Preparing to Play
– Both players shuffle their decks and set out their Field.
– Determine the starting player.
– Both players draw a starting hand of five cards.
A player can perform one mulligan (redraw). To mulligan, shuffle the cards back into the deck and draw five more cards.
Players will now take turns until one can satisfy a win (or loss) condition.
Turn Structure
Active Phase
Turn all dull characters (turned sideways) to the active position (upwards).
Players ignore this phase on their first turn.
Draw Phase
The player draws two cards from the top of their deck. Note: The first player draws one card on their first turn.
First Main Phase
In this phase the player can perform the following actions, in any order:
- Play a Character
To play a Character, pay the Crystal Point (CP) cost and place the Character onto the Field. Play Forwards and Monsters active (facing upwards). Play Backups dulled (facing sideways).
Note: Forwards cannot attack the same turn they are played, unless they have the Haste trait (refer to the Character Traits section below).
- Cast a Summon
To cast a Summon, pay the CP cost and activate the card’s effects. Place the Summon into the Break Zone after use.
Note: A Summon can be cast after your opponent has activated an ability or cast a Summon, on either player’s turn.
- Use an Ability
The player may activate actions and/or abilities of cards in play, by paying the required cost.
Note: Some actions and abilities have the dull symbol in the cost (an arrow at a right angle). These cannot be triggered on the same turn that the card came into play, unless that card is a Monster.
Attack Phase
- Preparation
Before the attacking player declares an attack, both players may activate abilities and cast Summons. The attacking player goes first, followed by the defending player.
- Declare attackers
The attacking player chooses an active Forward to attack, and dulls it. Alternatively, if the attacking player has multiple Forwards of the same Element, they can form a party:
Party Attack
Consider Forwards in a party as one unit. A party’s power equal to the combined power of party members.
- Declare blockers
The defending player may block the attack with any active Forward.
- Damage Resolution
A blocked attack
Attacking and defending Forwards deal damage to each other simultaneously – unless one has the First Strike trait. See the Character Traits section below.
A Forward is immediately moved to the Break Zone if it takes damage equal to or higher than its power.
A blocked party attack
The defending player chooses how to divide the damage dealt to party members. The benefit to the attacking player is that one or more party members is likely to survive.
An unblocked attack
The defending player takes one point of damage if the attack is unblocked. The player puts the top card of their Deck into their Damage Zone.
EX Burst
When taking damage, the defending player must reveal the top card of their library and add it to their Damage Zone. If the revealed card has the EX symbol, the player can trigger the EX Burst effect immediately.
- Resume the attack
After damage is resolved, the attacking player may attack again, with another active Forward. Once the attacking player decides to end their attack(s), they move to Second Main Phase.
Second Main Phase
The player can take the same actions described in First Main Phase.
End Phase
All “until end of turn” effects cease.
All damage dealt to Forwards that remain in play is removed.
The player must discard down to five cards.
Play passes to the next player.
