Prolong records your current Block and grants that amount at the start of your next turn. It does not add Block immediately and does not wait until the enemy finishes attacking to decide the amount. Play it after the Block you want copied is already present. Its upgrade removes Exhaust, which makes repeated retrieval possible.
Prolong before or after Block
Start with zero Block and one Energy. Your hand contains Deflect, Hologram+ and Prolong. The discard pile contains a second Deflect. All cards use their displayed base Block except upgraded Hologram’s five. Assume no Dexterity, Frail, Block-denial effects or automatic Block triggers.
| Play order | Current Block before the enemy acts | Block scheduled for next turn |
|---|---|---|
| Prolong → Deflect → Hologram+ → retrieved Deflect | 13 | 0 |
| Deflect → Hologram+ → retrieved Deflect → Prolong | 13 | 13 |
Both orders spend one Energy and provide the same thirteen immediate Block: four from each Deflect and five from Hologram+. The second order also schedules thirteen for next turn. Playing Prolong first records zero; later Block gains do not update that recording.
This comparison isolates sequencing rather than claiming thirteen Block is sufficient for the fight. If the enemy attacks for twenty, both orders still lose seven HP now. Only the next turn differs. Do not use the larger two-turn total as if it could prevent current damage.
Repeating an upgraded Prolong
Start a different turn with thirty Block already established. Prolong+ and Hologram+ are in hand, and at least one Energy remains. Neither upgraded card Exhausts. Ignore other Block modifiers and on-play effects.
- Play Prolong+. It schedules thirty Block and enters the discard pile.
- Play Hologram+ for one Energy. Its five Block raises current Block to thirty-five. Retrieve Prolong+.
- Play Prolong+ again. It schedules another thirty-five Block.
You now have thirty-five Block this turn and sixty-five scheduled for next turn. The two recordings add together. If the enemy’s ordinary attack consumes all thirty-five current Block, the scheduled sixty-five does not disappear merely because that Block was spent. It is a delayed gain, rather than retention of whatever survives the attack.
The next turn starts a new defensive problem. You can use the sixty-five Block while attacking, or play another available Prolong+ to schedule that new current amount again. Drawing or retrieving it in time is still necessary. Putting it in the deck does not guarantee it appears on every important turn.
What changes when either card is unupgraded?
Base Prolong Exhausts after being played. Hologram retrieves from the discard pile, so it cannot retrieve the exhausted copy. Upgrading Prolong is what opens repeated use through ordinary discard retrieval.
Base Hologram can retrieve Prolong+ once, but then Hologram itself Exhausts. The illustrated same-turn double recording can still work once with base Hologram, using its three Block instead of five: thirty plus thirty-three schedules sixty-three. It does not establish the same reusable pair for later turns. The Hologram upgrade improves both its Block and its ability to remain in circulation.
All for One can also retrieve Prolong+ because Prolong costs zero Energy. That costs two Energy before any further cards are played. Compare that whole turn with spending the same Energy on attacks or an immediate Block answer. The All for One loop guide explains the additional setup needed to make repeated retrieval affordable.
Match the recording to the next intent
The best recording is not always the largest one you could build. If the next turn has little incoming attack damage and the current turn needs a kill, another attack may be better than spending Energy on Hologram just to enlarge next turn’s Block. Conversely, scheduling defense before a heavy setup turn can leave the following hand’s Energy free for damage or Powers.
Immediate and delayed defenses also have different failure cases. Prolong cannot repair a lethal deficit on the turn you play it. An enemy that prevents a future Block gain can invalidate the queued protection. A hand clogged with Status cards may keep the retrieval card away even when the previous recording bought one safe turn. Assess the encounter’s actual effects, not just the numeric total.
For a practical decision, write down three amounts separately: incoming damage now, current Block now, and Block recorded for the next turn. Add any further Block only to the column where its timing belongs. This avoids both common errors: copying too early and counting delayed Block twice against the current attack.
