Zones are the different areas that a player's cards can be during the game.
The "Changing Zones" Puzzles explore some of the mechanics of cards moving between zones.
The Zones
The Deck
This is the set cards that have not yet been drawn. These are drawn into the hand each turn, as well as by spells and abilities.
In general, cards in the deck have no effect on the game until they are drawn, but some cards such as Praxis Outlaw have abilities that can be triggered while they are in the deck.
The Hand
These are cards available to play. They are drawn from the deck and are discarded to the void, through effects or if the player has too many cards (more than 9 at the end of the turn, or more than 12 at any time).
Play
Cards that are in play include units on the battlefield, as well as relics, weapons, or curses on these units or the players. In general, text on cards will only be active when the card is in play.
The Void
These are cards that have been killed or discarded, and spells that have been played. Some cards such as Ephemeral Wisp have abilities that can be activated while they are in the void.
The Market
The Market is only available to a player with at least one Merchant in their deck. It consists of up to five cards chosen when building the deck. During the game, these can be swapped with cards in the hand when a merchant is played. Currently, merchants are the only cards that can interact with the Market.
Power
Power cards that have been played can be viewed by clicking the power total. There is currently no way to interact with these cards once they have been played.
Changing Zones
When cards move between zones, they will retain some of the changes that have been made to them while others are lost or reset.
What stays the same
Any permanent changes to the attack, health, cost, and text of a card will remain. This does not include ongoing effects from other cards in play such as Xenan Obelisk.
Armor added to a relic weapon will remain if it leaves play.
What is lost
If a unit with any attachments leaves play, the attachments are "killed" and go to their owners' voids.
What is reset
Skills and keywords that have a single use are reset if a card leaves and re-enters play. This includes the battle skills Aegis, Berserk and Killer, and the keywords Ally, Infiltrate, and Ultimate. Revenge is not reset, as the skill is lost after the first activation.
The armor of a relic weapon that was lost through taking damage is restored when it leaves play.
Terms for changing zones
There are effects that can trigger if a card is drawn, discarded, played, or killed - when these trigger is related to the zones the card is moving between.
A card is "drawn" if it goes to the hand from the deck, void, or market. Cards put in the hand from play are not considered drawn, and will not trigger effects such as Echo or Fate.
A card is "discarded" if it goes to the void from the deck or hand, with the exception of spells being played.
A card is "played" if it enters play from any other zone. Note that cards played directly from the deck or void are not considered to be drawn.
A card is "killed" if it goes to the void from play.