Field Zones

Hand: Where cards drawn are held. Cards in your hand are visible only to you. The maximum hand size is 7 cards - if you would draw beyond this limit, the excess cards are discarded.

Deck: The draw pile containing your remaining cards. If you need to draw a card but your deck is empty, you lose 1 Soul Point for each card you cannot draw.

Field: The main play area where Summon cards are placed. Each player can have up to 5 Summons on their field at once. If your field is full, you cannot play additional Summon cards until space is available.

Graveyard: Where destroyed Summons and used Spells/Events go. Cards in the graveyard are visible to both players and may be interacted with by certain card effects.

Playing Cards

To play a card from your hand:

1. Ensure you have enough Aether to pay the card's cost (shown in the top-right corner)
2. Play the card during your Main Phase (unless it has special timing restrictions)
3. Pay the Aether cost
4. Resolve any "On Play" effects
5. For Summon cards, place them on an empty space on your field
6. For Spell cards, resolve their effects and then send them to the Graveyard
7. For Event cards, follow their specific instructions and then send them to the Graveyard

Some cards have additional requirements beyond just Aether cost, such as having specific card types in play or discarding cards from your hand.

Phases of a Turn

Each turn progresses through the following phases in order:

1. Draw Phase: Draw one card from your deck. If it's the first player's first turn, they do not draw a card to balance the first-turn advantage.
2. Gather Phase: Your maximum Aether increases by 1 (up to 10) and your current Aether refills to your maximum. Any Aether-generating effects also trigger during this phase.
3. Main Phase: Play Summon, Spell, or Event cards from your hand by paying their Aether cost. You can also activate abilities of cards on your field during this phase.
4. Combat Phase: Declare attacks with eligible Summon cards. Summons cannot attack the turn they are played unless they have Haste. Each Summon can only attack once per turn.
5. End Phase: Resolve any "End of Turn" effects on cards. Any temporary effects that last "until end of turn" expire. Your turn ends and play passes to your opponent.

Some card effects may allow you to skip phases, gain additional phases, or perform actions outside of their normal timing.

Declaring Attackers

During your Combat Phase, you can declare attacks with your Summons that are ready (not summoned this turn unless they have Haste, and not affected by effects that prevent attacking).

For each attacking Summon, you must choose one of these targets:

• The opponent's Soul Points directly (if they have no Summons or if your Summon has Flying and they have no Flying defenders)
• An opponent's Summon (note that if they have a Summon with Taunt, you must attack that Summon if able)

You declare all attacks one at a time, and each attack is fully resolved before proceeding to the next. This allows you to make strategic decisions based on the results of previous attacks.

Counter Attack

When one of your Summons is attacked by an opponent's Summon, your Summon will automatically counter-attack if it survives the initial attack. The counter-attack process works as follows:

1. The attacking Summon deals damage equal to its Attack value to your defending Summon
2. If your defending Summon survives (still has Health remaining), it immediately deals damage equal to its Attack value back to the attacker
3. This counter-attack happens automatically and doesn't count as your Summon's attack for the turn
4. Some abilities or effects may prevent counter-attacks or modify how they work

Counter-attacks are a key defensive mechanic that helps balance the advantage of being the attacker.

Damage Calculation

When Summons battle, damage is calculated as follows:

1. The attacking Summon deals damage equal to its Attack value to the defending Summon
2. This damage reduces the defender's Health by that amount
3. If the defender survives, it deals damage equal to its Attack value to the attacker (counter-attack)
4. This damage reduces the attacker's Health by that amount
5. Damage remains on Summons until healed - Health does not automatically restore between turns

Example: A 3/2 Summon (3 Attack, 2 Health) attacks a 2/4 Summon (2 Attack, 4 Health). The attacker deals 3 damage, reducing the defender to 1 Health. The defender counter-attacks for 2 damage, reducing the attacker to 0 Health, destroying it.

Summon Destruction

A Summon is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard when its Health reaches 0 or less. This can happen through:

• Taking damage in combat that exceeds its remaining Health
• Being targeted by damage-dealing Spells or abilities
• Effects that directly destroy Summons regardless of Health (like Surprise Audit)

When a Summon is destroyed:

1. Any "When Destroyed" effects on that Summon trigger
2. The Summon card is moved from the field to the Graveyard
3. Any attachments or ongoing effects specific to that Summon end

Some cards can return destroyed Summons from the Graveyard back to your hand or even directly to the field.

Summon Cards

Summon cards represent creatures, characters, and entities that you can place on the field to attack and defend. Key components of Summon cards include:

• Aether Cost: The amount of Aether required to play the card (top-right corner)
• Attack Value: How much damage the Summon deals in combat (bottom-left)
• Health Value: How much damage the Summon can take before being destroyed (bottom-right)
• Abilities: Special effects the Summon may have, listed in the text box
• Keywords: Special traits that modify how the Summon functions (like Haste, Flying, Taunt)
• Type: Categories the Summon belongs to (like Employee, Beast, Elemental) which may interact with other cards

Summons typically cannot attack the turn they are played (unless they have Haste) and remain on the field until destroyed or removed by effects.

Spell Cards

Spell cards represent magical abilities, actions, and effects that provide immediate benefits. Key aspects of Spell cards include:

• Aether Cost: The amount of Aether required to play the card
• Effect: The immediate action that occurs when the Spell is played
• Timing: Most Spells can only be played during your Main Phase, but some have special timing (like "Quick" Spells that can be played during your opponent's turn)

Common Spell effects include:

• Dealing damage to Summons or directly to Soul Points (e.g., Fireball, Lightning Bolt)
• Healing Summons or restoring Soul Points (e.g., Healing Touch)
• Drawing additional cards (e.g., Aether Insight)
• Removing or neutralizing enemy Summons (e.g., Polymorph)
• Buffing your Summons with stat increases or keywords (e.g., Reinforcement)

After a Spell is played and its effects are resolved, it is sent to the Graveyard.

Event Cards

Event cards represent significant occurrences that can dramatically change the state of the game. They function similarly to Spells but typically have more powerful or wide-ranging effects:

• Aether Cost: Usually higher than average, reflecting their powerful effects
• Global Effects: Often affect all players or all cards of a certain type
• Lasting Impact: May create ongoing effects that persist for multiple turns

Examples of Event cards include:

• Celestial Alignment: Resets all Aether pools and maximums to equal values
• Mana Surge: Doubles all Aether generation for both players for three turns
• Fire Drill: Returns all Summons to their owners' hands
• System Crash: Destroys all Summons with odd-numbered costs

Like Spells, Event cards are sent to the Graveyard after their effects are resolved, unless they specifically state otherwise.

Keyword List

• Haste: Can attack the turn it is summoned (e.g., Caffeinated Cathy, Swift Rogue).
• Flying: Can only be attacked/counter-attacked by other Flying Summons or those with specific anti-air abilities (e.g., Wind Sprite, Celestial Angel). Can attack opponent's Soul Points directly even if non-Flying/non-Taunt Summons are present.
• Taunt: Enemy Summons must attack Summons with Taunt if able (e.g., Stone Golem, Ironclad Defender).
• Stealth: Cannot be targeted by enemy Spells or Abilities for one turn after being summoned (e.g., Bathroom Break Bob).
• Intimidate: Enemy Summons below a certain cost cannot attack (e.g., Big Bertha).
• Freeze (on Attack): Target cannot attack on the opponent's next turn (e.g., Glacial Titan).
• HealAlly: Restores health to a friendly Summon (e.g., Radiant Healer).
• DamageOnPlay: Deals damage to a target when played (e.g., Fireball).
• HealPlayer: Restores Soul Points to the player (e.g., Healing Touch).
• SynergyBoost: Gains bonuses when specific card types are in play (e.g., Little Steven with other Employees).
• DrawCardOnPlay: Allows drawing additional cards when played (e.g., Gossip Gina).
• ForceDiscard: Forces opponent to discard cards (e.g., Reply-All Randy).
• AreaDamage: Deals damage to multiple targets at once (e.g., Fire Drill, Surprise Audit).

Ability Triggers

Common timings for abilities include:

• On Play: Triggered when a card is played from hand (e.g., Gossip Gina drawing a card).
• Start of Turn: Triggered at the beginning of your turn, before the Draw Phase.
• End of Turn: Triggered at the end of your turn (e.g., Thermostat Tyrant Tina dealing AoE damage).
• When Attacking: Triggered when a Summon declares an attack (e.g., Glacial Titan freezing its target).
• When Damaged: Triggered when a Summon takes damage but survives.
• When Destroyed: Triggered when a Summon is sent to the Graveyard.
• When Countering: Triggered when a Summon performs a counter-attack.

Understanding these triggers is key to planning your strategy and maximizing card synergies.

Resource Management

Balancing Aether spending between playing cards now vs. saving for bigger plays later is crucial to success. Consider these tips:

• Plan your Aether curve - try to use all available Aether each turn when possible
• Low-cost cards provide early game presence but may lose value later
• High-cost cards are powerful but can clog your hand early
• Cards that generate additional Aether (like Dwarven Miner) can accelerate your strategy
• Sometimes it's better to save Aether for a reactive play on your opponent's turn

Board Control

Maintaining a presence on the field to pressure the opponent and protect your Soul Points is essential. Effective board control strategies include:

• Using Taunt Summons to protect valuable assets
• Removing opponent's key Summons with targeted removal spells
• Trading efficiently - using lower-cost Summons to remove higher-cost threats
• Using area-of-effect (AoE) abilities to clear multiple threats at once
• Positioning Flying Summons to bypass ground defenses

Remember that controlling the board often means controlling the game's pace.

Card Advantage

Having more cards in hand/field than the opponent provides more options and flexibility. Card advantage can be gained through:

• Card Draw: Cards like Gossip Gina or Pizza Party Bribe directly increase your hand size
• Card Efficiency: Cards that perform multiple functions or affect multiple targets (like area damage spells)
• Value Trading: Using one card to remove multiple opponent cards
• Card Protection: Using healing or defensive buffs to keep your Summons alive longer
• Hand Disruption: Forcing your opponent to discard with cards like Reply-All Randy

A card advantage of even +1 or +2 can significantly impact your chances of winning.

Tempo

Tempo refers to the pace at which you develop your board and pressure your opponent. Strong tempo plays include:

• Playing Summons with Haste (like Caffeinated Cathy or Swift Rogue) for immediate impact
• Using efficient removal to neutralize threats while developing your own board
• Curving out perfectly (using all available Aether each turn)
• Playing cards that provide immediate value even if removed (like those with "on play" effects)
• Using combat tricks like Urgent Deadline to create unexpected momentum shifts

Tempo-focused decks aim to overwhelm opponents before they can stabilize.

Basic Deck Archetypes

Understanding common deck archetypes can help you build more focused and effective decks:

• Aggro: Fast-paced decks that use low-cost, high-damage Summons and direct damage spells to quickly reduce opponent's Soul Points. Typically runs many Haste Summons and combat tricks.
• Control: Defensive decks that focus on removing opponent's threats and slowing the game down until they can play powerful late-game cards. Uses removal spells, healing, and high-value Summons.
• Midrange: Balanced decks that can play both aggressively or defensively depending on the matchup. Typically features an efficient curve of increasingly powerful Summons.
• Combo: Decks built around specific card interactions that create powerful effects when assembled. May sacrifice early game presence to set up devastating combinations later.
• Tempo: Focuses on efficient plays each turn to maintain board control while pressuring the opponent. Often uses bounce effects and efficient removal.

Most successful decks incorporate elements from multiple archetypes while maintaining a clear game plan.

Employee Synergy

Cards: Little Steven (+1/+1 per Employee), Stapler Steve (+2 Defense if another Employee), Micromanaging Mike (+1 Attack to Summons in Combat).

Description: This powerful workplace synergy creates a formidable team:

1. Start by playing Micromanaging Mike on turn 3 if possible
2. Follow with Stapler Steve on turn 4, who immediately gains +2 Defense from Mike's presence
3. Play Little Steven on turn 5, who enters as a 3/3 or better with two other Employees already on board
4. During combat, Mike's ability gives both Steven and Steve +1 Attack, making them even more threatening
5. Add other Employee-type cards like Gossip Gina or Lunch Thief Larry to further strengthen the synergy

Value: Creates a strong, synergistic board presence using common/uncommon cards. This combo is particularly effective because each piece is useful on its own, but they become exceptionally powerful together.

Aggro Rush

Cards: Caffeinated Cathy / Swift Rogue (Haste), Urgent Deadline (+3 Attack & Haste).

Description: This aggressive combo delivers unexpected burst damage:

1. Play Caffeinated Cathy (2/1 with Haste) or Swift Rogue (2/2 with Haste) early in the game
2. Attack immediately to start pressuring your opponent's Soul Points
3. On turn 4 or 5, play a larger Summon without Haste (like a 4/4 Ogre Brute)
4. On your next turn, cast Urgent Deadline on your larger Summon, giving it +3 Attack and Haste
5. Attack with both your original Haste Summon and your newly empowered Summon for a massive damage spike

Value: Allows for immediate pressure and potential quick wins against slower decks. The surprise factor of giving Haste to a large Summon often catches opponents off-guard when they've calculated their defenses based on your visible Haste creatures.

Defensive Wall

Cards: Stone Golem / Ironclad Defender (Taunt), Radiant Healer (HealAlly).

Description: This defensive combo creates a nearly impenetrable barrier:

1. Play Stone Golem (3/5 with Taunt) or Ironclad Defender (2/6 with Taunt) to establish a strong defensive presence
2. On the following turn, play Radiant Healer (2/3 with "Heal a friendly Summon for 2 at the end of your turn")
3. Position Radiant Healer safely behind your Taunt Summon
4. Each turn, your Taunt Summon will absorb attacks but then be healed by Radiant Healer
5. Add Shield Wall spell for an additional +0/+3 boost to make your defender even more resilient

Value: Protects your Soul Points and weaker Summons, stalling the opponent. This combo is particularly effective against aggro decks that rely on dealing consistent damage each turn. The healing effect negates their progress, eventually allowing you to stabilize and turn the game in your favor.

AoE Control

Cards: Thermostat Tyrant Tina (End of Turn AoE damage), Surprise Audit (Destroy low-cost) / Fire Drill (Return all Summons).

Description: This powerful board control combo systematically dismantles your opponent's forces:

1. Play Thermostat Tyrant Tina (3/4 with "Deal 1 damage to all other Summons at the end of your turn")
2. Allow Tina's effect to weaken all Summons on the board for 1-2 turns
3. When most enemy Summons are at low health, play Surprise Audit to destroy all Summons with cost 3 or less
4. Alternatively, if facing larger threats, use Fire Drill to return all Summons to their owners' hands
5. Since your opponent will need to replay their Summons, you gain a significant tempo advantage

Value: Extremely effective against decks that swarm the field with many small Summons. This combo is particularly devastating against token-based strategies or aggro decks that rely on maintaining board presence. The gradual damage from Tina ensures that even if your opponent replays their Summons, they'll continue to be weakened.

Hand Disruption

Cards: Paranoid Pete (Reveal Hand), Reply-All Randy (Force Discard).

Description: This strategic combo allows you to dismantle your opponent's plans before they can execute them:

1. Play Paranoid Pete (2/3 with "When played, reveal your opponent's hand until the end of your next turn")
2. Examine your opponent's revealed cards to identify their key threats and planned combos
3. On your next turn, play Reply-All Randy (3/2 with "When played, your opponent must discard a card of your choice")
4. Choose the most threatening or valuable card in their hand to force them to discard
5. For maximum disruption, combine with other discard effects like Downsizing or System Crash

Value: This combo disrupts the opponent's strategy and removes powerful options before they can be used. It's particularly effective against combo decks that rely on specific card combinations to win. By removing a key piece of their combo, you can completely derail their game plan. The psychological impact of having their hand exposed also forces opponents into suboptimal plays as they try to work around your knowledge.

Concepts with Visual Examples

The following game concepts are illustrated with visual aids to help you better understand the mechanics:

• Field Zone Layout Diagram: A complete overview of the game board showing the positioning of all zones including hand, deck, field, and graveyard for both players.
• Card Anatomy Breakdown: Detailed illustrations of each card type (Summon, Spell, Event) with all components labeled and explained.
• Turn Structure Flowchart: A visual representation of how a turn progresses through each phase, with decision points and action opportunities clearly marked.
• Combat Example: Step-by-step visual guide showing how combat resolves from declaring attackers through counter-attacks, damage calculation, and potential destruction.
• Keyword Icons: Visual reference for all keyword abilities and their corresponding icons that appear on cards.

These visual aids are designed to complement the written rules and provide clarity for visual learners. Reference them whenever you need to understand a specific game concept.