I know that there are sites that go over new keywords but I am having trouble getting to this one. And someone explained it but I want to make sure I am understanding this right. Basically you show it from your hand and then you can use it to replace any resource? And is this considered putting down your resource for that turn? Or could I have a location down that is unique and terraform and then the same card in hand. So on turn five I activate and use the location from my resource row then show my terraform card from hand, replace the face down one, and then activate it and use it again? And then still put down my resource for that turn?

From the FAQ:
The important points -
you can't terraform a face-up resource.
you can only terraform during your recruit step.
terraforming doesn't count as your resource for the turn.

You can always have more than 1 copy of a unique location in your row, uniqueness is only checked if you actually flip the location up.

Can you further clarify? I want to confirm you can recruit a character with an ability to go get a card (like Night Thrasher), then on the chain of his recruit Terraform that card (Stark Enterprises) into your resource row. Then you can flip your team up all on your turn 2 recruit.

Your recruit step, you recruit Night Thrasher, pay his boost and find Stark Towers. Still in your recruit step, you reveal Stark Tower and return a face-down resource to your hand, putting Stark Tower in your row. This absolutely works so long as you have a face-down resource to return to your hand as part of the terraform effect.

You don't even have to anything tricky with the chain. Just recruit him, boost him, let both of those resolve and then terraform the location before passing to your opponent's build (or the combat phase depending on initiative).

Thanks. I still sometimes get confused on timing and the chain. Draw, Build, Resource, Recruit, Formation - it's hard to keep track of when each officially start and expire. I'd hate to let something resolve and have someone call me on it. "Sorry - your recruit step is officially over." It's a bit confusing, although granted the guys I play with are usually pretty forgiving. Thanks again.

As long as you don't announce you are going to the next phase, or do something pertaining to the next phase, you should be fine. You don't need to worry about "chaining" terraform to anything. Just play all the guys you want, play any equpiment you want, do any terraforming you want, etc. No need to bother with the chain, unless you do something tricky (like flipping up a plot twist in response to Dr. Doom 4 coming into play so you can flip it back down). Just know that once you start moving your guys around to make a formation, you have left your recruit step, and technically, you shouldn't be allowed to terraform.

While this situation definitely doesn't require anything tricky, moving to the next phase isn't quite that explicit.

You will only ever move to the next phase/step if both players pass, in a row, while the chain is empty. So long as you don't pass while the chain is empty, you will never be forced to progress out of the current step, phase. If you pass while the chain is empty, though, and your opponent passes as well---the next step/phase will begin, even though no one specifically asked for it to begin.

Players share phases, and take their own steps. The person with the initiative takes their steps first, and then the other player does.

Draw Phase
Build Phase
- Resource Step
- Recruit Step
- Formation Step
Combat Phase
- Attack Step
Recovery Phase

The second you start moving characters around you are in your formation step.

All I'm saying is, I never recruit a guy, then announce pass, wait for my opponent to announce pass to start forming. Even at the PC level, you simply recruit what you want, then start forming up when you are done. As soon as you start moving things around, it is the assumption you are in your formation step.

That also makes the assumption that my opponent can stop me at any he time he didn't want to leave a certain step/phase. For instance, if I recruit Doom 4 and immediately start moving my guys around because I'm ready for formation step, my opponent has the right to stop me and say "woah woah, I want to chain to that Doom so I can play plot twists out of my hand."

Going into the Combat Phase is a little different, because certain things only work in the Build (like backup abilities) and certain things trigger at the start of combat, and lots of abilities only work during the combat phase, or during a player's attack step. So when I'm done forming, I will say "I'm set, are we ready for the combat phase?"

While we're on this "different phases" discussion, I have something else to ask.

If a certain card (location of plot twist) says "At the beginning of phase X" can it be flipped in chain to that phase starting? Does the start of a phase/step go on the chain?

Meaning, can Rock of Eternity be flipped at the start of your attack step to chain on, or must it already be up when your attack step starts?

Thanks in advance. Sorry I'm such a noob. I've actually been playing for nearly 2 years! :squareeye

Nope - once a phase/step/something is started, if you flip anything or get something onto the field that triggers off the start of that event, it's too late now as the phase already started and it's no longer the start of that event. So you have to have Rock of Eternity flipped up before your attack step starts.