Linear

• In-Game Text: "Affects all characters or squares in a line to the target square."

Game Effect

Linear creates an area of effect that looks like a line drawn from the center of the character's square to the center of the target square: the area includes every passable square that line crosses, and any characters in those squares, except the character's own square. The area of effect is shown by a yellow overlay at the time the linear card is played. The character must have line of sight with the target square, but not necessarily all the intervening squares, so the area may include squares a character could not normally target. Within the area of effect, the card's instructions are performed on every character and/or tile as if a number of identical copies were played to each one individually. The exact order in which the copies take effect is determined by the game engine; effects that target characters are processed before effects that target terrain if both are present on the same card.

General Strategy

• Use linear effects to target multiple characters at one time. Try to find a placement with several targets in order to increase the power of your card. You may want to save your card until the enemy has moved into a suitable configuration.

• By default, the line includes all characters, including yours. Avoid collateral damage unless you're sure the payoff is worth the pain.

• Linear effects tend to be most effective in situations where terrain or other circumstance pressures enemies into moving through a section of adjacent tiles.

Against opponents who use Linear:

• Try to avoid moving your characters in a line to be targeted together. All tiles along the line will be laterally or diagonally adjacent; the exact configuration depends on the angle chosen.
  • Mousing over a character to check its lines of sight can give an approximate idea but, as discussed, not a true guide. If you must know exactly, you may find holding a straight edge against the screen helps to visualize possibilities.