Glossary

The vocabulary of the programme, defined once and addressable

Reference

Counterfoil · the deck

The forty-three certificates

Every card in Counterfoil is a Contra-Zero Certificate: an engraved plate whose cost is printed in the ring and carried on its face. Fifteen make the base table and the Folded; twenty-eight more form the four archive sets held by the Registrars. Finish — standard, gilt, holofoil, the one misprint — is provenance only and never changes play (ruling R-11). Print runs are fixed at the mint; the census is public on the standings.

Play in your browser · The rules · The mathematics behind the cards

Set I — the base table

Tally — Counterfoil certificate, cost 5, common — Tally 5
common · Set I — the base table
Carries its cost, in force.
verso

Pairing — Counterfoil certificate, cost 4, common: Collect — Pairing 4
common · Set I — the base table
Collect
verso

Separation — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, common: Cut — Separation 3
common · Set I — the base table
Cut
verso

Sponsorship — Counterfoil certificate, cost 1, fixture — Sponsorship 1
fixture · Set I — the base table
Carries its cost, in force.
verso

Seal — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, fixture — Seal 3
fixture · Set I — the base table
Carries its cost, in force.
verso

Escrow — Counterfoil certificate, cost 4, common: Hold — Escrow 4
common · Set I — the base table
Hold
verso

Reflection — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, common: Swap — Reflection 2
common · Set I — the base table
Swap
verso

Exchange — Counterfoil certificate, cost 10, uncommon: Convert — Exchange 10
uncommon · Set I — the base table
Convert
verso

The Folded

Torsor — Counterfoil certificate, cost 6, uncommon: Adds the Substance difference to its owner — Torsor 6
uncommon · The Folded
Adds the Substance difference to its owner
verso

Balance — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, uncommon: Wins the single level column — Balance 2
uncommon · The Folded
Wins the single level column
verso

Descent — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, uncommon: Face down, scores the Seal step — Descent 3
uncommon · The Folded
Face down, scores the Seal step
verso

Turn — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, uncommon: Spend to reorder one chain — Turn 2
uncommon · The Folded
Spend to reorder one chain
verso

Keeping — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, uncommon: Shields its neighbours — Keeping 3
uncommon · The Folded
Shields its neighbours
verso

No-Go — Counterfoil certificate, cost 1, uncommon: Spend to challenge a card — No-Go 1
uncommon · The Folded
Spend to challenge a card
verso

Spend-Covering — Counterfoil certificate, cost 5, uncommon: Take five now, owe at scoring — Spend-Covering 5
uncommon · The Folded
Take five now, owe at scoring
verso

Set II — the Lettered

Alphabet — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, common: Build may place at your inner end — Alphabet 2
common · Set II — the Lettered
Build may place at your inner end
verso

Gram — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, common: A lone face-down card between face-ups does not break your run — Gram 3
common · Set II — the Lettered
A lone face-down card between face-ups does not break your run
verso

Canonical — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, uncommon: No power may turn another card of yours face down — Canonical 3
uncommon · Set II — the Lettered
No power may turn another card of yours face down
verso

Wellformed — Counterfoil certificate, cost 4, rare: No face-down card in your chain: add two to Form — Wellformed 4
rare · Set II — the Lettered
No face-down card in your chain: add two to Form
verso

Faithful — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, uncommon: The chains cannot change owners — Faithful 3
uncommon · Set II — the Lettered
The chains cannot change owners
verso

Admission — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, common: Spend: take a market card into your hand — Admission 2
common · Set II — the Lettered
Spend: take a market card into your hand
verso

Interface — Counterfoil certificate, cost 4, rare: Your Ransom may be paid to the plenum — Interface 4
rare · Set II — the Lettered
Your Ransom may be paid to the plenum
verso

Set III — the Begotten

Constructor — Counterfoil certificate, cost 5, rare: Spend: build two cards as one action — Constructor 5
rare · Set III — the Begotten
Spend: build two cards as one action
verso

Generator — Counterfoil certificate, cost 6, rare: Each round-end, take a stroke if the plenum outweighs both hoards — Generator 6
rare · Set III — the Begotten
Each round-end, take a stroke if the plenum outweighs both hoards
verso

Fork — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, uncommon: When cut, Fork is taken as the spoils instead — Fork 3
uncommon · Set III — the Begotten
When cut, Fork is taken as the spoils instead
verso

Genealogy — Counterfoil certificate, cost 5, rare: Your innermost card, face up, scores twice — Genealogy 5
rare · Set III — the Begotten
Your innermost card, face up, scores twice
verso

Model-A — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, uncommon: Has the action power of the card inner to it — Model-A 2
uncommon · Set III — the Begotten
Has the action power of the card inner to it
verso

Model-B — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, uncommon: Has the action power of the card outer to it — Model-B 2
uncommon · Set III — the Begotten
Has the action power of the card outer to it
verso

Omegafam — Counterfoil certificate, cost 10, sealed: Your Collect counts face-down cards as well — Omegafam 10
sealed · Set III — the Begotten
Your Collect counts face-down cards as well
verso

Set IV — the Counted

Hemiring — Counterfoil certificate, cost 4, rare: Your face-down cards each score one; nothing of yours is a zero — Hemiring 4
rare · Set IV — the Counted
Your face-down cards each score one; nothing of yours is a zero
verso

Primeladder — Counterfoil certificate, cost 5, rare: One Substance per different step your chain contains — Primeladder 5
rare · Set IV — the Counted
One Substance per different step your chain contains
verso

Eulerfuse — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, uncommon: Spend: a spoils card of yours returns to your outer end, face down — Eulerfuse 3
uncommon · Set IV — the Counted
Spend: a spoils card of yours returns to your outer end, face down
verso

Trace — Counterfoil certificate, cost 4, rare: Spend: turn one of your face-down chained cards face up — Trace 4
rare · Set IV — the Counted
Spend: turn one of your face-down chained cards face up
verso

Independence — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, uncommon: No card of theirs alters your columns at scoring — Independence 3
uncommon · Set IV — the Counted
No card of theirs alters your columns at scoring
verso

Selection — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, uncommon: Your face-up cards do not count toward their Collect — Selection 3
uncommon · Set IV — the Counted
Your face-up cards do not count toward their Collect
verso

Exhaustion — Counterfoil certificate, cost 1, common: Spend: their next action may not repeat their last — Exhaustion 1
common · Set IV — the Counted
Spend: their next action may not repeat their last
verso

Set V — the Sealed

Plenum — Counterfoil certificate, cost 6, sealed: On building, every stroke in both hoards returns to the plenum — Plenum 6
sealed · Set V — the Sealed
On building, every stroke in both hoards returns to the plenum
verso

Refusal — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, rare: Spend when they name a seam or hostage: the naming is refused — Refusal 2
rare · Set V — the Sealed
Spend when they name a seam or hostage: the naming is refused
verso

Shadow — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, uncommon: Your longest face-down run may stand as your Form — Shadow 2
uncommon · Set V — the Sealed
Your longest face-down run may stand as your Form
verso

Stage — Counterfoil certificate, cost 3, rare: Accelerate is unavailable to your opponent — Stage 3
rare · Set V — the Sealed
Accelerate is unavailable to your opponent
verso

Transport — Counterfoil certificate, cost 2, common: Spend: move one card of yours to either end — Transport 2
common · Set V — the Sealed
Spend: move one card of yours to either end
verso

Noninscript — Counterfoil certificate, cost 1, common: Scores nothing, and never breaks your run — Noninscript 1
common · Set V — the Sealed
Scores nothing, and never breaks your run
verso

Zenoseal — Counterfoil certificate, cost 7, sealed: When the Seal would reach twelve it shows eleven, and Zenoseal turns face down — Zenoseal 7
sealed · Set V — the Sealed
When the Seal would reach twelve it shows eleven, and Zenoseal turns face down
verso