General Game Play

General Game play

***This page describes how to play the game***

**Game Interface**

The game is a one versus one, two player game.

Each player has a basic deck of forty, fifty, or sixty cards, depending on the game length. The decks consist of:

* Fifteen *monster* cards, regardless of deck number. Maximum AND minimum is fifteen.
* Remaining cards may be any other card, like *spells*, *support*, *weapons*, a*rmor*, or *building* cards.
* Your deck is face down, shuffled, and cannot be looked through.
* The first one to eliminate all of the other player's monsters, or the player with fewest in the discard pile by the end of the game wins.

**Game Play**

During the beginning of the game, one player calls head or tails, or even or odd, depending on the way you wish to choose the starting player. (Coin flip or dice roll)

Game play is split into two categories, Turns, and Phases, which are inside of turns.

**Turns**

A turn is a basic example of what a player does. After one player's turn, the turn of play is switched to the other player. One turn consists of three phases, which can actually be altered with spells, like *Counter Switch*cards.

You may either choose to pass up your turn, or use all your phases.

Regardless of who goes first, neither player may attack on their first turn.

**Phases**

Previously mentioned, phases are split into three whilst inside a turn.

**Phase One:**Phase one is the card drawing phase. This is required, but will not take place if you have a maximum of seven cards in your hand. Since each player starts with a full hand, Phase One will be skipped on both player's first turns.

**Phase Two & Three:** These are free for all phases. You may attack, draw again, or put down a card. Note that on your first turn, you may not attack. If you attack, draw a card, or put down a card, (Rather you put down a weapon card, monster card, spell card, etc) then you will use up one of your phases. Once you hit Phase Three, the turn switches to your opponent. When a monster attacks for a phase, it cannot attack the next phase. (I.e negating double phase attacks)

**Playing Field**

The play field consists of three lanes, a left, right, and middle lane, on both player sides. A player may put down any monster card on their side, on either lane. However, only one card can be in a lane at any given time. This however, may be rewritten in game by either:

* Using the *Lane Switch*card. Lane Switch allows for you to move one of your opponent's cards into another lane. This means that you can attack both cards in that lane with one attack.
* Cards that spawn troops. Cards like *Necro-Mage* are allowed to spawn other cards to aid them. In this case, the *Necro-Mage* can spawn *Skell-Mini* cards. (Three a time at max) The cards spawned by another card will be in the same lane, and will attack for free when their spawner attacks, thus only using one phase for a multi-attack. Spawned cards are different. Although they are in the same lane as the spawner, they can not be hit by the attack aimed at their spawner or a different spawned card. In order to kill spawned troops, you must have a splash attack, or a *spell*. This can be rewritten if the spawner is moved to another lane, moving all the spawned cards with it. This makes it so you can attack ***all*** cards in that lane, including spawned cards.
* Death Spawn Cards. Monsters like *Frost Hound*, and *Night Witch*spawn smaller monsters upon death. They will take up the lane, as if they where a card on their own, meaning the player cannot put another monster down until the death-spawned troops die themselves. Death-spawned troops consist of two or more monsters that act as if they where one **Card.**This means you can attack all of them in one attack, but they will attack together for one phase.

**Discard Pile**

The discard pile is where dead *monsters* or any other card goes after they are used. The discard pile sits to the side, face up. You may look through  it for free. Some cards let you take discarded cards back into your deck.

**Status Effects**

Some status effects are good, and most are mainly bad.

Here is a list of all status effects

* **Burn:** Burn deals 10 damage for every **turn**it is on a monster. It lasts for a guaranteed two turns. After that, a coin flip of heads will allow it to stop.

* **Poison:** Poison deals 20 damage for every **turn**it is on a monster. It lasts for a guaranteed one turn. After that, a coin flip of heads will allow it to stop.

* **Infect:** Infect deals 10 damage for every **turn**it is on a monster. It lasts for six turns, and cannot be healed by a coin flip.

* **Possession:** Possession allows you to control **one**of your opponent's monsters for **one turn**. You may attack your opponent's team with that card. After the one turn is up, the possession disappears.

* **Heal:**Heal is a status effect that is instantaneous. Heal the amount of damage the card says to, then discard that card if it is a *spell*.

* **Frozen:** While a monster is frozen, it cannot be interacted with, or attack. Interaction consists of attaching cards to the monster. It does not have a guaranteed last time, and may be cured any turn with a coin flip. Frozen monsters may still be attacked.

* **Paralyze:** Paralyzed cards may not attack, but may be interacted with. They can be withdrawn, or have cards attached to them. Paralyze does not have a guaranteed last time, and may be cured any time with a coin flip. Paralyzed monsters may still be attacked.

**Basic Interface**

Monsters may have cards on them. These are *Weapons,*or *Armor.*A monster can only have one armor piece attached at a time. In addition, they may also only have one weapon attached to them at a time.

Some cards can give a monster special interface options.

**Other Interfaces**

Some monsters are special, and have other listings other than their HP.

* **Shield:** Shield hit points are located under the HP on a monster card. Think of it as a second HP bar. Once a shield is knocked off, the main HP bar becomes present. Shield however, absorbs damage equal to or over the remaining shield HP. In example, if something does 20 damage, and the shield has 10 HP, the remaining 10 damage will not carry over to the main HP bar.
* **Defense:**Defense is located under the HP on a monster card. Think of it as a damage reducer. For every 10 defense, 10 damage is reduced from incoming attacks to the monster with defense
* **Thorns:**Thorns is located under the HP on a monster card. Think of it acting like a thorn in real life. When a monster attacks something with thorns, they will take damage equal to the thorns' reading. In example, if you have 50 thorns, and you are attacked, the attacker will take 50 damage.

**Abilities**

While every monster has two or three attacks, some monsters have abilities. Abilities are special, and unlike attacks, do not take phases to activate. They are not required to use, and do not have penalties if they are not used. If do not meet requirements a certain ability needs, you cannot use it.

**Penalties**

Withdrawing cards, like monsters, take away one phase. This is registered as a phase penalty. Other penalties, like cheating are forbidden, and instantly result in a loss for the cheater.