but after rereading Core Set manual, page 19 and (4.2) from the latest FAQs I'm confused. Page 19 says, If one of your unique cards is about to be killed, discarded from play, or returned to your hand or deck as a triggered " Response :" effect…

So I can only use the duplicate to save me if a bad effect is from a card with the bold word, "Response." So if, for example, if I have to kill a character from a miltary challenage I can't discard the duplicate?

No.

It's telling you how discarding the duplicate works (as a save Response), not what it works against. It's describing the timing of the save effect.

Is this just me---in the part I quoted it used the word "Response" in bold. On page 23 it defines "Responses." It then talks about cards with the, "' Response: " label.'"

But, OK.

The Old Man said:

You're reading "as a triggered 'Response:' effect" and thinking "by a triggered 'Response:' effect."

Thank you for your time to help me straighten this out.

It is just a matter of commas.

It is:

"If one of your unique cards is about to be killed, discarded from play, or returned to your hand or deck - COMMA - as a triggered "Response:" effect you may discard an attached duplicate to save it"

and not:

"If one of your unique cards is about to be killed, discarded from play, or returned to your hand or deck as a triggered "Response:" effect - COMMA - you may discard an attached duplicate to save it"

And just to add some more clarity, because it is a triggered response, there are event cards and such that can cancel this. I think that's why the made the distinction.

Slothgodfather said:

Sloth…--thanks for the clarity.

Ktom--thanks for the follow up.

What about a Shadowcard out of Shadows with a duplicate. For instance Black Hatchling - out of shadows - in play with a duplicate. And is send back to shadows by for instance Sisters of Truth.

What happens to the duplicate? is it discarded and Black Hatchling goes to shadows?

I believe that a dupe could be discarded to save the character from being returned to shadows, although i will confess that that reasoning is based on dupes being able to protect against return to deck/hand or discarded/killed.

Edit. Indeed it can, according to the faq :

The text from page 19 of the Rulebook should
read: “If one of your unique cards is about to
leave play, as a triggered ‘Response:’ effect,
you may discard an attached duplicate to
save the unique card from leaving play. This
includes, but is not limited to, an effect that
kills, discards, returns the card to hand, deck,
shadows, or removes the card from the game.”

I remember asking the question and receiving the answer that yes, duplicates can save a card from being returned to shadows.

Hijacking the thread to focus on shadow cards a bit more, how are duplicates of unique shadow cards played? Do you still have to pay both the shadow cost and the printed cost in order to put a duplicate on a shadow card? If so, then shadow dupes are rather expensive compared to their standard counter-parts.

You can do it that way - playing the dupe into Shadows, then paying its cost to bring it out of Shadows. Or you can use a copy of a unique card with the Shadow crest to duplicate one in play directly from your hand.

When you play a dupe, you are playing a dupe - which is considered to have no text, titles, traits, etc. So you are not considered to be playing a "Shadow" card, meaning it does not need to go through Shadows in order to get into play.

You can do it either way. Play it from your hand for free, or run it through Shadows for the normal cost. Obviously the first way is better unless you have a reason for wanting a copy in Shadows.

radiskull said:

Similarly, another reason is because you have good triggered Responses for bringing something out of the shadows. Alchemist Guild Hall, Black Cells, Queen of Thorns etc..

Excellent, thanks for the info everyone.