City of Heroes CCG Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Basics
• Types of Cards
• Types of Heroes
• The Setup
• Gameplay
  • Actions
  • Reacts
• Combat Tactics
• Gameplay Continued
  • Activating Powers
  • Attacks
  • Targeting and Chasing
  • Accuracy
  • Damage and Damage Resistance
  • Status Effects
  • Putting Cards into Play
  • Missions
  • Inspirations
• Extended Gameplay

The Basics

When playing the City of Heroes Collectible Card Game (CCG), you take the role of a superhuman hero from Paragon City. You build your Hero by selecting Powers and combinations of Enhancements and special tactics, then test him or her against another Hero in Paragon's arenas. When a Hero's Health drops to zero, that Hero is defeated and that player is out of the game. The last player with a Hero standing is the winner.

The Heroes of Paragon City have reality-changing powers, and no rules can constrain them. Therefore, if the text of a card contradicts these rules, follow the card's text.

Types of Cards

Hero card — On the Hero's left side are his starting accuracy, defense and Health ratings. Above the text box are the Hero's starting Powers, and on the right side of the card you can find icons that tell you his archetype (top) and travel power (bottom). Below the Hero's name are the powersets (types of Powers) he can use. Both Heroes and Sidekicks (see below) are supers.

Hero card layout:

1. Name
2. Powersets
3. Accuracy, Defense, Health
4. Starting Powers
5. Archetype
6. Travel Power

Travel Power icons: Flight, Superspeed, Superjump, Teleport.

Power card — Powers set your Hero apart from ordinary folk. All of your attacks against your opponent come from your Powers. On the left side of the card is a "charge icon" showing how far the Power card is turned when it's activated, which affects how long it takes for the Power to be ready to use again. The power's powerset (type of power) is right below the power's name.

Enhancement card — A Hero is not defined solely by his powers, but also by how he chooses to focus those powers. Each Enhancement changes the Power it is attached to in some way (more damage, faster recharge, etc.).

Edge card — An Edge card represents a one-shot effect from your hand that alters the course of the battle in some way.

Sidekick card — Sidekicks are fledgling superheroes who use their abilities to help you fight your enemies. Sidekicks do not enter play with Powers as a Hero does, but can gain Powers normally. Sidekicks, like Heroes, are supers.

Mission card — A mission card represents a new threat to Paragon City. The villain hurts all of the Heroes and Sidekicks until he is defeated, at which time all of the supers are rewarded. The mission's villain has defense and Health (like a Hero) shown on the left.

Types of Heroes

The experts at Hero Corps have separated supers into five different categories called archetypes. When selecting the Hero you wish to build a deck around, pick an archetype that best fits your style of play.

Archetype icons: Blaster, Scrapper, Controller, Tanker, Defender.

Blaster — Blasters are high-offense Heroes, masters of long-range attacks. Though their power burns brightly, it also burns briefly, for Blasters typically have few defenses.

Controller — While Controllers do not boast high offense or defense, they use their Powers to confuse and distract their opponents — making them formidable foes.

Defender — While a Defender is best known for helping his team with healing and power boosts, he is extremely versatile and can boost himself to become a fearsome opponent.

Scrapper — Up close and personal is just how the Scrapper likes it. These Heroes are masters of melee combat, inflicting incredible damage at a blistering pace.

Tanker — The toughest Heroes in Paragon City, a Tanker can withstand incredible damage, often triumphing by merely outlasting everything the bad guys have to offer.

The Setup

All players begin by simultaneously revealing their Hero card and that Hero's two starting Power cards (named above the Hero's text box) from their deck. You will need a pad of paper or other counting device to keep track of your Hero's Health, which goes up and down throughout the game — if his Health reaches 0, you've lost!

Each player shuffles the rest of his cards to form his deck, then draws five cards to be his starting hand. Any time you must discard cards, put them in a separate, face-up discard pile. If you ever run out of cards in your deck, shuffle your discard pile and turn it face down, creating a new deck. If you ever have more than ten cards in your hand, discard until you have only ten.

All Heroes begin the game in Toe-to-Toe Combat (see "Combat Tactics").

Gameplay

Actions

Randomly determine who goes first (flip a coin or roll a die). Players take turns performing exactly one action each until only one Hero is left standing. When it is your turn to perform an action, you may do any one of the following:

1. Power Up — Put one new Power, Enhancement, or Sidekick into play to increase your firepower or defense. See "Putting Cards into Play".

2. Act — You can use an action printed on an Edge card in your hand, or on a ready super or Power card you have in play. This includes all of your attacks that come from your Powers in play. This also includes turning on (or off) a Toggle Power.

3. Move — Change your Hero's (or Sidekick's) Combat Tactics, from Run-'n'-Gun to Toe-to-Toe or vice versa (see "Combat Tactics").

4. Assemble — You call for allies. Search your deck for a Sidekick card, show it to your opponent, and put it in your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.

5. Recharge — You gather your strength. All of your non-ready Powers (including those on your Sidekick) turn 1 "click" counterclockwise toward the "ready" position (see "Charging Powers").

6. Mission — You receive a message from a contact, warning of a new villainous plot. Put a Mission card into play from your hand, revealing the threat to Paragon City.

7. Rest — Draw two cards from your deck and add them to your hand. You will use this action frequently throughout the battle to replenish your hand.

Reacts

"You'll know what to do. If you didn't, we wouldn't have chosen you."

Reacts are similar to but different from Actions. Cards that have the "React:" trait are instantly used at a specific time described in the card text (the trigger is described right after the word "React," between the first and second colons).

Using a React does not count as an Action. You can React to the same trigger more than once using different cards, but a single card can only React once. The card is used, activated, or discarded after the React just as if it were an action (i.e. an Edge card with a React is discarded, a Power with a React must be activated and charged, etc.).

If multiple players wish to play Reacts at the same time, start with the player performing the current action and go clockwise around the table until everyone has played all the Reacts that they wish to play.

Combat Tactics

"I don't care what you're planning, Dreck. It's over now." — Valkyrie

Different supers approach combat in different ways. Some prefer to deal with enemies up close and personal, while others prefer to evade direct contact and take out their foes at long range. Your Hero (and his Sidekick) will change tactics during the course of a fight. This is represented by their positions on the table. The two Combat Tactics you can use are Toe-to-Toe (up close, pursuing enemies in melee range) or Run-'n'-Gun (avoiding close contact to use long-distance attacks). Move supers using Toe-to-Toe Tactics several inches closer to your opponent and supers using Run-'n'-Gun several inches away, so that each Hero's and Sidekick's Combat Tactics are obvious. A super with melee attacks tends to fight Toe-to-Toe, and supers with ranged attacks prefer to Run-'n'-Gun to force the melee types to expend energy chasing them (see "Targeting and Chasing").

Gameplay Continued

Activating Powers

"The first time leaping in front of a runaway train is the hardest." — Wasteland

There are three types of Power cards: Click Powers, Toggle Powers, and Constant Powers. Each one activates differently, whether for an Action or a React (see "Reacts").

• Click Powers are the most common. When you activate a Click Power, you "charge" it, rotating it 1, 2, or 3 "clicks" (90°, 180°, or 270°) clockwise. The recharge icon on the left side of the Power card tells you how many clicks to turn the Power. You can only activate Click Powers that are in the ready (upright) position. Powers are recharged either through the recharge action or through the effects of certain cards. Each recharge action turns all of your Powers 1 click counterclockwise toward the ready position.

• Toggle Powers cannot be activated until it has been turned "on," which takes an action. Toggle Powers are typically defensive shields or other Powers that remain active so long as the super concentrates. A super cannot turn on a Toggle Power if he already has 2 active Toggle Powers. When a Toggle Power is activated, rotate it 180° to indicate it is on. So long as the Power remains in this position, the super gains the benefits of that Power and can activate any Action or React on the Power. If a Toggle Power is turned off (intentionally or by an opponent's card effect), turn the Power 1 click toward ready — it will take one recharge action for the Power to be ready to turn back on.

• Constant Powers are on as soon as you put them into play. You can activate any Action or React on the Power at any time without rotating the Power.

Attacks

"Finally." — Infernal

You may attack an opponent's Hero or Sidekick by activating any Power that has the "Melee Attack" or "Ranged Attack" descriptor in the action text. An attack is resolved in several stages.

1. Declare what attack your Hero (or Sidekick) is performing, and which Power he is using.

2. Pay all costs of the Power, charging the Power and also paying any other special costs in the Power's description (between the first and second colon).

3. Declare the target(s) of the attack and chase down each target if necessary (see "Targeting and Chasing").

4. Check the attack's accuracy against each target's defense to see if the attack hits. Area-effect attacks can hit some targets while missing others.

5. If your accuracy is equal or greater than the target's defense, resolve the attack's effects.

Targeting and Chasing

"Go ahead and run... that just makes it more fun for me!" — Mynx

Attacks come in two types, Melee and Ranged. Melee attacks are designed to work at close range, so a super who wishes to attack a distant target must briefly chase down his target just long enough to make the attack — chasing does not change either super's position. If an attack is redirected to a new target (by a tanker's Taunt Power, for example), the attacker can decide not to chase the new target. Chasing down another super sometimes requires you to discard cards based on the attacker's and target's Combat Tactics (see "Combat Tactics") — if you choose not to discard in order to chase your target, the attack automatically fails.

Attacker's Tactics	Target's Tactics	Discard?
Toe-to-Toe	Toe-to-Toe	No
Toe-to-Toe	Run-'n'-Gun	Melee 1 card, Ranged No
Run-'n'-Gun	Toe-to-Toe	Melee 1 card, Ranged No
Run-'n'-Gun	Run-'n'-Gun	Melee 2 cards, Ranged 1 Card

Accuracy

"Always aim for the center of your target." — Manticore

Once you have paid the costs of a Power (charging, discarding, etc.), compare the accuracy of the Power to the target's defense. The accuracy is the attacking super's base accuracy plus any bonuses (and penalties) provided by other card effects. The attacker and target may each play Inspirations and other Reacts (like some Edge cards and Powers; see "Reacts") to boost their accuracy and defense until both sides run out of bonuses they want to play. If the final accuracy is equal to or greater than the target's defense, the attack is successful, and the Power inflicts its effects on the target (typically damage, though sometimes Powers have other effects).

Damage and Damage Resistance

"It's going to take more than that to keep me down." — Ms. Liberty

When a super takes damage, subtract the damage from that super's Health. There are many types of damage that can be inflicted (like smashing, fire, and energy). A super with resistance reduces damage by that many points each time he suffers damage of a type he is resistant to. Damage is never reduced below 1 point. If a super's Health reaches 0, he is defeated — sent to the Hospital and removed from the game along with all cards attached to him (Powers, Enhancements, etc.). If your Hero's Health ever reaches 0, you lose the game!

Status Effects

"I don't need to kill you to stop you." — Numina

Some Powers, especially those favored by Controllers, inflict status effects on their targets. These status effects interfere with the target's ability to act, and end after the affected super's player takes a number of Actions noted in the Power's description. Status effects can be ended early by card effects, most commonly with a Break Free Inspiration.

• Stun — A stunned super may not activate a Power or move. He may still rest, recharge, and play cards normally. Effects that stun also turn off the target's Toggle Powers.

• Immobilize — An immobilized super may not move or chase, though he can perform all other actions and Reacts normally.

• Knockdown — When a super is knocked down, he must discard 2 cards to use a Power or move during his next action. Usually, it's a better idea to rest or recharge than to continue attacking.

Putting Cards into Play

"Somebody need a Sidekick?" — Apex

When you put a new card into play, place it near or under the card it's attached to so that it's clear what card it is associated with (place Powers next to your Hero or Sidekick; place Enhancements under the Power, with the name sticking out as a reminder.) You may not play a Sidekick if you already have one in play. A super may not have the same Power twice, and a Power may not be enhanced by more than one copy of an Enhancement. You may not play a Mission if you already have an active mission in play, or if the mission has already been completed this game. Powers enter play fully charged, in the ready position. Sidekicks enter play using Toe-to-Toe Tactics.

Many cards have requirements before they may be put into play. Powers in particular nearly always require that the super have access to the Power's powerset, and may require that the super have one or more Powers from that powerset already in play. For example, the Power "Fiery Nova" may only be attached to a super who already has 3 Fire Blast Powers. All supers can use Powers from the Common Pool powerset.

Missions

From time to time, villains threaten the safety of Paragon City's citizens, and it's up to the Heroes to bring the evil-doers to justice. As an action, you may put a mission card into play, introducing a new threat to the city. When you play a mission card, discard any mission card that is currently in play — villains are notoriously unwilling to share the headlines. While the mission card is in play, the villain's plot affects the whole game in a way described after "Threat:". This effect continues until the mission leaves play (usually because the villain is defeated or another mission is played).

A mission can be defeated either of two ways: by fulfilling the mission's "Defeat:" condition or by damaging the villain. Each defeat condition is different (and some villains cannot be tricked into defeat in this fashion), but involves performing an action and paying the necessary costs (discarding cards, charging Powers, etc.). More commonly, a super can simply use his attacks to defeat the villain — a super who reduces the mission's Health to 0 defeats the villain, completing the mission. You can attack the mission's villain as you would any super, but your opponent(s) may use Inspirations on behalf of the villain (the bad guys don't just sit there!). Villains are always Toe-to-Toe. Area attacks targeting villains cannot target other supers, and vice-versa.

The super who completes the mission places the mission card under himself. All supers receive the "Victory:" prize from the mission card, now that Paragon City is safe from the villain's plot. Some cards provide special bonuses to supers who have completed missions.

Inspirations

"With a guy like Statesman rooting for you, it's kind of hard to fail." — Bottle Rocket

All the cards in your deck have Inspirations in the lower left corner. You may discard the card to use its Inspiration effect instead of using that card in the regular way. An Inspiration is a special boost of power that comes from being a Hero, and is played as if it were an Edge card with the following text:

• Insight — React: After this Hero targets an attack: Add +2 Accuracy to this attack.
• Luck — React: After this Hero is targeted by an attack: Add +2 Defense to the Hero for this attack.
• Respite — Action: Recover 2 Health.
• Catch a Breath — Action: Draw 3 cards.
• Break Free — React: Before this Hero performs an action: End 1 status effect that is currently affecting this Hero.
• Enrage — React: Before targeting an attack: This attack does +1 damage of each damage type.

Extended Gameplay

Paragon City is a vibrant city with many challenges for a budding hero, and likewise there are many ways to play and enjoy the City of Heroes CCG. After learning the game with Battlepack challenges, you will want to try building a full tournament-style deck. A tourney deck contains at least 40 cards (not including your hero and starting powers), with no more than 3 copies of any card in the deck. There will always be cards out there that can improve your deck. You can get them through trading with your friends, or by buying new cards in Battlepacks or in booster packs available at your local game store or comic book shop. Also, watch for future expansion sets that will introduce new Heroes, new types of powers, and other new cards so the playing field constantly evolves.

With either Battlepacks or a build deck, the City of Heroes CCG works exceptionally well with team play: 2-on-2, 3-on-3, and even bigger battles are all exciting and playable. Sealed-play events provide another type of challenge for 1-on-1 or multiplayer play — you design and play your deck with only a limited pool of cards. Whether you play from a single Battlepack, add a few booster packs to the mix, or draft cards from a series of packs, each variant provides a different challenge for you to overcome.

Welcome to Paragon City. We need more heroes like you!