Keyword Reference
Paraphrased Warfighter keywords with a link to the publisher’s Keyword sheet page for each.
Using the reference
These entries paraphrase the publisher’s fifteenth-edition keyword sheet, with a page link for every term. They cover ordinary Modern cards and common terms relevant to its expansions. Read the actual card for its numerical values, eligibility and timing. A referenced card title must match exactly.
Words such as Nature, Structure, Aircraft, Vehicle, Ranged, Thrown, War Dog, Minefield, Heavy, Defense and Support may be reference categories. A category has no extra rule merely because its name sounds descriptive; apply any separate rule explicitly attached to it.
See Combat, Movement, Mission Preparation and Cards & Components for the procedures these terms modify.
Active and Acted
Track whether the Hostile, or each separate attack on a multi-attack card, has already acted this turn.
Add x and Add +x/+y
A single value adjusts Attack dice. A paired value adjusts every Attack die by the first number and the Defeat Cover die by the second.
Adjacent
When spending a Location Marker, fetch the named adjacent Location instead of drawing randomly, then shuffle. If it is already in play, draw normally.
Again
The Hostile attacks its target again. If the first attack Downed that soldier, choose a new eligible target for the additional attack.
Aim
After the dice are rolled, divide the printed Aim bonus among the Attack and Defeat Cover dice. It is one shared pool, not the full bonus on every die.
Airborne Only
Only a soldier with the Airborne classification may use this gear. See US Airborne.
Aircraft
An aircraft classification remains present while suppressed. An Aircraft (-x) defense removes x Attack dice; an attack reduced to zero dice fails.
All
On an attack, affect every soldier in the Location. Compare the shared Cover roll against each soldier separately. Each affected soldier must pay its own cancellation cost. Other card effects may instead use All to mean all Hostiles in play.
Always Reinforces
Perform this Location’s reinforcement check even without soldiers present. An Objective still needs activation first.
Any Soldier
The card may be equipped by Player, Non-Player or Squad soldiers meeting its listed condition. Non-Player and Squad soldiers still have zero Loadout unless another permitted card supplies capacity.
Arrive
Place the named Hostile in this Location when its stated trigger happens. This is a specified arrival, not an arbitrary Hostile draw.
Attachments
Attach the item only to the weapon or equipment types named on it. A Rifle Attachment requires a Rifle title or classification; unrelated weapons are ineligible.
Attract
Add the indicated number of figures to that Hostile card. Figures attracted during the Hostile Attack step can also attack that turn. If the text names a card type instead, draw that specified Hostile.
Be Hit
Apply this modifier to attacks aimed at the card. Suppression does not erase the modifier.
Behind
Toward the Mission, including its space. If told to place a card x spaces Behind, count that distance toward the Mission, using any applicable insertion/extraction spaces.
Beyond
Toward the Objective, including its space. If told to place a card x spaces Beyond, count that distance forward, using any applicable insertion/extraction spaces.
Bipod
Spend an Action to deploy. Deployment lasts until movement to another Location or an Action to fold it away. Use the weapon’s printed deployed benefits.
Bolt Action
The first attack each turn requires no extra discard. Each later attack also costs an Action-card discard; a Player Soldier may supply that discard for a Non-Player Soldier.
Breach
Overcome a Door using the permitted attack or skill. The Door’s own requirements determine what is needed.
Break
Expend the gear when its stated breaking condition occurs. For a die-triggered break, check the unmodified die; pay a cancellation cost only if the card offers one.
Charge
Each use consumes a charge. A weapon attack still costs an Action. Expend the item when its final charge is used.
Close Quarters Combat
A Hostile surviving a soldier’s attack counterattacks that soldier if able; resolve the counterattack with its surviving strength. This is additional to its usual turn. Double-reticle cards check the individually affected figures. After paying to enter Striking in a CQC Location, remain there and engage other local Hostiles without paying that entry cost again until leaving or clearing the Location.
Closest
The eligible soldier or Hostile with the least distance to the referenced card.
Collateral Damage
In that Location, do not use Explosion, Spray, Auto or Proximity attacks.
Commander
For every Hostile in play able to attack, roll one additional Attack die and use the higher result.
Crush
Allows Hand to Hand attacks against vehicles and structures. A Hostile combining Crush and Flying may also attack aircraft in Hand to Hand.
CX
At the start of the Soldier Turn, a Player Soldier draws the printed Combat Experience number of Action cards, then immediately discards to its current hand limit.
Defeat Cover
Apply the weapon or card’s stated bonus to the Cover die. Passing the Attack threshold and overcoming Cover are separate requirements; see Combat.
Deliver
Carry the specified gear to the named destination and leave it there.
Deploy
Pay one Action to set up the indicated weapon option or equipment before claiming its deployed benefit.
Destroy
Remove the card when its Destroy result resolves. A suppressed Hostile whose whole action is cancelled does not resolve that action’s self-destruction.
Detect
Only a soldier with Detect may attempt that check. Meet the printed target number in the situation named by the Location or Objective.
Disarm
Only a soldier with Disarm may attempt that check. Its printed target number and the Location/Objective instruction govern the result.
Discard Hostile
Discarding an enemy awards no XP. It cannot be used to discard the mission Objective.
Discipline
A K9’s measure of staying focused. The dog and handler cards specify the checks and consequences; see K9 & Handlers.
Door
Resolve the Door obstacle before reaching what is behind it. Its card tells you the applicable attack or skill requirements.
Elevated
An attacker here ignores Location-based Obstructed restrictions.
Eliminate
Remove the Hostile after its last required wound or EKIA. An Eliminate x Objective requires removing the particular named enemy.
Eliminate Hostiles
At the end of a Soldier Turn, the Objective must contain no Hostile cards. Also eliminate enemies marked as Objective Hostiles, wherever they are.
Embedded
Reserve the named enemy for its matching Objective. Keep it out of the normal Hostile deck; its linked Objective brings it into play.
Enduring
The soldier is unaffected by Environment penalties.
Engage
Pay the specified Actions to reach Hand to Hand with a local Hostile.
Entrance Cost
A modifier changes the Action-card discard needed to enter. An XP Entrance Cost separately requires the printed XP payment.
Environment
Make the printed Environment check in hazardous Locations. Ordinary armor and shields do not prevent this hazard. See Movement and Winter.
Equip and Use
Carrying a card within available Loadout does not guarantee eligibility to use it. Apply the card’s user restrictions before gaining its effects.
Evade
During the Soldier Turn, pay the printed XP to discard this Hostile. Gain no XP for it. A mission Objective cannot be Evaded.
Expend
Use the indicated benefit and then discard the affected card or counter.
Explosion
An attack may affect several figures with hits or suppression. Resolve the weapon’s printed mode and restrictions; do not treat it as a single ordinary rifle hit.
Fearless
This Hostile ignores Suppress results, including while all of its surviving reticles would otherwise be suppressed.
Find
When the stated condition is met, a Player Soldier in the relevant Location may acquire the listed gear, subject to normal equip limits.
Fix
Repair damage to friendly vehicles as the card instructs. Heal is not a substitute for vehicle repair.
Front-most
Soldiers farthest along the route from the Mission.
Fuel
A flamethrower spends one fuel for each Attack die rolled. It has no Reload check and cannot refill by a Reload Action.
Gain
Add the specified cards, counters or effects. Unlike Regain, this can exceed the printed normal maximum.
Gear
Weapons and equipment together, including their ammunition and expendable munitions. See Mission Preparation.
Hack
Only a soldier with Hack may roll its listed threshold in a hacking situation specified on the Location or Objective.
Hand Size
The Player Soldier’s hand limit. A hand-size bonus does not itself increase Health; the usual limit follows current Health plus applicable hand modifiers.
Hardy
Spend a Hardy counter matching the Environment type to prevent its harmful effect. Hardy Any can protect against any Environment.
Has Cover at Range
Use the indicated replacement Cover when attacked from the stated Range, even if the Hostile is suppressed.
Health
The soldier’s wound capacity before being Downed. Changing Health also changes the normal hand limit unless another instruction says otherwise.
Highest RP
Target the eligible soldier with the greatest soldier-card RP value instead of randomly drawing a target.
Hits
Damage inflicted on a Hostile or Objective. Read the target’s reticles and health requirements to determine elimination.
HtH
Hand to Hand. A Hostile with this designation starts engaged with its target. An HtH attack modifier changes its attacks against soldiers at Striking range in the same Location.
Immobile
The card cannot change Locations. A value after Immobile means this restriction begins when remaining Health reaches that value.
In Play
A card remains in play until removed; suppressing all its reticles does not remove it.
Inanimate
The Hostile ignores suppression. The property remains active even when all surviving reticles would be suppressed.
Indirect Fire
These attacks ignore Obstructed Locations. Other targeting restrictions still apply.
Inspire
At the beginning of the Hostile Attack step, remove one Suppress counter from every Hostile card still in play.
Interior
A Location marked Interior excludes vehicles, light vehicles and aircraft. An enemy card’s own Interior is a separate combat area: breach its Door, pay the local HtH entry cost, then use the listed interior Cover for local attacks.
Isolated
Attacks cannot cross this Location’s boundary in either direction. Effects that are not attacks, such as Reveal or Evade, are not blocked merely by this keyword.
Jams
With the optional Jam rule, this weapon jams if even one Attack die is one above its Reload number. This replaces the ordinary less-sensitive Jam threshold.
Keep Clear
After activation, end the specified number of consecutive Soldier Turns with the Objective free of Hostiles. A single clear turn is insufficient for Keep Clear 2 or 3.
Kill
Kill the targeted soldier. Kill All kills every soldier in the Location; Kill Discard also removes the attacking Hostile card.
Knowledge
Set aside the printed number of Action cards during setup. They may be played during the mission without occupying the normal hand limit.
Limit
Apply the printed cap to cards/counters of the same title or specified keyword. A mission cap spans the mission; a soldier cap applies separately to each soldier.
Location Card modifier
Move every applicable Objective along the route by that many spaces; +1 means one space farther from the Mission.
Lowest RP
Target the eligible soldier with the smallest soldier-card RP value instead of drawing randomly.
Maintain
Do not close nearer than the listed distance to the target. During Close Range, move away if already too close; from Range 0 move toward the Mission.
Malfunction
Immediately eliminate the Hostile when this result is rolled, and award its XP to its targeted soldier.
Mine
This weapon cannot target Flying or Aircraft enemies.
Miss
The attack does not wound. It can still suppress if the attacker overcame Cover.
Mode
The weapon’s selected firing option determines its Attack dice and how those dice affect the target.
Multiple Objectives
Place every specified Objective at its named route position. The shared RP budget and mission timer apply to completing all of them.
Must have in previous Location
Reserve the named preceding Location during setup by finding it in its deck and adding it to a Player Soldier’s hand. It must be played immediately before the Objective can activate.
Must Play
Reveal the card when drawn. The next play of its card type must use it. Multiple waiting Must Play cards resolve in draw order.
Nature
A category referenced by other cards, not an additional automatic effect. Suppression does not remove the label.
No Aircraft and No Vehicle
On a Location, prevent that type from entering or appearing there. On a weapon, prohibit attacking that target type. Redraw an enemy whose placement violates the Location restriction.
No Cover
The attack overcomes the target’s Cover automatically.
No Jam
Do not make optional Weapon Jam checks for this weapon. It can still require an ordinary Reload.
Obstructed
An attack cannot pass through this Location to reach a card on its opposite side. This does not stop attacks into the Location itself.
On Site
An Objective with this condition requires at least one soldier inside its Location to complete.
Only
Restrict the effect, eligible targets or gear choices to what the card specifies.
Overkill
While drawing initial Location enemies, discard this enemy if adding its value would exceed the Location’s required total. Continue drawing to fill the remaining value.
Penetration
Add the printed value to the weapon’s Defeat Cover result, not its Attack dice.
Pick
Only a soldier with Pick may attempt its printed threshold in a card-specified picking situation.
Place
Put the Hostile at the indicated position while counting its value toward the Location that drew it. It becomes active even if its destination is an unactivated Objective or an unplayed Location space.
Present
Reserve the exactly named Hostile during setup. Place it in addition to normal Hostiles when its Location is played or its Objective activates. The chosen enemy nation must contain the required card unless deliberately using the matching substitute optional rule.
Printed
Use only the value physically stated on the referenced card. Bonuses from other cards cannot meet a Printed prerequisite.
Protected
Do not target this enemy while any other Hostile card remains in its Location.
Proximity
Inflict the indicated number of hits, carrying damage between reticles on the card. Restrictions applying to Explosion also constrain Proximity.
Purchase XP
Pay this XP cost as well as the printed RP cost when purchasing the item.
Push
Move the target one distance step away, such as Striking to Range 0 or Range 0 to Range 1.
Rails
The first printed number of Loadout points spent on weapon attachments does not consume the soldier’s Loadout capacity.
Random wounds
Resolve each random wound as its own attack against a randomly selected eligible soldier. The original target remains eligible; reuse the Hostile’s original Cover die.
Range
Distance is counted by Location spaces. Apply any printed Range modifier to attacks both by and against the Hostile; suppression does not erase it.
Ranging
When drawn as reinforcement, this enemy offers an XP payment to cancel its attack during that reinforcement turn’s Attack step only.
Rank
A Skill subtype; each soldier may carry at most one Rank card.
React
Use the card when its stated trigger occurs, without spending an Action for the reaction itself.
Rear-most
Soldiers nearest the Mission on the route.
Recon
Search the specified deck for the requested card type, add it freely to a Player Soldier’s hand, then shuffle.
Regain
Restore the named resource, cards or effect only up to its printed maximum. Gain can exceed that maximum; Regain cannot.
Regen
During the Hostile suppression-removal step, each damaged figure heals the stated number of hits, never above its printed Health.
Reinforce
An enemy with this keyword draws during reinforcement and places a qualifying value in its own Location. A newly reinforced Reinforce enemy does not immediately chain another draw that turn.
Reload
An empty firearm cannot attack until an Action reloads it. Hand to Hand Stumble-removal effects cannot reload a firearm.
Repair
During the Hostile Attack step, make the printed check if this enemy occupies a Resolved Location. Success reverses the resolved status and its associated benefit.
Requires
The named supporting card must share the weapon’s Location before firing, with deployment if specified. Another soldier may carry that support.
Resource
Gear serving as an input to another card’s effect.
Resource Points
The mission’s purchasing budget. One RP buys the printed starting quantity of a weapon’s ammo during setup. Ammo RP gained mid-mission instead supplies six counters to distribute among weapons.
Restore
A stronger recovery effect able to remove Treated wounds and recover a soldier even at zero or negative Health, as the card permits.
Retain
At the end of the Soldier Turn, pay the printed XP to leave the effect in play for another Soldier Turn.
Screened by
Suppress or eliminate all the specified local screening enemies before targeting this card. Lower-value screened enemies screen higher-value ones; randomly order equal-value screens. A card never screens itself.
Screens
Suppress or eliminate this card before attacking local enemies with the named XP value. It does not screen itself.
Self-Defense
After a Range 0 Hostile attack is rolled, an attack-ready Self-Defense weapon can empty its ammo to cancel the attack affecting its soldier. This works once per soldier each turn, including applicable All/Random wounds. It cannot cancel Vehicle, Aircraft or Crush attacks. Such weapons also attack at Striking.
Single Shot
Use this weapon at most once per complete game turn. It automatically reloads at that turn’s end without an Action.
Size
Modify Attack dice aimed at this Hostile or Objective by its printed Size. Suppression does not remove the modifier.
Spray
This weapon’s attack can generate multiple hits or suppression. Resolve the weapon’s own mode rather than assuming the generic rifle procedure.
Start with
Give the purchasing soldier the stated XP, skill or gear without an additional RP payment.
Striking
A closer distance within Range 0, used for Hand to Hand; entering the same Location alone does not automatically pay the engagement cost.
Structure
A reference classification, retained while suppressed. It does not independently supply Cover, health or damage immunity.
Stumble
The Hand to Hand equivalent of an empty weapon: spend one Action recovering before another HtH attack. Firearm Reload effects do not remove it.
Support
A category on Action and Gear cards referenced by other effects. Its exact effect remains on its own card; see Support expansion.
Suppress
A temporary attack effect; use the core Combat procedure to place and remove counters.
Suppressed
A kill made with a Suppressed weapon also places a suppression counter on that Hostile card. Do not confuse a suppressed weapon with a suppressed soldier.
Swarm
When at least two Hostiles share a targeted soldier, those cards gain their stated Swarm attack bonus.
Swoop
After attacking, move the Aircraft the printed distance behind or beyond its position, including applicable insertion/extraction spaces. If impossible, place it as far beyond its target as permitted.
Target
Limit random targeting to the soldiers satisfying the card’s rule, such as those currently Front-most.
Targeted
The soldier identified by this Hostile’s targeting counter, rather than any soldier merely occupying its Location.
Team Pre-Req
At least one soldier must have purchased the named Skill before the squad can purchase or acquire the dependent card.
Time Limit
After Objective activation, count completed Soldier Turns against the Objective’s own limit. Missing that deadline fails the mission, and the main Mission timer can still expire first.
Triggered
During the Soldier Turn, this weapon may attack only Vehicles or Structures. Otherwise it can attack without an Action when an eligible Hostile is placed into or enters the soldier’s Location. It cannot target Flying or Aircraft enemies. Declare Weapon versus Distraction when deploying if using the distraction system.
Tripod
Spend an Action to deploy locally. It remains deployed until movement to a new Location or an Action to pack it away.
Undead
The classification also grants Fearless and Enduring. Those effects persist through suppression; see Biohazard.
Vehicle Priority
Select a vehicle when choosing a target if any eligible vehicles are in play; otherwise target normally.
Waste
Pay or discard the stated resource without gaining a corresponding benefit.
XP
Experience Points, spent on the card and movement effects that name an XP cost.
Years
A dated card is eligible only in its start year or later. If an ineligible vehicle arrives as reinforcement, discard it and draw a replacement.
Terms from other Modern systems
These are included to recognize cross-compatible cards. They do not add Shadow War or PMC setup to a daytime mission.
Activity
Shadow War only: subtract the Mission’s Activity value when adjusting Noise. A negative value increases it instead.
Alarm
Night system: the listed countdown records how many soldier Actions remain before this enemy raises the alarm. It persists while suppressed.
Black Market
Money-based systems only: check the printed purchase risk; failure means no item, no purchase payment, and the listed fine.
Observed
Night system: an attack from, into or within this Location sends another random local Hostile toward the alarm.
Shadows
Only a soldier with Shadows can attempt the printed threshold for that ability.
Stealth
On melee gear, apply the Hand to Hand Shadows procedure from the relevant night rules; it is not a free daytime movement action.
Suppressed Noise
Shadow War only: the attack generates the listed Noise amount.
Trigger-Happy
Night system: Pauses or Going For Alarm results advance the mission’s Meltdown damage by the printed amount, including an On Alert result that prevents placing the usual countdown.
Complete series reference
The publisher keyword sheet also covers Fantasy and other cores. Spellcasting, deity, dungeon and hero recovery procedures belong to those systems; importing a cross-era card does not silently add their complete rules to Modern Daytime.
Escape Mission
Use the reversed starting position, active Objective and timer behavior in the Escape mission rules. A pack’s Escape card supplies its own time, locations and reinforcement changes; ordinary forward-mission assumptions do not apply unchanged.
Universal Rulebook, card types and Escape mission procedure
MANPADS
A descriptive weapon classification for shoulder-launched air-defense gear. Apply the actual weapon’s range, Penetration, expendable use and printed aircraft bonus. The name alone supplies no numerical bonus; UK and Russian Federation cards specify their own values.
Ranged and Thrown
Reference categories used to limit compatible bonuses and effects. A card affecting Ranged weapons does not automatically affect a Thrown grenade. Read the printed classification before applying another card’s modifier.
Firing modes
For ordinary firearms, Semi rolls one Attack die, Burst two and Auto three. The weapon must offer that mode. Reload checks use unmodified dice; an Explosion mode follows its separate procedure rather than inheriting the ordinary firearm result.