Marvel Super Heroes Mechanics Explained

Note: This article was translated from Chinese by AI and may contain errors. Read the original Chinese version.

MDFC

Modal double-faced cards are abbreviated as MDFC, and their rules differ slightly from the more familiar transforming double-faced cards (TDFC).

When you want to play a modal double-faced card, you can choose which face to play and pay the corresponding mana cost.

Modal double-faced cards can also transform. For the specific way they transform, see the transform ability description on the card.

For a period in the past, modal double-faced cards couldn’t transform. This rule was changed with Marvel’s Spider-Man.

A modal double-faced card has only its front face’s characteristics in any zone other than the battlefield and the stack. On the battlefield and the stack, if it is face up on its front, it has only the front face’s characteristics. If it is face up on its back, it has only the back face’s characteristics. If you put a modal double-faced card directly onto the battlefield without casting it, it enters front face up by default.

Power-up

Power-up abilities are activated abilities that can only be activated once. Power-up puts a specified number of +1/+1 counters on that creature and provides some additional boosts or extra effects.

If you activate its power-up ability the same turn the creature entered, the power-up activation cost is reduced by that creature’s mana cost. For example, the power-up cost of Captain Marvel, Earth’s Protector is originally {5}{W}{W}, but if she entered this turn, the activation cost is reduced by {3}{W}{W}, so you only need to pay {2}.

Teamwork

Teamwork abilities appear on some instants and sorceries in this set, and are designed as an additional cost you may choose to pay when casting the spell.

Teamwork is followed by a specified number N. Teamwork N requires you to tap any number of untapped creatures you control whose total power is ≥ N.

Plan

Plan is a brand-new enchantment subtype. The Plan subtype itself has no special rules meaning, but all the Plans in this set follow a consistent design logic.

Each Plan has a triggered ability that, besides its own effect, also puts a plan counter on that enchantment. When the number of plan counters reaches a specified amount, the second ability triggers, and you sacrifice that Plan and trigger a powerful ability.

Connive

When a creature you control connives, the process is as follows: draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card this way, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.

If a creature that is conniving is no longer on the battlefield when the ability resolves, connive can still resolve. It’s just that even if you discarded a nonland card, no creature gets a +1/+1 counter from it. Take Kang, Temporal Tyrant as an example. When he is declared as an attacker, it triggers and makes himself connive. If you respond to this ability by destroying him first, the connive still resolves normally and you draw and discard.

However, although a creature can connive even when it is no longer there, if it is an ability that makes a target creature connive and the target creature is gone when the ability resolves, the ability simply fails for lack of a target. At that point it no longer has much to do with the connive rules. Leader, Super-Genius is exactly such an example.

Harness

After a harness ability resolves, that permanent becomes harnessed. As long as that permanent is harnessed, the ∞ ability below takes effect.

Even if the permanent is already harnessed, you can still try to activate the harness ability. It just won’t change anything about that permanent.

Worthy

Worthy is the term for creatures that meet the conditions. If a creature is legendary, is red or white, and is not a Villain, then it is Worthy.

Only one card in this set uses the Worthy mechanic. Mjölnir, Hammer of Thor doesn’t use regular equip but Equip Worthy, an equip ability that can only be activated targeting a creature that meets the Worthy conditions. Of course, this only restricts the targets for activating the equip ability. You can use other means to force a non-Worthy creature to equip this equipment. For example, this set has a Super-Soldier Serum that can do exactly that.