it is played. However, some Situations must be discarded in order to take effect. Once you play these Situations, they should remain on the table until such time as you wish to use them. Then, discard the Situation in order to trigger its effects.
You cannot discard a Situation in this way on the turn it is played, but you may use it on your opponent's turn, after he plays his first card.
Plots are a kind of Situation that slowly build up before they take effect. Plots are not easy to pull off: they require several turns to get into play, and each new Situation: Plot must be played in succession. If one part of your Plot is removed, you'll have to replace it before you can continue.
Even if your opponent completes the plot, you may be able to escape some or all of the effects. If you can neutralize the Plot while it is still affecting you, you suffer no further effects from that Plot.
Once a Location is played, it remains in play. But there can only be one Location in play at a time; if you play a Location, remove any previous Location from play and discard it.
Some cards do damage, other cards lower Ability. Cards that read, "opponent loses Ability" may not be countered with cards that prevent damage.
Some cards allow you to counter some or all of another card's effects. Weak counter cards only counter part of the effects of the card:
Example: Kurgan plays a Rush on Connor, which does one point of damage and drops the Standing Defenses of both players. On his turn, Connor plays a Police card which prevents the damage - but he still loses his Standing Defenses.
True counter cards instantly and completely nullify another card - the countered card is discarded immediately, and none of its effects take place. True counter cards are Situations, and they must already be in play for you to use them. To use a true counter card, discard it from play IMMEDIATELY when your opponent plays a card you wish to counter. Both cards - your counter and its target - go straight to the discard pile.
You must use a minimum of 50 cards. You are also required to use one of every basic attack and defense.
Basic Attacks:
Upper Left, Upper Middle, Upper Right, Middle Left, Thrust,
Middle Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, and Lower Right.
Basic Defenses:
All of the basic defenses are blocks: Upper Left, Upper Center,
Upper Right, Lower Left, Lower Center, and Lower Right.
Your deck may not contain more than 6 of any one card title. If a number appears on the right hand side of the title bar, that indicates the maximum number of that specific card that may be included in your deck. Several cards may have the same title but different pictures; each card with a different picture can be considered a specific and unique card under that title.
Example: John wants to include some Police cards in his deck. He has several different kinds of Police cards, each with its own picture and different effects. But he cannot use more than 6 of any combination of these cards, since they are all titled Police. In addition, one kind of Police card is restricted to 2: even though he can use 6 Police cards, he cannot use more than 2 of that particular Police card. He decides to use 2 of that card, and includes 4 other Police cards with a different effect to bring him to a total of 6 cards, all titled Police.
These are rare cards that allow you to play as your favorite Immortal. When you play a specific Persona, you may not use cards with any other Persona's name in the title bar. If you want to play The Kurgan, for example, you may not use cards with Connor's name on them. Persona Cards are "pre-game" cards; you do not shuffle them into your deck with the rest of your cards. Instead, put them on the table before play begins.
A Generic Immortal may use one of each card belonging to each Persona. You must still abide by the normal restrictions on cards - no more than six of any one card, even if different Persona names appear in the title bar - Connor's Back Away and Kurgan's Back Away both count against your 6-card limit of Back Away cards. Generic Immortals may not use Reserved cards.
A Master card is any card with the word "Master" in the title. On the back of your Persona card, you will find the number of Master cards that you are permitted to use. If you do not use a Persona card, you may not include Master cards in your deck.
Your health, your score, your ability to attack and defend yourself. You may not have more cards in your hand than your Ability. If you begin your Attack Phase with a 0 Ability, you lose the game.
This category includes all of the basic attacks, all Special attacks, and any other card with a red or gold grid in the upper left hand corner.
Any card with a blue grid in the upper left hand corner is a block. This includes Guards.
If you are Disarmed, you have no weapon. You may not attack or block, although you may still dodge. You may roll at the start of your turn to recover your weapon, unless it was broken.
If you are forced to discard by a card played by your opponent, you must do so at the start of your Defense Phase, before you play any cards. You may play a card before you discard if the card you play can stop or alter the discard effect.
A card with a green grid in the upper left corner is a dodge.
Denoted with a hand in the upper left hand corner. You may play as many Edge cards during your turn as you wish.
One kind of Special card, marked with a lightning bolt in the upper left hand corner.
You make an Exertion by turning over 5 cards from the top of your Endurance and placing them in the discard pile. You may use an Exertion to make a Power Blow, block a Power Blow, or search for an attack or defense.
When you draw the last card in your Endurance, you are Exhausted. You lose 5 Ability; this Ability loss is adjusted in your next Ability Adjustment phase.
One kind of Standing Defense. Guards are blocks that you do not discard after use; they may remain in play from turn to turn, although they will greatly hinder your ability to attack.
If an attack is Hidden, it is played face down. The defender must play his defense by "guessing" where the attack is aimed. After a defense is played, reveal the Hidden attack.
An Immortal specific card is any card with an Persona name in the title bar (just under the actual title of the card).
One type of Special card, marked with a ruin in the upper left hand corner. Locations remain in play unless removed by another card. Any time a Location is played, it removes any previous Location from play.
Any card with the word Master in the title.
Persona cards are Pre-game cards, played during the set-up of the game. If you have a Persona card, you may play as a specific Immortal from the movies or series. You may not use cards from any other Immortal if you choose to use a Persona card.
Plots are Special cards that begin with one or more Situations and usually end with an Event. Because they take several turns to get into play, Plots are difficult to pull off, but their powerful effects are worth it if you can complete them.
You can turn a block into a Power Block by making an Exertion. Power Blocks are used to completely block the damage from a Power Blow.
Some attacks may be turned into Power Blows, which do more damage and are harder to block. You may only make one Power Blow per turn.
Pre-game cards are easily recognizable by the fact that they do not have the Highlander logo on the back of the card. These cards are never shuffled into your Endurance. Instead, play them before the game begins.
A specific kind of Special Attack. Ranged Attacks follow all the rules of Special Attacks. In addition, Ranged Attacks cannot be blocked, although they may be dodged.
If a card is "Removed from the game", do not place it in any discard pile. It must be set aside, and cannot be shuffled back into your deck until the current game is over.
Reserved cards are marked with a sword on the right hand side of the title bar. Only the Immortal named on the card may use a Reserved card.
You may never have more than 6 of any card title in your deck. If a card is Restricted, there will be a number on the right hand side of the title bar. Your deck may not contain more of that specific card (not that title) than the Restriction number.
One kind of Special card, marked with a silhouette in the upper left hand corner. Situations remain in play until they are removed by some other means.
Special cards include Events, Situations, Objects, and Location. You may play only one Special card per turn.
Special Attacks have a gold grid. Special Attacks may not be Power Blows (or Head Shots), they may not be Hidden, and they may not be pulled from an Exertion.
Standing Defenses are defensive fighting stances. They include, but are not limited to, Guards. While Standing Defenses can be very helpful on defense, they often hinder your ability to attack.
This is a transcript of a duel between Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod, and Bob, generic Immortal. Duncan and Bob shuffle their decks and offer each other a cut. They flip a coin and Bob gets to go first.
Bob: Ok, my Defense Phase is first. You haven't attacked me yet so I'll just skip the defenses for now. But I will play a Street Punk on you; that's one damage.
Duncan: Ok, but damage doesn't resolve until MY turn. Give me a chance to counter it.
Bob: Ok. I'm also going to play a Thrust on you, and, what the heck, I'll make it a Power Blow. [Bob turns over the top five cards into his discard pile.] That's 5 damage if it gets through, since Thrust says it does an additional point of damage. I'm done.
Duncan: Don't you want to draw up to your Ability before you finish?
Bob: No, I don't HAVE to. You go ahead.
Duncan: Ok... First I defend. I'll play a Stamina card- that lets me block a Power Blow without having to make the Exertion- then I play an Upper Left block. That will prevent all the damage.
Bob: Doesn't the Thrust count for any extra damage?
Duncan: No, the extra point of damage from Thrust only applies to an attack if it does damage.
Bob: Wait a minute! My Thrust is a Middle Center attack! You played an Upper Left block.
Duncan: Yes, but the Upper Left block covers that square, too. It's a legal block. Now if I may continue...
Bob: Sure...
Duncan: Ok. I've already defended, and already played a Special card. So I'll just make this Hidden attack, since you made a Power Blow last turn. [He slides an attack face down onto the table] And I'll make it a Power Blow. [Now Duncan makes an Exertion by turning five cards over into his discard pile.]
Bob: Can you make a Hidden attack a Power Blow like that?
Duncan: Sure, it follows all the rules. I only played one Special card, and I only made one Exertion. I'm done now, and I took one point from your Street Punk. I'm at 14 Ability and I have 12 cards, so I'll draw up. [He draws 2 cards.]
Bob: Ok, then. First, I'll defend. How about this? [He plays Amanda's Left Side Step card and turns over the Hidden attack. It was a lower center attack.] I guess that will defend against the Power Blow. Now let's just see you defend against this: An Upper Left attack with... A Head Shot!
Will Duncan survive Bob's crude but effective onslaught? Probably. With Highlander: The Card Game you'll be able to play it and find out for yourselves!