How to Play Fantastic Fights TCG

The Basics

– Objective: Reduce all enemy Commanders’ life to zero.
– Starting Life:
  – In 1v1 and 3-player games, each player starts with 30 Health.
  – In 4–5 player games, all players start with 40 Health.
  – In 6+ player games, players start with 50 Health (maximum starting life).
– Healing cannot exceed the starting Health total.

Deck Sizes

– Quick Battle: 30-card decks
– Fantastic Fight (Standard): 60-card decks
– Big Battle (Leader Format): 100-card decks

Starting Hand

– Draw 7 cards, then shuffle 3 back into your deck, leaving a starting hand of 4.
– In a 1v1 match:
  – The starting player does not draw on turn 1.
  – The second player starts with a Damaged Ki Stone in hand (provides 1 Ki for that turn only).

Ki (Energy System)

There are two ways to gain Ki:
1. Auto-Unlocked Ki Stones: Start with 1 Ki. Each turn, unlock +1 Ki (up to 10).
2. Ki Stone Cards: Shuffled into your deck, these provide flexible Ki without turn-based unlocks.
– Ki Rollover: Any unspent Ki is lost at the start of your next turn as all Ki Stones are refreshed.
– Ki may be spent on Beam cards or activated abilities during other players’ turns.

Card Types

– Entity: A fighter with Attack and Health. May have Keywords and belong to Tribes.
– Spell: A one-time effect. May have a Spell School.
– Loot: Cards that remain on the battlefield and require activation to use their effects.
– Enhancement: A passive effect that remains in play until removed.
– Weapon: Equipped only to Commanders. Provide Power and Durability.
– Place: Cards with limited ‘Uses’ that affect the game while active.
– General: A non-Entity Unit with Health and abilities.
– Champion: Legendary cards that provide a one-time effect, add Armor, and grant additional Commander Abilities.
– Commander: The player stand-in with 30+ Health. Provides your Class and starting Commander Ability.

Game Formats

Quick Battle:
– 30-card deck
– Duplicate Limits:
  – 2x Common
  – 2x Rare
  – 2x Epic
  – 1x Legendary

Fantastic Fight:
– 60-card deck
– Duplicate Limits:
  – 4x Common
  – 3x Rare
  – 2x Epic
  – 1x Legendary

Big Battle (Leader Format):
– 100-card deck, all cards must be unique (except Ki Stones).
– Select a Leader (Entity or General).
– The Leader starts in the Leader’s Lookout zone.
– If your Leader leaves play, return it to the Lookout.
– Replay the Leader for +1 Ki each time OR wait 2 full rounds to play at original cost.
– A round is complete when every player has taken a turn.

Turn Structure

Defender-Favored Mode:
– Start of Turn: Resolve start-of-turn effects, draw a card, and gain/activate 1 Ki.
– Main Phase 1: Play cards and activate abilities.
– Combat Phase:
  – You may only attack enemy Commanders or Generals.
  – Defending players choose how to block or not with their Units.
– Main Phase 2: Play additional cards or abilities.
– End Phase: Resolve end-of-turn effects.
– Entity Recovery: All Entities restore to full Health at the end of each player’s turn.

Attacker-Favored Mode:
– Players may attack any target directly, including enemy Entities.
– Attacks cannot be blocked unless specified.
– Damage is permanent; Entities do not auto-heal unless stated by a card.
– Beam cards and reactive effects may still be used by other players.

Classes & Commander Abilities

– Choose a Class and a starting Commander Ability when building your deck.
– Examples: Knight, Assassin, Mage, Druid, Shaman, Beast Hunter, Warlock, Healer, Fighter
– Commander Abilities cost Ki (typically 1–4 Ki, but may vary).
– Champions grant additional Commander Abilities (they do not replace your starting one).
– There is no limit to how many Commander Abilities you may have during a game.

Terminology

– Commander: Your avatar with 30+ Health, always visible and targetable unless protected.
– Opponent: Any enemy Commander.
– Enemy: Anything not on your team (Commanders, Generals, Entities, Champions).
– Unit: Refers to Entities and Generals only — not Commanders or Champions.

Additional Notes

– Graveyard: Where destroyed or discarded cards are placed.
– Shadow Realm: Where Banished cards go. These are removed from play.
– Beam: May be played at any time, including during another player’s turn.
– Hand Limit: 10 cards. If you draw while at 10, the card is Banished to the Shadow Realm.

Commander Abilities (CAs): Can only ne used once during your turns unless stated otherwise.

Keywords & Core Mechanics (Fantastic Fights TCG)

In Fantastic Fights TCG, bolded keywords identify essential game mechanics and strategic effects. Many of them represent special card attributes, battlefield behaviors, or reactive triggers. Some keywords reference states or game zones, while others impact targeting or summon flow.

This glossary is organized alphabetically for clarity. All keywords are bolded on cards. Some referenced card names are shown in blue on cards.

Keyword List (A–Z)

Air Defense
Allows a Unit to block Flying enemies.

Ally
This card interacts with another specifically named card or card type.

Armor
Grants your Commander extra Health beyond the starting amount. Damage is taken from Armor first.

Basic Totem
A subtype of Totem that includes Fire, Water, Earth, and Air Totems. Used primarily in the Shaman Class.

Beam
Beam can be played during any player’s turn. It immediately interrupts actions and responds to other Beam cards. Beam chains resolve in reverse play order.

Blitz
This Unit can attack anybody immediately and skips the Preparation step.

Bottoms Up
Reveal the bottom three cards of your deck. Choose one to move to the top.

Brutalize
If this card deals excess damage beyond what was needed to destroy a Unit, activate a bonus effect.

Call
Summon a specific Entity or one with a designated Tribe specified by the card (e.g., “Call a Feline”). Reveal cards from your deck until one matches the requirement, then place it onto the battlefield.

Campaign
A Campaign is a spell that starts in your opening hand every time, and has conditions to be met in order to gain a reward. 

Champion
A Legendary card grants a one-time effect, gives your Commander Armor and grants an additional Commander Ability. Does not replace your starting ability.

Chain
When this card is played, reveal the top card of your deck. If it costs equal or less Ki, you may pay to play it. Repeat until you stop or cannot continue.

Discard
Cards discarded go into a separate Discard Pile (not the Graveyard). Some effects target or revive discarded cards.

Double Strike
This Unit may attack twice during your turn.

Entity
This is a creature with Attack and Health that fights on your behalf.

Equip
Attach this card to a valid target (e.g., an Entity or Commander).

Equipment
This is a subtype of Loot that is attached to a card and typically enhances it.

ETB (Enter the Battlefield)
This is an effect that triggers when the card enters play from anywhere.

Evasive
This card cannot be targeted by spells or Commander abilities. However, it can still be affected by global effects such as board wipes.

Flying
Can only be blocked by cards with Flying or Air Defense.

Freeze
Prevents this Unit from attacking or using abilities until your next turn. Unlike Preparation, Frozen Units cannot block.

General
A non-Entity Unit with Health and activated abilities. Using a General’s ability usually affects its own Health (positively or negatively). You may only activate one General ability per your turn, unless otherwise stated.

Get
Search your deck for a specified card and place it in the designated zone.

Gaze
Look at the top X cards of your deck. You may rearrange them on top in any order, or place any number on the bottom.

Graveyard
The zone for destroyed or resolved cards (e.g., played Spells or defeated Units). Separate from the Discard Pile, which is for discarded cards.

Guardian
When another friendly Unit is targeted or attacked, you may redirect that target to this one. Stronger than Taunt.

Haste
This Unit may attack enemy Entities or Generals immediately. Cannot attack Commanders on the turn it is summoned.

Holy Protection
Blocks the next instance of damage, regardless of amount. This shield is consumed after one use.

Indestructible
This card cannot be destroyed by effects or damage. It can still be Banished or reduced to 0 Health by effects (not damage).

Infiltrate
This Unit bypasses Taunt and Guardian, so they may attack any target directly. Bypasses blockers in defender favored mode as well. 

Insta Hit
This card deals its damage before blockers can strike back. If the blocker is destroyed, no return damage is taken.

Ki Power
This card gains an effect when your total available Ki reaches a specified amount.

Kill
Send a Unit to the Graveyard.

Kindle
Whenever this card deals damage, draw a card.

Life Leach
When this card deals damage, your Commander heals for the same amount.

Mutate
If this card is in your hand when a higher-cost card is played, trigger the listed effect.

On Death
Triggers when this card is destroyed or dies while on the battlefield.

Ongoing
A persistent effect that remains active as long as the card stays on the battlefield.

Overcharge
Borrow Ki from future turns (e.g., “Pay 0 Ki now, gain 2 Ki. Next turn, reduce your Ki max by 2 unless Overcharge is removed). Overcharge expires after one turn if paid.

Overgrow
When played, add a more powerful version of this card to your hand. The upgraded version does not have Overgrow.

Overkill
Excess damage dealt to a Unit is redirected to the opposing Commander.

Overwhelm
If this card destroys a Unit, it may immediately attack again.

Poisonous
Destroys any Unit it damages. Generals and Commanders take normal damage unless otherwise stated (e.g., “Poisonous to Generals”).

Preparation
This Unit enters the field unable to attack, but may still block. The effect wears off at the start of your next turn. All unties enter the battlefield in this preparing state unless they have Haste, Blitz, or are a general/Champion. 

Rally
This card gains a benefit when another friendly Entity enters the battlefield.

Reap
While this card is in your hand, track friendly Units dying. When the specified number is met, that unlocks its effect.

Reborn
When this card is destroyed, return it to the battlefield with 1 Health.

Repeatable
You may play this card multiple times in the same turn (if Ki allows). Replaying creates a new copy of the effect/unit.

Reward
Special cards earned from Campaigns or other cars that specify why.

Risen Soldier Card
A designated subtype of cards tied to The Frost King. 

Safeguarded
Protected from a specified effect or card type.

Secret
A Spell played face down. Revealed and triggered under certain conditions. All Secrets include Beam unless stated otherwise.

Shadow Realm
The removal zone. Banished cards go here and cannot return unless a card specifically states otherwise.

Shout
Triggers when this card is played from hand to the battlefield.

Shush
Removes all text and stat bonuses from a Unit. Does not heal, revive, or cancel damage already taken.

Sneak
While this card is on top of your deck, and under a specific condition, trigger its listed effect. 

Spell Damage
Adds bonus damage to your damaging spells.

Spot
Look at 3 cards from a designated zone (usually your deck), pick one to add to your hand. 

Start of Game
This effect triggers before the first turn of the game.

Stealthy
This card cannot be targeted until it attacks or activates an ability. Still vulnerable to global effects.

Taunt
Enemies must attack this Unit before others (may be replaced entirely by Guardian, depending on future design balance.)

Terrifying
Requires two Units to block it in defender favored. May do its damage to an adjacent entity in attacker favored mode, but still taking/doing full damage in either case. 

Units

Unleash
You may pay extra Ki while playing this card for a stronger version of the effect.

Untargetable
This card cannot be targeted at all — not by abilities, spells, or attacks.

Zenith
When your Commander’s Health is at or below a specified value, this effect triggers.

Spell Schools:

• Arcane
• Campaign
• Dark
• Divination
• Fire
• Frost
• Light
• Nature
• Noschool (Neutral or non-magical)
• ??? (Open to future expansion)

Card Types:

• Entity – The main Units used to fight and block. They have Attack and Health.
• Spell – Single-use actions. May belong to a Spell School.
• Loot – Items that sit on the battlefield. Usually require activation to provide effects.
• Enhancement – Attachments with Ongoing effects.
• Equipment – A subtype of Loot that is equipped to Units or Commanders.
• Weapon – Equipment usable only by Commanders, with Power and Durability.
• Place – Field cards with Uses, which deplete over time.
• Commander – Your avatar in the game. 30+ Health, defines deck Class, uses Commander Abilities.
• General – A Unit with activated abilities that may increase or reduce its own Health when used.
• Champion – Legendary card that grants Armor and unlocks an extra Commander Ability.

Tribes (Alphabetical):

Angel, Animal, Bird, Botanical, Canine, Demon, Deer, Dog, Dragon, Elemental, Fallen, Fairy, Feline, Furry, Horse, Human, Monster, Pig, Pirate, Reptilian, Robot, Rodent, Skeleton, Snake, Spirit, Titan, Totem, Turtle, Undead, Vampire, Zombie
(Cards may have multiple tribes such as “Human / Pirate”)

Classes:

• Assassin
• Beast Hunter
• Demon Hunter
• Druid
• Fighter
• Healer
• Knight
• Mage
• Shaman
• Warlock

⚠️ There is no “Neutral” Class. Neutral cards may be played in any deck, but your deck must still declare a Class to access a Commander Ability.