How to play

Game

Playing Kards

Itching to pick up a deck and start playing? There’s no better way to learn than to simply download KARDS now and get started! And if you still have unanswered questions after the in-game tutorial, the pages in this section will help you catch up on anything you’ve missed.

Board overview

All you need to know about KARDS game interface can literally be summed up with just one screenshot

Your Hand
You draw one card from your deck and add it to your hand each turn. Cards with a yellow Kredit number can be played, while cards with a white Kredit number either require more Kredits or some other conditions to be met.
Your HQ
Each HQ (headquarters) starts with 20 defense points and the victory condition in the battle is to destroy the enemy HQ by bringing the defense to zero or below. This is done by attacking the enemy HQ with your military units and/or damage dealing orders.
Your Kredits
Each card you play costs a certain amount of Kredits which are your resources used in battle. Your Kredits replenish at the beginning of your turn, and each turn your Kredit slots increase by one up to a maximum of 12 (some cards can push up that maximum number though).
Military Units
This is one of your military units. Use units to attack your enemy HQ or units or to defend your own HQ. Many units have special abilities that give them a unique strategic purpose.
Unit Types
There are 5 different types of units and they have different built-in attributes. There are 3 ground unit types: Infantry, Tanks and Artillery. Also there are two types of air units: Fighters and Bombers. To see what each unit type does, hover over the type icon.
Your Support Line
This is your Support line where your units are deployed and your HQ is located. Enemy units cannot move into your Support line. Each line can hold 5 cards (including the HQ).
The Frontline
This is the Frontline. Infantry and tank units must be in the Frontline to be able to attack the enemy HQ and enemy units in the enemy Support line. Only one player controls the frontline at any time.
Operation Cost
The smaller number in the Kredit field on a unit is the Operation cost. Once the unit has been deployed, only this number is shown. In addition to having to spend Kredits deploying your units, you also have to pay Kredits for Operating (Moving/Attacking) your units.
Orders
Orders are cards that have a one time effect on the battle when played but are not deployed into the battlefield like units.
Your Deck
At the beginning of each turn, you draw one card from your deck and add it to your hand. A deck contains 40 cards total. Up to 12 of those cards can be from an ally nation.
Battle History
This is a summary of the most recent moves that provides an overview of the latest developments in the battle.

Get started

KARDS is easy to learn as it is related to conventional strategy and card games. The strategic depth of KARDS, however, is compelling.

To help kickstart your KARDS career, we have compiled valuable tips and tactical advice.

Learn more about:

Card details
Trigger effects, Orders and Countermeasures
Boosts and Combos
Battle tactics

Card Details and Abilities

Especially in the beginning, it is important to understand the info presented on a card.

The costs of a unit (deployment and operation) and its attack/defense values are straightforward and visible on the card.

Many cards have extra abilities which considerably increase their tactical and strategic value.

The KARDS Encyclopedia, accessible in game, has detailed information about each ability. You can also browse through the entire card collection and review each card.

Here are examples that you will regularly encounter in KARDS:

Blitz - The unit can operate (move and/or attack) the same turn they came into play. This means, you can deploy the unit and immediately use it. Without Blitz, you need to wait one turn after the deployment until you can use the unit. This ability affects only the deployment turn.
Fury - This unit can operate twice (move and/or attack) during one and the same turn.
Guard - Adjacent units cannot be attacked except by bombers and artillery. You can also guard your Headquarter.
Smokescreen - This unit cannot be attacked by other units until it has moved or attacked on its own. However, the unit can be damaged by trigger effects and Orders.

Effects and Triggers

Some of the units in KARDS have additional effects that can significantly impact the course of a match.

These effects can be either one-time effects, persist as long as the unit is on the battlefield, or even survive the destruction of the unit.

The effects are activated by certain triggers, for example when the unit is being deployed or destroyed or when a special situation occurred on the battlefield. Some effects are unconditionally active.

Some examples of triggered effects:

A6M ZERO: Do 1 damage to a target
10th ENGINEERS BATTALION: Adjacent ground units have +2 attack
L6/40: All friendly units retreat

KARDS features a wide range of effects, many of them which are based on historical performance the actual units.

Always carefully read the card descriptions!

Orders

Playing Orders cards result in a one-time effect and the disposal of the order card. In some cases, Orders effects can be blocked by Countermeasures or influenced by units on the battlefield.

When you issue an Order, the game will check if your opponent has an activated Countermeasure available in his deck to cancel this Order. If the Countermeasure is being triggered, your Order will be ignored and then discarded.

If your Order hasn't been blocked by a Countermeasure, the effect of the Order will take place. The exact effect is described in detail on the Order card itself.

Some examples of Orders and their effects:

Supply Shipment buffs a frontline unit with +2 +3 (Order with an immediate effect)
Reichsbank lets you gain 3 Kredits the following turn (Order with a delayed effect)

Orders can significantly change the course of the battle and should not be underestimated.

Countermeasures

Countermeasures are triggers in your hand that are hidden from the enemy and can result in an action during the enemy turn.

Countermeasures can be in two states: Activated and Deactivated. Activated Countermeasures can be triggered by enemy action. Deactivated Countermeasures won't do anything.

Activated countermeasures can be triggered during the next enemy turn. This will happen automatically and depends if the enemy is performing the action described on the Countermeasure.

Boosts and Combos

One of the many exciting challenges in KARDS is finding combinations of cards that can work together with devastating effects on the battlefield.

Have a look at the following combo:

SIBERIAN TRANSFER + URAL FACTORIES
Siberian Transfer adds a T-34 1942 tank with Blitz ability to your support line, at the end of the turn that tank gets destroyed. However, if you have Ural Factories (which destroys one of you units and replaces it with one that costs 1 Kredit more), you can create a powerful combo!
First play Siberian Transfer, then use the T tank, then destroy it with Ural Factories and get virtually a unit for free that costs Kredits.

There are countless other combination possible, the only limitation is your creativity and your ability to think in tactical term.

Battle tactics

In the heat of the battle, it is easy to lose sight of all your units and orders available in your arsenal. The able strategist, however, keeps a cool head and has nerves of steel even in the wildest battle!

Here are some hints that can help you keeping your troops together and winning more battles:

Always check your hand for boosts that might benefit troops already on the battlefield. Use these boosts before you attack with your units.
Example: TYPE 93 buffs all friendly units with +1 attack. If you want to deploy this unit, do this at the start of your turn so that your troops on the field can attack with the buff.
Get extra draws at the start of your turn. For example, if you use BLOODY SICKLE (one damage to your HQ and one target unit plus one card draw), do that before you deploy your other units. This way, you can adapt to the new card draws and adjust your tactic.