How Keywords Work
Keywords are named abilities that appear on creature and spell cards. Each keyword has a specific rules meaning that applies whenever the card is in play. Some keywords trigger on entry, some modify combat, and some activate on death.
This glossary covers the keywords you will meet most often, and the how-to-play page has the full turn structure around them. Every card's text is searchable on the cards page.
Combat Keywords
Quickdraw
Rule: Strikes first in combat. If the Quickdraw creature kills its target before the target can retaliate, the target deals no damage back.
Strategy: Turns even trades into winning ones. A 2/3 Quickdraw creature kills a 3/2 before taking any damage.
Example cards: Frontier Marshal (Human, 2M, 2/3), Cavalry Lieutenant (Human, 4M/1G, 3/4), Alchemical Renegade (Gnome, 3M/2G, 3/2)
Ambush
Rule: Can attack immediately when summoned. Normally, creatures must wait a turn before attacking.
Strategy: Surprise damage and immediate Gold generation. Best in aggressive decks that want to apply pressure before opponents can react.
Example cards: Saloon Brawler (Human, 1M, 2/1), Mud Slicker (Goblin, 1M, 2/1), Sand Skirmisher (Desert Devil, 1M, 2/1)
Double Barrel
Rule: Can attack twice per turn — once before normal combat and once during it.
Strategy: Effectively doubles a creature's damage output. Can clear a blocker and then attack the opponent in the same turn.
Example cards: Sharpshooter Clara (Human, 3M/2G, 4/2), Cart Cannoneer (Goblin, 4M/1G, 5/3), Sand Wyrm Wrangler (Desert Devil, 5M/2G, 5/5)
Overshot
Rule: Excess damage spills to the next target or player. If a 5-attack creature kills a 2-defense blocker, 3 damage hits the next thing in line.
Strategy: Punishes small blockers and Cover Tokens. The higher the attack, the more devastating the spillover.
Example cards: Highwayman (Human, 4M/2G, 5/3), Mire Giant (Goblin, 4M, 5/4), Stormglass Colossus (Desert Devil, 5M/1G, 6/5)
Positioning Keywords
Flying
Rule: Can attack over Cover Tokens. Bypasses 0/1 blocking tokens entirely.
Strategy: Counters Cover Token-heavy decks. Also strong in High-Rise lanes, where a fresh creature stays concealed until it attacks, and Flying is one of the few ways to reach an enemy's High-Rise at all.
Example cards: Cackle Hyena Rider (Goblin, 3M/1G, 3/3), Sunstorm Sentinel (Desert Devil, 4M/1G, 4/3), Scorch Hawk Alpha (Beast, 3M/2G, 3/3)
Warrant
Rule: Forces enemies to attack this creature first. Acts as a mandatory blocker in its lane.
Strategy: Protects high-value threats. Place a Warrant creature in front of your key attacker to absorb incoming damage.
Example cards: Bounty Hunter Jed (Human, 4M/2G, 4/3), Dustcloak Chief (Desert Devil, 4M/1G, 3/5), Gravel Grunt (Dwarf, 1M, 1/2)
Cover Tokens
Rule: Place one or more 0/1 blocking tokens in Middle Lanes. A Cover Token intercepts attacks down its lane, shielding the creature behind it and the Sheriff, until it is broken. Not automatic — only generated by specific card effects.
Strategy: Cheap defense that stalls aggro decks. Multiple tokens from cards like Crater Chief (Goblin, 4M/1G, 3/5) can wall off entire lanes. The open combat guide covers lane and cover play in depth.
Example cards: Blacksmith Hank (Human, 3M, 2/3), Harvest Guardian (Straw Elf, 4M/1G, 3/5), Quicksand Trapper (Desert Devil, 4M/1G, 3/5)
Tunnel
Rule: Can be summoned in any lane regardless of blocking. Bypasses the usual placement rules.
Strategy: Surprise positioning. Drop a Warrant creature behind enemy lines or reinforce a threatened lane instantly.
Example cards: Shaft Runner (Dwarf, 1M, 1/2), Tunnel Sergeant (Dwarf, 3M/1G, 2/4)
Economy Keywords
High Noon
Rule: Draw 1 card when played from hand.
Strategy: Replaces itself for pure card advantage. Cheap High Noon creatures keep your hand full without sacrificing tempo.
Example cards: Scrap Picker (Goblin, 1M, 1/1), Dune Scout (Desert Devil, 1M, 1/1), Hayseed Scout (Straw Elf, 1M, 1/1)
Gold Rush
Rule: Gain gold when played.
Strategy: Accelerates your Gold economy to fund expensive mana+gold cards and Deputy summons ahead of curve.
Example cards: Tinker Tot (Goblin, 1M, 1/1), Scrap Spark (Goblin, 1M, 1/1), Ore Baron (Dwarf, 3M/2G, 2/4 — gains 2 gold)
Survival Keywords
Wanted
Rule: Cannot be targeted by any effects — friendly or enemy. Only combat damage can interact with this creature.
Strategy: The ultimate protection. Wanted creatures force opponents to deal with them in combat only, which is extremely difficult at high stat lines.
Example cards: Midnight Marauder (Goblin, 5M/2G, 5/5), Nightfall Marauder (Desert Devil, 5M/2G, 5/5), Looming Effigy (Straw Elf, 5M/1G, 5/5)
Last Stand
Rule: Triggers an effect when this creature dies.
Strategy: Gives value even in defeat. Makes opponents hesitate to kill Last Stand creatures because the death effect might be worse than leaving them alive.
Example cards: Harvest Moon Effigy (Straw Elf, 5M/2G, 4/5 — heals 3 HP on death), Clockwork Enforcer (Gnome, 4M/2G, 4/4 — deals 3 damage on death)
Heal
Rule: Restore HP to your hero or a creature.
Strategy: Extends the game and resets the damage race. Especially strong in control decks that want to reach their expensive top-end.
Example cards: Medicine Woman (Human, 3M, 2/3), Soot Seer (Goblin, 4M/1G, 4/3 — heals 5 HP), Mirage Conjurer (Desert Devil, 5M/2G, 5/4 — heals 5 HP)
Faction-Specific Keywords
Flip (Gnomes)
Rule: Every Gnome is paired with a Golem. When you commit a spell, each Gnome you control flips into its paired Golem in the same lane, keeping its damage and attachments, and the Gnome's Flip effect resolves as it transforms. Your opponent's second spell after that flips it back.
Example: Tinker Imp (Gnome, 1M, 1/1) Flips to reduce the cost of your next card by 1 mana. The Flip engine guide covers how to sequence the whole machine.
Flip-Charged (Golems)
Rule: A Golem's stored payload. It fires when a Flip Spell flips your Golems, so it rewards having Golems already standing when you cast one.
Example: Iron Rail Titan (Golem, 5M/3G, 5/5) destroys a target creature with 2 or less Defense when flipped.
Barricade (Dwarves)
Rule: This creature has Warrant and takes -1 damage from all sources.
Example: Iron Boot Grunt (Dwarf, 2M, 2/3) with Barricade effectively has 4+ effective defense against most attackers.
Fortify (Dwarves)
Rule: Permanently gain +1 or +2 Defense when entering the board.
Example: Deepvein Miner (Dwarf, 1M, 1/1) enters as a 1/2 with Fortify 1. Small but sticky.
Venom (Beasts)
Rule: When this creature deals damage, the target gets -1 Defense until end of turn.
Example: Dust Viper (Beast, 1M, 1/1) weakens anything it touches. Stack with Double Barrel for rapid stat shredding.
Keywords make the most sense with cards in hand. Open the Online Outpost and play a free duel to watch them fire in order.
