The objective is to eliminate your opponents' Mage(s). The player with the last surviving Mage wins the game. A Mage is what a player plays or Creates their cards through. There is no card for the Mage, and all Mages start out with 100 HP (Hit Points) and have 4 Dexterity available. If a Mage is Killed, that player is out of the game.

Cards

Card Sets

Some cards are parts of a set, such as "Nexan" or "Kingdom of Chaos." Cards belonging to a set often have abilities and/or bonuses unique to that set. Sets are also known as 'Realities'.

Card Alignment

There are three Alignments:

• Evil
• Neutral
• Heroic

All cards have one and only one alignment. The alignment is listed near the top of each card. There are cards that can affect a specific alignment, such as Oppression, which targets all Heroic Creatures and Guards in play.

Card Class

There are three Classes:

• Basic
• Advanced
• Über

Class applies to four kinds of cards, Creatures and Guards, Shields and Devices. The Class on a Creature/Guard determines when it can be Created, and sometimes which abilities effect it (such instances will be written into the Spell's/ability's rules, for example the Demon Familiar which allows you to gain control of any target Basic or Advanced Creature/Guard). On Shields/Devices, it determines which Creatures/Guards can use it. Basic Shields/Devices can be used by any Creature/Guard, Advanced only by Advanced and Über Creatures and Guards, and Über only by Über Creatures and Guards.

Basic Creatures and Guards are the norm on which other cards are based. Many of them have an ability of one form or another, and they can supply good defense for your Mage fairly early on. It is necessary to get at least one Basic Creature/Guard out onto the field in order to play most other Creatures and Guards.

Advanced Creatures and Guards cost more than Basic cards, but they are stronger, have abilities more often, and can actually take a beating and keep going. It's usually good to have at least a couple of these out going after enemy Mages. To play an Advanced Creature/Guard, you must have at least one Basic Creature/Guard in play.

The most powerful Creatures and Guards are Über. They are very expensive. First, an Über card's own Creation Cost (see Parts of a Card) is expensive. In addition to the Creation Cost, you must have at least one Advanced Creature/Guard in play to Create an Über Creature or Guard.

There are six types of cards in Mage Warfare:

• Creature
• Guard
• Shield
• Device
• Hex
• Spell

The type of card is listed near the top, in the farthest symbol of the three to the right.

Creatures are the most basic and important cards for dealing out damage and defending your Mage against enemy attack. Creatures and Guards come in all shapes an dsizes, with a wide variety of power and abilities. Some are generic, like "Dwarf." Others are specific characters, such as "Golden City - Prince Calia," and could have specific Devices and Spells associated with them.

You can equip Creatures with Devices, Engage them in Battle, and make them users and targets of Spells and Hexes. Creatures may continue attacking after being blocked by a defending Creature or Guard, if they survive. A Creature may only block once per Engage in Battle phase.

Like Creatures, you can equip Guards with Devices, Engage them in Battle, and make them users and targets of Spells and Hexes. The main difference between Creatures and Guards is how they Engage in Battle. Guards must stop attacking after they've been blocked once, even if they survive. GUards may, however, block as many Creatures or Guards as you wish, as long as they survive.

When playing a Device, you must choose something that can equip it. This depends on the type of Device. Creature/Guard Device, just a Creature Device, if a Device is Specific, Sharable or Complex, etc. The Device is then played onto (Equipped to) that card. See the explanation farther down on Trinket, Simple, Sharable and Complex Devices for how to Equip Devices.

Devices can't be equipped to anything that is Deployed when you play (Create) the Device. When Engaged in Battle and fighting with a Device, it is used as follows: For example, if a Device lists stats like "4/0/0/1", this means you can use one of the following:

• The Creature's/Guard's attacks (if it's a Creature/Guard Device), or
• The Device's Long Range attack of 4 (because you must choose to use the Device's attack or the Creature's/Guard's attack when at Long or Medium Range, but Close Range attacks use the sum of the Creature's/Guard's Close Range attack and the Device's Close Range attack (for example, pulling the trigger of a gun harder will not make it any more damaging, but a stronger swing on a sword will be more harmful). You cannot choose to use a Medium Range attack with the device being used as an example, because its Medium Range attack is 0, or
• If your Creature/Guard gets hit while Engaged in Battle, the damage dealt to the Creature/Guard is reduced by the total Defense offered by all Devices the Creature/Guard has Equipped. For example, a Samurai has Samurai Do and Samurai's Daisho equipped, so all damage dealt to that Samurai from an opponent's Long, Medium and Close Range attacks while Engaged in Battle is reduced by 6, every hit (4 from the Samurai Do, which has 4 Defense, and 2 from the Samurai's Daisho, which has 2 Defense).

It's possible to gain a Device by Salvaging (aka 'Looting'). Here's an example of how Salvaging works. Suppose a Creature or Guard you control is equipped with a Device that has a Defense rating of 1 or more (for example, 4/0/0/1), and your Creature/Guard is Killed while the Device is still equipped to the Creature/Guard. The enemy card Engaged in Battle with your now-dead Creature/Guard can choose to gain that Device -- this is called Salvaging. However, there are a couple of rules to follow:

1. The card attempting the Salvage must be compatible with the Device you just 'dropped' by the Creature/Guard that has just been Killed, and
2. The card attempting the Salvage must have the required Dexterity and Class. If it would have the required Dexterity, but has its own Device equipped, that player may choose to Drop one or more of these Devices onto the 'ground' under their control to free up that Dexterity, in order to complete the Salvage.

If the enemy doesn't Salvage your Device, it is considered Dropped onto the 'ground' and under your control. Similar to if a Creature/Guard that has Devices Equipped is Destroyed by a Spell, the Device just sits there on the field under your control. Similar to if a Creature/Guard that has Devices Equipped is Destroyed by a Spell, the Device just sits there on the field under your control, and cannot be used until you Equip it to another compatible Creature/Guard you control on one of your Maintenance Phases. This being done by simply placing the Device with the Creature/Guard that will be its new user, during your Maintenance Phase.

One compatibility issue between a Creature/Guard and a Device is Dexterity. Creatures, Guards and Devices have a Dexterity rating. A Creature or Guard can use a Device (or Devices) as long as the total sum of all Dexterity ratings on every Device given to that Creature/Guard doesn't surpass the given Dexterity on the card. Devices with 0 Dexterity are known as Trinkets, and only one of these at a time may be equipped to any given Creature/Guard. The other possible restriction on a Device being used by a Creature or Guard is its Class. Basic Devices can be equipped to any Creature or Guard, Advanced Devices can only be used by Advanced and Über Creatures and Guards, and Über Devices can only be equipped by Über Creatures and Guards.

Specific card-set Device names include that card set's name. For example, if there's a Device called "Xahli Earth Clan Shaman's Mask," then it can only be equipped to the Xahli Earth Clan Shaman. As the name suggests, it is a possession of the Xahli Earth Clan Shaman. This would be easily changed if hte card's name were "Xahli Earth Clan's Shaman Mask" -- it could then be equipped to any Xahli Earth Clan card.

During your Maintenance Phase you may decide to move a Device you control to another compatible card you control, including Dropping and picking up Devices. If a Creature or Guard for some reason is suddenly Killed, Destroyed or Removed, the Devices it had equipped are Dropped onto the 'ground' under your control, this also applies if a Creature/Guard had a Dexterity boost in effect, and it went away, leaving the Creature/Guard unable to have all of its Devices equipped. In this latter case, you may choose which Device(s) is/are Dropped.

Devices, in short, are tools that Creatures/Guards use. They range from amulets and rings to swords and bows to siege engines and space ships. Devices that have a specific owner/user can only be equipped to that owner/user (for example, "MechaClown's Seltzer Bottle" can only be equipped to a MechaClown or other Creature/Guard with MechaClown in its name), this can also apply to 'sets', which can only be used by cards of that specific set (for example, "Android Body's Sawblade Arm"). Devices can also have their own seperate Deploy abilities, Trinket and Regular Devices Deploy seperately from their Users, and may still be used in combat once they are Deployed. A Deployed Creature/Guard cannot use its Devices (meaning if the Creature/Guard is Deployed, you cannot Deploy any of its Devices to use their abilities). At any time during your Maintenance Phase, you may rearrange the Devices equipped by your Creatures/Guards.

Trinket - Requires no Dexterity Available of a User. Will have 0 Dexterity Required. Only one Trinket Device may be equipped to any Creature/Guard at any one time. If a Creature/Guard Using a Trinket Device is Killed while Engaged in Battle, and the Trinket Device has not been Destroyed, then the opponent may choose to begin Using this Trinket. If the opponent already has a Trinket, then they may Drop it to take the new Trinket.

Regular - Regular Devices are the most common type of Device, so those cards won't say "Regular Device" on them, unless they are of the Complex variety, in which case they'll say "Complex Device," the Complex modifier is explained farther in. Regular Devices can be equipped by Creatures/Guards of the proper Class and with Dexterity Available equal to or greater than the Dexterity Required of a Regular Device, multiple Regular Devices may be Used by a single Creature/Guard at once. Damage may be 'absorbed' by a Regular Device in the same exact way as a Trinket Device. Regular Devices may also be 'looted' or Salvaged by an opponent Killing the Regular Device's User while Engaged in Battle in the same way as a Trinket Device.

Sharable - Sharable Devices have a certain Dexterity (for this example, we'll use 3 Dexterity, a Catapult), they also come in Regular (card will read "Sharable Device") and Complex (card will read "Complex Sharable Device"), we'll call the Catapult a "Sharable Device"). When playing a Sharable Device, choose a number of Creatures/Guards that have a sum of Dexterity Available equal to or greater than the Dexterity Required of the Device (in this case, 3. Also, you cannot equip the Catapult to five different Creatures/Guards, for example, as each Creature/Guard equipping it must lend at least 1 full point of Dexterity). When choosing which Creatures/Guards will be Users of a Sharable Device, you must choose one as the primary User. This is the Creature/Guard that will be Engaging in Battle with the Device, all other Users are to be placed behind/below the primary User to signify they are contributing Dexterity to the Sharable Device's Dexterity Requirement. Or, if the Device is a Complex Sharable one, then the total Dexterity of all of its Users must be equal to at least the Device's Dexterity Required, and no other Devices (exept for Trinkets) may be Used by the Complex Sharable Device's Users. Once these are chosen, such as two 2 Dexterity Creatures, they are all considered to be Users of the Device. The non-primary Users of a Device cannot Engage in Battle or use Deploy abilities. If a Deploy ability of a Sharable Device is used, its Users must also Deploy. When you attack or block with a Sharable Device, it is considered to be a Device of the primary User, its stats and abilities will alter the Battle as any Regular Device would as far as attacks and damage reduction go. To use the Device in Battle, simply attack or block with its primary User, its other Users cannot attack or block. When the opponent takes their Move to deal damage to you, it is dealt to the primary User, whom has the normal damage reduction from all of its Regular and Trinket Devices, as well as the Sharable Device. If a User of the Sharable Device is Killed/Disabled/Removed or in any other way removed from a state in which it can Use a Device, and if the Sharable Device's Dexterity Required is greater than the Dexterity Available of all of its Users, the Device is considered Dropped and the battle is continued by the ex-primary User from the current Range. However, if the Dexterity Available of the Sharable Device's Users is great enough, even after the loss of one or more Users, the battle continues as normal with the Sharable Device. If the situation is a 3 Dexterity Sharable Device being Used by, for example, three 2 Dexterity Creatures/Guards, all of them using 1 Dexterity for the Sharable Device, and 1 Dexterity for a Regular Device, and one of them dies, so you now have a 3 Dexterity Required Sharable Device with 2 Dexterity Creatures/Guards, but each only has 1 Dexterity Available, then you may have one of them Drop one of their Devices, and continue to Use the Sharable Device between the two of them. Also, at any time during the battle, you may simply choose to have the Sharable Device Dropped by all of its Users, and the primary User continue the Battle from the current Range on its own. Abilities of a Sharable Device that require it to Deploy may only be used when not Engaged in Battle. Sharable Devices cannot be Salvaged ('looted')

Complex - This Device 'modifier' means that the Device can only be Equipped to a Creature/Guard with enough Dexterity Available for the Device's Dexterity Required (as usual), but, the Creature/Guard Using the Complex Device cannot have any other Devices Equipped at the same time, except a Trinket.

Shields are the most defensive card type in the game, and are a sub-class of Device. They are used primarily to protect your Creatures and Guards. Shields have no Dexterity rating or requirement, but have the same Class restrictions as Devices. Instead of damage reduction being offered by the Defense of a Shield, it is considered to have its own Defense, like a Creature/Guard.

When you play a Shield, you play it onto the 'ground', like a Device that has been Dropped. During your Maintenance Phase, you may move a Shield to a different Creature or Guard. It is then said that the Creature/Guard is being Shielded. You may only have on Creature/Guard per Shield, and only one Shield per Creature/Guard (unless otherwise stated). The only restriction other than Class on which Shields can be Used by which Creatures and Guards is in its rules text or if it 'belongs' to a specific card, such as "MechaClown's Circus Tent" (not a real card, as of Maelstrom).

Cards you are Shielding cannot affect cards outside of the Shield, and cards outside of the Shield cannot affect cards inside the Shield. This includes cards that target, for example, all Creatures in play. This would still not effect any Creatures inside a Shield, unless it was being played from inside a Shield, then it would only effect Creatures inside the same Shield.

Cards inside a Shield cannot attack (unless another card says otherwise). If you decide to block with a Creature or Guard inside a Shield, the Creature/Guard's opponent must destroy the Shield before it can effect your Creature/Guard in any way. So when damage is dealt to a Shielded card in combat, the damage is always taken on the Shield, and any excess damage after it is destroyed is carried over to whatever it was Shielding. However, the Shielded Creature/Guard may still deal damage normally to its opponent, with the exception that when attacking from behind a Shield, you may deal a normal attack from the current Range in addition to the Shield's attack at the current Range, if it has any attacks. The shield is considered to have no Dexterity requirement and not take up the Trinket spot a Creature/Guard has available, the Shield cannot be Looted.

Hexes, by default, are Creature/Guard Hexes. Other types of cards can have other kinds of Hexes. To Hex a card, place the Hex card 'under' (the Hex's name should show above the name of the card it's Hexing, as well as its Alignment and Card Type symbols, but nothing more, unless the card needs to be pulled up more to make room for Counters, such as Vampiric Desire) the card it is Hexing. Hex cards cannot be removed unless another card Destroys or Removes them (aka 'Lifting' or 'Breaking' a Hex). Hexes can be played on cards that are Deployed, unlike cards that are Equipped, Hexes also remain on the card they were Created (played) onto, they cannot be moved during your Maintenance Phase, and can be played onto cards you do not control (unless otherwise stated), also unlike cards that Equip.

Spells are the only cards that can be Created (played) during someone else's turn (although card abilities can also be used on someone else's turn). When you Create (play) a Spell, place it onto the table. Once a Spell that has been Created is no longer having any affect on gameplay, put it in your Graveyard. 'Having an affect' means it has 'run out', for example a Spell that does something until the end of the current turn, would be placed in the graveyard at the end of that turn. Even if a card, for example, affects all Evil Cr/Gu in play, and there aren't any, it is still considered to be taking affect and still remains in play until it is no longer having any affect. If a Spell is on the table and is still having an effect on gameplay, the card is considered to be both a Spell and a 'Spell affect'. If the effects of a 'Spell affect' wear off, put it into the graveyard, unless it has multiple Uses. If a Spell has multiple Uses, it will be stated at the end of its rules (such as "...until end of turn. 3 Uses."). In the case of a Spell with multiple Uses, you may Create (play) the Spell again from the table after it stops taking affect, using another of its Uses. If a 'Spell affect' has a Maintenance Cost, its Maintenance Cost must be payed as any other, and the Spell will continue to take affect, and count as a 'Spell affect' for as long as you continue to pay this Maintenance Cost. If you cannot pay the Maintenance Cost and the Spell does not have multiple Uses, place it in your graveyard. If you cannot pay the Maintenance Cost and the Spell has multiple Uses, it stop effecting gameplay and another of its Uses can be spent. Some Spells also have a number of Uses to them. For example, if you have a Spell with 2 Uses, you can play it the first time, using up one Use, and just keep the card on the table, whether its effects are still being felt or not. To use another Use of a Spell, simply declare that you are doing so and pay its Creation Cost again. Spells that are on the table in this way do not count against your 5 card maximum hand. When the last Use is used up, and the Spell's effects wear off, it goes to the top of your Graveyard.

Parts of a Card

The Alignment of a card is show in the symbol farthest to the right of the set of three in the upper-right hand corner of a card, and comes in three varieties:

• Evil
• Neutral
• Heroic

The Alignment of a card is generally only effected by the text in Spells and abilities, such as Oppression, which effects all Heroic Creatures and Guards in play.

The first four numbers in the colum on the left (going from top to bottom) represent that card's attacks and defense rating. The attacks are in the following order: Long Range, Medium Range, and Close Range. The numbers represent the amount of damage inflicted when a given attack is used.

Defense indicates the amount of damage a card can take. Defense is the next number down after the Close Range attack. See the "Battle" section for more details on how these are used.

The number below Defense is Dexterity. This number determines how many Devices a Creature or Guard can be equipped with at any given time.

For Devices, this represents the amount of Dexterity required to equip the Device. For Creatures and Guards, the number represents the total amount of Dexterity available for all Equipped/Equippable cards.

The bottom number in the column is the amount of Flesh you must take from your Flesh Pool in order to bring the card into play. Flesh is gained by Killing or dealing damage to enemy Creatures and Guards, through some card abilities, and at the beginning of each of your turns. It is spent primarily on bringing new cards into play, but also is used in many of the more powerful card abilities.

A card's Rarity determines the maximum number of that card you can have in your deck, as well as a rough estimate of your probability of finding that particular card in a randomized pack. There are four levels of Rarity:

• Common: 5 copies of that card per deck
• Uncommon: 4 copies per deck
• Rare: 3 copies per deck
• Scarce: 2 copies per deck

Indicates the Release in which the card was printed, such as the first set, known as "Maelstrom". Note that the very first printing of cards will say "First Printing" at the bottom, and then no other cards will have this feature, ever.

Image on the card.

The rules listed in the main section of a card. The rules tell you how to use the card and what effect it has on gameplay. If the rules on a card ever contradict the written rules in the rulebook, follow the rules on the card (unless a card is specifically mentioned by name in the most recent rulebook as being changed in some way).

The rules on a card that are 'activated' by the player, such as paying an amount of Flesh, Deploying the card, or acting in reaction to some other effect (such as a certain number of turns passing).

To Deploy a card, turn it to one side to indicate it's in use (a 45-90 degree turn clockwise). A Deployed card also implies other rules, most of which are covered in other sections of this rulebook. You can Deploy a card only once, until it is Withdrawn again, you cannot 'double-Deploy'.

You Withdraw a card during your Withdraw Phase, which is the first part of the Maintenance Phase (the Maintencance Phase being the first phase during any given player's turn). If you Withdraw a card, you may then Deploy it again (but not during the Maintenance Phase itself, as no abilities can be used, cards Deployed, or cards Created during the Maintenance Phse).

A Disabled card is similar to a Deployed card, except that it cannot use any of its abilities (such as ones that activate automatically in response to an action), though its Maintenance Cost still must be met. A Disabled card is Enabled during its controller's Withdraw Phase unless otherwise stated. A Disabled card may still be targeted, but it still may not attack or block. To indicate a Disabled card, flip it face-down, and turn it 45-90 degrees clockwise, as simply turning it face down would indicate a Cloaked card.

A Play State is what the card is Created with. For example, if a card has "Play State: 2 +1/+1/+1/+1 tokens.", it means that when you play the card, you should place 2 +1/+1/+1/+1 tokens on it. Play States can also contain actions, such as dealing damage to other cards in play or Disabling all Ethereals in play.

If a card has the ability to Cloak (found in the card's rules text), it is played face down. You may view the card at any time, but none of the other players need to know anything about this card, other than that is is Cloaked, in play, Withdrawn and Enabled (as a Deployed card that can Cloak is considered to still have the ability to Cloak, but is not cloaked when it takes an action, such as Deploying or even using one of its automatic abilities, and if it is Disabled, it is face down and rotated 45-90 degrees clockwise). Cards (such as Spells or Creature/Guard abilities) that target a specific card (such as a single Creature or a hand-picked number of target Creatures) cannot target/effect a Cloaked card. It can only be effected by a card or ability that targets a wide range of cards (such as all Creatures, all cards, all Basic Creatures/Guards in play, or all Creatures/Guards with defense of 3 or lower, etc). In other words, the only cards or abilities that can effect a Cloaked card are ones that can/will be played/used regardless of what that card really is, such as Oppression or the ability of the Apocalypse Cow. If this card Engages in Battle, attacks, blocks, or uses any of its abilities, anything, it must be flipped face up and lose its Cloaked status (though it is still counted as actually having the Cloak ability, it is flipped face down again and returned to its Cloaked status on your following Maintenance Phase), at this time, it can be targeted specifically as if it did not have Cloak (such as with Lightning or Dismantle). You may target your own Cloaked cards specifically, such as with Vampiric Feast or Munch.

If a card has Stealth, it will be listed in the rules text on that card. A card with Stealth cannot be dealt damage by another card with which it is Engaged in Battle until one of the following happens:

• It deals damage to an opposing card while Engaged in Battle,
• The player controlling the card with Stealth decides to allow the card to simply 'give up' Stealth, or
• It Engages in Battle with another card with Stealth, in this case both cards lose Stealth automatically.

Note that in all of the above examples, Stealth is only lost for the duration of that Battle, and returns immediately after it.

The Flyer ability will be listed at the beginning of the rules text. If a card is a Flyer it cannot be blocked by a non-Flyer. However, a card that can Fly may still block non-Flyers.

Slow-Moving means a card cannot change Range and attack at the same time. It must do one or the other.

If a card can Double-Strike, it may combine its Medium Range attack with any Device's Medium Range attack that it currently has equipped, in a similar way that Close Range Device damage adds up on any other card, except that you may only choose one Device to combine with the Creature's/Guard's attack, whereas the Close Range attack is the sum of all Equipped Devices and the Creature's/Guard's attack.

An Ethereal Creature/Guard cannot Engaged in Battle (attack or block). When any non-Ethereal Creature/Guard you control is Killed while Engaged in Battle, you may pay half of an Ethereal's Creation Cost (rounded up), that you currently have in play, Enabled and Withdrawn, to make it lose its Ethereal ability and become like any other Creature/Guard (known as Corporeal). Ethereal cards will not exist as of the Maelstrom release. They will likely be introduced in Alpha (Alpha, by the time it's printed and released, will most likely become known by a different name).

Also, Blood Counter (N) means that every time a Creature/Guard with this ability deals damage to another card while Engaged in Battle, it gains N blood counters, where N is the number in the parenthesis (meaning the actual card rules will look more like "Blood Counter (2)").

Targeting is simply when a player picks a card to fill a 'variable' in a Spell or ability. A target card is a 'variable.' For example, "Deploy: Destroy target Basic Creature/Guard" means the player can choose as the target any eligible Basic Creature or Basic Guard. Cards that are being Shielded or that have Cloak (and are currently considered Cloaked) cannot be specifically targeted, and Shielded cards are uneffected by cards outside of the Shield even if they are targeted as a member of a group, for example a Samurai being shielded by Samurai Yamashiro is completely uneffected by Oppression.

Is there just for the fun of it. Flavor Text has no effect on gameplay. It is text of a different (darker) color than the rules text and is found towards the bottom of a card.

Lists the artist(s) responsible for the image on a particular card, found towards the bottom of a card.

Preparation

You play using one deck of cards split into two or three parts: Barracks, Armory and (if you're playing with one) a Spellbook. The Baracks holds Creatures and Guards. These cards are directly involved in Engaging in battle. The Armory holds Devices and Shields. Cards that are mainly for supporting Creatures and Guards in combat. The last pile, the Spellbook, holds Spells and Hexes. Cards that change the flow of things and alter things both in and out of combat.

Decks must have a minimum of 40 cards total, meaning 23 cards in the Barracks, 12 cards in the Armory, and 5 cards in the Spellbook. Alternately, you may have no Spellbook and have a minimum of 25 cards in the Barracks and 15 in the Armory. Either way there is no maximum to any of the piles. At the beginning of each game you have a hand of 5 cards, divided as you choose amongst the Barracks and/or Armory, you cannot start the game off with cards in your hand from the Spellbook.

The amount of life (HP, or Hit Points) your Mage has left. Unlike a card's Defense, the Mage Life does not restore during your Maintenance Phase. Every player starts with 100 Mage Life.

The 'place' where Flesh Points are stored. This is not an actual place or card but just a number you must keep track of. You'll use Flesh Points to Create (play) cards. The rules text of some cards refer to Flesh Points. The most common way to track your Flesh Pool is by paper and pencil, or if you have a graphing calculator or laptop, there are small programs available on the Mage Warfare site you can use to track your Flesh Pool, along with a few other extra numbers, so as to free up some physical Counters and Tokens.

Gameplay

Each player has a Playing Space. This is simply the space you designate to place your cards. Just be sure every player understands how you place your cards, so there is no disagreement as to whether a card is in play or not.

Each player has a Graveyard. This is the place where you put Spells and Hexes that have been used up. Cards that are Destroyed go into the Graveyard, as well. This is most commonly a pile of face-up cards in chronological order (newest on top). Any player may ask, at any time, to see the contents of your Graveyard, without giving a reason.

Each player has a Removed Pile. This is where cards go when Removed or Killed. The Removed Pile is similar to the Graveyard, except cards must be placed face-down to avoid confusion with the Graveyard. When cards are Killed particularly while Engaged in Battle, normally their Flesh would go to the opposing player who defeated them, and the card would go to the Removed Pile. However, the player losing the Creature/Guard may choose to 'Tag' the Killed Creature/Guard for half of its Creation Cost (rounded up), and place that Creature/Guard into their Graveyard instead (the opposing player still gets that Creature's/Guard's full Creation Cost added to their Flesh Pool). When a Creature or Guard with Devices equipped is Destroyed, Killed or Removed, those Devices go to the Graveyard pile.

Turns

The order of a turn is as follows:

1. Maintenance Phase
• Withdraw: Withdraw any Deployed cards.
• Maintenance Cost: At this point in the turn you pay any Maintenance Costs required by any cards you control. Each card lists a Maintenance Cost in the rules text, if it has this Cost. If you cannot pay the Maintenance Cost of a card, it is Destroyed.
• Mage-Life Bonus: 50% of your Mage's life (aka HP) is added to your Flesh Pool (in Flesh Points).
• Draw: Draw 2 cards from your Barracks and/or Armory. You may draw 1 card from each, both from the Barracks, or both from the Armory ,however you choose. You may also draw one, look at it (though you must keep it in your hand at this point), and then decide where to draw the second card from. Alternately, you may choose to draw only 1 card from your Spellbook, if you do so, you do not get to draw a second card that turn.
2. Attack
   Declare attacking cards and Deploy them. Once this is decided, you Engaged in Battle with the opposing player. You may also choose to have some of your Creatures/Guards attack one player, and some attack another player. Just be sure to declare in advance which ones are going where, and in which order the players will be attacked. All of the attacks on one player must be resolved before beginning on the next player.
3. Play
   Create (play) cards and pay their Creation Cost, be sure to keep track of any Maintenance Costs and take care of any Play States. Also check the Class of any Creatures/Guards or Shields/Devices you're Creating to be certain you can actually play them.
4. Discard
   If you have more than 5 cards in your hand you must discard until you have 5. You may also discard any amount of cards from your hand beyond 5 that you wish. Discarded cards are placed at the bottom of their respective decks, face down.

During the Engage in Battle phase the defending player(s) may choose the Creature or Guard to block each of the attacking Creatures/Guards (unless another card says otherwise). The individual Battles take place, Flesh is distributed, the victor gets the spoils, and the play phases continue. When two Creatures/Guards Engaged each other in Battle, they are considered to be in the Combat phase, and are referred to as each other's opponents.

When two cards Engage in Battle (for example, a Creature and another Creature), they both begin at Long Range from each other. The attacking player is given the first Move. The attacker is the first player to be given a choice as to what happens between the two cards that are Engaged in Battle.

The player who is currently able to Move chooses one of the following options on each of their Moves:

• Move up a Range -- If a player is at Long Range, (s)he moves up to Medium Range. If a player is at Medium Range, (s)he moves up to Close Range. A player cannot move backward in the Ranges (unless another card says otherwise).
• Attack -- This is where the 'Moving' player's card deals the amount of damage displayed on the card for the current Range to the opposing card. If at Long or Medium Range, you must choose to use one Device's attack or the Creature's/Guard's attack for that Range. If at Close Range, all of the Device's Close Range and the Creature's/Guard's Close Range attacks are combined. You may attack and change Range at the same time. If you do, you deal damage at the new Range, not the new Range. If this damage brings the opposing card's defense down to 0 or lower, the card is Killed (see Combat Phase for rules about what happens to the Killed card). Also keep the Parting Shot in mind for a Killed Creature/Guard, which is half of its attack for the current Range.
• Give up Stealth -- If your card has Stealth, you may simply give it up without dealing damage. That card is then used as if it does not have Stealth for the rest of that Battle. This action does not take up your Move, but happens before you change Range or deal damage.
• Retreat -- When a card retreats, that Battle is over. The only Flesh Points gained are from Flesh Assemblies, based on the amount of damage done. The opposing player's card (the card that did not retreat) may choose to hit the retreating card with an attack at the current Range or farther 'out.' For example, if a card retreats at Medium Range, the other card may hit it once with its Medium Range orLong Range attack -- this is called a Free Hit Penalty. The opposing player's card is Withdrawn if it has neither given nor taken damage; otherwise, it simply remains Deployed (if it was attacking). If the card was attacking, its attack stops. A defending card may only retreat once per Engage in Battle phase. If a defending card retreats a second time, it cannot block any other attackers until the next Engaged in Battle phase.
• Do nothing -- you may choose to simply sit still and not attack or change Range. However, you cannot take this action twice in a row. If you choose to do nothing, and the other player chooses to do nothing, you are then forced to take an action that uses up your Move (meaning attack, change Range, change Range and attack, any of those three combined with giving up Stealth, or Retreating). If you do nothing, and the other player takes an action, you still cannot do nothing, however, if you do nothing, then the other player does nothing or something, then you do something, then the other player does nothing or something, you may do nothing again (meaning you can do nothing as many times as you want during a given Battle, as long as you never do it twice in a row).

After any of these actions are taken, the other player chooses one of these actions, and so on until one Creature/Guard is Killed/Destroyed/Removed/Disabled or in any other way unable to continue the Battle.

If an attacking Guard survives a Battle, it may not continue attacking this turn. If a defending Guard survives a Battle, it may continue to block more Creatures/Guards.

If a defending card blocks an attacking Creature and the attacking Creature survives, its attack continues. If a blocking Creature survives, it cannot block any more cards this turn.

In order for a Creature's attack to stop, the attacking card must:

• Be Killed,
• Hit an enemy Mage,
• Retreat from a Battle, or
• Become unable to continue Engaging cards in Battle in some other way, such as a Spell that Disables the Creature.

The blocking player who is attacked chooses the Creature/Guard to block each attacking Creature/Guard, one at a time. Follow the rules for a Battle as follows from there.

Anytime you Kill an enemy Creature/Guard, that Creature's/Guard's Creation Cost is added to your Flesh Pool, and the Creature/Guard is Removed. If that Creature/Guard is 'Tagged', you still gain the same amount of Flesh.

Destroyed Devices are put into the Graveyard with no exchange of Flesh. Even Devices that were Equipped to a Creature/Guard that was Killed are considered Destroyed and placed into the Graveyard.

Any Hexes that were Hexing anything Destroyed or Killed while Engaged in Battle are placed into their owner's respective Graveyards.

Creatures, Guards and Shields maintain their newly lowered Defense rating until their respective controller's upcoming Maintenance Phase, at which time it is fully restored.