Munchkin Elves want everyone to live in harmony, and they’ll bash whomever they have to over the head to make that happen. Elves are also quite happy to help you… and help themselves, while they’re at it.
- - Smash Up: Munchkin rulebook
The Elves are one of the 8 factions from the Smash Up: Munchkin set.
The Elves focus on helping others to help themselves.
Other factions from the same set: Clerics, Dwarves, Halflings, Mages, Orcs, Thieves, Warriors.
Cards[]
The Elves have the usual 10 minions and 10 actions. The total minion base power (not counting any abilities) is unusually low at only 27 or an average of 2.7 per minion compared to the usual 30 and 3.
Among their actions, there are:
- 1 play-on-minion action: Traveling Elf,
- 0 play-on-base actions,
- 9 standard actions (5 that affect one or more minions, in bold): After You, Dancing Root, Helping Hands, Pumping Iron (2x), Run Away!, Run Away More!, Trade (2x),
- 2 actions that directly increase a minion's power: Pumping Iron (2x).
Minions[]
1x Fae Fighter - power 5 - Ongoing: After another player plays a minion, you may place a +1 power counter on it to place a +1 power counter on one of your minions here. FAQ
2x Lord of the Prance - power 4 - Talent: Another player of your choice draws a card. Draw a card. FAQ
3x Flower Child - power 2 - You may give another player control of this minion until it leaves play, to take control of one of that player’s minions of power 3 or less until it leaves play. FAQ
4x Elf Help Guru - power 2 - Talent: Give all other players’ minions here +1 power each until the end of the turn. FAQ
Actions[]
1x After You - Each other player draws a card. Draw a card for each player in the game, including yourself. FAQ
1x Dancing Root - All players shuffle their discard piles into their decks. Draw a card. FAQ
1x Helping Hands - Special: Play before a base scores if you have a minion there. Choose another player. That player gets +2 total power; your minion gets -2 power (minimum 0). If that player is the winner, you get one of that player’s VPs. FAQ
2x Pumping Iron - Choose another player. That player chooses a minion to gain +2 power until the end of the turn. You choose a minion to get +3 power until the end of the turn. FAQ
1x Run Away! - Special: Play before a base scores if you have a minion there. Move one of your minions and another player’s minion from there to another base. FAQ
1x Run Away More! - Special: Play before a base scores. Move any number of your minions from that base to another base. FAQ
2x Trade - Draw a random card from another player’s hand and place it in yours, then place this card in that player’s hand. You may play an extra action this turn. FAQ
1x Traveling Elf - Play on one of your minions. Talent: Move this minion to another base. FAQ
Bases[]
Clarifications[]
Here are the official clarifications as they appear in the Smash Up: Munchkin rulebook:
Dancing Root: Cards are discarded after they are resolved, so Dancing Root is not shuffled in. All players shuffle their discard piles, but you are the only one who draws. (updated by The Bigger Geekier Box)
Flower Child: This card and the minion swapped with it have no connection: when one of them leaves play the other one is not given back. Flower Child cannot swap with a monster, unless it is controlled by a player.
Helping Hands: Losing a VP does not affect any cards, so cards like Too Tough do not block the loss.
Lord of the Prance: “Monsters” is not a faction, so you may not choose it.
Pumping Iron: Neither player is required to choose one of their own minions.
Elf Help Guru: This only affects cards in play, not those played later. The power boost does not change, no matter what happens to this card. (added by The Bigger Geekier Box)
Mechanics[]
Elves give other players advantages in ways that when used properly end up favoring themselves much more. All of the ongoing benefits Elves bestow are optional on your part, and need to be used selectively. This makes them more useful with more players, as you can choose to help the player who stands to gain the least. As an extension of Elf abilities needing to be used opportunistically comes many Elf abilities that only benefit you circumstantially (making other players shuffle their discard piles, all of them gaining plus 1 power, etc). Elves are particularly good at drawing cards (both you and your opponent). which comes back to favor them through Trade, taking good cards from their opponent. Trade also favors Elves as so many of their own cards are circumstantial, and stealing from others helps them more than it would help their opponents to steal back. This is a mechanic that comes back as well in Flower Child. Elves also have a decent amount of specials that are only to be played when they benefit them, furthering Elves circumstantially amicable nature.
External Strategy Guides[]
FAQ[]
Questions on Fae Fighter[]
Q: Can I wait after my opponent plays all of their cards before deciding to activate Fae Fighter's ability? For example, if my opponent plays Zapbot, can I wait until they play their extra minion before deciding whether to give +1 counter to one or both of them?
A: It depends. Fae Fighter's ability being an "After X, do Y" ability, it can only be resolved during card reaction time according to the Card Resolution Order, so your opponent must first finish resolving all its cards. When a card grants a player an extra card play, that extra can be played immediately as part of the firs card's resolution. Context sometimes makes the card play only immediate, forcing the player to play it immediately or they'll lose it if unspent (e.g. if the extra card is granted outside their Play Cards phase, if more instructions follow the extra card play, etc.) Apart from these situations, the extra card play can actually be saved for later without being lost. So for Fae Fighter, if your opponent gains extra minion plays and decide to play it immediately, you must wait until they are done playing the extra minions as immediate extra plays. If they decide to bank some of these extra minion plays, then they will only be able to play them after cards that were triggered are all resolved. For example, if they choose to play the extra minion granted by Zapbot immediately, then they do so immediately and you must wait until they are done resolving the extra minion's ability. At that point, Fae Fighter will have triggered at least twice, once for Zapbot and once for the extra minion, and must be resolved for both times. If your opponent chooses to save the extra minion play for later (supposing they are able to save it; for Zapbot, they can only save it if it's played on their Play Cards phase, otherwise they must play it immediately or they'll lose it), then if they don't have any cards in the middle of resolution, it's time to resolve card reactions, including Fae Fighter, which will have only triggered once for Zapbot.
Q: I can place the +1 power counter on "one of my minions". Can I place it on a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: If Fae Fighter's ability is cancelled, are the +1 power counters placed by its ability (both those placed on Fae Fighter and those placed on other minions) removed?
A: No. When you place a +1 power counter, it's a definitive effect (like drawing cards, if you play Enchantress, you're not going to discard the card you drew if Enchantress's ability is cancelled), so the +1 power counters remain even if the card that placed them has its ability cancelled. On the other hand, if a card is removed while it had +1 power counters, only the +1 power counters on it are removed, but that's because a card that leaves play loses all its attachments. Besides, how are you going to keep track of which +1 power counters were added by Fae Fighter's ability and which ones were not (e.g. if you're playing Elves Giant Ants or Elves Mad Scientists)? That would be very cumbersome.
Rule: Cancelling (or losing) an effect does not necessarily undo what it did.
Q: If Fae Fighter is removed from play (e.g. destroyed, returned, etc.), are the +1 power counters placed by its ability on other minions removed?
A: No. When you place a +1 power counter, it's a definitive effect, so the +1 power counters remain even if the card that placed them is removed from play (like drawing cards, if you play Enchantress, you're not going to discard the card you drew if Enchantress is destroyed). Besides, how are you going to keep track of which +1 power counters were added by Fae Fighter's ability and which ones were not (e.g. if you're playing Elves Giant Ants or Elves Mad Scientists)? That would be very cumbersome.
Rule: Removing a card from play does not necessarily undo what it did.
Q: If I play an Argonaut instead of an action, can my opponent use Fae Fighter's ability?
A: Yes. Playing an Argonaut, whether as a minion or instead of an action, still counts as playing a minion. It IS a minion after all.
Questions on Lord of the Prance[]
Q: I already have ten cards in hand. What happens if I decide to use this talent? Do I draw a card and immediately discard a card?
A: You draw a card and don't discard any card until your upcoming Draw 2 Cards phase. At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: Another player already has ten cards in their hand. What happens if I choose for them to draw a card? Is it immediately discarded instead? Do they keep it and choose which card to discard during my draw 2 cards phase?
A: They don't discard any card until their next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, they will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if they have more than 10. That's the only moment where they must discard down to 10. At any other time, they keep their hand of cards.
Questions on Flower Child[]
Q: Does Flower Child have to be played on the same base as the minion you want to swap it with?
A: No. Flower Child can be played on any base and be swapped with a minion of power 3 or less on any base.
Q: Can I give control of Flower Child to a player who doesn't have any minions?
A: Yes, although since they will have indeed a minion (Flower Child itself!), you'll have to take back control of Flower Child.
Q: Another player has Flower Child. I play Copycat, copy Flower Child's ability and give control of Copycat to another player. Normally the control of Flower Child is definitive (i.e. it doesn't expire at the end of the turn like the Kitty Cats do), but Copycat sets a deadline, so at the end of the turn, I get Copycat's control back, right?
A: No. Copycat's deadline determines how long it keeps the copy of the ability, but it doesn't change Flower Child's ability original deadline.
Q: If another player took control of one of my minions (e.g. Make Contact, Flower Child), can I use Spreading the Word and play extra minions with the same name as that minion (supposing I don't have one already in play)?
A: Yes. The extra minions can have the same name as any player's minion in play, not just yours.
Q: If I take control of an opponent's minion (Kitty Cats, Flower Child), can I use Sacrifice on it?
A: Yes. If you have control of it, then it's one of "your minions" and is therefore an eligible minion for Sacrifice.
Q: An opponent takes control of my Gremlin (Flower Child, Make Contact). If it is destroyed while they still have control of it, do I draw a card?
A: No. Under the control of another player, the card treats its new controller as if they had played it. So "you" on the minion would designate its current controller, and another player would be any player that is not the controller. So, if Gremlin is destroyed, its new controller draws a card and all other players (you included) discard a random card.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: When I play Flower Child on a base with an enemy Bag of Caltrops, Imperial Dragon, and Hatchling, and choose to give it to that player (without taking control of any of their minions), does it still trigger their cards?
A: Yes. These cards are triggered when another player plays a minion, which you did, even if that card changed controller.
Q: I play Flower Child on a base with an enemy Imperial Dragon and take control of it. Is Imperial Dragon activated?
A: Yes, Imperial Dragon was triggered: when you played Flower Child, it did "witness" another player playing a minion on its base and playing that minion is also what caused it to no longer be your minion. So its ability will be resolved when it will be time to resolve card reactions. However, when Imperial Dragon is resolved, the player who draws the card will be its current controller, not the player who controlled it when it was triggered.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: I play Flower Child on a base with an enemy The Frog Prince and take control of it. Is The Frog Prince activated?
A: No, when you played Flower Child, The Frog Prince isn't your minion yet. It needs to "witness" its controller playing a minion, which didn't happen as it "saw" you, i.e. another player, playing their minion.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: Can you take control of a minion in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Questions on Elf Help Guru[]
Q: I use Elf Help Guru's talent. Elf Help Guru is then removed from play or has its ability cancelled. Do the minions lose their boost?
A: No. Even if Elf Help Guru is no longer in play or loses its ability, the +1 power persists until the end of the turn.
Rule: Cancelling (or losing) an effect does not necessarily undo what it did.
Rule: Removing a card from play does not necessarily undo what it did.
Q: After using Elf Help Guru's talent, I move it to another base. Do the minions on the former base lose their boost and do the minions on the new base get it instead?
A: No. The power boost was given to the minions when you used the talent and it sticks with them.
Q: After using Elf Help Guru's talent, I move another player's minion there to another base. Does the minion lose its power boost?
A: No, it keeps it even if it's moved to another base. The power boost was given to that minion when you used the talent and it sticks with it.
Q: After using Elf Help Guru's talent, I play or move another player's minion to Elf Help Guru's base. Does the minion get a power boost?
A: No. The power boost was given to the minions present on Elf Help Guru's base at the time you used its talent. Any other minion won't be able to get it.
Questions on After You[]
Q: After playing this card, I have more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10?
A: You don't discard any card until your next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: After playing this card, another player has more than 10 cards in hand, do they immediately discard down to 10?
A: They don't discard any card until their next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, they will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if they have more than 10. That's the only moment where they must discard down to 10. At any other time, they keep their hand of cards.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Dancing Root[]
Q: I suppose all players draw a card, right?
A: No. Only you draw a card, because the card addresses you.
Rule: "You" on a minion, action or titan means the controller of the card.
Q: After playing this card, I (somehow) have more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10?
A: You don't discard any card until your next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Helping Hands[]
Q: Does changing the players' total power on a base change anything at all? Don't we only get VPs based on the power we had at the start of scoring?
A: Actually, the amount of VPs each player gets is determined by the power each player currently has when you are handing out VPs, so any before-scoring abilities (including this one) that affect how much power you have on the base will affect the amount of VPs you'll eventually get.
Rule: VPs are awarded according to the current power totals.
Q: If after playing Helping Hands, the chosen player ties for first on that base, do you still get one of their points? What if you are also tied for first?
A: You still get one of their VPs. Even if there's a tie, they are still considered a winner.
Rule: The player with the most power on a base is the winner.
Q: Do all my minions there get -2 power?
A: No. Just one of them.
Q: It gives -2 power to "my minion". Can I give it to a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: It applies to a base "where I have a minion". Can I play it for a base where there are only minions I own that I don't control? I don't control them but I "own" them, so I "have" them, right?
A: No. "Where you have a minion" means "where you control at least one minion (whether or not you own it)". Minions you just own but don't control don't count.
Q: Can I choose another player that has no minion on the scoring base? What happens if they have one of the top three total powers there?
A: There's no restriction as to which player you can choose, so yes, you can designate a player that has no minion there. If they (somehow...) have one of the three total power on the base, they can still gain VPs for their rank because you must have at least one minion or at least 1 power on the scoring base to get some VP.
Q: Can I play it from stasis before a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: Note that the only part that you can copy is the -2 power given to your minion. The +2 power is added to a player's total power, not a minion's power and therefore doesn't affect any minion.
- If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets -2 power. Note that you don't give another +2 power to another player for giving -2 power to an additional minion; that part was already resolved. Also, note that you don't get any additional VP for that either; you still only gain 1 VP and only if the player that you gave +2 power wins the base.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets -2 power. Note that you don't give another +2 power to another player for giving -2 power to an additional minion; that part was already resolved. Also, note that you don't get any additional VP for that either; you still only gain 1 VP and only if the player that you gave +2 power wins the base.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets -2 power. Note that you don't give another +2 power to another player for giving -2 power to an additional minion; that part was already resolved. Also, note that you don't get any additional VP for that either; you still only gain 1 VP and only if the player that you gave +2 power wins the base.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it affects one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets -2 power. Note that you don't give another +2 power to another player for giving -2 power to an additional minion; that part was already resolved. Also, note that you don't get any additional VP for that either; you still only gain 1 VP and only if the player that you gave +2 power wins the base.
Questions on Pumping Iron[]
Q: I play Pumping Iron. Must the chosen player choose one of their minions? Do I have to choose one of my minions?
A: No to both. Both of you can choose any minions, even the same one.
Q: I play Pumping Iron. Do we each choose a minion at the same time? Or can I decide to choose my minion before my opponent?
A: No to both. Cards are resolved in their written order, so first your opponent chooses, and then you choose.
Rule: Multiple parts of a card’s ability must be done in their stated order.
Q: Can any player choose a minion in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: First of all, note that the action affects minions in two ways. Once by giving a minion +2 power, and then by giving a minion +3 power. Even when both players choose to boost the same minion, the action still counts as first giving the minion +2 power, and then +3 power, not +5 power as a single boost. So, when you use an effect-copying ability, you can either copy the +2 power or the +3 power. If both players choose the same minion, you can't copy the boost as a single +5 power: when resolving the action's effect, a player first chooses a minion to have +2 power, at that point, players with effect-copying abilities can copy the +2 power boost. Then resolution continues and the action player chooses a minion to have +3 power and at that point players with effect-copying abilities can copy the +3 power boost and if they do, they don't retroactively copy the +2 power boost; that part was already resolved, so you don't redo it, and had they decided to copy it when they could, effect-copying abilities can only copy one effect per standard action according to the clarifications.
- If Diva copies one of the boosts, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets the matching amount of power (either +2 or +3).
- If Dancing King copies one of the boosts onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets the matching amount of power (either +2 or +3). Note that if two different minions on the same base are directly affected by the action, Dancing King only triggers once (not twice!) and so can only copy one of the boosts.
- If We are Family copies one of the boosts, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets the matching amount of power (either +2 or +3).
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it affects one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy one of the boosts, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and gets the matching amount of power (either +2 or +3). Note that if two of your minions on Funky Town are directly affected by the action, Funky Town only triggers once (not twice!) and so can only copy one of the boosts.
Questions on Run Away![]
Q: Does moving a minion away before a base scores change anything at all? Don't we only get VPs based on the power we had at the start of scoring?
A: Actually, the amount of VPs each player gets is determined by the power each player currently has when you are handing out VPs, so any before-scoring abilities (including this one) that affect how much power you have on the base will affect the amount of VPs you'll eventually get.
Rule: VPs are awarded according to the current power totals.
Q: Before a base scores, I play this card and move some minions away from that base, reducing the total power below the breakpoint. This ends the scoring, right?
A: You're mistaken here. Once a base has been chosen to score, you keep scoring it even if the total power on it drops below its breakpoint because of before-scoring abilities. (Only a couple of things can really prevent a base from scoring, but this isn't one of them.)
Q: It tells me to move "one of my minions". Can I move a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: It applies to a base "where I have a minion". Can I play it for a base where there are only minions I own that I don't control? I don't control them but I "own" them, so I "have" them, right?
A: No. "Where you have a minion" means "where you control at least one minion (whether or not you own it)". Minions you just own but don't control don't count.
Q: Before a base scores, if I'm the only player who has minions there, can I still play Run Away!?
A: You can indeed play Run Away! because you have at least one minion there, which is the only condition. You must then move one of your minions there to another base, even if there are no other players' minions there.
Q: Do the minions have to be moved to the same base or can I choose a different base for each minion to move to?
A: You must move the minions you chose to the same other base.
Q: Can I play it from stasis before a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion, that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base. Note that at most two minions are directly affected by the action, but Dancing King only triggers once and allows you to move only one additional minion, not one per affected minion.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base.
- With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it moves one of your minions away from Funky Town, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base.
Questions on Run Away More![]
Q: Does moving my minions away before a base scores change anything at all? Won't I just get VPs based on the power I had there at the start of scoring?
A: Actually, the amount of VPs each player gets is determined by the power each player currently has when you are handing out VPs, so any before-scoring abilities (including this one) that affect how much power you have on the base will affect the amount of VPs you'll eventually get.
Rule: VPs are awarded according to the current power totals.
Q: Before a base scores, I play this card and move several of my minions away from that base, reducing the total power below the breakpoint. This ends the scoring, right?
A: You're mistaken here. Once a base has been chosen to score, you keep scoring it even if the total power on it drops below its breakpoint because of before-scoring abilities. (Only a couple of things can really prevent a base from scoring, but this isn't one of them.)
Q: It tells me to move "any number of my minions". Can I move minions I own that I don't control? I don't control them but I "own" them, so they are "my" minions, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: Do the minions have to be moved to the same base or can I choose a different base for each minion to move to?
A: You must move the minions you chose to the same other base.
Q: Can I play it from stasis before a base scores?
A: No, while in stasis, the only abilities that can do anything are the ones that explicitly state that they do something there.
Rule: Abilities of cards in stasis do not work unless they refer to stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: - There's no point for Diva to copy the movement because Diva can be moved directly by Run Away More! anyway.
- If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base. Note that if several minions were moved, Dancing King only triggers once and allows you to move only one additional minion, not one per affected minion. Also, note that while the action is restricted to a minion controlled by the action player, the effect's copy still works if applied to a minion not controlled by that player.
- If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base. Note that while the action is restricted to a minion controlled by the action player, the effect's copy still works if applied to a minion not controlled by that player.
- There's no point for Funky Town to copy the movement because all your minions can be moved directly by Run Away More! anyway.
Questions on Trade[]
Q: What happens when I play another player's minion obtained with Trade?
A: You play it on a base, resolve its abilities from your point of view and keep control of it.
Rule: When a player plays a card, they become the card's controller.
Q: What happens when the card obtained by Trade leaves play?
A: It goes to its owner's hand/deck/discard pile (whatever is appropriate).
Q: After playing this card, I (somehow) have more than 10 cards in hand, do I immediately discard down to 10?
A: You don't discard any card until your next Draw 2 Cards phase (so not any Draw 2 Cards phase!). At that point, you will indeed need to draw two cards and discard down to 10 if you have more than 10. That's the only moment where you must discard down to 10. At any other time, you keep your hand of cards.
Q: I obtained a card through Trade. If an effect tells me to shuffle my hand into my deck (Mulligan, Winds of Change) or place cards from hand on the bottom of my deck (Field Trip), what do I do with the Traded card?
A: The other players can't see which cards go into your deck, so it goes into your deck, not its owner's deck.
Q: Does it trigger Dynamite Surprise if Dynamite Surprise is taken from another player's hand and placed in mine? I'm looking at it after all.
A: No, Trade doesn't make you look at it beforehand, you just take it. You could also argue that you are only properly looking at Dynamite Surprise once it's in your hand, and so you're not looking at it in their hand.
Rule: Specific words are not synonymous no matter how similar they seem.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it doesn't affect any minions in play and so its effect can't be copied.
Questions on Traveling Elf[]
Q: It tells me to play it on "one of my minions". Can I play it on a minion I own that I don't control? I don't control it but I "own" it, so it's "my" minion, right?
A: No. "Your minions" are minions you control, whether or not you own them. A minion you own but don't control isn't yours.
Q: An opponent plays this card on one of their minions. If I transfer it to one of my minions, e.g. with Tinx or Rules Lawyer, I have control of it, so I can use its talent, right? Or does the "Play on one of your minions" prevent me from transferring it to my minions?
A: No, transferring an action doesn't make you its controller and transferring it to a different player's minion doesn't grant that player control of the action. The action's controller simply doesn't change. Also, you can transfer it to your minions; "Play on one of your minions" is simply a restriction for when the action is played, and is no longer relevant once the action is in play and doesn't further restricts how the action can be transferred (because transferring is different than playing!) So, the player who played it still controls it and only they can use Traveling Elf's talent, not you.
Rule: When you transfer an action, it doesn't change controller.
Q: Can you play it on a minion in stasis?
A: No, cards in stasis cannot be affected by cards that do not explicitly state they work on cards in stasis.
Q: How does this interact with the Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability?
A: It doesn't interact with them at all, because it says "Play on one of your minions", which means that it is not a standard action.
Trivia[]
- The artists are John Kovalic, who is well-known for drawing the art of many boardgames including Munchkin and several of its expansions, and Gong Studios, who also designed the art of many other factions.
- Their divider features Elf Help Guru.
- The font used for the Elf cards is Quasimodo.
- A Warrior is present behind the Lord of the Prance.
- An Orc is present behind the Flower Child.
- The Dancing Root is a reference to Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
- A Dwarf is present in the Helping Hands card.
- Halflings are present in the After You and Pumping Iron cards.
- Trade is the first card that can put a card owned by a player into another player's hand.
In other languages[]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| French | Elfes |
| German | Elfen |
| Russian | Эльфы |
| Spanish | Elfos |
| ||||||