EchoSpire Ability Definitions¶
Date: March 6, 2026
Model: GPT-5.4
This document is the definitive ability glossary for the GPT-5.4 card set in Cards.
Authority order for this glossary:
- The GPT-5.4 card pack
- The intended mechanic descriptions in the GDD
- Current shared-rule implementations in the Core combat pipeline
Where the codebase is still fluid, this document should be treated as the design canon for the GPT-5.4 content pass.
Terminology Ruling¶
Exhaust¶
Keep this term. It is strongly associated with deckbuilders, but it is not unique to a single game, and its meaning is immediately readable in this genre.
Retain¶
Keep this term. It is also established deckbuilder language and reads cleanly in EchoSpire without pulling too hard on another game's identity.
Redact¶
Use this instead of Exile for the GPT-5.4 card set. Exile reads too directly as a Magic: The Gathering mechanic, while Redact fits Annalis language and clearly communicates that a card is being removed from discard-pile history.
Shared Combat Terms¶
Block¶
A shield value that absorbs incoming damage before HP is lost. Block normally clears at end of turn unless another mechanic retains or preserves it.
Energy¶
The resource spent to play cards during your turn.
Temporary Energy¶
Energy granted for the current turn only. It does not carry over.
HP Damage¶
Damage that gets through Block and reduces current HP.
Draw¶
Move cards from the draw pile into your hand.
Discard¶
Move a card from hand to the discard pile.
Discard Pile¶
The pile of played or discarded cards that can later be reshuffled, recalled, copied, or checked by effects.
Exhaust¶
A card with Exhaust is removed from the combat after use instead of going to the discard pile. This term is kept as a genre-standard deckbuilder keyword.
Retain¶
A retained card stays in your hand at end of turn instead of being discarded. This term is kept as a genre-standard deckbuilder keyword.
Scry¶
Look at the top X cards of your draw pile, then choose which to keep on top and which to send away according to the effect. In current shared logic, this is the Syntacta-style prediction-filtering mechanic.
Bottom-Deck¶
Place a card on the bottom of the draw pile.
Copy¶
Create a duplicate of a card. Unless a card says otherwise, the copy behaves like a normal card instance once created.
Temporary Copy¶
A created copy that exists for the current combat or immediate effect window. It is not a permanent deck addition.
Created Card¶
Any card generated during combat rather than started in the deck. This matters for effects that reward created or copied cards.
Redact¶
Remove a card from the discard pile so it no longer counts for discard-based effects. In EchoSpire terms, a redacted card has been struck from the active record and no longer participates in discard-pile history.
Ignore Block¶
Damage bypasses the target's current Block and goes directly to HP.
Remove Positive Effects¶
Strip the target's beneficial statuses or buffs before the rest of the listed effect resolves.
Break Block¶
Reduce a target's current Block to 0 through damage. This matters for effects that trigger when a friendly Block pool is broken.
This Turn¶
The effect lasts only until the current turn ends.
Next Turn¶
The effect is delayed and applies on the player's next turn.
This Combat¶
The effect lasts until the current combat ends.
Shared Keywords And Combat States¶
Breach¶
The target takes 25% more damage from Attack cards.
Drag¶
The target deals 25% less damage with Attack cards.
Stasis-Locked¶
A unit affected by Stasis loses its next action window. On the player, this prevents card play for that turn. On an enemy, it cancels their next action.
Burnout¶
The Conduit's punishment for carrying more Overload debt than can be paid. Excess debt turns into unblockable self-damage when the next turn begins.
Class Mechanics¶
Density¶
The Anchor's stackable mass resource. Density lets the player retain Block between turns, powers Anchor payoffs, and is capped at 10.
Grav-Locked¶
The penalty for reaching maximum Density. The Anchor becomes too mass-heavy to move cleanly and suffers hand-size pressure until Density is vented or reduced.
Vent¶
Spend or lose Density to convert stored mass into another payoff, usually burst damage, control, or energy.
Clean Defense¶
Any effect that rewards taking no HP damage during the previous turn. Anchor and Valerii cards use this as a core condition.
Echo-Lock¶
A stackable target-specific debuff that marks an enemy across overlapping timelines. At exactly 5 stacks, the next Attack against that target ignores Block, deals triple base damage, and consumes the stacks.
Execution Window¶
The moment an enemy reaches exactly 5 Echo-Lock and becomes vulnerable to the Drifter's finishing hit.
Phase Defense¶
Drifter-style prevention effects that avoid or nullify incoming attacks instead of building large Block totals.
Overload¶
Energy debt created when a Conduit plays an Overload-enabled card without enough Energy to pay its full cost. The missing Energy becomes Overload stacks that must be paid on the next turn.
Overload Allowed¶
A card can still be played even if it would take Energy below 0. Any deficit becomes Overload.
Stabilize¶
Reduce current Overload so less debt must be paid next turn.
Burnout Mitigation¶
Any effect that lowers, delays, or softens Burnout damage rather than removing Overload outright.
Construct¶
A deployed board object with its own HP pool, slot, and automated behavior. Constructs act independently once in play.
Integrity¶
The Construct version of HP. If a Construct's Integrity reaches 0, it is destroyed.
Deploy¶
Put a Construct into an open grid slot.
Grid Slot¶
One of the limited spaces available for active Constructs.
Automation¶
The Construct's built-in effect that triggers automatically, usually at the start or end of turn.
Overclock¶
Force a Construct to trigger harder or sooner at some risk, usually self-damage or strain to the Construct.
Repair¶
Restore lost Integrity to a Construct.
Redirect¶
Send an incoming attack away from the player and onto a Construct instead.
Mutate¶
Transform a card into a different, unstable version. In the current design, mutation is the Catalyst's central tempo mechanic.
Mutation¶
A single successful use of a Mutate effect.
Mutated Card¶
A card that has already been transformed and is now eligible for payoffs that care about mutation.
Anomaly¶
A temporary, high-volatility transformed card produced by mutation. Anomalies are stronger than ordinary cards and are intended to be short-lived.
Volatile¶
A temporary unstable state placed on a card. In this card pack, a Volatile card gains a large Attack or Block bonus when played, then Exhausts.
Sacrifice¶
Destroy or give up a card from hand as a cost to fuel another effect.
Class Passives¶
Mass Memory¶
Anchor passive. The first time each turn you fully absorb an enemy hit without losing Life, gain 1 Density.
Vanishing Point¶
Drifter passive. The first Attack you play each turn against an enemy with Echo-Lock adds 1 more Echo-Lock before damage resolves.
Residual Charge¶
Conduit passive. If you end your turn with Overload, deal 2 damage to a random enemy and reduce your next self-burn from Overload by 1.
Grid Discipline¶
Machinist passive. The first Construct you deploy each combat gains +2 Integrity and immediately triggers its passive effect once.
Instability Bias¶
Catalyst passive. The first time each turn you Mutate a card, draw 1.
Faction Mechanics¶
Stasis¶
Hard control that freezes a unit's next action. A Stasis-affected enemy skips its next action and keeps its current Block instead of losing it at turn cleanup.
Fortified Defense¶
Valerii-style defense that rewards already having Block, taking no HP damage, or locking the fight into a safer pace.
Aegis Setup¶
Any Valerii pattern that establishes protected turns, defensive anchors, or ongoing shield advantage rather than burst offense.
Sequencing¶
Planning the exact order of card draws and plays so each turn is mathematically efficient.
Predictive Filtering¶
Using Scry, draw smoothing, or bottom-deck effects to improve the quality of future hands.
Solved Turn¶
A turn state where the deck and hand have been arranged to meet a precise payoff condition, such as playing exactly three cards.
Self-Harm Tempo¶
Intentionally paying HP as a cost in exchange for stronger attacks, more Energy, or more profit.
Profit Trigger¶
Any effect that pays out Gold when you successfully damage an enemy or otherwise convert risk into reward.
Greed Window¶
A turn where the player deliberately accepts self-risk to maximize damage, Energy, or Gold generation.
History Play¶
Using the discard pile as an active resource instead of treating it as spent material.
Recall¶
Return a card from the discard pile to hand or otherwise bring the past back into the current turn.
Copied History¶
An Annalis pattern where a discarded, created, or previously played card is duplicated for later value.
Jury-Rigging¶
Improvised play that turns broken defenses, stolen parts, or unstable board states into immediate value.
Break Value¶
A payoff that triggers when your own Block is broken or one of your Constructs gets destroyed.
Improvised Theft¶
Creating, stealing, or repurposing temporary cards from other sources instead of relying only on your own list.
Faction Passives¶
Stasis Lock¶
Valerii passive. At the start of your turn, if you took no HP damage last turn, gain 3 Block.
Calibration Protocol¶
Syntacta passive. At the start of your turn, Scry 1.
Gilded Syphon¶
Aethari passive. The first time each turn you deal HP damage to an enemy, gain 1 Gold.
Temporal Echo¶
Annalis passive. At end of turn, if your discard pile has 5 or more cards, add a random copy of one discarded card to your hand.
Scrap Protocol¶
Salvari passive. When a friendly Block pool is broken or a Construct is destroyed, draw 1 card.
Card-Pack Specific Terms¶
Absorb A Hit¶
Take an enemy attack into Block or prevention without losing HP.
Consume All Block¶
Remove your entire current Block pool as part of resolving an effect, usually to convert it into damage.
Deal HP Damage¶
Successfully damage an enemy after Block is accounted for. This is distinct from merely hitting into Block.
Exactly 5 Echo-Lock¶
The Drifter threshold state. Some cards care about landing precisely on the execution number rather than just reaching or exceeding it.
Only Enemy With Echo-Lock¶
A targeting condition used by Drifter cards that rewards concentrating marks on a single target.
If This Card Causes Overload¶
The bonus applies only when playing that card is what pushes your Energy deficit into Overload.
If Mutated¶
The card checks whether it is currently in its mutated state when played or resolved.
Created Or Copied¶
A card that did not originate as the original printed card in your starting or drawn deck state for that combat.
Current Integrity¶
A Construct's present remaining HP, not its maximum.
Random Copy Of One Discarded Card¶
Create a new instance of a random card from the discard pile. The original stays where it is unless the effect says to move it.
Clarifying Rulings For This Document¶
Stasis And Density Both Preserve Block, But Stasis Is Stronger¶
Density retains Block up to your Density total. Stasis freezes the affected unit's current Block in full for the skipped action window.
Echo-Lock Is Capped¶
Enemies can hold at most 5 Echo-Lock. The mechanic is built around reaching the exact execution threshold.
Overload Is Debt, Not Bonus Energy¶
Overload lets you borrow power from the future. The cost is paid on the next turn through reduced Energy, Burnout, or both.
Constructs Are Not Just Tokens¶
They are independent combat entities with their own Integrity, targeting implications, and destruction triggers.
Mutation Is A Tempo Engine, Not Permanent Deck Editing¶
In the GPT-5.4 card pack, mutation creates short-term power spikes and tactical volatility during a fight rather than rewriting the deck forever.
Faction Passives Define The Outer Shell Of A Deck¶
Class mechanics determine how the deck plays its turns. Faction passives determine what those turns are trying to exploit.