What does the Action of this unit mean?
What is a numeral?

A number.

But which one exactly in that case? )

This seems insanely good for a cost of 2. Am I missing something?

Just off the top of my head you could use it to buff Trust Your Feelings for additional Focus removal. You could use it on Luke to remove 2 Focus (if needed) at the beginning of the opponent's turn. Ancient Monument would could now add 2 to the Force Struggle. You could give resource generators like R2 an additional Resource. Daughters could remove 2 damage from all your objectives. Leia could do up to 3 damage to opposing defenders per round. 

And all of that's just in Jedi!

Now, he's unique. And it's limited to once per turn. But still, that's fantastic.

And all of those examples are just on your side of the board. He could of course also be used to annoy your opponent by reducing their non-objective resource generators or otherwise messing with their cards. 

One question--how does this interact with Keyword effects? Elite, for instance, is supposed to be a stand in for "Remove 1 additional Focus from this unit when you refresh". But does that mean you can use this card to effect the Elite keyword, even though the text is only implied? And what about the early keywords where the effect is explained on the card?

Remember, Brainiac's ability is an action that only lasts until the end of the phase. You could use it to augment Trust Your Feelings or a resource generator, but you couldn't use it to let Luke remove 2 focus tokens, because there is no action window between the end of your turn and the start of your opponent's. Since committing units and resolving the Force Struggle happen before the Force Phase action window, Brainiac wouldn't be able to benefit Ancient Monument or the Daughters (unless you commit the Daughters during a conflict phase using Echoes of the Force). Nor can he boost Jedi Leia's damage; since her ability is a reaction to the end of a phase, the text change will go away before the ability triggers.

Brainiac has no interaction with keywords unless the text printed on the card has a numeral. To my knowledge, the only keyword that does is Edge. He can't interact with the reminder text that appears next to keywords on core set cards.

What Brainiac can do is boost the health of allies, reduce the health of enemies, boost direct damage effects such as Core Han and Endor Luke's reactions, increase or reduce Edge (1) and Edge (2), and temporarily take resources away from enemy enhancements and units, among other effects. He's strong, but he only has two health, so most Dark Side decks will have a way to remove him. Force Choke, Deadly Sight, Give Into Your Anger, Moment of Triumph, and Targeted Strike all do the trick.

Minor note on the above: Brainiac cannot affect Trust Me because it is an objective.  edit: post corrected

Yep. I meant Trust Your Feelings.

Thanks for the clarification, guys. I read that it was once per phase but off the top of my head I didn't remember exactly when most of those cards triggered. And thanks for the clarification regarding Keywords. 

Still, despite not being quite as amazing as I thought he was, this guy is still an A+ for me. The rest of the set...less so. But even with the timing restriction I think I would always be happy to see him in a draw. 

And honestly, the more I think about him the more I think he would pair really well with a lot of Smuggler pods--Rendar's Wrath, for instance. Questionable Contacts (for Core Han, as you suggested). Trust Me. Maybe even the set with the Blockade Runner. 

Pairs very well with Endor Luke, almost like the sets were made to run together.  You can either remove 2 focus tokens when dropping an enhancement, or pick 2 damage instead when attaching an enhancement.   Plus, that speeder with edge 2 is really good too.....

I actually like the rest of the set other than outwit as well.  Keep in mind, those droids have so many options with brainiac out.   Change the required 2 droids to just 1, change the "pick 1", to "pick 2", Deal 2 damage instead of 1, discard 2 cards from your opponent instead of 1, remove 4 damage instead of 3 from a target unit (this is less useful as there is no 5 damage capacity units)

Signal Scrambler is great not having to commit units to get their force icons, downside is this doesn't play well at all with MTFBWY, but i'm guessing that was by design.

I want to do a lot of testing with this set as there seems to be quite a few very good interactions out there, now, just to find the best ones.

Brainiac has no interaction with keywords unless the text printed on the card has a numeral. To my knowledge, the only keyword that does is Edge. He can't interact with the reminder text that appears next to keywords on core set cards.

Doesn't the Pilot trait also contain a numeral?

Doesn't the Pilot trait also contain a numeral?

Technically yes, but the numeral there has no impact on anything in the game after the card in question has entered play, so it doesn't matter.

Are Affiliation cards "in play"?
If so, could you change your reserve value to 7 or your opponents to 5 if you wanted? O_O

Affiliation cards are in play and Brainiac can affect them, but the reserve value is defined in the rules and the one printed on affiliation cards is there just for reference. In addition, even if that wasn't the case, the draw phase action window is after drawing to reserve value, which shuts that plan down.

Also, maybe he'll get a "that totally makes sense" ruling like Tarkin and be able to change a cards block number and it instantly becomes an illegal card and drops out of play...

. . .


*runs away*

dbmeboy, I love you, but I really hope you know I was joking. Thank you for the great reply though!

Affiliation cards are in play and Brainiac can affect them, but the reserve value is defined in the rules and the one printed on affiliation cards is there just for reference. In addition, even if that wasn't the case, the draw phase action window is after drawing to reserve value, which shuts that plan down.

Totally missed the action window during the draw phase. I am looking back at my original post with a raised eyebrow wondering what I was thinking.

I'm pretty sure I've answered a question just like yours before, so don't worry, you're by far not the first to miss that.

Regarding that thing about changing set numbers - while you obviously won't be able to drop cards out of play or DQ opponents with it, the idea is worth keeping in mind - it might be useful to screw with the shared set number mechanism from GA.

Totally missed the action window during the draw phase. I am looking back at my original post with a raised eyebrow wondering what I was thinking.

I know, hence the rather sarcastic/ridiculous response.  Still wanted to answer the question though because it actually is relevant that he can change set numbers, as TheNameWasTaken just pointed out. :-)

Changing the Objective set number of a card might make for an interesting combo with the upcoming Rebel for Hire (Galactic Ambitions - Search your deck for a card that shares an objective set number with a target Leader unit you control, reveal that card, and add it to your hand. Shuffle your deck.)

so you can change the cost of any card by one or increase it by one for your opponent? 

so you can change the cost of any card by one or increase it by one for your opponent? 

You can, but it's not particularly useful (unless you're talking about changing a cost of some triggered ability).  He can only target cards already in play, so changing the cost doesn't make them cheaper or more expensive to play.  And most card effects that reference cost refer to "printed cost" which is always what's physically printed on the card and not the modified value.

You can, but it's not particularly useful (unless you're talking about changing a cost of some triggered ability).  He can only target cards already in play, so changing the cost doesn't make them cheaper or more expensive to play.  And most card effects that reference cost refer to "printed cost" which is always what's physically printed on the card and not the modified value.

So any card that talks about reducing the cost, is just talking about reducing the amount of resource it takes to play it and not the actual cost of the card itself? For example, I have Capt. Needa and Orbital Resupply out, and I'd like to play a 5 cost (you pick) capital ship; I can then take advantage of both, reducing the resources I spend to two instead of Capt. Needa reducing the cost below the requirement for Orbital Resupply.

Yes. Orbital Resupply Station refers to printed cost, so it only cares about the cost on the card itself. Its reduction will apply as long as that cost is 4 or higher. It would work even if you used Captain Needa, Admiral's Orders, and Deploy the Fleet to reduce a Death Squadron Star Destroyer's cost from 6 to 1, reducing the cost to 0 and allowing you to play the ship for free.