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How does Defend really work?

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TheNthVector
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How does Defend really work?

Noobie question on how Defend works. According to the rulebook (Page 18)

" 'Defend 2' means 'Whenever the Invaders may deal damage to target land or Dahan this turn, reduce the total number of damage they do by 2...Defend effects last for the entire turn."

I initially thought that Defend acts as extra permanent hit points (For example, if a land with Defend 10 that turn was dealt 4 damage from invaders, the land would take no damage and have Defend 6 next turn and so on until it was dealt enough damage to get rid of it completely) But the rules seem to imply that Defend only lasts for the turn, so in the above example, you effectively have 6 Defend wasted. But then Vital Strength's power is getting Defend 3 when you make a Sacred Site; does that wear off the turn after you make the site? 

Tl;dr. Does Defend last beyond the turn you put it on a target land?

jffdougan
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*all* powers expire at the end of the round where they are played. However, Vital Strength of the Earth's special rules are not a power, but special rules.

VSoE's sacred sites provide Defend 3, always.

Powers - such as Quicken the Earth's Struggles - provide defend for the turn that they are played. If you include Branch & Claw (or, after it is published, Jagged Earth), it is worth noting that certain Events can cause the invaders to deal increased damage during their Ravage, and so defending for exactly the amount needed to prevent a Blight can be a risky proposition.

Ameena
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Note also that Defend doesn't protect against any Damage dealt during Events unless otherwise specified, eg during the "War Touches the Island's Shores" Event, the Damage dealt when you discard the top Major Power for each land can be Defended against.


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dpt
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(Events are only in Branch & Claw, I suspect the OP has not broken that out yet.)

 

WRT Vital Strength of Earth's innate defense, note also that this can change during the turn, if a Sacred Site is destroyed (eg by adding Blight) or created (eg with the help of Spread of Rampant Green). If you use a power to create Defense in a land, it remains until the end of the turn, regardless of what else happens.