How a duel works
The first to bring the enemy hero's life to 0 wins. Here are the rules, step by step.
Before the duel
Each player brings one hero and a 20-card deck, and draws 3 cards. Player 1 goes first.
In matches against other players, whoever goes second receives the Challenger's Obol (a 0-cost card that grants 1 energy that turn) and starts with 2 extra life. That offsets the advantage of going first.
Your turn
- Your maximum energy goes up by 1, to a cap of 10, and fully refills.
- You draw 1 card.
- You play cards and your hero's abilities in any order, as long as your energy lasts.
- You end your turn with a single action: attack, use your hero's heavy strike, or pass.
Energy
| At the start of the duel | 0 |
|---|---|
| At the start of each of your turns | +1 maximum |
| Cap | 10 |
| Refill | Full on each of your turns; unused energy does not carry over |
The attack
- Damage = 1 (your fists: attacking never requires a weapon) + your weapon's power + any attack bonuses you have stacked.
- The defender's armor subtracts its value from that damage, down to a minimum of 0.
- The defender loses the remaining life.
- Your weapon loses 1 durability. At 0, it breaks.
- The defender's armor loses 1 durability per hit, even if it absorbed all of it. At 0, it breaks.
- Trinkets trigger: the defender's first, then the attacker's. A healing trinket can save its owner from a lethal blow: an ace up the sleeve.
Equipment
Equipping costs energy, like any card. There is one slot per type: if it is already taken, the new piece replaces the old one, which goes to the discard pile.
Weapon
Power and durability
Adds its power to your attacks. Loses 1 durability per attack.
Armor
Armor value and durability
Reduces the damage you take. Loses 1 durability per hit taken.
Trinket
Condition, effect and charges
Triggers on its own when its condition is met, if its effect is useful at that moment. Spends 1 charge per trigger.
Instants · Hero abilities
Instants
One-shot effects: direct damage, healing, extra energy, card draw, boosting your next attack, repairing your equipment or damaging the enemy's, forcing discards and more.
Hero abilities
Every hero has a passive and two active abilities. They are not cards: they are always available and only your energy limits them.
Turn timer
In matches against other players each turn lasts 90 seconds. When time runs out the turn passes automatically, and three timed-out turns in a row count as abandoning the match. If you concede, your opponent wins. Campaigns have no timer.
End of the duel
The first to bring the enemy hero's life to 0 wins. If both heroes fall to the same action, whoever played it loses.