You can't see their hand, but you can see their purse. Tax them, and next turn their cards cost more.
Put a toll on it, and every attack it makes costs them coin, from the same purse they buy cards with. They pay, or it stays home.
Sellswords hit far above their price, then take wages at the start of each of your turns. The one you can't pay walks off.
Play free on Windows How to play
Free during the open playtest. Windows 10 and 11 now, Steam later.
They hold 7. It costs 10.
After its wage they hold 2. One swing costs 2.
Income 5. Wages 6.
The sums
Both purses, both incomes, every tax and every toll are on the table, and unspent coin carries over. You can't see their hand. You can do their sums.
| Their purse as their turn ends | 2 |
|---|---|
| Their income next turn | +5 |
| You play Writ of Levy, 1 coin | Tax 1 |
| You play Royal Assessor, 4 coin | Tax 2 |
| Their Wyrm Matriarch | 7 → 10 |
| They hold 7. Short by | 3 |
So it waits a turn. If they pay a taxed price, the extra is burned, not paid to you.
| Their purse as their turn ends | 0 |
|---|---|
| You play Bridgewarden, 3 coin | Toll 2 |
| Their income next turn | +5 |
| Their 9/9 takes its wage | −3 |
| The 9/9 attacks | −2 |
| Left for their cards | 0 |
Or it stays home, and they keep 2 for cards. The toll is due on every attack, every turn.
| Your purse as your turn ends | 0 |
|---|---|
| Your income next turn | +5 |
| Pay Mercenary Captain | −2 |
| Pay Hired Blade | −1 |
| War-Ogre for Hire wants | 3 |
| Short by | 1 |
So the 9/9 walks off the board. Wages are paid as your turn starts, before you buy anything.
Steal Sit on your coin too long, and a thief takes it straight from your purse.
Ready-made decks
Each deck is led by a patron, your hero for the match, who brings one rule of their own to the table. Play a deck as it comes, or build your own. Each patron's rule is on How to play.
The Quartermaster's deck
Hire sellswords, and pay them less than they're worth.
The Fence's deck
Rob their purse, and get paid to hit their hero.
The Butcher's deck
Pay for some of its cards in health, not coin.
The Reeve's deck
Tax their turns and toll their minions.
The Usurer's deck
Save coin, and earn interest on it.
The Hoarder's deck
Sit on coin, and its wyrms hit harder for it.
Ways to play
The tutorial is 4 short matches against the bot, each told by a patron. The third puts you through theft, tax and toll; the fourth has you hire three sellswords and watch the one you can't pay walk off.
Practice forgives your mistakes. Challenge plans every turn to beat you, and never sees your hand.
One deck against all 6 patrons in a row, at Challenge. One loss ends the run, and the lobby keeps your best.
Find match pairs you with the next player who is looking. Play a friend gives you a code to send; they have 15 minutes to enter it.
The open playtest