What does it mean to take control of a card?

[Randymd 11]

When a card tells you to take control of a card, where does that card go?

Does it go into play in your asset area or does it go in your hand or your deck? According to the rules reference, cards you control consist of your hand, your deck, and your discard pile.

My best guess is that it goes in your hand but, according to rules as written, it seems as if it could also go to your deck or discard pile. Or are you free to choose which of those locations it goes to?

[mplain 129]

Only the control of the card changes. It doesn't change the game zone (doesn't go from in-play to any other zone) because nothing in this card's text says anything about changing zones.

 

Taking control of an asset card would place that card into your asset area.

[Randymd 11]

What if a card tells you to discard an asset you control? Is that strictly discarding from the asset area, or could you discard an asset from your hand?

[Gaffa 673]

You don't control assets in your hand; they're still in your hand. So you have to get rid of one that is in play.

[mplain 129]

You do control assets in your hand:

 

Ownership and Control

 

- A player controls the cards located in his or her out-of-play game areas (such as the hand, deck, discard pile).

 

But:

 

Ability

 

- Card abilities only interact with other cards that are in play, unless the ability specifically references an interaction with cards in an out-of-play area.

[Randymd 11]

Thanks for the responses. They've been very helpful.