Gift of Strength (Vital Strength of the Earth)

Frequently Asked Questions

Blighted Island cards

• Can you Repeat the Power Card granted by Aid from Lesser Spirits?
  Yes, but with some restrictions.

  • Anything that checks the cost of the Power Card checks its printed cost, which may be 1 Energy.
  • It's not one of your Power Cards in play, so you can't Repeat it with Gift of Twinned Days (but it doesn't stop you from repeating a more expensive Power Card).

  Triggered Repeats, like those from Relentless Punishment, also work normally.
  Tags: Repeat, Aid from Lesser Spirits, Powerstorm, Gift of Twinned Days, 5 more...

Elements and Elemental Thresholds

• When I Repeat a Major Power, if I got the threshold effect the first time, do I get it on the repetition as well?
  Yes, usually.

  Elements are not "used up" when you reach a threshold, so you still have the elements on the repetition. The only exception would be if you lose the elements before the repetition (e.g., you Forgot a card in play granting the elements).
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Elements, Repeat, Powerstorm, Gift of Strength (Vital Strength of the Earth), 0 more...

Power Cards

• If you Repeat a Power card with Powerstorm or Gift of Strength, do you get double the elements?
  No, you only get the elements once, when you play the card (p. 19, under Repeat).

  If you Repeat a Power card that explicitly grants elements (like Elemental Boon) then you do get the benefit twice.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Repeat, Elements, Powerstorm, Gift of Strength (Vital Strength of the Earth), 0 more...
• When you use a Power outside of its normal phase (eg, during the Invader Phase via the Rouse the Spirits event), if Repeats have been granted to you (eg, from Gift of Strength), can you use them then?
  Changed answer: No. Unlike Lightning's Boon or Sky Stretches to Shore, you're not actually changing the Power's speed, you're just using it (once) ignoring speed. Repeats can happen in the phase matching the Power's actual speed.

  The first-pass answer was "yes" based on the idea that these things changed the Power's speed, but that proved the wrong direction.

  Note that this only applies to granted Repeats, like from Gift of Twinned Days or the like. It does not apply to Powers which have "Repeat this Power" as one of their instructions; those can and must be Repeated immediately as an action triggered by the initial use. (After any other triggered actions.)
  (Discussion elsewhere) (Discussion elsewhere) (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Repeat, Events, Timing, Changed rulings, 8 more...
• Can Powerstorm or Gift of Strength let someone Repeat Innate Powers?
  No. Powerstorm (Major Power) and Gift of Strength (Innate for Vital Strength of the Earth) both specifically say "Repeat a Power Card". (If they said "Repeat a Power", the answer would be yes.)
  Tags: Repeat, Powerstorm, Gift of Strength (Vital Strength of the Earth)
• Can Gift of Strength or Powerstorm (both Fast powers) be used on a Slow power card?
  Yes. Gift of Strength targets a Spirit, not a Power Card. At any point during the turn, that Spirit may choose to Repeat a power card (of the specified Energy cost or lower), whether it is a fast power or a slow power.

  They need not choose which power card to Repeat until they actually use the ability. The repeated power activates with the same speed as the first use of the power. See the description of Repeat [p. 19]
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Repeat, Speed (Fast/Slow), Gift of Strength (Vital Strength of the Earth), Powerstorm, 0 more...
• If I use the "forget this Power" option on Call on Midnight's Dreams, can I still Repeat the Power Card? <i>(With, e.g., Powerstorm, or Gift of Strength.)</i>
  No.
  

  The Power Card leaves play when you Forget it, so is no longer available to be Repeated.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Repeat, Entwined Power, Gift of Strength (Vital Strength of the Earth), Call on Midnight's Dreams (Bringer of Dreams and Nightmares), 0 more...
• If you Repeat a Power, can you use another Power in between the two uses, or do the original Power and its Repeat have to go right after each other?
  If the Power itself grants the Repeat (e.g., Creepers Tear into Mortar or The Land Thrashes in Furious Pain), then following the instructions on the first use you are told to Repeat the power, so you have to do it immediately.

  Powerstorm and Gift of Strength let you use a Repeat at any point in the turn, so in that case you can use another power in between the two uses of the Repeated power.
  (Discussion elsewhere) (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Repeat, Gift of Strength (Vital Strength of the Earth), Powerstorm

Scenarios

• When does Blitz reduce the cost of a Fast Power and when does Blitz refund Energy for a Power being Fast?
  When you play Power Cards by paying their costs {1}, total up the Energy cost of all of the Powers you’re playing and reduce it by 1 per Fast Power to determine how much you need to pay. If that number is negative, gain that much Energy as a refund.

  When using a Fast Innate Power that has the potential to do something for the first time each turn, gain 1 Energy as a refund.

  When you make a Slow Power Fast (via Swiftness of Lightning or similar) gain a 1 Energy rebate.

  If a Fast Power Card (or a Power Card made Fast) costs 1 or more Energy, also reduce its printed cost by 1 (e.g., for Repeating it with Gift of Strength or checking when it's played by Rhythmic Power Builds to a Cataclysmic Crescendo).

  {1} = This usually as part of the “Play and Pay For Power Cards” action in Spirit Phase, but sometimes a Power like Call on Midnight’s Dream tells you to do so.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Energy, Playing Power Cards, Blitz, Gift of Strength (Vital Strength of the Earth), 11 more...