Skyridge Bill's Maintenance

[serberoth]

This card puzzles me, based on the mannerisms that Trainer cards work. I realize that this card is from Wizards, and not in the current sets; however I noticed some interesting things about this card. The card text is:

Trainer [Supporter]

You may only play one supporter card per turn. Place this card next to your active pokemon and discard it at the end of your turn.

If you have any card in your hand, shuffle 1 of them into your deck, draw 3 cards.

The rules state that you may play as many trainer cards per turn as you like and of course card text overrides this rule, as is many times the case in a traiding card game. However, what puzzles me about this particular card is that the rule states that you preform the action of a trainer card and then discard it. Supporter cards, however, create a static effect within the state of the game. As far as the trainer card rules state I have played this card once so it should be discarded. The problem arises in that this card creates a static based effect, since card text states that it stays in play until my turn ends. Theirfore I may reactivate this effect at any time during my turn as many times as I like because the static effect is still in play. Obviously this seems very broken, because by playing one of these cards I can put about half of my deck in my hand on any given turn to get all of the cards I need to defeat my opponent. What I would like to know is if this interpretation of the card text is incorrect, then where in the rules does it state so? Where is there a set of comprehensive rules that I may read for this card game, I am preparing to judge for next months pre-release in my local area, Philadelphia. If this card's effect can only be preformed once then, what is the difference between a supporter card and a normal trainer card, why place it next to your active pokemon? Thanks!

-Serberoth
ndipas01@villanova.edu
'tsuki ni hikari wa ai no messa-ji' - tsukino usagi

[yoshi1001]

No, it merely kept on the table to remind you that you can't play any more supporters this turn. You still use it just once.

[PokePop]

Static effect?
What game are you pulling that phrase from?

As Yoshi says, it's just there to remind you and your opponent that you can't play any more supporters. As you get more of the newer sets, you will find that most good Trainers are Supporters. They did that to slow the game down.

[serberoth]

Essentially then the card never comes into play? However its effect does resolve at the time it is played. Static effect comes from the idea that the card came into play until the end of turn, which can be interpreted from the text on the card about supporter cards. That it comes into play and then the cards ability sets up, actually this particular card is more of an activated ability as one is required to shuffle a card in to their deck. Nonethe less, the rules are quite unclear on this and this is a possible interpretation of this card. Not to be a pain, but I am trying to comprehend the exact scope of all the rules, since there are so few and fairly general.

[yoshi1001]

You're being way too technical for this game. There's no hidden meaning, no overwhelming scope do things. You play the card, you do what it says, it stays by your active, it gets discarded at the end of your turn. Bada bing, bada boom.

[Dendrobatida]

Though his explanation was a little gruff, Yoshi is essentially correct. I understand your logic, serberoth, but I think it might help if you consider that this game, though fun for anyone of any age, is designed to be grasped quickly and enjoyed by children. As a result, when you wish to place limitations on the types of cards you can play during each turn (as is the case here; just one supporter card per turn, since these supporters tend to be more powerful than other trainers), it is helpful to devise a system whereby you can, in the game, remind yourself whether or not you've used a supporter already. That's the reason for placing next to your active pokemon. As soon as you fulfill the wording of the card - in the case of Bill's Maintenance, drawing that third card after the shuffle in- that card is considered "dead", "used up", "discarded", etc. For a young child, seeing the card next to his/her active pokemon will help remind him/her that the rule is there, and one has already been used. In fact, the rule is universally helpful, and an important one; at several major tournaments, I have seen penalties handed out to experienced players of all ages for failing to observe the "one supporter per turn" rule. Even the best of us forget sometimes, and the placement of the supporter next to your active pokemon is just a way to help ensure us that it will happen a little less often.

The universal condition, or static effect (an effect which can be applied again and again during gameplay over the duration of a turn, or several turns) that you reference can be created in pokemon in other ways, though. Certain pokemon have "pokemon powers" or "Poke-powers" or "poke-bodies" (similar concepts, 3 different names) which can be in effect continuously. For example, if you find the pokemon "Scizor" from the Aquapolis set, you will see that it possesses a constant effect in the form of a poke-body. It cannot be poisoned, ever, unless that poke-body is overridden by another trainer, pokemon power, poke-body, or poke-power.

Other static, continuous effects can be achieved through the use of gym cards. These are special trainers that stay in effect throughout the game. Some can be used but once per turn (Healing Fields, for example), some are triggered by certain actions (Chaos Gym), and some apply a constant effect to the board (Sprout Tower).

I hope that's helpful, and I hope you continue to enjoy learning more about this game. If you have any further specific rules questions, there is an excellent source of rules Q&A, errata, and revisions at http://pkcompendium.hypermart.net/index.shtml.
Cheers,
Jake

[League Leader Terry]

Man, yet another example of how games like Magic can ruin the simplier games for us. :)