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 |
[edit] FAQ
[edit] 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).
[edit] 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 (only +Cards is affected by Way of the Chameleon).
- Way of the Chameleon can be used on cards without any +Cards or +Chapel) or cards with equal +Cards and + (e.g. Market) even though this would normally have no effect. (e.g.
- Enchantress and Highwayman make you ignore a card's instructions (to either get +1 Card and +1 Action, or nothing). But unlike the other Ways, Way of the Chameleon makes you follow the Action's instructions, which means that Enchantress and Highwayman will stop Way of the Chameleon [1]
- Using a Way means that the Action now "does" what the Way says (which is why Way of the Sheep can trigger Harbor Village). However, Enchantress doesn't mean that the Action give you +1 Card +1 Action, which is why Way of the Chameleon will not turn the +1 Card into + . [2]
- "Follow this card's instructions" means that anything else that cares about this card's instructions is still applied. So any Action played using Way of the Chameleon will also work with Lantern, Elder, and Reckless. [3]
- 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 trigger another card's +Cards / +Lurker as Way of the Chameleon and trash a Cultist, you'll get +3 Cards, not + . And if you play Herb Gatherer as Way of the Chameleon and play a Gold, you still get + . , that won't be affected by Way of the Chameleon. For example, if you play
- 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 Poor House and Souk). (such as
- If you would get +1 Card while you have your -1 Card token, you won't remove the token. And if you would get + while you have your - token, you won't remove the 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 you trash a card.
- This only affects on-play effects. So if you Procession a Nomads and play it twice as Way of the Chameleon, 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 +Harbor Village. , that will count for
[edit] Strategy
[edit] Versions
[edit] 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 |
[edit] Other language versions
[edit] Trivia
[edit] 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!
[edit] 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 durations.
. Then I added "this turn" so you didn't have tracking on [edit] 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.
[edit] Retrospective
["Follow this card's instructions"] is you know not a phrase I'm delighted to be using, but I think it's doing the trick?
Chameleon as a Trait seems a lot less interesting; it would often show up on something it had no effect on.
Ways added a lot of fun gameplay; today I am not possibly deciding "why did I do those."