Dragoma CIPHER

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The **Dragoma CIPHER Trading Card Game** *(ドラゴマ暗号トレーディングカードゲーム Doragoma angō torēdingukādogēmu)* lit. **Dragoma DREAM** is a trading card game released by Sapphire Ltd. featuring Dragoma characters from all 4 generations. Similar to other trading card games, players build decks of cards and battle each other using them.

The game was originally released exclusively in Japan as the EDA series, which will range from ??? to ??? and will spawn a total of 1,898 cards. In ???, Sapphire will announce the Exivus series, which can be seen as a reboot of the original Chapter series. Although they share many similarities in rules and cards, both are different games and cards from one cannot be used on another.

The new Exivus series will mark the official release of the card game in North America and Europe for the first time, with the first card set being released in English on October 28, ???, featuring 216 unique cards. It was also released in Japan later that year on December 9th.

## Gameplay

The game is won by attacking with Unit Shifters locked with a weapon. A Draguzstone can be used to transform the unit into their respective Draguz Avatar. The defending player can choose whether or not to block attacking Forwards with their own Forwards. If two Forwards are in combat with each other, the Forward with the higher power destroys the other, and the loser is put into its owner's Crypt Zone (discards). If the Forward was unblocked, it deals one damage to the defending player. Whenever a player is dealt damage, they put that many cards from the top of their deck into their Crypt Zone. Unused cards may be placed in the Exile Zone. When a player's Crypt Zone has seven cards in it, that player loses the game.

To play a card or ability, a player announces the card or ability and any targets it has then pays any costs for it. Then, each other player may respond to that card or ability before it has its effect or enters the field, and the first player may respond to any actions the other players take. This is known as "the stack." Once players pass on playing cards or abilities, the objects on the stack resolve from top to bottom - in other words, first in, last out. Character cards (Forwards and Backups) can only be played if the stack is empty.

## Card Types

### Location

The player starts out with a Location card. Each location specifies the battle it takes place in.

### Forwards

These are the cards that will be taking part in the game's combat. It can be played either with a Unit shifter or a Draguz Avatar. They attack the opponent and defend against the opponent's attacks based on their type.

* Raour / Blade unit - Forward Attack
* Blar / Lance unit - Diagonal Attack
* Gronn / Axe unit - Backup Attack
* Yenn / Dagger unit - Cross L Attack
* Dor / Any unit - Any movement type limited.
* Lumino / Any unit - Any movement type limited.

In the bottom right corner of each Forward card is a large number denoting their power. If at any point during a turn a Forward has taken more damage than its Power, it is put into the Crypt or Exile Zone.

Forwards enter the field in Battle Zone, but cannot attack or use abilities that require dulling until the beginning of the player's next turn.

### Backups

Backups provide abilities that support your Forwards. Backups are not affected by "summoning sickness" as Forwards are, but enter the field dulled. A player may only control up to five Backups at a time. If a player would control more than five, they choose any excess Backups and put them into the Exile Zone.

### Monsters (Ragnavatars)

Monsters such as Ragnavatars and Dread Ragnavatars are mostly notable for their support abilities. Their defining trait is that they are unaffected by summoning sickness, meaning that they can use their dull abilities the turn they enter the field. Many of them can also become Forwards for a turn at a time.

Forwards, Backups, and Monsters are collectively called Character cards. If that card represents a specific person, a player may only control one card with that name at a time. They can't play other cards with the same name. If they control more than one card with that name, they must put all of them into the Crypt Zone immediately. Cards marked with the three-cards icon in the top right corner are exempt from this rule. Note that any number of players may control cards with the same name, just as long as no one player controls more than one of those cards.

### Summons (Galdr)

Summons are one-shot effects. When they are played, instead of entering the field, they have the printed effect and are put into their owner's Exile Zone. Summons, along with activated abilities, can be played at any time except for the Battle Phase, Draw Phase, and End Phase.

### Items

Items are used to strengthen a player's characters and is exclusive to the game. Each Item has an Equip ability and a Return ability. Playing an Item card does not use the stack, and therefore cannot be responded to by Summons or abilities. Equip abilities are written as "Equip (type)." When an Item card is played, its owner chooses a character of the given type. The item enters play attached to that character. Return abilities are written as "Return (cost)." A player may pay the Return cost to return the item to his or her hand. An item in play not equipped to a character is put into its owner's Exile Zone.

## Card Abilities

Each Draguz comes with a special move / skill that impacts and changes the shape of the game. They appear as small tokens that can be placed in the Skill Zone section of the board. Only one token can be used per turn.

### Final Strike

A Final Strike is special move that is introduced in Dragoma. Each Draguz is assigned with 3 Final Strike skills, the last skill always ending with their type. (Ex: Galnova for Galahad.) A Final Strike skill can damage the opponent with more than 10 or 20, resulting into a critical hit and a Crypt Zone.

### Zenith Break

A Zenith Break is special move that is introduced in Dragoma Rise Above and Exivus. Each Draguz is assigned with 3 Zenith Break skills, the last skill always ending with their type. (Ex: Galnova for Galahad.) A Zenith Break skill can damage the opponent with more than 10 or 20, resulting into a critical hit and a Crypt Zone. If all Zenith Break skills are used, they cannot be redeemed again.

### Overdrive

An Overdrive is a special move that is introduced in Brave Draconica and Dragoma Dimensions. An Overdrive is limited up to 5 skills per 3 turns.

### Destiny Lock

A Destiny Lock is another variation of Overdrive first used in Dragoma Tactics.

## Board Display

The CIPHER board is a 10 x 10 chess board with several important sections that affect gameplay:

* **Castle:** The player's homebase. Up to 8 Draguz Layers can be held within the section.
* **Outrealm Gate:** A safe haven for the player if any heal based items are used.
* **Battle Zone:** The player's field of initiated battle. Only Forward VR units can attack each other.
* **Location:** A card serving the current locations from all 4 worlds across the Dragoma series.
* **Deck:** The player's primary deck contains 5 cards per category. The deck must be stacked face down.
* **Skill:** A section where the Draguz's FS / ZB/ or OD is played.
* **Exile:** Unused cards are to be stacked in this section.
* **Crypt:** Draguz Avatars or Unit Shifters sacrificed in this section. It cannot be redeemable.
* **Double Evolution Zone:** An bonus Zone where the Draguz evolves prior to it's evolutionary stages.
* **Land Zone / EVO Zone:** A regular zone where it gives out an HP boost if the player has a Land Zone / EVO Zone card in their deck.

## Deck construction

A deck must have exactly 50 cards in it, and no more than three of any card with the same card serial number.

## Turns

At the beginning of the game, players shuffle their decks, decide who goes first, then draw five cards from their deck.

### Active Phase

The player sets all of their Forwards and Backups to Active.

### Draw Phase

The player whose turn it is draws two cards from their deck. If it is the first turn of the game, that player draws only one card.

### Main Phase

The player may play Forwards, Backups, and Summons and activate abilities.

### Attack Phase

The player may choose a Forward they control that can attack and dull it to show that it is attacking. The defending player may choose an active Forward they control and block with it. If a Forward is blocked, the two Forwards deal damage to each other equal to their power. Otherwise, if the Forward is unblocked, it deals one damage to the defending player, and that player puts one card from the top of their deck into their Damage Zone.

Combats are resolved individually, so the player whose turn it is may repeat this process as long as they control Forwards that are able to attack.

### Main Phase

After combat there is another main phase.

### End Phase

"Until end of turn" effects end, and the active player discards cards until they have at most five cards in their hand. Then it becomes the next player's turn.

## VR Play

*This game mechanic and the concept of VR Figures have been scrapped. Posted for reference only!*

A revolutionized game mechanic never seen before into the market has been specialized just for the Dragoma series. It follows new diverse features such as videogame console / smartphone communication to a flexible fiber mat board featuring illuminated squares on a chess board format. Players are required to purchase and collect Draguz VR figures (sold separately) along with various themed mats (sold separately) in order to build up their army and duel head to head against an opponent (CPU) or another player. Limited edition sets along with re colored Draguz are also available for purchase soon.

With Dragoma blustering up as the popular runner up to the KvD series, it introduces new diverse features:

- A new VR mat to the Dragoma series is made up of a simplistic black mat with LED strips running in accordance to the 4 type terrains. Shaped into a 10 by 6 mat, two smartphones or Nintendo Switches cradle as centerpiece action packed battles.

- Sections of card placements are divided into 5:

Location, Deck, Support, Shifter, Dragoma Gear.

1. Players set up their Draguz VR figures on thier desired tile on the mat, while placing their Nintendo Switch or smartphone app on the Combat cradle.

2. A random location card from the deck will be scanned on the mat.

3. Initiating turn based combat, the player moves around his desired army (limited to selected tiles illuminated by mat) until he ends his turn. May utilize Item card or Dragoma Gear to shift gameplay. After a Draguz VR figure completes 'tile-traveling', the tile underneath the pedestal will glow gray, meaning it already moved across the mat.

4. Once a figure is scanned on the app or Switch, the player can initiate a combat battle once the two figures on the mat meet. The on screen battle comes with colourful cinematic action packed skill moves. Figure has own motion vibration and pedestal illuminates red if damaged.

- If the game is played without a Switch or Smartphone, the figures come equipped with Healthbar LED rings around the pedestal stand. If damaged, it will glow red and decrease HP by dimming majority or minutely of the desired health remaning. The ring will glow green at the start of battle, slowly decreasing to orange before it dissipates to red.

5. Final Strike Gauges (Critical Hits) are implemented when each Draguz has a total of 3 FS's in use per Final Strike.

Example:

*Aero Vanguards*

*Triple Carnage*

*Galnova*

5. The Galdr Triangle (similar to Naga Trinity) is issued for players to strategize thier gameplay.

*Raour > Gronn > Blar > Repeat*

*Only Yenn and Grar are balance types*

*Lumino and Dor are Anima types*

6. Players can also anonymously feed their Draguz with low health herbs for quick revival.

7. Draguz receive an EXP level up along with the shifter's comments. Max Lv. can be up to 70.

8. Collect all Draguz figures to achieve the ultimate Dragoma cores!

The VR mat runs on 3xAA Batteries or an AC outlet cable. The estimated price retail for the mat is $29.99 and can be repaired under weather / water damage conditions.

A 6x6 mobile VR mat serves faster paced battles and easy transpiration.

Single pack Draguz figures are set to be placed at $15.99 each along with dual pack Draguz figures which cost $24.99. Sets whop up to $29.99, same value as the VR mat.

## Released Editions

### Starter Deck

* Evergrande Lunar Blue
* World Tour Infinity
* Rising Darkness
* Rise Above
* Exivus
* Brave Draconica
* Evergrande Conquest

### Booster Deck

* Invisible Ties
* Worlds Apart
* Reunion at Dawn
* Heaven's Gate
* Crossroads
* Bladed Soul
* Wolf Pack
* Raging Flames
* Blitz Academy Special
* Mirror, Mirror

### Royal Deck

* Evergrande Draguz Regalia
* Trinity Dawn
* Seasons of Awakening
* Advent Infinity
* Rising Inferno
* Dreamstar Duo
* Neo Dimensions

## Trivia

* The game was originally made by Robin Ward as a project assignment for a Game Design course deriving from the California Institute of Arts and Coursera.
* It was originally going to be planned with the scrapped VR Play mechanics from Dragoma, however Robin eased up to it's simplicity and decided to make the VR Figures into VR Avatar Layers bearing the same features. A Nintendo Switch / Smartphone can be optionally used for VR Play.
* Each part in Dragoma was going to be previously named (VR chip, Chrome Layer, Steel Disc, Dash Tip) or (VRvatar Chip, Assault Ring, Weight Plate, Xtra Ring, Spin Base) before reverting to it's current final draft skills.
* Dragoma VR cannot be played with a Nintendo Switch Lite due to the inconsistency to dock and play on TV.
* One of the many reasons behind the unique game mechanic according to Robin Ward is to exempt constant screen time while playing and balance the player's eye vision between screen and Draguz figure while in VR mode. That way better concentration and skill is input while taking time on each tile move.
* The layout and frame of the cards are similar to *Fire Emblem Cipher's* TCG.
* It shares it's title with Knights vs Dragons, albeit being a similar card game.
* The working title is similar to another game released by Sapphire.
* The Crypt Zone is similar in manner to the Graveyard from *Yu Gi Oh!*

## Gallery

Concept board to Dragoma CIPHERPrevious VR Gameplay notes from Dragoma. (Heavily watermarked)Concept sketch to the VR card backingVR card backing (Normal)VR card backing (Inferno) Notice color change.Example of a classic VR card. (Nagariel)