Cactus Game Design Message Boards

You can heal your opponent's hero, but you must play the enhancement during your preparation or discard phase, or during battle phase according to the rules of initiative.  Those are the only times you can play good enhancements.

"You can play a healing enhancement at any time to restore a character sent to the discard pile at any previous time during the turn." - REG, "Restore Life, Heal, or Release," "How to Use"

Since I'm contradicting Bryon, I'm sure I'm wrong. But that seems pretty clear there.

Enhancements played during the Battle Phase must be played on characters in battle according to initiative.  Any Enhancements that CAN be played outside of battle are played on characters of matching brigade in territory during the Prep or Discard Phase.

The rule that states the healing card can be played at any time means that you do not have to heal the character right away.  It does not trump the rules for when you can play which Enhancements.

That's my impression.  Though like Bryon, it's possible I'm getting ahead of myself.

Here's everything I can find on Healing in the REG/Rulebook.  I don't find anything that leads me to believe I can't play a healing card outside of battle at anytime.  Not that I ever play healing cards...

A healing enhancement has the word “heal” in its special ability. “Heal” special abilities save a character from being discarded and/or remove the effect of all poisons and diseases on a character. You may play a healing enhancement at any time and its special ability activates even if played outside of battle. You may play a healing enhancement on any of your characters of matching brigade in play (including a character that is being discarded). You may direct the effect of the healing enhancement at any character in play that is currently poisoned, diseased, or being discarded. Be sure you follow the wording on the special ability of the healing card. If you play a healing enhancement in battle according to initiative, you may heal a poisoned or diseased Hero in battle, territory, or a set-aside area and the healed Hero remains in its current location. If you play a healing enhancement at any other time, or you heal a character that is about to be discarded, then the healed character is immediately returned to its owner’s territory.

There are three types of enhancements that you can play on a character not necessarily in the Field of Battle. These are healing enhancements, set-aside enhancements, and weapon-class enhancements.

Healing cards may be activated on any character in play (e.g., territory) of matching brigade color.  They may target any card being discarded or subject to a poison or disease special ability, regardless of brigade color.  The healing effect is instant, not delayed.  You can play a healing enhancement at any time to restore a character sent to the discard pile at any previous time during the turn (e.g., Draw Phase or Preparation Phase).  The discarded character may come from battle, a territory, a set-aside area, or from a draw pile (e.g., Confusion).  Cards being discarded can be healed on the way to the discard pile.  Cards being discarded from anywhere may be healed at any point during that turn.  Characters discarded on a previous turn cannot be healed.  A healed card is immediately placed in the owner’s territory; they retain all their abilities.