Cleanup phase

The cleanup phase is the last phase of a turn. It generally only happens after a combat phase; as such, it will usually be skipped for the first few turns of the game. Cleanup mechanics should be performed in the following order:

• First, perform the armor check for all units, structures, and siege weapons. Remove dead cards from play.
• Next, if it is the Virus player's turn, Infection and Contagion now come into effect.
• Finally, perform the stack check to see if any other cards should be removed from play.
  • Example: A rat is learning the Siegeman skill at a Workshop, but the Workshop was destroyed. The skill card should also be removed from play, since it was being produced by the Workshop.

Unless instructed otherwise, any card that is removed from play should be returned to its owner's deck, and may be produced again later in the game.

The order in which cards or locations are cleaned up should not matter. If there is ever a dispute as to which location should be cleaned up first, the player whose turn it is may decide.

Technical list

In most cases, the simplified list above should be enough to provide fair, consistent results during the cleanup phase. However, there are some cards which add new mechanics to the cleanup phase, and the process may become more complicated if there are more than two players involved in a battle. When it is unclear how to proceed, follow the ordered instructions below:

• Do Lizards have the Martyrdom upgrade? If yes, move damage counters accordingly.
• Do Lizards have the Fervor upgrade? If yes, perform their armor check. Any Lizards who die can attack again. Then place dead Lizards to the side.
• Do Rats have any Officers? If yes, the Rat player may use them to negate new damage counters.
• Perform the armor check for all remaining units and structures. Place dead cards to the side.
• Did the top card of a stack get destroyed? If so, discard any face-down cards underneath it. Distribute excess damage counters to face-up cards underneath it, then perform the armor check again. Place dead cards to the side.
• Is it the Virus player's turn? If so, perform the infection check. Place dead units to the side. Contagion now comes into effect.
• Do Beetles have the Scavenge upgrade? If so, count the number of dead enemy units in each location, and give that many water counters to Beetles in those locations.
• Count the number of dead Carrier units in each location. Place that many Festering Corpses in those locations, all ready and face-up.
• Does the Virus have the Suppression upgrade? If so, place all dead carrier and reanimated units next to that upgrade.
• Has a Thinker with a form been killed? If so, revert Beetle units of that form into Harvesters.
• Are there any locations with Maggots, but without any Festering Corpses or Stagnant Reservoirs? If so, those Maggots die.

Note: In general, if a card has a tech requirement, and that requirement is removed from the game, the card is not destroyed. For example, the Agama requires a Temple of Ctenos before it can be produced. If the Lizard player has two Agamas in play and two more being built, but his Temple of Ctenos is destroyed, those Agamas are not affected. Beetle Forms are an exception to this rule.