Can I get an official answer please? A post on facebook was telling people to use Holocron on royal guard to give it blue abilities. I disagreed. The Royal Guard says "you cannot play blue abilities on this character" The Holocron says to "Switch this upgrade with a blue ability upgrade in your hands ignoring IT'S play restrictions. There are 2 sets of restrictions here. The character and the ability. What does the word "IT'S" refer to?

You know what, I was going to make a general 'you can' answer, but you make an excellent point.

My gut instinct is that yes, you can use holocron to play the upgrade, but it's an interesting juxtaposition. I think one could argue that ignoring 'it's' play restrictions include the fact that

A) it is an ability

and B) 'it's play restrictions' include any and all restrictions that apply, including cost, colour and card effects.

But I can see the argument being made the other way, which could cause issues. Another stunner from FFG (unless they intend for holocron to not work). Part of the problem is the golden rule 'do what the card says, don't not do what the card says' and 'not supersedes yes'.

Iirc. Its in the latest rules reference you can.

Edit: i did remember correctly. Page 27.

You aren't playing an upgrade when using the Holocron special so simply put what is the thought process behind thinking a restriction on the ability to PLAY abilities on the Royal Guard would matter in that situation?

I would say yes you can.

Like Stu said... This isn't a debate, it's clearly addressed and answered in the rules document.

But in doing so, aren't you then ignoring the characters play restriction? From my interpretation, and I could be off... if you switch the Holocron for a blue ABILITY, you ignore that ABILITIES restriction. In this case, the restriction is on the Royal Guard. This to me makes it sound like a no.

SWITCH and PLAY are different game terms, and that seems to be the reasoning for FFGs stance on the matter.

My bad, I didn't see that image when I posted.

11 hours ago, RJM said:

SWITCH and PLAY are different game terms, and that seems to be the reasoning for FFGs stance on the matter.

Correct, but boy do FFG play it close with VERY similar words meaning very fundamentally different things.