In Play and Out of Play

All cards are considered either in play or out of play depending on their state within the game.

If a card is in play, its text is active and it can affect the game.

• For player cards, the faceup side of a player’s identity card is in play. The faceup ally cards, support cards, and upgrade cards that have entered play (played, put into play, etc.) are in play.
• For encounter cards, the faceup side of the top card of the villain deck and the faceup side of the top card of the main scheme deck are in play.
• Faceup attachment cards, environment cards, minion cards, obligation cards, and side scheme cards that have entered play (revealed, put into play, etc.) are in play.
• A card enters play when it moves from an out-of-play area to a play area. For example, the Nemesis minion and it’s side scheme when you reveal Shadows of the Past as an encounter.
• Card abilities only interact with, and can only target, cards that are in play (unless the ability text specifically refers to an out-of-play area).
• Card abilities on all card types, except event cards and treachery cards, can only be initiated or affect the game while they are in play unless they specifically refer to being used from an out-of-play area. For example, Cable’s side scheme Technovirus Purge effect works even when out of play.
• If a card is double-sided (having game text on each side of the card), the faceup side of the card is in play. For example, your identity – when you are in alter-ego form, the hero form is not in play, and vice versa.

If a card is out of play, its text is inactive and cannot affect the game.

• Cards in a player’s hand, deck, and discard pile are out of play.
• Cards in the encounter deck, encounter discard pile, unrevealed cards in the villain deck, unrevealed cards in the main scheme deck, and facedown encounter cards dealt to a player are out of play.
• Facedown cards attached to in-play cards are considered out of play. For example, cards placed under The Painted Lady.
• Event cards and treachery cards implicitly resolve from an out-of-play area, by virtue of the rules pertaining to those card types.
• Any cards that have been removed from the game or that have been set aside are out of play. For example, when you defeat a minion or a side scheme with the victory keyword, or Death-Glow when not attached to an enemy.
• A card leaves play when it moves from a play area to an out-of-play area.
• If a card is double-sided (having game text on each side of the card), the facedown side is out of play.