Important Terms

Listed below are important terms, words, and phrase needed to fully understand the game of Monstars! to the fullest, listed in alphabetical order:

### Activate/Activation

The action of a card's effect being triggered, either once it is put onto the Board or manually triggered due to criteria being met.

### Banish/Banishment

The action of placing a card into the Forbidden Zone face-down, exposing the back of the card upwards. these cards are not interacted with for the rest of the Match unless a card effect specifically states so.

### Board

The overall space that players place card onto in order to play the game. Players share the entire Board, which is split between the two players.

### Burn Damage

The term used to refer to damage dealt directly to your opponent's Defense Points without destroying a Monster card or your opponent having an empty Board.

### Control/Controlling

The term used to refer to whether or not a Monster Card on the Board is able to be affected by you. Control of a card is determined by who owns the card by default, but if you take control of your opponent's card, you do not get to keep it. Controlled card go to the respective Discard, Forbidden, or Deck Zones of the original controller.

### Deck

The total stack of cards gathered together to make a playable library of cards to play in a Match. Decks have a minimum size of 30 cards and a maximum size of 50 cards.

### Defense Points

The total amount of life force that a player has before they are defeated. Defense Points work similar to health points (HP) in video games and RPGs by serving as a gauge for how much more damage a player can take before losing.

### Destroy/Destruction

The action of sending a card to the Discard Zone face-up through battle primarily, but also through card effect. Destroying is distinct from discarding, and card effects will list which to apply.

### Discard/Discarding

The action of placing a card into the Discard Zone face-up through a card effect. Discarding is distinct from destroying, and card effects will list which to apply.

### Draw/Drawing

The action of taking the top card from your deck and placing it into your hand.

### Hand

The total number of cards that you have drawn that are ready to be played. Your hand has no minimum size and a maximum of 10 cards.

### Match

The term used for a single game of Monstars!, typically ranging in time from 10 to 45 minutes.

### Negate/Negation

The action of preventing a card's effect from activating or preventing it from targeting for battle.

### Normal Play

The action of playing a card to the Board without any special play requirements.

### Phase

The term given to a player's turn within a Match, made up of the three Motions of Battle: Set, Battle, and Conclusion Motions.

### Quick Play

The action of playing a card to the Board at a reduced cost due to the effect of the target card or another card after meeting certain criteria.

### Search

The action of looking through the cards of the target zone for a specific card(s) that fits the search criteria. If you search your deck, you always shuffle it afterwards.

### Send/Sending

The action of choosing a target card and placing it into the target zone or hand. This is not considered as a draw, discard, destroy, or banish effect.

### Sideload

An additional deck of cards comprised of additional cards used to help out your strategy, intended to be shuffled into your deck to adjust to new strategies. Sideloads have no minimum size and a maximum size of 15 cards.

### Stars

The energy resource used to play cards to the Board.

### Star Cost

The cost to pay from your total Stars in order to play a card to the Board.

### Synthesis Play

The action of playing a Synthesis card to the Board using other cards in play as Synth Materials, which are then sent to the Discard Zone.

### Target/Targeting

The action of choosing a card on the Board to be affected for battle or by a card effect.

### Upkeep

The action of paying a specified cost for a card in order to keep its effect activated or deactivated. Upkeep typically occurs in the Conclusion Motion of a Phase.