Way of the Chameleon
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Way of the Chameleon | |
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Info | |
Type | Way |
Set | Menagerie |
Illustrator(s) | Grant Hansen |
Way text | |
Follow this card's instructions; each time that would give you +Cards this turn, you get + instead, and vice-versa. |
Way of the Chameleon is a Way from Menagerie. It lets you turn an Action card's +Cards into +, and its + into +Cards.
Contents |
FAQ
Official FAQ
- For example, if you play Sheepdog and use Way of the Chameleon, you will get + instead of +2 Cards.
- If you play a Duration card using Way of the Chameleon, only the + and +Cards you get that turn are affected; for example, if you play Merchant Ship (from Seaside) and use Way of the Chameleon, you will get +2 Cards this turn, but the normal + next turn.
- This turns "+Cards" into "+" and vice-versa, but does not change other ways to draw cards, for example, "draw until you have 6 cards in hand."
- If the card that uses Way of the Chameleon plays another card, that card just does what it normally does (unless you use Way of the Chameleon on it as well).
Other rules clarifications
- Different printings of Cellar, Oracle, Storeroom, and Storyteller have inconsistent uses of "+Cards" and "draw." Go by whichever wording is printed on the cards you are using.
- Way of the Chameleon can be used on cards without any +Cards or + (e.g. Chapel) or cards with equal +Cards and + (e.g. Market) even though this would normally have no effect. This will still override Enchantress.
- Cards that give choices (e.g. Courtier) give you bonuses in order listed. So if you use Way of the Chameleon on Courtier, and choose "+" (which becomes +3 Cards) and "gain a Gold," you gain the Gold after drawing.
- If a card you play would activate another card's +Cards / +, that won't be affected by Way of the Chameleon. For example, if you play Lurker as Way of the Chameleon and trash a Cultist, you still get +3 Cards from doing so. And if you play Herb Gatherer as Way of the Chameleon and play a Gold, you still get +.
- Similarly, Boons are not affected by Way of the Chameleon. So if you play Druid as Way of the Chameleon and receive The Field's Gift, you still get +1 Action and +.
- This has no interaction with +Coffers.
- This has no interaction with effects that make you lose (such as Poor House and Souk).
- If you would get +1 Card while you have the -1 Card token, you won't remove your token. And if you would get + while you have the - token, you won't remove your token.
- The tokens from Teacher take effect before you decide to use Way of the Chameleon, so those bonuses will be unaffected.
- If the card you play with Way of the Chameleon gives bonuses later in the same turn, this will still apply to those bonuses. For example, if you play a Priest as Way of the Chameleon, you get +2 Cards, and then for the rest of the turn, you get +2 Cards when trashing another card.
- Way of the Chameleon only affects on-play effects. So if you Procession a Nomads and play it twice as Way of the Chameleon twice, you'll draw 4 cards. But when you trash the Nomads, you still get +.
- This has no effect on bonuses that other players get. For example, if you play Governor as Way of the Chameleon and choose the first option, you get +, and the other players get +1 Card.
- If an Action played using Way of the Chameleon would now give +, that will count for Harbor Village.
- "Follow this card's instructions" means that anything else that affects this card's instructions is ignored. This means that any Action played using Way of the Chameleon will have no interaction with Lantern, Elder, and Reckless.
Strategy
Versions
English versions
Digital | Text | Release | Date | |
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Follow this card's instructions; each time that would give you +Cards this turn, you get + instead, and vice-versa. | Menagerie | March 2020 |
Other language versions
Trivia
Preview
Durations are tricky. It only applies to this turn; if you play Merchant Ship using Way of the Chameleon, you get +2 Cards this turn and + next turn. Also some things get you cards but aren't "+Cards"; Way of the Chameleon doesn't apply to them. There will be a rulebook eventually!
Secret History
For strumphf's 2022 advent calendar, Donald X. went in-depth on the development of Way of the Chameleon.
At first you could mix up the four basic +'s any which way. It's too hard to communicate what happens with +2 of something - can you split it up or not - in the space available, plus it was too many options. I fixed both things by having it just exchange cards and . Then I added "this turn" so you didn't have tracking on durations.
Previous outtake from Cornucopia
There was a card that had you play another card, replacing all +'s in its text with whatever +'s you wanted. Besides rules issues, it was weak and narrow.