Basic Rules

Some information you need to get a basic understanding of this game.

## Introduction

Dreadnought TCG is a game for two players, played one-on-one. Each player prepares a deck that consists of 50 cards and 2 additional caster cards. To win, make full use of unit cards and code cards and reduce all Hit Points of your opponent's casters to 0.

## Card Types

* **Caster cards** are the most important type. A player always brings two caster cards, and both of them can't have the same name. They are not included in your 50-cards deck and you will start the game with both of them already in play. They represent your characters who are capable of summoning units and casting codes.
* **Unit cards** represent the deities and magical creatures manifested to aid casters in their fight against other casters. It is a primary type of cards that you will rely on to obtain victory.
* **Code cards** represent the spells and magic that your casters can use. They are a secondary type of cards due to their nature as a support, but they can change many situations during the game.
* **Arms cards**
* **Idol cards**

## Deck Construction

* Prepare two casters card with different card name. Note their cluster symbols since they will be your **deck indicator.**
* Prepare a deck that consists of unit cards and code cards. It must contain exactly 50 cards. You may only bring up to four cards with the same name. The cards are selected based on the **deck construction condition**.
* Deck construction condition of each card is located at the top right. The number of clusters there are equal to the number of casters you own that also has that cluster.

## End-Game Condition

When the HP of all casters controlled by one player reach 0, the game ends. The winner is the player whose caster still has HP left. If both players somehow have 0 HP at the same time, the game is considered a **draw**.

## State of Cards

The publicity and availability of a card are shown by its state.

* **Open/Closed**
	+ If a card is in **Open** state, it means that the information on that card is public to you and your opponent.
	+ If it is in **Closed** state, its information is not public both to you and to your opponent. Even when you move a Closed card to another area that still make it Closed, the content is still not allowed to be seen. (for example, when that card is moved from the deck to Burst Area, or from HP to Burst Area).
	+ You put Open cards in face-up position while Closed cards in face-down position.
* **Normal/Check**
	+ You may Check a card to pay costs if it is in **Normal** state.
	+ If a card is in **Check** state, you can't Check it to pay costs, and effects that turn the card into Check state will not apply. All cards in Check state will be back to Normal state during each End Phase.
	+ Normal & Check are the state of unit, caster, and burst cards.

## Play Area

1. **Hand** (not visible on playmat). The maximum number of cards held in hand is seven. The cards here should not be shown to your opponent until they are played.
2. **Deck Area**. All cards in your deck are Closed, and the order of them can't be changed.
3. **Discard Pile**. Discarded cards are placed here. The cards put in the Discard Pile are Open, and the order of them does not matter.
4. **Burst Area**. Burst cards are placed here. They are always in Closed state, but the order arranged does not matter.
5. **Caster Slot**. The casters are placed here.
6. **HP**. HP cards are placed Closed and sideways (however, it does not count as Check state).
7. **Unit Slot**. Units are placed here. Each Battle Area (left and right) may contain up to two pieces of unit, even though there can be a unit with a total size (the number of ▼ below 'size') of 3.
8. **Speed Area**. Speed cards are placed here.

Note: The amount of cards in hands, decks, Discard Piles, Burst Area, and HP is a public information.

## Game Preparation

Before you start the game, you need these following preparations.

* Place your caster cards on each Caster Slot in Closed state.
* Shuffle your deck, then place it in your Deck Area.
* Reveal your caster cards by turning them face-up.
* Put the top cards of your deck under each respective caster in Closed state and sideways. The amount of cards put this way is equal to the number of each caster's HP.
* Take the top one card of your deck and put it Closed on your Burst Area in Normal state.
* Draw seven cards. If you do not like your starting hand, you may perform mulligan.

## Turns Overview

In this game, the player who goes first is not fixed until the end of game. Thus, there's no such thing as coin flips or rock-paper-scissors to determine it. Each turn, all players have the same chance to be the first player or the last player who makes the move.

### Speed Phase

This phase will determine which player will go first during this turn.

1. Each player puts the top card of their decks on the Speed Area in Open state. The cards put this way are called '**speed card**'.
2. Compare the speed grade of both speed cards. The letter represents the speed (A is faster than B, B is faster than C, A is faster than C) and the number of plus (+) often determines which is faster when letters come up the same. If the speed grade of both cards is exactly the same, 'speed burn' automatically occurs.
3. The player who is faster during the previous comparison may conduct Speed actions. Speed actions include "Gear Change" & playing Speed abilities. These can be performed any number of times in any order (except Gear Change, which can only be used once per turn). When finished, the player may declare the end of this process and proceed to the next step.
4. The player who is slower during the previous comparison may conduct Speed actions now. The process is pretty much similar to number 3.
5. If there are Closed "Gear Change" cards, Open them. Then, compare again the speed grade of both speed cards. The faster player will become the **first player**, while the slower player will become the **last player**. 'Speed burn' automatically occurs if both speed grades are the same. Once the first player has been determined, move to the next phase.

### Draw Phase

1. If you are the first player, draw one card from your deck. Then, put the top card of your deck on your Burst Area in Closed state.
2. If you are the last player, draw two cards from your deck. Then, put the top card of your deck on your Burst Area in Closed state.

### Cast Phase

1. The first player may perform Cast actions any number of times and in any order. When that player has declared the end of their move, proceed to the last player.
2. The last player may perform Cast actions any number of times and in any order. When that player has declared the end of their move, the Cast Phase ends.

### Fast Phase

1. The first player may perform Fast actions any number of times and in any order. When that player has declared the end of their move, proceed to the last player.
2. The last player may perform Fast actions any number of times and in any order. When that player has declared the end of their move, the Fast Phase ends.

### Action Phase

During the Action Phase, each player performs Action actions alternately.

1. The first player may do one Action action.
2. The last player then may do one Action action.
3. Repeat (1) & (2) until both players declare 'pass'.

### End Phase

1. Each player discards all of their speed cards, Enchanting cards, and dummy cards at the same time. If there is a continued effect that lasts until the end of turn, that effect is lost during this process.
2. If you have eight or more cards in your hand, discard down to seven.
3. All cards in Check state become Normal state.

When the turn ends, another turn starts with another Speed Phase.

## Cost

The cost that has been paid cannot be prevented. The cost paid is still valid even if, for example, a Reaction eliminates the source that generates something you used to pay that cost.

* **Log-cost** is written at the top left of unit and code cards. It can be paid by putting any number of your caster(s) and/or burst card(s) from Normal state into Check state, equal to the number shown there.
	+ Log cost can also appear on abilities. If you want to play an ability that has an additional log-cost, you must be able to pay it.
	+ Log cost is represented by numbers (1, 2, 3,...).

* **Check cost** must be paid by putting your caster or unit from Normal state into Check state.
	+ If your unit(s) would attack, you must pay the check cost by putting that/those unit(s) into Check state. In other words, only units in Normal state are able to participate in an attack.
	+ Check cost can also appear on abilities. If you want to play an ability that has a check cost, you must put that unit into Check state. It means you cannot play that ability of that unit is not in Normal state.
	+ Check cost is represented by a symbol similar to 'tap symbol' from Magic: the Gathering.

* If an additional cost is written as "◎ [ability name]", it shows that you may pay that cost multiple times.

* **Discarding cost** is paid by discarding a number of cards from the required cost.
	+ If a cost requires you to discard cards from your hand, they are immediately sent to Discard Pile in Open State. Speed cards may be used in this case (because that card is treated as if it's in your hand).
	+ If a cost requires you to discard cards from your deck, they are also immediately sent to Discard Pile in Open State.
	+ If a cost requires you to discard cards from your Burst Area, they are also immediately sent to Discard Pile in Open State.

Note: Some effect that [Strengthen] or [Weaken] a unit with Enchants often requires discarding cost. In such effect, you may immediately use the discarded cast as an Enchant card to [Strengthen] or [Weaken] that unit.

## Hit Points, Battle Power, Damage

### Hit Points

**Hit Points** (shortened as 'HP') reflects the physical strength and combat motivation of a caster. The parameter of one HP that a caster has is represented by one piece of card.

* If all casters controlled by a player have 0 HP, that player loses the game.
* Each 50 damage dealt to a caster will break one HP (that means 100 damage will break two HP). The value of HP indicates the necessary amount of damage one must deal to break each one (basically, HP value = 50). If a HP breaks, it's moved onto the Burst Area in Closed and Check state. HP break may also occur from 'attack bonus'.
* A caster with 0 HP may still be used to pay log-cost or play abilities.

### Battle Power

**Battle Power** (shortened as 'BP') is the combat power of a unit. The number of BP is used for both offense and defense. It serves as a generator for attack damage and at the same time is used to withstand damage dealt by enemies.

* When a unit is attacking, attack damage is generated from that unit. The amount of damage is equal to its BP.
* Once a unit is dealt damage greater than its BP, that unit breaks. Broken units are immediately discarded.
* Damage dealt will never affect a unit if the amount is less than that unit's BP (for example, a unit with 100 BP will never break even if it is dealt 90 damage multiple times.)
* If a unit somehow has 0 BP, it breaks.

### Damage

There are three kinds of damage:

* **Attack damage** is the one that occurred in an attack.
* **Code damage** is the one dealt by code cards.
* **Ability damage** is the one dealt by abilities.

Damage is NOT accumulated. To break HP or a unit, the amount of damage must be equal or higher than the value of HP or that unit's BP, and only dealt once.

## Action & Reaction

### Action (Ac)

[Ac] is Action action done during Action Phase.

* Attacking counts as an Action action. By checking one of your units, it deals damage to your opponent's Battle Area. For more information regarding battles, see here.
* The timing of an ability of code effect written as [Ac] is treated as an Action action (so it can only be done during Action Phase).
* Passing counts as an Action action. If player A has declared 'pass', the priority is moved to player B, but after that player A may still conduct Action action (if they want).

### Reaction (Re)

[Re] is referred to as Reaction action. It is an effect that interrupts something inside a process and resolve in reverse order.

* A Reaction is able to interrupt an attack or an [Ac] or [Re] effect.
* You may declare Reaction to any attack or any [Ac] effect conducted by either you or your opponent.
* If a player conducts an Action, they give priority to player B to conduct a Reaction. After that, the priority will be given back to player A, then back again to player B, and so on (until both of them declare 'pass').
* Apply the effects of all Reactions in an order reversed from when they are played. This is called the **Reaction Chain**.
* During reaction chain, there is a case where an effect cancels a source of effect damage. In this case, that effect damage (that is supposed to occur after the cancellation effect), does not occur at all.

*(Example coming soon)*

## Ability / Code Effect & Sub-Effect

### Ability / Code Effect

* [Ac]/[Re] determine WHEN an ability on casters, units, or codes can be used. [Ac] means it is a part of Action action, while [Re] can be used as a Reaction. Both are conducted during Action Phase.

* Timing notation (Speed, Fast, Cast, Auto, and Trigger)
	+ [Speed] is an ability that can be used during Speed Phase. You may play one "Speed ability" only once per turn each.
	+ [Fast] is an ability that can be used during Fast Phase. You may play one "Fast ability" only once per turn each.
	+ [Cast] is an ability that can be used during Cast Phase. You may play one "Cast ability" only once per turn each.
	+ [Auto] indicates an ability that actives continuously.
	+ [Trigger] means that that ability will active after a certain requirement is fulfilled. You may play only one "Trigger ability" each time you fulfill said requirement (if the requirement is fulfilled multiple times at once, you can trigger only one time).

* Some abilities have additional cost to play them.

* Icons (Check ability / ◎ (unlimited) ability)
	+ Ability that has a Check icon in its additional cost requires you to put that card from Normal into Check state. Therefore, the card already in Check state cannot use that ability.
	+ ◎ icon means you can pay the additional cost of that ability multiple times. Therefore, that ability can be activated also multiple times as long as you can pay the cost.

### Sub-Effect

There is a sub-effect written at the bottom section of each unit or code card. You may play sub-effects from your hand or your Speed Area any time according to its timing note. If you want to use a sub-effect, you must clearly tell that intention to your opponent.

## Enchant

Enchants provide additional effects that will last until End Phase. Place Enchant cards on top of the targeted unit or caster. Discard all Enchant cards during End Phase.

## God Draw

God Draw can create a possibility of improving the situation you are in, whether when you are cornered or one step away from victory. It is exactly like pulling a miraculous chance. Its rule is generally similar to drawing cards.

## Decking Out

Even if you have no cards left in your deck, if you are required to remove cards from your deck (such as Speed Phase and Draw Phase), you must use any Hit Points card from your casters. This rule is compulsory. Thereby, if all casters (owned by one or both players) have no HP left, the game ends.

## External Links

* Rulebook ver.1.0 at Dreadnought TCG Official Website *(Japanese)*
* Quick Reference ver.1.0 at Dreadnought TCG Official Website *(Japanese)*
* [Video] Dreadnought Teaching at Youtube *(Japanese)*
* Rulebook ver. 1.0 EN Unofficial English translation of Dreadnought TCG Rulebook ver. 1.0 *(English)*