Glossary

Cyberpunk 2077 TCG terms, keywords, and game mechanics

AdrenalineKeyword: "This Unit can attack the turn it's played." It ignores Lag for attacking only: the Unit still can't use Spend effects that turn, and all other attack-target rules still apply.
Attack TriggerTrigger: "When this Unit attacks, [...]" Triggers when you spend the Unit to declare an attack. All ATTACK effects resolve before your rival's React Step.
BlockerKeyword: "When a rival Unit attacks, you may spend this Unit to redirect the attack to it instead." Used as a reaction during the React Step with a ready Unit. The Blocker becomes the defending Unit, so a Steal becomes a Fight and no Gig is stolen, even if the Blocker loses. Lag doesn't stop it: a Unit can block the turn it's played. Another Blocker can redirect the same attack again, but the Unit being attacked can't use its own BLOCKER, and a Legend's BLOCKER works only once it's on the Field.
CallCore Mechanic: Pay 1 €$ to flip one of your face-down Legends face-up. You pick a face-down Legend, but since they were shuffled you don't know which one you're getting, unless an effect has let you look at it. The Legend keeps its orientation and its CALL trigger resolves. Limited to once per turn, as a Main Phase action or as a reaction during your rival's attack.
Call TriggerTrigger: "When you flip this Legend face-up through the Call a Legend action, [...]" The effect becomes pending when the Called Legend is revealed.
ClassificationCard Attribute: The traits printed under a card's name, such as ARASAKA, CORPO or NETRUNNER. They do nothing by themselves; other cards refer to them, for example an effect that powers up friendly ARASAKA Units.
ColorCard Attribute: Every card is red, blue, green or yellow. A Legend provides RAM in its color, and a main-deck card's RAM must fit the RAM your Legends provide in that card's color, so your three Legends decide which colors your deck can run. Some effects also check a card's color.
ConstructedTournament: The tournament format in which you build your deck in advance: 3 Legends, a 40 to 50 card main deck and a 7-card sideboard, using only cards legal at tournaments. The official card database calls it Standard.
CostCard Attribute: The Eddies (€$) you pay to play a card, printed in its top-left corner. Pay it by spending Eddies or Legends, 1 €$ each. A Legend's cost is what you pay to play it to the Field as a Unit; a Legend with no cost can't be played that way.
DeckPlay Area: Your face-down draw pile of 40 to 50 non-Legend cards. Draw 1 in each Start Phase. If you must draw from an empty deck, you lose immediately.
Deck OutWin Condition: A loss condition: if you must draw a card from an empty deck, you lose immediately. An empty deck alone isn't a loss; the loss happens on the attempted draw.
Defeated TriggerTrigger: "When this Unit is defeated, [...]" The effect becomes pending once the Unit is declared defeated and moved to the Trash.
EddiesResource: Eurodollars (€$), the currency of Night City. Every card has a cost in the top-left corner. Pay costs by spending Eddies (face-down cards in your Eddies Area, made by selling cards with a Sell Tag) and/or Legends in your Legends Area, each worth 1 €$. Legends are not Eddies. Effects that reduce what you pay can't reduce it below 1.
Eddies AreaPlay Area: Face-down cards that act as currency. Sold cards enter here face-down and ready. Spend (turn sideways) an Eddie to pay 1 €$. Spent Eddies ready again in your Start Phase. There is no limit on Eddies.
FieldPlay Area: Where Units (and Legends played as Units) live. Cards enter the Field ready but with Lag. Ready Units can't be attacked; only spent rival Units are valid targets. There is no Field size limit.
FightCombat: When an attacking Unit targets a spent rival Unit (or a Blocker steps in), their total powers are compared. The Unit with higher power wins and the other is defeated (sent to the Trash). In a tie, both are defeated. A 0-power Unit can't defeat anything.
Fixer AreaPlay Area: All 6 Gig Dice start here, stacked d4 through d20 from the bottom up. Each Start Phase, choose one die, roll it, and move it to your Gig Area. The d20 may only be chosen when it's the last die here. Dice here are not under your control and don't count toward Street Cred.
GearCard Type: Equipment that attaches to a friendly Unit or a friendly face-up Legend, adding its power and the effects in its bottom textbox to that card. There is no limit on Gear per Unit. When the equipped Unit or Legend leaves the Field, its Gear moves with it and is no longer equipped.
Gig AreaPlay Area: Holds the Gig Dice you control, including any stolen from your rival. Their sum is your Street Cred. Start your turn with 7 or more dice here to win. A rival Gig Area with at least one Gig is a valid attack target.
Gig DiceCore Mechanic: Six polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) used to track game progress. Each turn you take one die from the Fixer Area, roll it, and place it in your Gig Area. Collect 7 to win. The d20 must always be taken last.
Go SoloKeyword: "Pay this Legend's cost to play it as a ready Unit. It can attack this turn. If it leaves the Field, remove it from the game." It's still a Legend on the Field, and only the attack skips Lag: its Spend effects wait until your next turn. A Legend with GO SOLO can also be played to the Field normally.
Historical PrintingCard Attribute: An earlier printing, such as the Alpha Kit, kept for reference and for collections. Its text or stats may differ from the card as it is printed today, and decks use the current version. Alpha Kit cards aren't legal at tournaments, except the Nova Rare alpha cards (Tournament Rules, Appendix B): bring a current printing.
LagCore Mechanic: A condition applied to Units and Legends when they enter the Field. Lagging Units can't attack or use Spend effects. All Units lose Lag at the end of the turn. Adrenaline and Go Solo let a card attack the turn it's played, but not use its Spend effects. Lag doesn't stop a Unit from blocking.
LegalityCard Attribute: Whether the official card database lists a card as legal in Standard, its name for the Constructed format used at tournaments. Cards from the official sets, from Welcome to Night City (Beta and Retail) on, are legal from their release day; the Tournament Rules list the exceptions, such as textless promos (Rebecca - Having a Moment) until a card with the same name and subtitle is printed. Historical printings with outdated text are not listed at all.
LegendCard Type: Leaders of your crew. Your 3 Legends start face-down in a random order in the Legends Area and provide your deck's RAM Limits. Spend a Legend (turn it sideways) to pay 1 €$, face-up or face-down, though a face-up Legend without a Sell Tag can't be spent for €$. Once per turn you may Call a Legend (pay 1 €$ to flip one face-up). Any Legend with a cost can be played to the Field as a Unit by paying that cost; GO SOLO Legends enter ready and can attack immediately. A Legend on the Field counts as both a Unit and a Legend. Legends can never go to the hand, deck, or trash: if one would, it's removed from the game instead.
Legends AreaPlay Area: Holds your 3 Legends face-down in a random order. Spend any number of them for 1 €$ each, face-up or face-down, except a face-up Legend without a Sell Tag. Call a Legend once per turn (pay 1 €$) to flip one face-up. Face-up Legends can use their Spend effects here and can be equipped with Gear.
OvertimeWin Condition: Begins after two consecutive turns in which both players start with an empty Fixer Area (usually once each player has taken 7 turns). During Overtime, having 7 or more Gigs in your Gig Area wins immediately instead of waiting for the start of your turn.
Play TriggerTrigger: "When you play this card, [...]" The effect becomes pending as soon as you meet all requirements for playing that card type.
PowerCard Attribute: A Unit's strength. In a Fight the Unit with higher power wins and a tie defeats both; in a Steal the attacker takes 1 Gig plus 1 more per 10 power. A 0-power Unit can't defeat a Unit or steal a Gig. Gear adds its power to the Unit or Legend it equips.
ProgramCard Type: One-time effects. Reveal it, pay its cost, resolve it, then move it to your Trash. Play Programs during your Main Phase, or during your rival's attack if the Program has QUICK.
QuickKeyword: "You may also activate this effect (or play this Program) as a reaction to a rival Unit's attack." You still pay any costs, and you can still use it in your own Main Phase. A Program with only QUICK can be played during the React Step by paying its cost. QUICK doesn't let a Unit use a Spend effect the turn it's played, and a rival's QUICK can't be answered with one of yours.
RAMResource: A deck-building limit, not a resource you spend in play. Each card has a RAM value in one color. Your deck's RAM Limit in a color is the sum of your 3 Legends' RAM in that color, and every main-deck card's RAM must be less than or equal to the limit for its color. RAM Limits are locked once the deck is built.
RarityCard Attribute: How scarce a printing is, from Common through Uncommon, Rare, Epic and Secret to the Iconic and Nova Rare treatments. Rarity belongs to a printing rather than to the card, so the same card can exist at several rarities, and it never changes how the card plays.
React StepCombat: The window after an attack is declared (and ATTACK triggers resolve) in which the defending player may Call a Legend, activate a ready Blocker, or use QUICK effects, in any order and as often as they like, before the Fight or Steal resolves.
ReadyCore Mechanic: A card in its upright position, available to be used. Cards start each turn ready after being readied in the Start Phase.
Removed from GameCore Mechanic: Cards set aside outside every game area. A Legend that would go to the hand, deck, or trash is removed from the game instead, as is a Go Solo Legend that leaves the Field.
SealedTournament: A tournament format in which you build your deck at the event from packs you open there, as at Pre-Releases: at least 30 cards in up to 3 colors, RAM ignored and any number of copies. Your unused cards are your sideboard.
Sell TagCore Mechanic: A marker on certain cards that allows them to be sold for Eddies. Once per turn, you can reveal a card with a Sell Tag from your hand and place it face-down in the Eddies Area, where it generates 1 Eddie when spent. A face-up Legend can only be spent for €$ if it has a Sell Tag.
SideboardTournament: Exactly 7 extra cards registered with a Constructed tournament deck. Between games you can swap them in one for one, so the deck keeps its size. No Legends, and its copies and RAM count with the main deck's. Casual games and quick best-of-1 events play without one.
SpendCore Mechanic: "{Spend}: [...]" An activation cost: spend this card (turn it sideways) to use the effect. A card with Lag can't use Spend effects, and a spent Legend can no longer be spent for €$ this turn.
SpentCore Mechanic: A card turned sideways to show it has been used. Spent cards in your Legends Area, Field, and Eddies Area are readied (turned upright) during your next Start Phase. Legends can be spent for 1 €$ each every turn, face-up or face-down, except a face-up Legend without a Sell Tag. Only spent rival Units can be attacked.
StealCombat: When an attacking Unit targets a rival Gig Area holding at least one Gig, the attacker takes dice of its choice from it. A Unit steals 1 Gig plus 1 more per 10 power; a 0-power Unit steals nothing. Stolen dice keep their values.
Street CredResource: The sum of all Gig Dice values in your Gig Area (dice still in the Fixer Area don't count). Some card effects require a minimum Street Cred (☆). With no Gigs in your Gig Area your Street Cred is null, which is not 0 and counts as lower than 0.
TrashPlay Area: Face-up discard pile for defeated Units, resolved Programs, and discarded cards. Legends never go here; they're removed from the game instead.
UnitCard Type: Crew members placed on the Field. Reveal, pay the cost, and place the Unit ready on the Field, where it enters with Lag (it can't attack or use Spend effects until your next turn). Units attack spent rival Units (Fights) or the rival's Gig Area (Steals). There is no limit to the number of Units on your Field.
Value-pairCore Mechanic: Two dice with the same value in the same Gig Area. A die can only count toward one value-pair at a time.

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Glossary

Cyberpunk 2077 TCG terms, keywords, and game mechanics

AdrenalineKeyword

"This Unit can attack the turn it's played." It ignores Lag for attacking only: the Unit still can't use Spend effects that turn, and all other attack-target rules still apply.

Attack TriggerTrigger

"When this Unit attacks, [...]" Triggers when you spend the Unit to declare an attack. All ATTACK effects resolve before your rival's React Step.

BlockerKeyword

"When a rival Unit attacks, you may spend this Unit to redirect the attack to it instead." Used as a reaction during the React Step with a ready Unit. The Blocker becomes the defending Unit, so a Steal becomes a Fight and no Gig is stolen, even if the Blocker loses. Lag doesn't stop it: a Unit can block the turn it's played. Another Blocker can redirect the same attack again, but the Unit being attacked can't use its own BLOCKER, and a Legend's BLOCKER works only once it's on the Field.

CallCore Mechanic

Pay 1 €$ to flip one of your face-down Legends face-up. You pick a face-down Legend, but since they were shuffled you don't know which one you're getting, unless an effect has let you look at it. The Legend keeps its orientation and its CALL trigger resolves. Limited to once per turn, as a Main Phase action or as a reaction during your rival's attack.

Call TriggerTrigger

"When you flip this Legend face-up through the Call a Legend action, [...]" The effect becomes pending when the Called Legend is revealed.

ClassificationCard Attribute

The traits printed under a card's name, such as ARASAKA, CORPO or NETRUNNER. They do nothing by themselves; other cards refer to them, for example an effect that powers up friendly ARASAKA Units.

ColorCard Attribute

Every card is red, blue, green or yellow. A Legend provides RAM in its color, and a main-deck card's RAM must fit the RAM your Legends provide in that card's color, so your three Legends decide which colors your deck can run. Some effects also check a card's color.

ConstructedTournament

The tournament format in which you build your deck in advance: 3 Legends, a 40 to 50 card main deck and a 7-card sideboard, using only cards legal at tournaments. The official card database calls it Standard.

CostCard Attribute

The Eddies (€$) you pay to play a card, printed in its top-left corner. Pay it by spending Eddies or Legends, 1 €$ each. A Legend's cost is what you pay to play it to the Field as a Unit; a Legend with no cost can't be played that way.

DeckPlay Area

Your face-down draw pile of 40 to 50 non-Legend cards. Draw 1 in each Start Phase. If you must draw from an empty deck, you lose immediately.

Deck OutWin Condition

A loss condition: if you must draw a card from an empty deck, you lose immediately. An empty deck alone isn't a loss; the loss happens on the attempted draw.

Defeated TriggerTrigger

"When this Unit is defeated, [...]" The effect becomes pending once the Unit is declared defeated and moved to the Trash.

EddiesResource

Eurodollars (€$), the currency of Night City. Every card has a cost in the top-left corner. Pay costs by spending Eddies (face-down cards in your Eddies Area, made by selling cards with a Sell Tag) and/or Legends in your Legends Area, each worth 1 €$. Legends are not Eddies. Effects that reduce what you pay can't reduce it below 1.

Eddies AreaPlay Area

Face-down cards that act as currency. Sold cards enter here face-down and ready. Spend (turn sideways) an Eddie to pay 1 €$. Spent Eddies ready again in your Start Phase. There is no limit on Eddies.

FieldPlay Area

Where Units (and Legends played as Units) live. Cards enter the Field ready but with Lag. Ready Units can't be attacked; only spent rival Units are valid targets. There is no Field size limit.

FightCombat

When an attacking Unit targets a spent rival Unit (or a Blocker steps in), their total powers are compared. The Unit with higher power wins and the other is defeated (sent to the Trash). In a tie, both are defeated. A 0-power Unit can't defeat anything.

Fixer AreaPlay Area

All 6 Gig Dice start here, stacked d4 through d20 from the bottom up. Each Start Phase, choose one die, roll it, and move it to your Gig Area. The d20 may only be chosen when it's the last die here. Dice here are not under your control and don't count toward Street Cred.

GearCard Type

Equipment that attaches to a friendly Unit or a friendly face-up Legend, adding its power and the effects in its bottom textbox to that card. There is no limit on Gear per Unit. When the equipped Unit or Legend leaves the Field, its Gear moves with it and is no longer equipped.

Gig AreaPlay Area

Holds the Gig Dice you control, including any stolen from your rival. Their sum is your Street Cred. Start your turn with 7 or more dice here to win. A rival Gig Area with at least one Gig is a valid attack target.

Gig DiceCore Mechanic

Six polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) used to track game progress. Each turn you take one die from the Fixer Area, roll it, and place it in your Gig Area. Collect 7 to win. The d20 must always be taken last.

Go SoloKeyword

"Pay this Legend's cost to play it as a ready Unit. It can attack this turn. If it leaves the Field, remove it from the game." It's still a Legend on the Field, and only the attack skips Lag: its Spend effects wait until your next turn. A Legend with GO SOLO can also be played to the Field normally.

Historical PrintingCard Attribute

An earlier printing, such as the Alpha Kit, kept for reference and for collections. Its text or stats may differ from the card as it is printed today, and decks use the current version. Alpha Kit cards aren't legal at tournaments, except the Nova Rare alpha cards (Tournament Rules, Appendix B): bring a current printing.

LagCore Mechanic

A condition applied to Units and Legends when they enter the Field. Lagging Units can't attack or use Spend effects. All Units lose Lag at the end of the turn. Adrenaline and Go Solo let a card attack the turn it's played, but not use its Spend effects. Lag doesn't stop a Unit from blocking.

LegalityCard Attribute

Whether the official card database lists a card as legal in Standard, its name for the Constructed format used at tournaments. Cards from the official sets, from Welcome to Night City (Beta and Retail) on, are legal from their release day; the Tournament Rules list the exceptions, such as textless promos (Rebecca - Having a Moment) until a card with the same name and subtitle is printed. Historical printings with outdated text are not listed at all.

LegendCard Type

Leaders of your crew. Your 3 Legends start face-down in a random order in the Legends Area and provide your deck's RAM Limits. Spend a Legend (turn it sideways) to pay 1 €$, face-up or face-down, though a face-up Legend without a Sell Tag can't be spent for €$. Once per turn you may Call a Legend (pay 1 €$ to flip one face-up). Any Legend with a cost can be played to the Field as a Unit by paying that cost; GO SOLO Legends enter ready and can attack immediately. A Legend on the Field counts as both a Unit and a Legend. Legends can never go to the hand, deck, or trash: if one would, it's removed from the game instead.

Legends AreaPlay Area

Holds your 3 Legends face-down in a random order. Spend any number of them for 1 €$ each, face-up or face-down, except a face-up Legend without a Sell Tag. Call a Legend once per turn (pay 1 €$) to flip one face-up. Face-up Legends can use their Spend effects here and can be equipped with Gear.

OvertimeWin Condition

Begins after two consecutive turns in which both players start with an empty Fixer Area (usually once each player has taken 7 turns). During Overtime, having 7 or more Gigs in your Gig Area wins immediately instead of waiting for the start of your turn.

Play TriggerTrigger

"When you play this card, [...]" The effect becomes pending as soon as you meet all requirements for playing that card type.

PowerCard Attribute

A Unit's strength. In a Fight the Unit with higher power wins and a tie defeats both; in a Steal the attacker takes 1 Gig plus 1 more per 10 power. A 0-power Unit can't defeat a Unit or steal a Gig. Gear adds its power to the Unit or Legend it equips.

ProgramCard Type

One-time effects. Reveal it, pay its cost, resolve it, then move it to your Trash. Play Programs during your Main Phase, or during your rival's attack if the Program has QUICK.

QuickKeyword

"You may also activate this effect (or play this Program) as a reaction to a rival Unit's attack." You still pay any costs, and you can still use it in your own Main Phase. A Program with only QUICK can be played during the React Step by paying its cost. QUICK doesn't let a Unit use a Spend effect the turn it's played, and a rival's QUICK can't be answered with one of yours.

RAMResource

A deck-building limit, not a resource you spend in play. Each card has a RAM value in one color. Your deck's RAM Limit in a color is the sum of your 3 Legends' RAM in that color, and every main-deck card's RAM must be less than or equal to the limit for its color. RAM Limits are locked once the deck is built.

RarityCard Attribute

How scarce a printing is, from Common through Uncommon, Rare, Epic and Secret to the Iconic and Nova Rare treatments. Rarity belongs to a printing rather than to the card, so the same card can exist at several rarities, and it never changes how the card plays.

React StepCombat

The window after an attack is declared (and ATTACK triggers resolve) in which the defending player may Call a Legend, activate a ready Blocker, or use QUICK effects, in any order and as often as they like, before the Fight or Steal resolves.

ReadyCore Mechanic

A card in its upright position, available to be used. Cards start each turn ready after being readied in the Start Phase.

Removed from GameCore Mechanic

Cards set aside outside every game area. A Legend that would go to the hand, deck, or trash is removed from the game instead, as is a Go Solo Legend that leaves the Field.

SealedTournament

A tournament format in which you build your deck at the event from packs you open there, as at Pre-Releases: at least 30 cards in up to 3 colors, RAM ignored and any number of copies. Your unused cards are your sideboard.

Sell TagCore Mechanic

A marker on certain cards that allows them to be sold for Eddies. Once per turn, you can reveal a card with a Sell Tag from your hand and place it face-down in the Eddies Area, where it generates 1 Eddie when spent. A face-up Legend can only be spent for €$ if it has a Sell Tag.

SideboardTournament

Exactly 7 extra cards registered with a Constructed tournament deck. Between games you can swap them in one for one, so the deck keeps its size. No Legends, and its copies and RAM count with the main deck's. Casual games and quick best-of-1 events play without one.

SpendCore Mechanic

"{Spend}: [...]" An activation cost: spend this card (turn it sideways) to use the effect. A card with Lag can't use Spend effects, and a spent Legend can no longer be spent for €$ this turn.

SpentCore Mechanic

A card turned sideways to show it has been used. Spent cards in your Legends Area, Field, and Eddies Area are readied (turned upright) during your next Start Phase. Legends can be spent for 1 €$ each every turn, face-up or face-down, except a face-up Legend without a Sell Tag. Only spent rival Units can be attacked.

StealCombat

When an attacking Unit targets a rival Gig Area holding at least one Gig, the attacker takes dice of its choice from it. A Unit steals 1 Gig plus 1 more per 10 power; a 0-power Unit steals nothing. Stolen dice keep their values.

Street CredResource

The sum of all Gig Dice values in your Gig Area (dice still in the Fixer Area don't count). Some card effects require a minimum Street Cred (☆). With no Gigs in your Gig Area your Street Cred is null, which is not 0 and counts as lower than 0.

TrashPlay Area

Face-up discard pile for defeated Units, resolved Programs, and discarded cards. Legends never go here; they're removed from the game instead.

UnitCard Type

Crew members placed on the Field. Reveal, pay the cost, and place the Unit ready on the Field, where it enters with Lag (it can't attack or use Spend effects until your next turn). Units attack spent rival Units (Fights) or the rival's Gig Area (Steals). There is no limit to the number of Units on your Field.

Value-pairCore Mechanic

Two dice with the same value in the same Gig Area. A die can only count toward one value-pair at a time.