Equipping

[Lesley]

What are the consequences of equipping a card? Are they automatically then used in a combat? What are the advantages of not equipping a card? Are cards that state that they can be used in combat okay to leave unequipped on the table and to then be played during combat?

[Andrew Hackard]

Permanent Items that aren't equipped don't take up a "slot" (such as Armor, Headgear, Hands, etc.), so you might leave one unequipped in order to use a better one*. An equipped permanent Item automatically adds its bonus in a fight unless it says the bonus is optional (very few of them do, but there are some). You may not equip or unequip permanent Items during a combat.

* Exception: You may only have one Big item on the table, equipped or not, unless you are a Dwarf or use a Cheat! or Hireling card or other way to circumvent that rule.

One-shot Items (that say "Usable once only") may be played to the table and held until you want to use them. Doing so can keep your hand size down so you are less likely to have to give Charity, and can be used to intimidate opponents. ("Curse me if you want, but I have a Wishing Ring!") These Items are not automatically used just because they are on the table, and you may choose to deploy them during combat if you wish.

The reason you might NOT want to play a one-shot to the table is that doing so makes it vulnerable to certain Curses and to being stolen by a Thief. Cards you keep in your hand can only be affected by things that say they hit your hand.

[Lesley]

Thank you! That is very helpful!

[nflagey]

Very interesting answer!

I never thought you could put down "usable once only" item on the table ...

In fact, I wanted to ask a related question: if you get a curse, for instance the "Lose 1 small item" ... can you discard a card from your hand, or does it have to be from the table?
Is it indicated in the rules somewhere?

[GranitePenguin]

Originally Posted by nflagey

Very interesting answer!

I never thought you could put down "usable once only" item on the table ...

In fact, I wanted to ask a related question: if you get a curse, for instance the "Lose 1 small item" ... can you discard a card from your hand, or does it have to be from the table?
Is it indicated in the rules somewhere?

No. It must be from the table.

From the FAQ

Q. If you have to lose Items, do you lose the ones from your hand, or just those on the table?
A. Always, always, only those on the table. While cards are in your hand, they're not carried Items yet. If you are meant to lose cards from your hand, this will be specified.

[MunchkinMan]

Originally Posted by nflagey

Very interesting answer!

I never thought you could put down "usable once only" item on the table ...

In fact, I wanted to ask a related question: if you get a curse, for instance the "Lose 1 small item" ... can you discard a card from your hand, or does it have to be from the table?
Is it indicated in the rules somewhere?

An Item is an Item, whether it's usable once only, or if it's usable persistently, so they may be carried. Here are some rules quotes (from the most recent version of the Munchkin rules) that explicitly state this, but this has always been the case:

Originally Posted by P. 3, Treasures

Treasure cards include permanent and “one-shot” cards. Any Treasure card may be played to the table as soon as you get it, or
at any time on your own turn except during combat (unless the rules below or the card itself says otherwise).

Originally Posted by P. 3, One-Shot Treasures

A Treasure card that says “Usable once only” is often called a “one-shot” Treasure. Most of these are used during combat to strengthen the munchkins or the monsters, and may be played from your hand or from the table.

[nflagey]

Thanks MunchkinMan!

My version of the rules might be a bit older as I do not have that specific section about one-shot items under the Treasure section.
EDIT: Found the rule on Page 2 under the Combat section :)

It's amazing how this changes the way we have been playing Munchkin so far!


So, hopefully this is still enough on topic for me to ask the following. In the FAQ, it says:

Q. Okay, I gotcha. But what if I have to discard a card, do I discard from my hand? Or in play?
A. If you have to discard and it doesn't specify from where (e.g., the Wizard's charm spell requires you to discard your hand) then you can choose from any of the cards you possess.

So, if I'm a Cleric fighting Undead, I can discard card from my hand, since on the Cleric card it does not specify that the cards have to be in play.
Is that correct?

Thanks a lot for the help!
N.

[MunchkinMan]

For reference, the latest version of the rules can be found, in PDF form, here.

And, yes, Cleric's Turning ability allows you to discard cards you have in play, or in your hand, except the Cleric card itself.