Shards of the Empire: Rules Draft

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Rules Draft

Game Objective

The objective of the game is to defeat your opponent in a one versus one battle.

Win Conditions

• Domination: A player wins if the opposing player has no buildings remaining in play.
• Prosperity: A player wins the game if that player reaches 7 development counters on a kingdom card with the Grand keyword.
• Attrition: Whenever a player would draw a card from an empty deck, instead that player must expend one resource of any type. If that player cannot, they lose the game.

Deckbuilding / Starting Play

• 45 card deck (minimum), limit of 3 of the same card name in a deck. “Starting” cards must be unique within a deck and are counted against the deck size.
• Each deck must contain exactly 7 cards with the Starting keyword. At the start of each game, each player lays out all starting cards from their deck in front of them, shuffles the stack of starting cards and removes cards at random, until only five cards remain. Each player may then select three out of five of the remaining cards to begin in play at the start of the game (up to a maximum total cost of 3); the remainder are shuffled into the deck. This decision is made simultaneously by both players, and the choice of starting cards is revealed after both players finish selecting. Once both decks are shuffled, each player draws a hand of 5 cards to begin the game. The player who doesn’t take the first turn begins the game with an additional advanced resource of their choice, or may choose to start with an additional card in hand. This sequence of setting up the starting cards is referred to as the "Starting Phase", although it is not a phase within a player's turn.

Phases of a Turn

• Ready Phase: Exhausted cards in play controlled by the turn player are readied.
• Draw Phase: The turn player draws a card from the deck.
• Main Phase: Most of the game play, etc.
• End Phase: end of turns abilities, units heal to full health, discard to max hand size (8).

Resources

Within the narrative of the game resources represent an abstract collection of resources your kingdom controls, including wealth, supplies, or raw materials. Mechanically, resources are used to pay the cost to play cards from your hand within the game. You can generally generate resources by scrapping cards from your hand or by using the abilities of buildings you control. By default most resources are represented by the same type of resource, referred to as a basic resource. Whenever a card, a rule, or an effect refers to a resource without being more specific, it always indicates a basic resource. You begin the game with 0 basic resources in play.

Additionally, some cards use advanced resources. There are five types of advanced resources, which are as follows:

• Research
• Gold
• Gemstones
• Faith

Other cards may generate other types of resources that aren’t listed here, but resources added this way have no inherent meaning in the rules; rather, the cards that generate these resources should describe the special effects associated with these resources. These are collectively referred to as "special" Resources.

Zones

• Deck: The deck of cards that each player draws from.
• Hand: Cards that are drawn are drawn into the hand. Each player's hand is hidden from the opponent.
• Graveyard: The discard pile for cards that leave play; kingdom cards are put into the graveyard after being destroyed or sacrificed from play, and event cards are put into the graveyard after their effects resolve.
• Scrap Pile: Cards that are scrapped are put into the scrap pile, instead of the graveyard; it is considered a separate zone.
• Kingdom: Kingdom cards that have been played or have started in play exist publicly under the control of the player who played the cards within their respective Kingdoms.
• Territories: In addition to the line above, cards in a Kingdom (expect Policies) are always considered to be inside a Territory, even if no Territory cards are in play. Each player begins with a Territory that is considered to implicitly exist, even though it is not represented by a Territory card. This means, for example, that are starting cards are considered to be built into this starting Territory, and cards played by each player after the Starting Phase can also be played into this starting Territory. Cards or Actions that attack or otherwise reference territories can interact with this implicit Territory accordingly. When a player has multiple Territory in their Kingdom, they should ensure that it is clear which cards exist within which territories by keeping the card placement clear on the game table.

Card Types

Kingdom cards are a category of cards that remain in play after being played for their resource cost. This includes the following types:

• Unit: unit cards may represent workers, soldiers or other personnel that you may have at your disposal within your kingdom. Playing a unit card is referred to as recruiting. Unit cards are used to engage in combat. Unit cards will always have an offence statistic and a health statistic, representing how much damage that unit can deal in combat and how much damage that unit can take before it is put into the graveyard, respectively.
• Building: building cards represent buildings within your kingdom. Playing a building card is referred to as constructing. Building cards have a defence statistic, representing how much damage the building can receive from an attack before it is put into the graveyard. Note that unlike units, buildings do not recover damage automatically at the end of each turn.
• Policy: policy cards are more abstract, representing anything that has a general effect on your kingdom, but is not a unit or building. Policy cards cannot generally been be interacted with, unless a card effect states otherwise that it specifically interacts with policies. Playing a policy card is referred to as enacting.

Units and Building must be played into a Territory when played; Policy cards, unless otherwise specified, do not have this requirement.

Event cards are a category of cards which apply their effects when resolved, then are put into the graveyard. This includes the following card types:

• Tactic
• Sorcery
• Miracle

Territory: Territory cards represent Territories in your Kingdom. Unlike other card types, Territory cards cannot be played on their own. Instead, as you build a building, you may reveal a territory card from your hand as you play the building card; if you do, the building will be built into that Territory when it enters your Kingdom, thereby adding a new Territory within your kingdom. Future cards that you may be played into the territory. Territories cease to exist in play when no building cards exist within that territory. If other kingdom cards exist in a territory when that territory ceases to exist, those cards are put into the graveyard. It is technically possible for this to happen to your starting ("implicit") territory, if you have multiple territories in your kingdom and all of the building cards in your starting territory somehow leave play.

Playing Actions / Playing a Card

(Unlike MtG unit abilities which require exhausting can be activated the turn that unit is recruited. Also, abilities must be played "at sorcery speed" unless otherwise indicated. Just noting these down for myself, for now, before the rest of this section is written.) sorcery speed, fast

Basic Actions

Basic actions are actions that can be taken by the turn player at any time during the main phase, during an open game state (at sorcery speed), in addition to playing cards from their hand.

Scrap: A player may scrap a card or cards from their hand by putting cards with a scrap value from their hand into the scrap pile. That player then gains resources equal to the scrap value of the scrapped card. Cards without a scrap value cannot be scrapped in this way. Players may only scrap up to 2 cards during a single Scrap action, and a player may only Scrap once per turn.

Trade: A player may exchange 2 (basic) resources for an advanced resource of any type.

Attack: A player may initiate a Combat Phase (additional rules for this). Each player may only Attack each territory once per turn.

Move: A player may move a unit card from the current territory to a different territory within that player's kingdom, if multiple territories are in play.

Develop: Place a development counter on a kingdom card that you have in play. This action has an additional cost of 1 resource plus 1 additional resource for each development counter already on that card. By default, only Building cards can be developed, although some other kingdom cards may have the text specifically state that they can be developed, making them exceptions to this rule.

Research: Draw 2 cards, then immediately end the turn. This can only be used if no other actions were used by the turn player this turn.

Keywords

Whenever a rule or a card refers to a player’s “development”, this refers to the number which is the highest count of development counters among all kingdom cards that are controlled by that player.

Blitz - This unit can attack the same turn it is recruited or put into play.

Damage Reduction X - Each instance of damage that would be dealt to this card is reduced by X.

Hit and Run - Whenever this unit is defended against while attacking, you may ready it and remove it from the current Combat. Damage that would be dealt to it and by it is not applied.

Overwhelm - trample, etc.

Pillage - Whenever this unit deals enough damage to a Building to destroy it, gain 1 Resource.

Vigilant - At the end of your turn, ready this unit.

Wrecker X - Damage that would be dealt by this unit to a building is increased by X.

Condition Keywords: Condition keywords don't have any meaning by themselves, but instead apply a specific condition to the card text that the condition keyword precedes. This will be written as: "Condition - [ability text]". The ability following the condition keyword can only be used, or only applies, if the condition is met at the corresponding time.

Affinity X - The condition is met if you control the advanced Resource or Resources specified. If the Affinity condition list multiple of the same Resource type you must have that many of each indicated resource for the condition to be true.

No Affinity - The condition is met if you have no advanced Resources, of any kind.

Raiding - The condition is met if you control fewer Buildings, total, than your opponent.

Upgraded X - The condition is met if this card has X or more development counters on it.