Lightning 闪电

Description:
Be afraid of this card. Be very afraid. When LIGHTNING appears, either a particular player has become desperate and suicidal, or the "judgement tinkerers" Si Ma Yi 司马懿 and Zhang Jiao 张角 have reared their ugly head. Typical exclaimations by players when LIGHTNING is used range from "Oh maaaaaaan~" to "Oh f******k~" to "WAH LAO EH~!" Strangely, more often than not the player who activates the LIGHTNING card ends up regretting it.

What it does:
Three units of lightning attribute damage! During the "judgement phase", if the judgement card happens to fall between 2 to 9 of "spades", you get struck by lightning. Immediately lose 3 units of health. 
Here's the super messed up part: The "judgement tinkerers" Si Ma Yi and Zhang Jiao can manipulate the outcome of judgements. Thus when either of these 2 characters are around, they can literally control who gets struck by lightning! "Oh maaaaaaan~"

Here's the insanely messed up part: LIGHTNING does not go away despite not striking the player or using NEGATE 无懈可击. The LIGHTNING card simply moves on to the subsequent player, and the next, and the next, until somebody eventually gets hit! There are only 2 ways to get rid of LIGHTNING without it striking a player. Either use DISMANTLE 过河拆桥 or STEAL 顺手牵羊. Russian roulette anyone?

If you're a total sadist and you love seeing everyone cower in fear, use another LIGHTNING card while the first LIGHTNING card is still making its rounds. That way 2 consecutive judgements need to be made. But don't release your evil laugh just yet! The first player who needs to make 2 consecutive judgements would be you! If you are in luck and both LIGHTNING cards strike you, that's 6 units of health gone! Who's the one laughing then?

How to use it: 
LIGHTNING is the only card where you can inflict serious hurt on yourself first before anyone else. This is because to use it, you must first place it in front of YOUR OWN equipped-items cards. Therefore the first judgement of LIGHTNING happens in the next turn of the player who used it. If the judgement card does not fall between 2 to 9 of "spades", the card moves on to the subsequent player. It keeps moving until someone gets struck or someone uses DISMANTLE or STEAL on it.

Take note that if you wish to use NEGATE to avoid getting struck, the NEGATE card has to be used before the judgement card is flipped.

"LIGHTNING-Proof" characters:
Perhaps "LIGHTNING-Proof" is not completely accurate since all of the characters mentioned below are never completely immune to getting struck, but they definitely stand a much much better chance of surviving a LIGHTNING strike or evading it altogether.

1. Elder Zhu Ge Liang 暮年诸葛亮 - His "Star-Gazing" ability is used before the judgement phase, therefore he can swop the judgement card as he wish.

2. Si Ma Yi 司马懿 - He can use any cards on hand to manipulate the judgement card after it as been revealed.

3. Zhang Jiao 张角 - Same as Si Ma Yi 司马懿 except he can only use "clubs" and "spades" for manipulation. 

4. Xiao Qiao 小乔 - She is completely lightning-proof since all her "spade" cards will be viewed as "hearts". Thus even if the judgement card falls between 2 to 9 of spades, to her it will be 2 to 9 of hearts! No strike!

Know other "LIGHTNING-Proof" characters? Leave a comment below!

Trivia:
About 2,000 people are struck by lightning around the world each year. A park ranger in the USA holds the record for being struck 7 times in a span of 35 years. Read more about lightning strikes on Wikipedia.