A question with the wording of The Thing Behind You. As we read the card we can understand you can return in your hand one of your own Hastur character or an opponent's hastur character.
I think you can return in your hand only card you own. So how can we understand the text of The Thing Behind You ?

1) Pay 2 and return a [Hastur] character to the card's owner hand ... (in this case you can return an opponent's character in his hand or one of your character in your hand)
2) Pay 2 and return one of your own [Hastur] character to your hand ... (in this case you can return only one of your own character, even if you don't control it ?)

What do you think ? what is the idea of the card ? Targeting only your characters or all Hastur characters in game (and so a nice combo with Stange Delusions for exemple) ?

•The Thing Behind You, Turn around!
-----------------------------------
Type : Character
Cost : 5
Skill : 1
Icons : TTTTT
Subtype : Sorcerer.
Game Text : Fast. Action: Pay 2 and return a [Hastur] character to your hand to put The Thing Behind You into play from your hand.
Flavor text : Of course, he had been tricked again...
Illustrator : Cris Griffin
Collector's Info : APY F110

Strange Delusions
-----------------
Type : Support
Cost : 1
Subtype : Attachment.
Game Text : Attach to a character or support card. Action: Exhaust Strange Delusions to give attached card a faction affiliation of your choice until the end of the phase.
Flavor text :
Illustrator : Katherine Dinger
Collector's Info : APY F118

To return a card legally to your hand it must be yours so only option one will work.

Can you give where in the rules or FAQ we talk about that ? And so, you could return one of your own character even if you don't control it ?

If the card started in your opponent's hand, it wouldn't "return" to any place except where it started.

and so actually, just to know, you are all playing the Thing by targeting only your own Hastur characters even if you don't control them? The wording of the card is clear enough for you ?

I read it that since it returns to YOUR hand it had to be your card to begin with. At least, that's how we've played it. Otherwise, I think it would say to a Hastur card to it's OWNER'S hand.

agreed. The only way to make the language work is to target a card that originated in your hand. Mind you, it might have switched control to your opponent, but it had to start in your hand.

Ok thanks, we will play it like that.

I am not an English speaker, but imho the sentence is clear.

You can only return cards to your hand if you owned it previously.

The most far you can go is to pay 2 and return a Hastur character you lost control and now is in opponent's play table, which seems you can do it without problems... I think it would read "a Hastur character you control " to avoid this.

TheProfessor said:

Not only, start in your hand. If you put into play an Hastur character from your deck or discard pile, this card has never been in your hand and you could return it in your hand.

yes, thank you! Point well taken!

Dadajef said:

UPS! You are right... it must have to say that the card must begin in your the game in you deck!

Thanks Prof

this came up last game and wasnt sure if this works but can thing behind you return cards from you discard pile to your hand? it seems most cards mention return from discard pile but im just double checking here.

PearlJamaholic said:

No, the character to return has to be in play.