Rules Step

The rules of the game are resolved as a list of ordered instructions. Each of these instructions is a "rules step." In the rulebook, the rules steps of each section are numbered (the phases in a round or steps of a test for example). A rules step can be divided into substeps, such as the "Ranger Turns" step of the round is divided into many individual turns, in which the Ranger might perform a test, which itself is divided into many smaller steps. When a step has you resolve an instruction for each of something in play (such as each Ranger drawing a card during Phase 1 of the round, or resolving each challenge effect matching the challenge icon during step 5 of performing a test), each of those resolutions is an individual rules step.

The smallest possible rules step is resolving the instructions on an individual card. If those instructions have multiple effects, they are all considered part of the same rules step.

When an effect causes a card to gain enough tokens to clear, finish resolving the current rules step, then clear any cards that have reached their thresholds. The current rules step is the smallest substep you are currently resolving. So, the next step to finish resolving.