I'd like to preface this with saying that the rules described below are my take on the actual rules of Arcana TCG and parts that are pending clarification with the mentioned rule update. Those liberties are inspired by the card games from which Arcana takes inspiration, or at least I assume it does.
1. Getting Started
First steps
In order to take your first steps into the world of Arcana TCG all you have to do is visit the nearest settlement with a Luxury Store. On the front page of the store you’ll be able to buy a card binder to store your collection and a booster pack of 5 cards. On the last page of the shop you can find your starter decks. Don’t confuse the binder with the poker deck!
![[Image: 7YsUizC.png]](https://i.imgur.com/7YsUizC.png)
![[Image: Dh7SLn6.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Dh7SLn6.png)
![[Image: vjgMtJ3.png]](https://i.imgur.com/vjgMtJ3.png)
Deck Construction
A deck must contain at least 30 cards, and a maximum of 60.
You can have up to 3 copies of the same card in one deck.
You can only have 1 copy of the same three star card in one deck
You can only have 1 copy of the same Relic card in your deck.
Cards with a white name are Common rarity
Cards with a blue name are Rare rarity
Cards with a yellow name are Mythic Rare rarity
Card Types
Creature Cards
The fighting force of your deck. Creature Cards are “summoned” to the Creature Zone. A creature card has the following information:
Placing a creature card from your hand onto the field is called a ‘Normal Summon’
Each player can only Normal Summon once per turn
Creatures can be Normal Summoned either in Face-up Attack Position or in Face-down Defense Position ((referred to as ‘Setting a monster face-down).
2 Star Creatures require a single tribute of the same type (Heroic, Fallen, etc)
3 Star Creatures require two tributes, at least one of which must be of the same type (Heroic, Fallen, etc)
To do so, move the required creature cards from your Creature Zone to the Netherworld and then summon the 2 or 3 Star Creature as normal. This is referred to as a Tribute Summon, but is a Normal Summon in terms of rules.
Summoning cards through card effects, regardless of where they’re summoned from, is called a Special Summon and has no limit to how many times it can be done in a turn. No tributes are necessary when Special Summoning a 2 or 3 Star Creature unless otherwise stated by the card.
Creatures can be Special Summoned in either Face-up Attack Position or Face-up Defense Position, they cannot be Special Summoned Face-down.
Face-down creatures cannot be targets of Rune effects unless stated otherwise, but they’re still subjects to Rune effects that don’t specify a card (‘Select a..’ vs ‘Destroy all’ for example)
Face-down creatures cannot have their stats adjusted.
Creature card effects, unless otherwise stated, can be used only once per turn by that card and only on your turn.
Creatures in Face-up Attack Position can be switched to Face-up Defense Position, except during the turn in which they were summoned or during the turn in which they’ve already declared an attack.
Creatures summoned on the first turn of the duel cannot attack.
During the Battle Phase, the turn player may declare an attack using a face-up attack position creature card to attack another creature on the opponent’s field. If no creatures are present, it can strike the opponent directly dealing 1 damage. Each creature can attack only once. To do so, the attack must first be declared, at which point the opponent may respond with a rune or creature effect before the attack commences. (If the creature is removed at any point during the attack, the attack is cancelled.)
When attacking, compare the attacking creature’s Power to the targeted creature’s Toughness. If the attacking creature’s Power is greater than the target’s Toughness, the target is destroyed and if it was in Face-up Attack Position, the opponent takes 1 damage.
If both are equal, both creatures are destroyed and if either creature was in Face-up Attack Position, its owner takes 1 damage.
If the creature’s Toughness is greater than the attacking creature’s Power, it survives the attack. If the attacked creature was in Face-up Attack Position the attacker is destroyed and its owner takes 1 damage. Otherwise nothing else happens.
Creatures can also engage in a Combination Attack to topple a greater foe. To do so, declare a Combination Attack, the creatures attacking, and the order in which they attack. Perform the attacks in sequence reducing the target’s Toughness until it can finally be destroyed.
Example:
A Combination Attack is declared against a 9/9 Creature (9 Power/9 Toughness) using Creature A with 3/3, Creature B with 3/3 and Creature C with 3/3.
Creature A attacks first, since 9 is greater than 3 Creature A is destroyed and its owner takes 1 damage as it was in Face-up Attack Position.
The target’s Toughness is then reduced by 3, Creature A’s Power.
Creature B attacks, since 6 is still greater than 3 Creature B is destroyed and its owner takes 1 damage.
Now the target’s Toughness is 3 which is equal to Creature C’s Power and both are destroyed.
Since both were in Face-up Attack Position both players take 1 damage.
Face-up Defense Position creatures can be used to ‘Block’ attacks directed at another creature. To do so, declare a creature as a blocker and redirect the attack to the defender. If the attacking creature’s Power is greater than the blocker’s Toughness, the blocker is destroyed and the attack continues to its original target with Power reduced by the blocker’s Toughness.
Example:
An attack is declared with Creature A (7/5) against Creature B (5/5).
As Creature A’s Power is greater than Creature B’s Toughness, Creature B will be destroyed if the attack continues.
However the opponent declares their face-up defense position Creature C (3/3) as a blocker.
Creature A attacks Creature C instead.
Creature A’s Power of 7 is greater than Creature C’s Toughness of 3 so Creature C is destroyed and the attack continues to Creature B.
However Creature A’s Power is reduced to 4 (reduced by Creature C’s Toughness of 3) meaning that its Power is lower than Creature B’s Toughness of 5.
The attack fails and if Creature B was in Face-up Attack Position, Creature A is destroyed and its owner takes 1 damage.
A creature’s Power and Toughness cannot be reduced below 0. If a creature has 0 Toughness, it is not destroyed automatically.
If, for any reason whatsoever, a situation comes where cards/effects resolve at the same time and neither player is unsure on which comes first - the turn player always has priority.
Rune Cards
Various spells to help assist you in the duel by various means such as buffing, debuffing, drawing cards or removing cards from the field. They’re played in the Rune Zone. A Rune Card has the following information:
Rune cards can either be played from the hand or set face-down in the Rune Zone to be used later. Rune cards can be used during the opponent’s turn but only if they’ve been set face-down beforehand.
Rune cards can be played during any phase, but can only be set face-down during your Main Phase.
When activating a Rune card in response to Summons, Effects, and Attacks its referred to as “chaining”. When chaining multiple responses together, the chain is resolved from top of the stack to the bottom.
If an effect that alters the board by removing or adding cards is declared as a chain in response to an attack, the attacking player can decide to continue or call off the attack after the effect resolves.
Example:
Player A declares an attack with Creature A (3/3) against Player B’s Creature B (3/3).
Player B responds to the attack by chaining their face-down Red Flag, increasing his Creature’s Power and Toughness by 1 to 4/4 (also referred to as +1+1).
Because Creature B’s Toughness is now greater than the attacker, it’s destroyed.
Since Red Flag doesn’t take or remove cards from the field Player A couldn’t call off the attack.
If Player B instead chained a face-down Revive Creature and paid 1 HP to revive a 3/3 creature in Face-up Defense position to use as a blocker for the attack, Player A would be able to call off the attack to save his creature, as a card was added to the board as part of the chain.
After a Rune card resolves it’s sent to the Netherworld unless stated otherwise.
If, for any reason whatsoever, a situation comes where cards/effects resolve at the same time and neither player is unsure on which comes first - the turn player always has priority.
Ward Cards
Various equipment to strengthen your creatures. Like Rune Cards, it’s played in the Rune Zone. A ward card has the following information:
Ward Cards can only be activated during your Main Phase targeting a face-up creature on your field. The Ward is then equipped to the creature and remains in your Rune Zone until either it, or the creature it’s equipped to is destroyed.
If the creature the Ward card is equipped to is flipped face-down or removed from the field by any means the Ward is destroyed and sent to the Netherworld unless otherwise stated.
3. Flow of the game
At the start of the duel both players place their deck in the Deck Zone and draw their starting hand of 5 cards. At this time both players can decide to either keep their hand or shuffle it back into the deck and draw another 5 cards. This can be done only once and is called a Mulligan
After both players have their starting hands it’s time to decide who goes first. You can either flip a coin or roll the dice.
Turns consist of multiple phases, in this order:
1. Start Phase
The turn player draws a card from their deck. The player going first does not do this on the first turn of the duel.
If the player would draw a card while their hand is full, the drawn card is sent to the Netherworld instead.
Start of Turn effects resolve, if any
2. Pre-Battle Main Phase
This is where the turn player gets to play their cards before proceeding to the next phase.
Once done, they must declare that they’re proceeding to the next phase.
3. Battle Phase
This is where the turn player gets to declare attacks.
Once done, they must declare that they’re proceeding to the next phase.
4. End Phase
The conclusion of the player’s turn.
All ‘End of Turn’ effects resolve, if any.
1. Getting Started
First steps
In order to take your first steps into the world of Arcana TCG all you have to do is visit the nearest settlement with a Luxury Store. On the front page of the store you’ll be able to buy a card binder to store your collection and a booster pack of 5 cards. On the last page of the shop you can find your starter decks. Don’t confuse the binder with the poker deck!
In order to begin a duel, click the cog icon above your spell bar and then click Toggle Card Zone. You’ll be asked whether you want your zones to face north or south, depending on where your position is!
![[Image: nCJ0uLJ.png]](https://i.imgur.com/nCJ0uLJ.png)
2. The Basics
Play Area
Play Area
1. Your HP
Each player begins the game with 10 HP.
When your HP reaches 0, you lose the game.
Each time a face-up attack position creature is destroyed through battle, you take 1 damage
Each time a creature strikes you directly, you take 1 damage.
2. Your Deck Zone
This is where you drag your deck from your inventory at the start of the game!
Each player begins the game with 10 HP.
When your HP reaches 0, you lose the game.
Each time a face-up attack position creature is destroyed through battle, you take 1 damage
Each time a creature strikes you directly, you take 1 damage.
2. Your Deck Zone
This is where you drag your deck from your inventory at the start of the game!
Even when your deck has 0 cards, you continue play. But you cannot draw any further cards, obviously.
3. The Netherworld
3. The Netherworld
The death zone! Whenever a card is discarded or destroyed this is where it’s sent to. Unless otherwise stated.
4. Creature Zone
This is where you will place your creature cards. As you can see, there’s only a maximum of 5.
5. Rune Zone
As with the Creature Zone, this is where you will place your Rune and Ward cards.
6. Hand
This is where cards will go when you draw them, or if they’re returned to your hand.
When you draw a card over your limit (7) it’s sent to the Netherworld instead.
In the top right corner of your game window, above the chat, make sure to switch to the games tab to have the full view of what’s going on. You can see character dialogue (white text), LOOC, and all actions performed with cards. You cannot see emotes (red text) in this window!
4. Creature Zone
This is where you will place your creature cards. As you can see, there’s only a maximum of 5.
5. Rune Zone
As with the Creature Zone, this is where you will place your Rune and Ward cards.
6. Hand
This is where cards will go when you draw them, or if they’re returned to your hand.
When you draw a card over your limit (7) it’s sent to the Netherworld instead.
In the top right corner of your game window, above the chat, make sure to switch to the games tab to have the full view of what’s going on. You can see character dialogue (white text), LOOC, and all actions performed with cards. You cannot see emotes (red text) in this window!
Deck Construction
A deck must contain at least 30 cards, and a maximum of 60.
You can have up to 3 copies of the same card in one deck.
You can only have 1 copy of the same three star card in one deck
You can only have 1 copy of the same Relic card in your deck.
Cards with a white name are Common rarity
Cards with a blue name are Rare rarity
Cards with a yellow name are Mythic Rare rarity
Card Types
Creature Cards
The fighting force of your deck. Creature Cards are “summoned” to the Creature Zone. A creature card has the following information:
- Name
- Star rating
- Power/Toughness
- Archetype
- Effect
Placing a creature card from your hand onto the field is called a ‘Normal Summon’
Each player can only Normal Summon once per turn
Creatures can be Normal Summoned either in Face-up Attack Position or in Face-down Defense Position ((referred to as ‘Setting a monster face-down).
2 Star Creatures require a single tribute of the same type (Heroic, Fallen, etc)
3 Star Creatures require two tributes, at least one of which must be of the same type (Heroic, Fallen, etc)
To do so, move the required creature cards from your Creature Zone to the Netherworld and then summon the 2 or 3 Star Creature as normal. This is referred to as a Tribute Summon, but is a Normal Summon in terms of rules.
Summoning cards through card effects, regardless of where they’re summoned from, is called a Special Summon and has no limit to how many times it can be done in a turn. No tributes are necessary when Special Summoning a 2 or 3 Star Creature unless otherwise stated by the card.
Creatures can be Special Summoned in either Face-up Attack Position or Face-up Defense Position, they cannot be Special Summoned Face-down.
Face-down creatures cannot be targets of Rune effects unless stated otherwise, but they’re still subjects to Rune effects that don’t specify a card (‘Select a..’ vs ‘Destroy all’ for example)
Face-down creatures cannot have their stats adjusted.
Creature card effects, unless otherwise stated, can be used only once per turn by that card and only on your turn.
Creatures in Face-up Attack Position can be switched to Face-up Defense Position, except during the turn in which they were summoned or during the turn in which they’ve already declared an attack.
Creatures summoned on the first turn of the duel cannot attack.
During the Battle Phase, the turn player may declare an attack using a face-up attack position creature card to attack another creature on the opponent’s field. If no creatures are present, it can strike the opponent directly dealing 1 damage. Each creature can attack only once. To do so, the attack must first be declared, at which point the opponent may respond with a rune or creature effect before the attack commences. (If the creature is removed at any point during the attack, the attack is cancelled.)
When attacking, compare the attacking creature’s Power to the targeted creature’s Toughness. If the attacking creature’s Power is greater than the target’s Toughness, the target is destroyed and if it was in Face-up Attack Position, the opponent takes 1 damage.
If both are equal, both creatures are destroyed and if either creature was in Face-up Attack Position, its owner takes 1 damage.
If the creature’s Toughness is greater than the attacking creature’s Power, it survives the attack. If the attacked creature was in Face-up Attack Position the attacker is destroyed and its owner takes 1 damage. Otherwise nothing else happens.
Creatures can also engage in a Combination Attack to topple a greater foe. To do so, declare a Combination Attack, the creatures attacking, and the order in which they attack. Perform the attacks in sequence reducing the target’s Toughness until it can finally be destroyed.
Example:
A Combination Attack is declared against a 9/9 Creature (9 Power/9 Toughness) using Creature A with 3/3, Creature B with 3/3 and Creature C with 3/3.
Creature A attacks first, since 9 is greater than 3 Creature A is destroyed and its owner takes 1 damage as it was in Face-up Attack Position.
The target’s Toughness is then reduced by 3, Creature A’s Power.
Creature B attacks, since 6 is still greater than 3 Creature B is destroyed and its owner takes 1 damage.
Now the target’s Toughness is 3 which is equal to Creature C’s Power and both are destroyed.
Since both were in Face-up Attack Position both players take 1 damage.
Face-up Defense Position creatures can be used to ‘Block’ attacks directed at another creature. To do so, declare a creature as a blocker and redirect the attack to the defender. If the attacking creature’s Power is greater than the blocker’s Toughness, the blocker is destroyed and the attack continues to its original target with Power reduced by the blocker’s Toughness.
Example:
An attack is declared with Creature A (7/5) against Creature B (5/5).
As Creature A’s Power is greater than Creature B’s Toughness, Creature B will be destroyed if the attack continues.
However the opponent declares their face-up defense position Creature C (3/3) as a blocker.
Creature A attacks Creature C instead.
Creature A’s Power of 7 is greater than Creature C’s Toughness of 3 so Creature C is destroyed and the attack continues to Creature B.
However Creature A’s Power is reduced to 4 (reduced by Creature C’s Toughness of 3) meaning that its Power is lower than Creature B’s Toughness of 5.
The attack fails and if Creature B was in Face-up Attack Position, Creature A is destroyed and its owner takes 1 damage.
A creature’s Power and Toughness cannot be reduced below 0. If a creature has 0 Toughness, it is not destroyed automatically.
If, for any reason whatsoever, a situation comes where cards/effects resolve at the same time and neither player is unsure on which comes first - the turn player always has priority.
Rune Cards
Various spells to help assist you in the duel by various means such as buffing, debuffing, drawing cards or removing cards from the field. They’re played in the Rune Zone. A Rune Card has the following information:
- Name (If a Rune is considered a Relic, it’ll be marked here!)
- Effect
Rune cards can either be played from the hand or set face-down in the Rune Zone to be used later. Rune cards can be used during the opponent’s turn but only if they’ve been set face-down beforehand.
Rune cards can be played during any phase, but can only be set face-down during your Main Phase.
When activating a Rune card in response to Summons, Effects, and Attacks its referred to as “chaining”. When chaining multiple responses together, the chain is resolved from top of the stack to the bottom.
If an effect that alters the board by removing or adding cards is declared as a chain in response to an attack, the attacking player can decide to continue or call off the attack after the effect resolves.
Example:
Player A declares an attack with Creature A (3/3) against Player B’s Creature B (3/3).
Player B responds to the attack by chaining their face-down Red Flag, increasing his Creature’s Power and Toughness by 1 to 4/4 (also referred to as +1+1).
Because Creature B’s Toughness is now greater than the attacker, it’s destroyed.
Since Red Flag doesn’t take or remove cards from the field Player A couldn’t call off the attack.
If Player B instead chained a face-down Revive Creature and paid 1 HP to revive a 3/3 creature in Face-up Defense position to use as a blocker for the attack, Player A would be able to call off the attack to save his creature, as a card was added to the board as part of the chain.
After a Rune card resolves it’s sent to the Netherworld unless stated otherwise.
If, for any reason whatsoever, a situation comes where cards/effects resolve at the same time and neither player is unsure on which comes first - the turn player always has priority.
Ward Cards
Various equipment to strengthen your creatures. Like Rune Cards, it’s played in the Rune Zone. A ward card has the following information:
- Name
- Effect
Ward Cards can only be activated during your Main Phase targeting a face-up creature on your field. The Ward is then equipped to the creature and remains in your Rune Zone until either it, or the creature it’s equipped to is destroyed.
If the creature the Ward card is equipped to is flipped face-down or removed from the field by any means the Ward is destroyed and sent to the Netherworld unless otherwise stated.
3. Flow of the game
At the start of the duel both players place their deck in the Deck Zone and draw their starting hand of 5 cards. At this time both players can decide to either keep their hand or shuffle it back into the deck and draw another 5 cards. This can be done only once and is called a Mulligan
After both players have their starting hands it’s time to decide who goes first. You can either flip a coin or roll the dice.
Turns consist of multiple phases, in this order:
1. Start Phase
The turn player draws a card from their deck. The player going first does not do this on the first turn of the duel.
If the player would draw a card while their hand is full, the drawn card is sent to the Netherworld instead.
Start of Turn effects resolve, if any
2. Pre-Battle Main Phase
This is where the turn player gets to play their cards before proceeding to the next phase.
Once done, they must declare that they’re proceeding to the next phase.
3. Battle Phase
This is where the turn player gets to declare attacks.
Once done, they must declare that they’re proceeding to the next phase.
4. End Phase
The conclusion of the player’s turn.
All ‘End of Turn’ effects resolve, if any.
I have a hard time writing things down since my brain jumps from point A to point C a lot but hope this helps!
![[Image: b6bWoga.png]](https://i.imgur.com/b6bWoga.png)