How to Play
Master the basics of tactical card combat and begin your journey through the Major Arcana.
✧Game Overview
🎮What is Astral Rivals?
Astral Rivals is a tactical card battler where you command units on a grid-based battlefield. Build decks, summon creatures, cast spells, and outmaneuver your opponents in strategic combat.
When building a deck, you choose a Hero as your starting Champion and a Castle as your base. These are placed on the battlefield at the start of each match — lose either one and you lose the game!
You'll face 22 unique AI opponents — the Major Arcana — each with their own playstyle, deck preferences, and tactical personality. Learn from The Empress in the tutorial, then challenge increasingly difficult opponents on your path to face Eris herself.
✧Victory Conditions
👑Destroy the Champion
Each player has a Champion — a powerful hero unit. Reduce the enemy Champion's HP to zero to win instantly. Champions can level up during battle, gaining stats and abilities.
🏰Destroy the Castle
Each player also has a Castle — a stationary structure. Destroy the enemy Castle for an alternative victory. Castles have high HP but cannot move or attack.
Tip: Protect your own Champion and Castle while threatening your opponent's. Balance offense and defense!
✧The Flow Resource
✨Managing Your Flow
Flow is the resource that powers everything in Astral Rivals. You need Flow to summon units, cast spells, equip items, and activate abilities.
- You gain Flow automatically at the start of each turn
- Unspent Flow carries over to the next turn (banking)
- Each card has a Flow cost shown in its corner
- Some cards and abilities can generate extra Flow
📈Flow Growth
As the battle progresses through Astral Cycles, your Flow economy grows:
Flow Per Turn ↑
The amount of Flow you gain each turn increases as cycles pass. Early game is about efficiency; late game unlocks powerful plays.
Maximum Flow ↑
Your Flow cap rises over time, allowing you to bank more resources for explosive turns or expensive cards.
Tip: Don't spend all your Flow every turn. Banking Flow lets you play expensive cards or multiple cards later!
✧Astral Cycles
🌓The Rhythm of Battle
Battles in Astral Rivals follow a cosmic rhythm called Astral Cycles. Each cycle represents the passage of time on the battlefield, alternating between Sun (day) and Moon (night) phases.
Sun Phase (Day)
White Karma cards and abilities are enhanced. Visibility is improved.
Moon Phase (Night)
Black Karma cards and abilities are enhanced. Shadows deepen.
The cycle phase shifts as turns pass, creating dynamic battlefield conditions. Time your powerful cards to align with favorable phases for maximum impact!
Tip: Pay attention to the current phase! Some cards have bonus effects during their aligned phase.
✧The Battlefield
🗺️The 15×15 Grid
Combat takes place on a 15×15 tile grid. Each tile can hold one unit, and the terrain type affects movement and combat.
Your Castle starts on one side, your opponent's on the other. The space between is where battles are won and lost!
🏞️Terrain Types
Different tiles have different properties:
Normal movement and combat
Impassable — blocks movement and attacks
Impassable for most units; some can cross
Deals damage to units that enter
Use terrain to your advantage! Funnel enemies through chokepoints and control key positions on the map.
Tip: Each map has a unique layout. Study the terrain before committing to a strategy!
✧Turn Structure
🎴1. Draw Phase
Draw a card from your deck. If your deck is empty, you don't draw (no deck-out loss).
✨2. Flow Phase
Gain your Flow for this turn. The amount increases as the game progresses.
📋3. Main Phase
Play cards from your hand: summon units, cast spells, equip items, set Astral Sockets (traps). You can also move your units and use activated abilities.
⚔️4. Battle Phase
Declare attacks with your units. Units can attack enemies within their range. Combat resolves based on Attack vs Defense stats.
🔚5. End Phase
Certain effects trigger. Your turn ends and your opponent begins their turn.
✧Unit Stats
Every unit has core stats that determine their role in battle:
🎯Effectiveness
Units also have an EFF (Effectiveness) stat. Unlike ATK and DEF which govern basic combat, EFF determines how powerful a unit is when using special abilities, cards, and equipped items.
EFF Boosts:
- Spell damage and healing from abilities
- Effects from equipped items
- Triggered card effects
- Special ability potency
A unit with high ATK but low EFF excels at basic attacks. A unit with high EFF but low ATK is better suited for casting spells and activating powerful effects. Build your team accordingly!
Units may also have special abilities, keywords (like Flying or Berserk), and unique effects!
✧Manifest Types
⚔️Damage & Defense Varieties
Combat in Astral Rivals goes deeper than simple ATK vs DEF. Both attack and defense come in multiple manifest types, each representing a different form of power:
Slash
Cutting attacks
Stab
Piercing strikes
Crush
Crushing blows
Magic
Arcane energy
Fire
Burning flames
Shock
Lightning shock
Poison
Toxic damage
Psychic
Mental assault
Void
Dark emptiness
A unit might have high Slash ATK but low Magic ATK. Similarly, armor might provide strong Crush DEF but weak Void DEF. Exploit enemy weaknesses and shore up your own!
Tip: Check the manifest breakdown on each card. The right damage type against the right defense can double your effectiveness!
✧Card Types
🗡️Units
Your forces on the battlefield. Summon them to fight, block, and control territory. Units have stats and may have special abilities.
Regular Units
Standard troops summoned from your hand during battle.
Hero Units
Powerful units that level up during battle. You can only control one copy of each hero at a time.
Structures
Stationary units that cannot move but provide defensive or utility benefits.
Castle Structures
Your base of operations. Losing your Castle means defeat!
Important: You start each game with one Hero (your Champion) and one Castle of your choice already on the battlefield!
🔮Spells
One-time effects that resolve immediately. Deal damage, heal allies, draw cards, or manipulate the battlefield.
🛡️Equipment
Attach to units to boost their stats or grant abilities. Equipment stays until the unit dies or it's destroyed.
⚔️ Weapon
Increases attack power and may add special attack effects.
🛡️ Armor
Boosts defense and survivability.
💍 Accessory
Grants utility effects and stat bonuses.
🧉 Consumable
One-time use items with powerful effects.
Heroes have all four equipment slots by default. Regular units may have limited or no equipment slots.
Possessed Items: Some items are inhabited by spirits! These cursed items have powerful effects but may come with drawbacks. They can be exorcised to remove the spirit and change the item's properties, or destroy it entirely.
🎴Astral Sockets
Trap cards that can be played face-down (hidden) or face-up (revealed). Face-down sockets surprise your opponent when triggered. Face-up sockets are visible but often have stronger or immediate effects. Both activate when their conditions are met!
✧Deck Building
🃏Build Your Strategy
Before each battle, you can customize your deck in the Deck Builder. Your deck is your toolbox — the cards you bring determine your options in battle.
- Decks contain 60-100 cards plus a starting Hero and Castle
- You can include up to 4 copies of each card
- Balance units, spells, equipment, and sockets
- Consider your Flow curve — mix cheap and expensive cards
- Build around synergies and win conditions
⚖️Deck Constraints
Some rules govern what you can include:
Starting Cards
Choose one Hero as your Champion and one Castle as your base. These start on the battlefield every game.
Karma Balance
You can mix White and Black Karma cards freely, but some powerful cards reward commitment to one path.
🌟Starter Decks
New players start with pre-built decks designed to teach core mechanics. As you progress, you'll unlock more cards and can experiment with custom builds. The demo includes 80+ cards to mix and match!
Tip: A focused deck with a clear game plan beats a deck stuffed with “good cards” every time!
✧Combat Basics
⚔️How Combat Works
During your Battle Phase, each unit can attack once. Select an attacker and choose a target within range.
Damage Formula:
Damage = Attacker's ATK - Defender's DEF
(Minimum 1 damage is always dealt)
Combat is simultaneous — both the attacker and defender deal damage to each other at the same time. A well-timed strike can take down an enemy, but beware of the counter-attack!
Tip: Units with high RANGE can attack from safety. Melee units need to get close but often hit harder.
✧Fog of War
👁️Vision and Information
You can only see enemy units within your units' vision range. Areas outside your vision are hidden in fog — enemies could be lurking anywhere!
- Each unit reveals a certain area around itself
- Some units have extended vision (scouts)
- Hidden units can ambush unsuspecting enemies
- Your Castle and Champion provide vision around themselves
Tip: Don't overextend into fog! Scout ahead before committing your forces.
✧Karma System
Cards are aligned with White Karma, Black Karma, or are Neutral. This affects deck building and some card interactions.
White Karma
Protection, healing, structure. Build defenses and outlast opponents.
Black Karma
Aggression, disruption, transformation. Strike fast and break enemy plans.
Neutral
Versatile cards that fit any strategy. Mix and match freely.
Tip: You can mix Karma types! Many strong decks blend White and Black cards for flexibility.
✧Beginner Tips
Focus on one win condition at a time — don't split your forces.
Bank Flow in early turns to play powerful cards later.
Scout before attacking. Fog of War hides dangerous surprises.
Protect your Champion! Losing them means instant defeat.
Read your cards carefully. Many have abilities beyond their stats.
Adapt your strategy. What works against one Arcana may fail against another.
Don't rush. Take your time to plan each turn.
Use the Deck Builder to customize your strategy before battles.
Ready to Begin?
The best way to learn is to play! Jump into the demo and The Empress will guide you through your first battles.