RULES
General Game Terms
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“Draw” - Refers to taking a card from the top of a deck.
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“Hand’ - Refers to the cards you currently hold in your hand.
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“Enemy/Opponent” - Refers to the player playing opposite of you or their cards.
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“Negate” - Refers to canceling out effects
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“Archive” - Refers to cards that are destroyed or removed from play. These are moved to the Archive area of the board.
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"Cache" - Refers to cards moved to the Cache area of the board.
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“Ally" - Refers to a character a controlling player has played on the battlefield.
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“Rest” - Refers to cards that are turned horizontally on the field.
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Typically when a card is rested, It means that its effect has been used or may no longer be used.
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“Active” - Refers to cards that are turned Vertically on the field.
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“Control” - Refers to in play that originated from its controlling player's deck.
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"Play/Played" - Refers to cards played from hand, deck, archive or resources to the field
GAME BOARD
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Deck Area - This is where players will place their main decks.
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Archive - Cards that are discarded or Destroyed is known as “Archiving” a card.
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Support - Players may optionally place a Champion in the Support area at the start of the game.
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Support Champions cannot be interacted with normally, but allow players to use Champion’s Support skills. Support skills cannot be used outside of this area.
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Party Members - This is where any additional party members in your party are placed at the start of a game.
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Character/Ally Zone - This is where All Acolytes and additional Champions are played. The Party Leader zone is considered a part of this area.
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Arsenal - This is where Arsenal cards are played.
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Resources - This is where you can play cards to turn them into usable resources. (More on Resources in the Playing resources Video)
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Cache - This is where used resources go at the end of a players turn.
(Note) The Character/Ally Area, Arsenal Area, and Resource Area share a common column number indicating its particular position on the board. This may be important for some card effects.
Card Types and Anatomy
Champions
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Card Name - This is the Name of the Champion
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HP - This is how many times a character can take damage before it is archived.
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Attack - This is how much DMG an acolyte can deal when attacking or counter attacking.
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Defense - This indicates how much DMG a Champion can take before DMG begins to hit their HP. Defense recovers at the start of every round.
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Affiliations - Displays the affiliations of a card
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Skills - These are the effects that a Champion can use throughout the game. Most Champions will need to level up to use their skills (See Leveling)
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Vengeance - When a Champion is archived all additional Champions they control gain this effect.
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Party Points - How many points this Champion is worth when adding them to your party.
GamePlay
How to Win
The first player to Archive(Defeat) all of their opponent’s Champions wins the game. Alternatively, The first person that cannot draw a card on their Camp phase(Beginning of the round) Loses the game.
Beginning a game
1. Players select their Champions and Party Size (See Party Limit Rules)
2. Players must place one of their champions into their Party Leader areas.
Players may optionally select another Champions and place it in their support character position.
*You may play or swap a character into your Support Area during your turns camp phase.
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Party Member Area: Any champion that is not currently on the field or in the Support area should be placed into your party member area.
*You do not have to reveal your champions in the Party area. They may be placed face down.
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Each player shuffles their deck and draws cards from their deck, up to their draw limit, which depends on their party size.(See Draw Limit)
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Flip a coin. The winning player decides who takes the first turn.
*Players May decide on some other method of determining which player takes the first turn.
Mulligan Rule
After Players have drawn their first hand, they may place any cards aside, then draw that amount of cards from their deck and place them in hand. Then shuffle the placed aside cards back into their deck.
Phases
Phases are a way to determine when player actions and Card effects take effect. COE has 4 phases that make up a round.
Players will take their first two phases (Camp Phase and Main Phase) individually, starting with the player who won the coin toss, then followed by the next player.
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Camp Phase
Camp Phase marks the beginning of a players turn and must be completed in the following order:
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Draw up to x cards from your Deck based on party size.
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Refresh all cards - Players unrest all of their rested cards
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Build Resources (Optional) - Player may choose to play any amount of cards from their hand into the resource area (See Resources)
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Main phase
A player may perform any of these game functions, in any order during this phase:
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Play Arsenal and Acolyte cards from their hand
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activate Champion and Acolyte effects.
Once a player has performed all of the action they would like to do during the main phase the “Initiative” passes to their opponent. Their opponent will then take their Camp Phase and Main Phase.
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Battle Phase
Battle phase begins once both player have completed their camp phase and Main phase. The player who started the round on their camp phase regains Initiative and enters the battle phase. This is a shared phase, where both players will take turns attacking with a single character they control. (See Battle)
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Rest Phase
The Rest Phase is considered the end of the round for both players.
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Players place all used resources into their cache area.
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Level up Champions (Optional) Players may archive a card in their cache area to place a level token on a Champion that they control. Players may only level up any number of Champions once per turn.
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Rest Phase effects or (Cast Rest) effects happen here.
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Priority
The Player who takes actions first in a round is considered to have Priority.
Initiative
The player who is currently taking actions during the round has Initiative.
Battle
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Party Champions: Players may choose between a party size of 1 - 4 champions. Add the point values of all Champions in your Party. Your Party’s total Point value may not exceed 10.
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Deck Size: Players must have 50 cards in their arsenal deck.
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Card Limits: Players may only have up to 4 cards with the same name in their arsenal deck at a time.
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Hand Size: There is no max hand size in COE.
Players may choose any cards to go in their deck as long as the color of the cards match one of the champions included in their party. White cards are neutral and may go in any deck regardless of Champions colors. There are additional rules around playing cards. See below.
Deck Building Rules
Playing Cards
Champion and Acolyte cards may participate in battle during the battle phase. The player that starts the battle is the player who has Priority (Took their Camp Phase and Main Phase first.)
During the battle phase, players can no longer activate effects or play cards from hand unless the card explicitly says you can.
Battle Initiative
When a player is currently making Battle actions that player has initiative. During the Battle phase, initiative changes to the opposing player each time an attack action is resolved.
Attacking
Players may use one of their Characters on the field to attack an enemy character. Players choose their attacking character and then choose an enemy character to attack. The Attacking card is then rested.
Apply the ATK value of a character to the DEF Value of the defending character. If the ATK meets or exceeds the enemy character’s DEF, then the defending character's defense is broken. Anytime a character has no shield they are considered (Staggered).
When a character has no available shield, DMG is dealt directly to an enemy’s HP.
Counter attacking
When the defending character is standing (Facing vertically) They will counter attack. The attacking character will also take DMG.
When a defending character is rested they will not counter attack.
(Note: anytime a character restands, they may perform their actions again.)
Attacking Support Characters
Keywords such as Transgress allow Characters in the support position to be attacked. Characters in the support position may not counter attack, leaving them vulnerable.
Boosting:
Boosting allows a player to use a controlled character other than the battling character and add their ATK or DEF stats to the character currently in battle. Boosting characters must be adjacent to the attacking or defending character. Boosting can be done during the battle phase when defending or attacking.
Attack Boosting: When “attack boosting”, players choose any number of their standing(Vertical facing) characters adjacent to the attacking character and add their ATK value to the attacking character. These characters must then be rested and Staggered. When attack boosting with characters of the same class, The attacking character gains Piercing for that attack. (Piercing allows characters to attack through Defense and deal DMG to HP.)
Defense Boosting: When defense boosting, Players choose any number of their standing characters adjacent to their defending character and add their DEF value to the defending character.
When a character is used to boost another character it must be rested.
Note: Support characters cannot be boosted or be used to boost other characters, unless dictated by card effect.
Note: Acolytes without the stat required for boosting may not be used for boosting.
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Ex. A character without a DEF stat cannot be used for Defense Boosting.
Playing Cards
Card Requirements
Resource Check: Any card can be played from your hand by paying its resource cost. Players must rest the resources in their resource area corresponding to the arsenal cards resource type and value. (See Playing resources).
Color Check: You must have at least one Champion in your party with a matching color of the card you are attempting to play.
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Card zones: You may not play cards into a zone that is full. For example, If your arsenal area of the board is full or restricted due to the (Heavy) effect, you may not play any arsenal cards. If your character zone is full, you may not move champions or play acolytes
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Playing Acolytes
When Acolytes are played, They must be played into the Character area of the battlefield.
Playing Arsenal Cards
When Arsenal Cards are played, They must be played into the Arsenal area of the Battlefield.
Playing Face Down Cards
Certain cards may be played facedown such as cards with the (Conjure) Keyword. These cards are always played into the Arsenal Area of the board (even if they are acolytes). Players do not pay for cards that are played face down until they flip face up and are activated.
Spending Resources
Players may only use cards in their resource area when paying for a card's cost, or by some card effect.
When paying for a card's cost, players may only rest cards in their resources required to play the card's cost.
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This may include paying a 2 worth resource for a 1 cost card or to cards worth 2 resources each of a 3 cost card.
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Players may not spend 2 cards worth 1 resource each for a 1 cost card.
0 worth Resources may not be rested towards a card's cost.
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Archiving Cards
Archiving cards refers to sending them to the Archive area of the board. Cards sent to the archive are placed face up so that the information is open for both players to view.
Most Acolytes are archived when their HP reaches 0.
Most Champions are archived when their HP reaches 0.
Most Arsenal cards are archived immediately after their effect has resolved. With the exception of Equipment cards.
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Some cards might direct you to placing cards into the cache instead of the archive. keep a lookout for these card effects.
Equipments
Equipment Cards - Arsenal cards with the equip symbol remain on the field once played.
When an equip card targets a character, that character is considered Equipped.
(Note: Equipment cards do not have to be played in any specific spot on the field. Most Equipment cards can be cast during a specific phase. When Equipment cards require a target, choose its target when that equipment card is cast)
Champions and Acolytes
Champions:
Players will begin the game with one of their champions on the field. Champions on the battlefield are considered Ally Characters.
Party Leader
Players must always have at least one Champion in their party leader position.
If a Champion is Archived from the Party Leader position, players must immediately play a new champion from their party area or support area to the Party Leader area.
Players may play additional champions to the field using Party Tactics.
Champions may perform any actions on the turn they are played to the field. This includes the first turn of the game. Actions may include: Attacking, Boosting or using their skills.
Support Area
Champions in the support area may only use their skills with the support keyword. Champions here, may not attack or counter attack, unless by card effect. Champions here cannot be targeted by Arsenal cards unless specified. When a Champion is moved from the support area, they may no longer use their support skills.
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Acolytes:
When an acolyte is played to the field, it is also considered an Ally Character. Acolytes can be played in any of the 6 character positions on the field. When Acolytes are played to the field, they may not attack on the turn that they are played without the (swift) Keyword.
Leveling
In order for Champions to use their skills, They must level up.
At (Rest Phase), both players may archive a card from cache to level up a Champion.
To indicate a Champion has a level, place an exp token onto that Champion.
Players can level up each Champion in their party once per turn.
Once a Champion has leveled up, Their effects can be used immediately.
Resolving Effects
When resolving card effects, a player must take into account the Keyword (if applicable) and the condition required for the effect to activate (if applicable).
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When the effect of the entire card cannot be resolved, and there is no written condition that requires the card or skill effect to activate, Resolve any part of the effect that can be resolved.
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But when a card effect or skill has a condition before the effects text that can not be fulfilled, then The card may not be played/ The skill may not be activated
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When a card that is being played has its effect negated, the resources used to play the negated card is still spent.
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When a card’s cast effect is negated, the negated card must still be rested.
Searching your deck
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When searching for a card in your deck by a card’s effect, Your deck must always be shuffled afterwards.
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If the card you are searching for is specific (like a card name or card type), the card must always be revealed to your opponent for verification.
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If the card you are searching for is stated to be any card, you do not have to reveal it to your opponent.​
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Card Speeds
Card effects activated in response to other card effects resolve from the last effect activated taking effect first.
When resolving the effects of Arsenal cards or Character skills simultaneously to other effects, The effects of these cards happen in the following order:
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Conjure effects
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Multiple Conjure effects played simultaneously resolve with the last Conjure card effect happening first, and then resolving the rest of the effects in play in reverse order of when they were played
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Counter effects
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Multiple counter cards played simultaneously resolve with the last counter card played effect happening first
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Acolyte and Champion effects
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Battle Actions - Such as attacking, Defending and Boosting
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Party Tactic - Movement
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Arsenal card effect that do not contain the Conjure or Counter Keyword
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​When two or more (Cast) or Phase specific effects would trigger simultaneously, The effects of the player with Priority happen first, followed by their opponent.
Targeting Cards
Certain effects may require a target in order for the effect to trigger. Consider a card's type in relation to a card's target. For example, effects that target Arsenal cards do not affect Champions or Acolytes.
Cards that target acolytes means that the player who played the card or activated this effect must choose an acolyte on the field as its target before resolving the rest of the card’s effect.
Cards that target "cards on the field" specifically refers to the Character Area and Arsenal area.
Cards in a player's resource area, Support area, cache, archive and deck are never considered to be "on the field".
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Target Hierarchy
Cards that can target characters on the field will refer to them in different ways depending on who is allowed for the target, this is Target Hierarchy.
All Characters - When a card refers to a “Character” or “Characters”, It may target any character in the front row of either player's board.
Ally - When a card refers to an Ally or Allies, It may target only the controlling players characters in the front row of the board.
Enemy - When a Card refers to an enemy character, it may only target a character on the opponent’s side of the board.
Some cards may refer to a position on the board, this follows the same format of Target Hierarchy.
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Attack Targeting
When a Character is targeted by an attack, The target of that attack cannot be changed except by card effect, such as Provoke.
When a Champion is targeted by attack, and the player responds by moving that Champion as a Party tactic to the support area, The attack will still go through prior to the Champions movement.
Players may respond to an attack by using a Party Tactic (See Party Tactics). If this is done, players can still declare a boost after a Party tactic is done. However if players Boost in response to an attack, They may no longer use a Party tactic in response to that attack action. Instead the Attack action must resolve, before the player can use their party tactic action.
Positions
Cards that target an “enemy position” specifically refers to one of the numbered positions on the game board, the Party Leader Zone, and the Support Zone.
If a card targets a position and as a response, a player moves a card from that targeted position, Then the targeting card will whiff (fail to meet its target requirement).
Resources
Players will require resources in order to play most of the cards from their arsenal. There are 3 Resource types:
Shells - are the currency of El’Equine. Shells are usually spent by Warriors and Guardians.
Mana - is a magical energy that flows from living things. It is typically spent by mages and magical creatures.
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Crystal - is a currency that has been endowed with magical aura. It can be used to play cards from your arsenal that cost mana or shells.
Note - When card effects refer to specific resources, Crystals cannot be used for these requirements.
All of the cards that make up a player's deck can be played from hand as a resource. Cards have two values concerning resources:
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Cost - How much resources must be used in order to play a card on the field. Resources spent must match the resource type of the card being played
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Worth -How much resources a card is worth when played into the resource area.
Playing Resources
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Resources are played during the Camp Phase of a players turn (The beginning Phase)
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Resources are played In the resource area face up, and turned upside down so that the worth of the card appears up-right relative to its owner's view.
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When a card is played to the field, players will rest the amount of resources required to play the card before the card fully enters play.
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Players may only have a total of 6 cards played into their resource area at a time.
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When a Resource that is worth 2 or more is tapped to play a card below its value, the resource is considered completely used.
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If you tap a 2 worth resource for a card that cost 1, the additional resource is not usable to play other cards
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However if you play a 5 cost card and tap a resource worth 2, you only require 3 more resources to pay the card's cost.
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Caching Resources
At Rest Phase (The end of the round) Both players will place all of their rested resources into their cache area. This action is called Caching. Any resources that are still standing will remain in the resource zone when moving to the next round.
Draw Limit
A Players Party Size affects the amount of cards a player can draw per turn.
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1 Champion = Draw 10 per round
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2 Champions = Draw 9 per round
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3 Champions = Draw 8 per round
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4 Champions = Draw 7 per round
Movement and Party Tactics
Movement
Players must play cards on the field in open positions. Once cards are played to a position, they cannot be moved to another card position aside from card effects.
Party Tactics
During a players turn, they may choose to:
A. Play a Champion from their party area to an open support position.
B. Play a Champion from their Party area to the Battlefield.
C. Swap a champion in their party Leader Area, with another Champion on the field that they control.
D. Swap their Party Leader champion with one from their support area.
Players may perform only one of these actions per turn during their turn, during any phase. Swapping a character from the support area may only be done with the champion in the Party Leader position.
Note: When a champion leaves the Party area, they cannot return to it.
When a Champion is removed from the field, cards specifically targeting them, such as Equipments, are archived.
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Champion Actions
Champions generally have a single action that they may take on a turn.
Battle or Used a skill.
Either of these actions generally require resting the Champion, however there may be conditional keywords such as Innate and Passive that do not require an action to be spent by a champion.
Champion Skills:
Champions have skills that can be activated if the player’s scenario level meets the skills required Scenario level.
If a Champion has no level in front of its skill text, then it does not require a exp to be activated.
Support Character Skills:
Character skills with the Support Keyword can only be activated from the support area.
Other limitations:
Character skills may have some other requirement for activation such as the Pay or Cast Keywords. (see keywords)
Deck Building
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Party Champions: Players may choose between a party size of 1 - 4 champions. Add the point values of all Champions in your Party. Your Party’s total Point value may not exceed 10.
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Deck Size: Players must have 60 cards in their arsenal deck.
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Card Limits: Players may only have up to 4 cards with the same name in their arsenal deck at a time.
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Hand Size: There is no max hand size in COE.
Players may choose any cards to go in their deck. However players may not play a card from any area without a Champion in your party that matches that card’s color. White cards are neutral and may go in any deck regardless of Champions colors. There are additional rules around playing cards. See Playing cards.