HacKClaD Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Components Overview
  • Assembling the Clad Figure
  • Component Overview
    • The Sequence Board
    • Player Boards
    • The Field Board
    • Skill Cards
    • The Clad Cards
    • Mission Cards
• Game Setup
  • Shared Areas Setup
  • Player Board Setup
  • Character Figure Setup
  • Deck and Turn Card Setup
  • First Game Tips
• Game Overview & Objective
• Game Flow
  • 6.1 – Forecast Phase
  • 6.2 – Draw Phase
  • 6.3 – Draft Phase
  • 6.4 – Action Phase
    • Field and Figure Rules
  • 6.4.1 – The Clad's Turn
    • The Clad Attacks
• Game Flow – Player Actions
  • 6.4.2 – Actions on Your Turn
    • A. Use Skill Cards
    • Skill Card Types
    • B. Take Basic Actions
    • Basic Action Use Limits
    • C. Take CP Actions
  • 6.4.3 – Reactions
• Game Flow – Injuries, Decks & Scoring
  • 6.4.4 – Handling Damage
  • 6.4.5 – Re-Entry
• 7 – Reshuffling Your Deck
  • 7.1 – How to Reshuffle Your Deck
  • 7.2 – How to Reshuffle the Clad Deck
• 8 – The End of the Game
• 9 – Scoring and Determining the Winner
• Extra Info
  • 10 – Glossary
  • 11 – Other Rules
    • 11.1 – Expert Mode
    • 11.2 – Rules for Different Player Counts
      • 11.2.1 – Solo Rules
      • 11.2.2 – Team Match (2- and 4-Player Rules)
• Characters
  • Rosette
  • Flare
  • Luna
  • Mia
  • Amelia
• Gameplay Tips
• FAQ
  • General FAQ
  • Skill Card FAQ

Components

Components Overview

• Witch Figures x5
• Bases x5
• Gauge Markers x13
• Magic Shards: Purple Magic Shards and Red Magic Shards
• Clad Figure x1
• Skill Cards: Basic Skill Cards x40 (back in 5 colors), Enhanced Skill Cards x40 (back in 5 colors)
• Clad Cards: Normal Clad Cards x12, Expert Clad Cards x3
• Mission Cards x18 (front: Mission Card with Title, Objective and VP value; back: Mission Complete with VP value and Appointed Title)
• Sequence Board x1
• Field Board x1
• Player Boards x5

Assembling the Clad Figure

1. Slot the tail piece over the lower spine of the main body piece.
2. Pull the tail piece in the direction of the arrow to secure it on the body.
3. Slot the center of the wings into the middle of the main body. The front of the wings piece is shown in the image.
4. Slot the head piece onto the top of the main body.

Component Overview

The Sequence Board

1. The Clad Deck Space: This is where the face down Clad cards that form the Clad deck are placed.
2. Voltage Gauge: This gauge shows how many Voltage and ATK points the Clad currently has.
3. Clad Card Slots: This is where the Clad cards for the current round are placed.
4. Turn Slots (1st - 4th place): This is where you place your Turn cards to indicate the player turn order for the round. (The Skill card you place on the Sequence board is referred to as a Turn card.)
5. Standby Slots (1st - 4th place): This is where you slide your Turn card to show player order during the Draft Phase. At the start of your turn, you will slide your Turn card into the corresponding Standby slot.

Player Boards

6. Magic Shard Pool: This is where you place the Magic Shards you collect.
7. Injuries Gauge: This is where you keep track of the number of times you've been injured, using a Gauge Marker cube.
8. MP Gauge: This is where you keep track of your MP (Magical Power), using a Gauge Marker cube.
9. CP Gauge: This is where you keep track of your CP (Charged Power), using a Gauge Marker cube. This is also where your CP actions are detailed.
10. Flavor Text: Background information about your character. This has no effect on the gameplay.
11. Basic Actions: This is where your Basic Actions are detailed. Each character's stats are unique.
12. Enhanced Deck Space: This is where you keep your Enhanced Skill cards. Put all these cards in a face down pile. Orient them sideways to differentiate them from the Basic deck below it.
13. Deck Space: This is where you keep your Skill cards. Put all these cards in a face down pile. Keep them upright to differentiate them from your Enhanced deck.
14. Discard Pile: This is where you place any cards that you use or discard. All cards in your discard pile are viewable by all players.

Moving the Gauge Markers: Move the marker to the right to add to your gauge count, and to the left to reduce it. You cannot add to your MP or CP Gauge when the marker is at the maximum. Any MP or CP you gain when the marker is at max. is lost. However, if you exceed the max. of 7 on the Injuries Gauge, use another marker and continue counting from 8 and above.

The Field Board

15. Entry Point Spaces (A-D): These spaces are used at the start of the game and when a Witch who suffered an injury re-enters the battlefield.

Skill Cards

16. Range: The area that Attack and Attack Magic Skill cards will target. You can use a Skill card with a defined Range when the Clad is in the area marked in red, compared to your Witch's position in the Field, as indicated by the black square.
17. ATK (Attack): The amount of damage that Attack and Attack Magic Skill cards can deal. When you use this type of card, deal that much damage to the Clad and gain the same number of VP by taking Magic Shards. This number may be modified by the card's effect text.
18. MP (Magic Power): The amount of MP it costs to use Attack Magic, Support Magic, and Reaction Magic Skill cards. You must reduce your MP Gauge by this amount to use these types of cards.
19. Card Name: The Skill card's name.
20. Skill Type Icon: This shows the card's Skill type. There are 6 Skill types: Attack, Attack Magic, Reaction, Reaction Magic, Support, and Support Magic.
21. VP (Victory Points): This shows the number of points this card is worth at the end of the game. All cards in your deck with a VP value will add to your total Victory Points during final scoring.
22. Effect Text: This text describes the conditions to use the card, or the card's effect. Unless otherwise defined on the card, any text referring to the "deck" or the "discard pile" always refers to your own deck and discard pile.
23. Flavor Text: Background information about your character and the game world. This has no effect on gameplay.
24. Enhanced Skill Identifier: If the card is an Enhanced Skill card, it will have "Enhanced Skill" written at the bottom.

Magic Shards: Purple Magic Shards are worth 1 VP each. Red Magic Shards are worth 5 VP each. You may exchange Shards during the game as needed, changing up or down for the equivalent value. Magic Shards are an unlimited resource: If you run out, use another token or marker as a substitute.

The Clad Cards

25. Voltage: The card's Voltage value. As the Voltage on the Sequence board increases, the cards with the corresponding Voltage value are added to the Clad deck.
26. Card Name: The name of the Clad card.
27. Area of Effect: This shows the area that the Clad's actions will affect.
28. Action Icons: These icons show the actions the Clad will take. Carry out the actions in order from left to right. (For more information on icons, see 6.4.1 – The Clad's Turn.)
29. Expert Mode Swap Card: The name of the card you will swap this one for in Expert Mode. The swap card name is only printed on the Expert Clad cards.

The Clad Figure's Direction: The direction of the arrow indicates "forward facing." Any spaces on the opposite side are considered to be "behind" the Clad. This is important for some card effects.

Mission Cards

30. Title: The prestigious title you will receive for completing this Mission.
31. Objective: The requirements for completing this Mission. You can complete multiple Missions at the same time. You do not need to choose just 1 Mission to complete if you meet the conditions for several Mission cards at once.
32. VP: Any Mission you complete will add the indicated number of VP to your total Victory Points during final scoring.

Game Setup

If this is your first game, we encourage you to read the First Game Tips below.

Shared Areas Setup

1. Lay the Sequence board and the Field board next to each other in the center of the table.
2. Take a Gauge Marker cube and place it in the Voltage 1 space on the Sequence board.
3. Take the 6 Normal Clad cards with Voltage 1 written in the top left corner and shuffle them face down to make the Clad deck. Place it in the Clad deck space. The Expert Clad cards are only used when playing Expert Mode. Return them to the box when playing Normal Mode. (For more about Expert Mode, see 11 – Other Rules.)
4. Sort the remaining Clad cards by their Voltage value and place them next to the Sequence board.
5. Put all the Magic Shards in a pile within easy reach of all players. This is referred to as the Magic Shard Reserve.

Player Board Setup

6. Choose the character you want to play as and take the player board with that character on it, her Skill cards, and her Witch figure. Return any remaining characters to the box.

   If you have extra copies of HacKClaD, multiple players may choose to play as the same character. If you do, make sure you differentiate your cards and figures in some way.

7. Put your character's Basic Skill cards in a pile on your deck space, and her Enhanced Skill cards in a pile on the Enhanced deck space.

8. Take 3 Gauge Marker cubes and place 1 on each Gauge space marked 0 on your Player board.

Character Figure Setup

9. Choose the order in which you will take your turns, from the first player to the fourth. (They will be referred to as Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, and Player 4 from now on.) Depending on the number of players, rules that mention Players 3 and 4 may not be relevant for your game.

   Player 1 puts their Witch on Entry Point A of the Field. Continuing in order, all players put their Witches on their Entry Point space—Player 2 uses Entry Point B, Player 3 uses C, and Player 4 uses D.

10. Assemble the Clad figure and place it on the central space of the Field, facing the direction shown in the setup image. (See Assembling the Clad Figure above.)

Deck and Turn Card Setup

11. Randomly choose 10 of the 18 Mission cards and place them face up on the table so the objectives are visible to all players. Then, choose a total of 2 Mission cards each, in the following player order: Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, Player 4, Player 4, Player 3, Player 2, Player 1. Place the 2 Mission cards you chose face up in front of you, near your Player board.
12. Choose 1 of your character's Enhanced Skill cards, and keeping it hidden from the other players, add it to your other 8 Basic Skill cards and shuffle them together face down to make your deck. Place it on your deck space. Place the rest of your Enhanced Skill cards face down in your Enhanced Skill deck space.
13. Player 1 draws the top card from their deck without looking at it, and keeping it face down, places it on the 1st Standby slot (the rightmost space). Player 2 then does the same and takes the 2nd Standby slot, Player 3 takes the 3rd, and Player 4 takes the 4th slot.

First Game Tips

• Choosing a Character (Step 6): Amelia is a more complex character strategy-wise, so we recommend choosing her after you're used to the flow of the game. Rosette, Flare, Luna, and Mia are good characters to play for your first game.
• Taking Mission Cards (Step 11): Instead of choosing your Mission cards, we recommend giving pre-determined Mission cards to each character. The best character to Mission card combos are:

Character Name	Titles
Rosette	Destroyer, Striker
Flare	Survivor, Indestructible
Luna	Mage, Hard Hitter
Mia	Lightning, Magpie

Game Overview & Objective

In a ruined world, where great monsters known as the Clad assail humanity, powerful Witches fight for renown.

Strike down the Clad and gain fame in HacKClaD, the strategy sim game! As Witches, use your future sight to stand against the Clad and compete for the spoils of war.

Magic Shards and completed Mission cards award VP, and the player with the most VP at the end of the game wins.

Below are the basic rules for 2-4 players. HacKClaD is best with 3-4 players, but playing with 2 players is a great way to learn the game. See Other Rules for more information.

Game Flow

The game is played over a series of rounds. Each round consists of 4 phases, as follows:

1. Forecast Phase: Looking into the future to see what the Clad will be doing this round.
2. Draw Phase: Replenishing your hand.
3. Draft Phase: Determining turn order.
4. Action Phase: Resolving Clad and player actions in turn order.

The Sequence board depicts the full flow of a round. Follow the clockwise spiral from the top left corner to play all the 4 phases in order.

Each player takes their turn in order during the Draft Phase and Action Phase. To move smoothly through the round, choose a player who knows the game well or a player that is sitting near the Sequence board to narrate the phase sequence.

6.1 – Forecast Phase

Draw 1 card at a time from the Clad deck, placing them in the Clad slots starting from the left. If there are no cards in the Clad deck, carry out 7.2 – How to Reshuffle the Clad Deck. Then, draw cards to fill up the Clad slots as above.

6.2 – Draw Phase

All players draw from their decks until they have 3 cards in their hands. When you run out of cards in your deck, carry out 7 – Reshuffling Your Deck. Then, draw the rest of the cards you need. Keep your hand hidden from the other players.

6.3 – Draft Phase

Each player's Skill card on the Sequence board is referred to as their Turn card. The player whose Turn card is in the 1st Standby slot (the rightmost slot) takes the following steps 0 to 3 in order:

0. If your Witch is on top of your Turn card, carry out 6.4.5 – Re-Entry. Otherwise, skip this step.
1. Add the Turn card from your Standby slot to your hand.
2. Choose a Turn slot other than the one your Turn card was below and place 1 of the cards from your hand there, face down.
3. Gain the effect written directly under the Turn slot you chose.

Then, the next player with their Turn card in the 2nd Standby slot carries out steps 0 - 3 in order. Continue with the Standby order until all players have taken steps 0 - 3.

6.4 – Action Phase

In the Action Phase, all players take their turns in alternating order with the Clad, starting with the player who took the 1st (leftmost) Turn slot.

At the start of your turn, slide your Turn card from its Turn slot to the Standby slot directly beneath it. If your Witch is on top of your Turn card at this point, carry out 6.4.5 – Re-Entry before starting your turn.

Actions you can take on your turn are explained in detail in Game Flow – Player Actions.

Field and Figure Rules

During each turn, you'll be moving figures on the Field, taking actions, and making attacks. The following rules apply to the Field and the figures on it:

• Figures can move left, right, up, or down to adjacent spaces. They cannot move diagonally or skip a space. Adjacency is only for orthogonal, not diagonal spaces. If you move your Witch onto a space containing Magic Shards, you take those Magic Shards. However, if the Clad moves onto a space containing Magic Shards, it does not collect them. Instead, both the Clad and the Shards occupy that space.
• Witches cannot move through or share spaces occupied by the Clad or other Witches.
• You may change the direction your Witch faces at any time.
• The Clad can only change direction as directed by Clad cards and Skill cards.
• The Field loops at the edges—top to bottom and left to right. Movement or attacks that aim outside the Field are resolved on the spaces on the opposite side of the board.

6.4.1 – The Clad's Turn

On the Clad's turn, it will carry out the actions on the next Clad card in order, starting with the icon on the left.

The player who just took their own turn resolves the Clad's actions. Alternatively, a player who knows the game well can carry out the Clad's turn.

Each icon is explained below:

Icon	Effect
Attack	A normal attack that targets the red-marked spaces.
Move 1 / Move 2	Move the Clad figure the indicated number of spaces in the direction it is facing. When moving the Clad, it first performs a Trample Attack in the space it is moving to. Damage from Trample Attacks cannot be negated.
Face Right / Face Left / Turn Around	Change the direction the Clad figure is facing.
Drop	Take a Purple Magic Shard from the Shard Reserve to place on the space marked with this icon. If there is a Witch in that space, that player immediately gains that Magic Shard.

The Clad Attacks

If there is a Witch in a space where the Clad can perform a normal Attack or a Trample Attack, that Witch takes damage. The damage the Clad does is equal to the current Clad ATK value, shown on the Voltage Gauge on the Sequence board. (In the rulebook's example, the ATK value is 3.)

When a Witch takes damage from the Clad's Attack, that Witch can use a Reaction (described later) before resolving the Clad card. A Witch can also use a Reaction when another player's action causes the Clad to move and perform a Trample Attack.

When a Witch takes damage from the Clad, follow the steps in 6.4.4 – Handling Damage.

Game Flow – Player Actions

6.4.2 – Actions on Your Turn

Players can take 3 kinds of actions on their turn—A, B, and C. As long as you can pay the Costs and meet the requirements of the actions, you can take them as many times as you like and in any order. However, Reactions—actions with the Reaction and Reaction Magic icons—may only be taken in response to a Clad Attack as described in 6.4.3 – Reactions.

When you cannot take any more actions or do not wish to take any more, your turn ends. Let the other players know you are ending your turn.

A. Use Skill Cards

"Skill cards" includes Basic Skill cards and Enhanced Skill cards. Both are used in the same way. To use a Skill card, follow the steps below:

1. Choose Your Skill Card: Reveal 1 Skill card from your hand and place it face up on the table.

2. Check the Requirements and Pay the Cost: Confirm that you can meet all the conditions and requirements on the card, then pay any applicable Cost (and/or any Extra Cost) to play it. If you cannot fulfill all of the conditions on the card or pay the full Cost, you cannot use that Skill card. Return it to your hand.

3. Resolve Your Skill Card's Effect: Follow the effect text on the card to carry out your Skill card's action. If you deal damage to the Clad using a Skill card, gain that many Magic Shards from the Shard Reserve and put them in your VP area. Depending on the effect text of your card, you may be able to make changes to your deck. See 7 – Reshuffling Your Deck.

   A Skill card you are currently resolving is not part of your discard pile yet. However, cards you discard as part of paying the Cost of a Skill card you are resolving are part of your discard pile when carrying out its effects.

4. Discard Your Skill Card: When you have finished resolving the effects of the Skill card, move it to your discard pile.

Skill Card Types

Attack and Attack Magic: These Skill cards deal damage to the Clad and can only be used on your turn. Whether or not you can use a card is dependent on the position of your Witch relative to the Clad. The Clad must be within the Range shown on the Skill card: with your Witch positioned where the red pin is, the Clad must be in one of the red spaces.

If you successfully use a Skill card, deal the amount of ATK damage indicated on the card to the Clad. Then, gain that many Magic Shards from the Shard Reserve as VP. Other Witches on spaces within the Range of your Attack do not take damage.

Attack Example: Rosette uses the Tail Whip Skill card while in the position shown in the rulebook's image.

• Tail Whip deals damage to the Range shown as red-highlighted spaces.
• So, Rosette Attacks for 1 ATK point on the Clad and takes a 1 VP Magic Shard from the Shard Reserve. Although Mia is also within Range of this Attack, she does not take any damage.

Support and Support Magic: These Skill cards assist you in battle and can only be used on your turn. They have effects when you play them, as well as effects that manifest under certain circumstances.

Reaction and Reaction Magic: These Skill cards are used to respond to the Clad's attacks. See 6.4.3 – Reactions for full details.

B. Take Basic Actions

These are the fundamental actions you can always take on your turn. To take a Basic Action, discard any 1 card from your hand and perform the action.

The Basic Actions and their effects are written on your player board. Their effects are explained below:

• +1 Move: Move your Witch 1 space on the Field. (Only during your turn.)
• +1 MP: Add 1 to your MP Gauge. (Only during your turn.)
• -1 DMG: Reduce the damage dealt to you by an Attack by 1. (Only available when you may use a Reaction.)

Exception: If you discard Passive Shield to take the -1 DMG Basic Action, Passive Shield's effect now applies from your discard pile and the damage is reduced by 2 in total.

Basic Action Use Limits

Basic Actions can only be used a certain number of times per round. That number is different for each character. In the example in the rulebook, discarding a card to take the +1 Move Basic Action can only be done twice in one round (use limit per round: +1 Move 2x, +1 MP 1x, -1 DMG 2x).

C. Take CP Actions

CP Actions require Charged Points to use, which are gained when changing the cards in your deck as in 7 – Reshuffling Your Deck. CP Action Costs and effects are written on your player board.

• To take a CP Action, reduce your CP Gauge by the CP Cost number shown next to it.
• The Skill type icon next to the Cost shows when the CP action can be used. Support (green) actions can only be used on your turn, while Reaction (yellow) actions can only be used when Reacting (described later). (Example: Cost 1 CP, Support: Move 1 space or add +1 to your MP Gauge.)

6.4.3 – Reactions

Reactions are actions that you can take in response to an Attack from the Clad. You cannot use a Reaction at will.

When the Clad performs an Attack or Trample Attack, a Witch in a space within the Attack's Range can use any actions marked with the Reaction icon before the Clad's Attack is resolved. These actions are called Reactions.

Reactions are resolved as part of the Clad's Attack, following the steps below:

1. Players use Reactions in the turn order for that round if more than one player's Witch is in Range of the Clad's Attack. The player currently using their Reaction is the "active player."
2. The active player chooses 1 Reaction type Skill card, Basic Action, or CP Action. If that Reaction does not change the Clad's Attack Range, the active player may then immediately use another Reaction.
3. When the active player has finished using Reactions, they pass, and the next player in the current turn order becomes the active player and may use their Reactions.
4. If the Reaction did change the Clad's Attack Range, the Witches who can now use Reactions may have changed. Double check who is in Range, and of those, the player who is earliest in the turn order is now the active player. This restarts the Reaction turn order, so players who have already passed may now decide to take a Reaction (even if they had not chosen to take any Reactions before).
5. If a Reaction causes the Clad to make a Trample Attack, subsequent Reactions and Injuries that apply to that Trample Attack are resolved before any further Reactions.
6. Once all players in range have passed, return to The Clad Attacks.

Flowchart summary: Attack begins. Are there players in range who haven't passed? If no, carry out the Clad's Attack (attack ends). If yes, of all those players, the earliest in the turn order becomes the active player. Has the active player chosen to use a Reaction? If no, the active player passes (and the check repeats). If yes, resolve the Reaction. Did the Clad's Attack Range change? If yes, reset all players' pass states and repeat; if no, return to the check for players in range who haven't passed.

Game Flow – Injuries, Decks & Scoring

6.4.4 – Handling Damage

When a Witch takes 1 or more points of damage from the Clad, they must follow these steps:

1. Increase your Injuries Gauge by 1, even if you took more than 1 point of damage.
2. Take a number of Magic Shards from your Shard Pool that is equal to the amount of damage you took and place them on the space your Witch occupies. If you do not have the required number of Magic Shards, just place as many on the space as you can.
3. Take your Witch off the Field board and place her on your Turn card.

6.4.5 – Re-Entry

If your Witch is on your Turn card in the Draft Phase or Action Phase, you must get her back onto the battlefield. Choose an Entry Point on the Field that is not occupied by a Witch or the Clad and place your Witch on it. If there are no available Entry Points, you may choose any space on the board.

If there are any Magic Shards in the space you re-enter the battlefield on, you take them immediately. Once you are back on the board, carry out the rest of the Phase or your Actions as normal.

7 – Reshuffling Your Deck

If you need to draw or reveal a card from your deck but there are no cards left, you need to reshuffle your deck. If you need to reshuffle your deck in the middle of resolving several Skill cards, carry out the rest of the Skill card effects after reshuffling your deck.

7.1 – How to Reshuffle Your Deck

1. Increase your CP Gauge by 1.
2. You may upgrade your deck by swapping in an Enhanced card. Choose a card from your Enhanced deck and swap it with any card in your discard pile. Keep the cards you swap hidden from the other players.
3. Thoroughly shuffle your discard pile while keeping it face down and place it on your deck space.

7.2 – How to Reshuffle the Clad Deck

1. Increase the Clad's Voltage Gauge by 1.
2. Find the 3 cards that match the new Voltage value and add them to the Clad cards you have already resolved. Shuffle them all together and place them on the Clad deck space.

Example: After increasing the Clad's Voltage by 1, its Voltage Gauge is now at 2. Find the Clad cards with "Voltage 2" in the top left corner and add them to the Clad deck.

8 – The End of the Game

The game ends after the 9th round — when the Voltage Gauge on the Sequence board is at 3 and the Clad deck has run out. All players finish their turns and play to the end of the round before moving on to Scoring.

9 – Scoring and Determining the Winner

Calculate your total VP by carrying out the 4 steps below, in order:

1. Count the number of VP from your Magic Shards.
2. Add the VP shown on the 9 cards in your deck, including your Turn card and the cards in your hand.
3. Add the VP from your completed Mission cards.
4. Subtract the number shown above the marker on your Injuries Gauge from your total VP.

The player with the highest VP total wins the game, earning prestige for their Witch and power for her clan!

If there is a tie for the highest total VP, use the tie-breakers below, in order from top to bottom:

1. The player with the fewest Injuries.
2. The player with the most completed Mission cards.
3. The player with the most VP on the 9 cards in their deck and hand.
4. The player who went last at the start of the game (Player 4 in a 4-player game).

Scoresheets to help keep track of your games are provided at the back of the rulebook; a printable version is available at www.japanimegames.com.

Extra Info

10 – Glossary

• Extra Costs: If you play a card that indicates an Extra Cost, you must also carry out the instructions on that card. If you cannot pay the Extra Cost, you cannot use that Skill card.
• Repel: When the Clad is Repelled by a Witch, it staggers under the onslaught and is redirected, moving with the direction of the attack (away from the Witch who Repelled it). Repel won't necessarily correspond to the Clad's forward-facing direction: The Clad doesn't change its direction as a result of the movement caused by Repel. Repel resolves last—resolve all other effects and discard your Skill card before resolving the Repel.
• Reveal: Some cards specify that you must turn them face up and show them to the other players temporarily. Turn the card back over when you have finished resolving the effects.
• Reduce: Reduce the amount of damage you take from the Clad by the indicated value. This effect cannot reduce the damage you take to less than 0.

11 – Other Rules

11.1 – Expert Mode

You can swap the cards from the Clad deck for Expert Clad cards at any player count. This will make the fight more challenging for those who really want to gain renown! Return the 3 Clad cards called "Veer Right," "Veer Left," and "Rush" to the box. Use the 3 Expert Clad cards in their place:

Card to switch with	Expert Clad card
Veer Left	Staggering Sweep Left
Veer Right	Staggering Sweep Right
Rush	Tail Rush

11.2 – Rules for Different Player Counts

No. of Players	Basic Rules	Solo Rules	Team Match	Expert Mode
1	No	Yes	No	Yes
2	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
3	Yes	No	No	Yes
4	Yes	No	Yes	Yes

11.2.1 – Solo Rules

Face the Clad alone, striving for as many VP as you can secure! To play a solo game, make the following changes to the basic rules:

Change 1: Setting up the Clad Deck. Shuffle the Voltage 1 and Voltage 2 cards together and remove 3 at random without looking at them. The 6 remaining cards make up the Clad deck.

Change 2: Reshuffling the Clad Deck. The first time you reshuffle the Clad deck, shuffle the 3 cards you removed during setup and the Voltage 3 cards together, face down. Randomly draw 3 of these cards to add to the Clad deck. Place the remaining 3 cards face down on the table. The second time you reshuffle the Clad deck, add these cards without looking at them.

Change 3: Unrevealed Clad Slots. When placing cards in the Clad slots during the Forecast Phase, keep the card in the second slot face down. Only reveal this card when the Clad is about to take that turn.

Change 4: Additional Turn Slot Limitations.

• At the start of your turn, after sliding your Turn card to the Standby slot directly beneath it, place a Magic Shard on the Turn slot it just occupied as a marker.
• During the Draft Phase, you may not place your Turn card on a Turn slot with a Magic Shard on it.
• If all Turn slots have Magic Shards on them at the start of the Draft Phase, take them all off the board before choosing your Turn slot.

11.2.2 – Team Match (2- and 4-Player Rules)

By splitting into two teams, you can play a team match version of the game. In a 2-player team match, each player controls 2 characters. The gameplay takes on a new kind of fire when you work 2 characters together to obstruct the opposing team. Your team's score is the total of both characters' VP in a tag-team match, and the team with the highest total wins!

Characters

Rosette

Difficulty Level: 1 star. Attack: 3 stars. Defense: 1 star.

The close-quarters combat specialist. With her basic deck made almost entirely of Attack cards, Rosette stands her ground and boasts unparalleled strength in fist fights. Her defense is meager, but she makes up for it with a range of combos and Repel attacks. Go for a relentless onslaught without regard for Injuries to claim the spoils of war.

Basic Action Use Limits: +1 Move 2x, +1 MP 1x, -1 DMG 2x. Innate CP Action, Blaze Out: All Attack and Attack Magic cards you use this round have +2 ATK.

Flare

Difficulty Level: 2 stars. Attack: 2 stars. Defense: 3 stars.

A Witch with outstanding defenses. Her abundance of Reaction Skills allows her to stay close to the Clad, even during the endgame when the Clad's attacks intensify. Planning how you'll use Move and Hook Shot to support her low movement is key. Take it at your own speed, using Skills that limit the Clad's movement and Reactions when it gets too close.

Basic Action Use Limits: +1 Move 1x, +1 MP 2x, -1 DMG 3x. Innate CP Action, Protection of the Aristocracy: All damage you take this round is reduced to 0. You cannot move the Clad or Repel it. (It can still change direction.)

Luna

Difficulty Level: 2 stars. Attack: 3 stars. Defense: 2 stars.

The attack magic specialist. With such a long range, her attacks hit the mark even with her limited movement. On top of that, she can spin plans that span rounds with the skills she has to manipulate her deck. She has many skills that use MP, so take a balanced approach by conserving MP instead of forcing yourself to use Skill cards.

Basic Action Use Limits: +1 Move 1x, +1 MP 2x, -1 DMG 2x. Innate CP Action, Sabbath: Set your MP Gauge to 7.

Mia

Difficulty Level: 3 stars. Attack: 2 stars. Defense: 1 star.

This Witch specializes in an evasive battle style that makes use of her high movement. While she is free to run the Clad round in circles, she also needs to think on her feet to read the fight and set the odds of battle in her favor to really get results. Keep an eye out for any opportunities while making sure to be fleet-footed near the end of the game, when Magic Shards really start to accumulate on the Field.

Basic Action Use Limits: +1 Move 3x, +1 MP 1x, -1 DMG 1x. Innate CP Action, Scythe Saltation: Every time you pick up any number of Magic Shards from the Field this round, deal the same amount of damage to the Clad (take that many Shards from the Reserve).

Amelia

Difficulty Level: 3 stars. Attack: 1 star. Defense: 2 stars.

Though her attack power is weaker early on, Amelia is skilled in powering up her deck and actions. She makes up for her slow start with fantastic abilities later in the game. She's a technical character that requires care in how you manage her deck and Turn cards. Make good use of Upgrade and Defrag to boost her deck, then aim for heavy damage in the late game with Crossfire and Fractography.

Basic Action Use Limits: +1 Move 1x, +1 MP 2x, -1 DMG 1x. Innate CP Action, Phronesis: Discard your whole deck.

Gameplay Tips

Use, use, use your cards! If your chances to reshuffle your deck are limited, your chances to gain CP and Enhanced Skills are limited too. Especially in the opening rounds, use all of the cards in your hand to reshuffle quicker and prepare for the closing battle.

Make use of your Turn card! The card you chose as your Turn card comes back into your hand in the next round. As well as simply choosing a card you don't want to use this round as your Turn card, you can treat it as a way to hold on to cards you want to use in combos or as Reactions when things get down to the wire. Skillfully make your Turn card part of your strategy.

Ascertain the Risks of Injuries! Even if you do get knocked down, you can make use of your re-entry timing and location to minimize losing points. Don't be afraid to get hurt; be flexible and adapt to the situation instead!

FAQ

General FAQ

• Can Reactions be used in response to a Trample Attack? Yes. However, any damage-reducing effects are ignored. Other effects still resolve normally. (You can also use a Reaction card with the goal of using up your hand, even if it has no actual effect.)
• If the Clad is moved by a Skill card or Repel, is that movement treated as a Trample Attack? Yes, it is still counted as a Trample Attack. If there is a Witch in the space the Clad moves to, she may use a Reaction. See 'The Clad Attacks' in section 6.4.1 – The Clad's Turn.
• When using a Skill card with a Repel effect, at what point does it go to the discard pile? Put the Skill card in your discard pile after you have resolved all the other effects besides Repel. Then, carry out the Clad's Repelled movement.
• If I deal damage to the Clad in a way other than with a Skill card, do I still gain Magic Shards? Yes, you still gain Magic Shards. If you deal damage to the Clad in any way, you take a number of Magic Shards (VP) from the reserve equal to the amount of damage you inflicted.
• Can I complete multiple Missions at the same time? Yes.
• Can I use a Skill card even if there is no target for the card's effect to work on? And, how do I resolve it in that situation? Yes, you can still use the Skill card. As long as you can pay any Cost or Extra Cost and meet the requirements written in the effect text, you may use that card. If the effect has no target, that part of the effect is ignored and you resolve only the parts that can be resolved.
• At what point are you "Using a card?" The point at which you are considered to be "using" a card is when you have paid any required Cost and met the requirements to use that card.
• Can I still use Skill cards and Actions after taking damage on my turn? No, you cannot. If the player taking their turn takes damage (is injured), their turn is immediately over.

Skill Card FAQ

• I Repelled the Clad from its left side, causing it to Trample Attack to the right. If Luna uses the Reaction Mirror of Eight in Response, how is the Clad's movement affected? The Clad now moves towards the Witch that Repelled it. First, Mirror of Eight turns the Clad to face the opposite direction. Then it moves towards its right. When you Repel the Clad, you cause it to stumble to the right from its own forward facing direction, but then Mirror of Eight interrupts to change the direction the Clad is facing before it is Repelled. It then stumbles from the Repel, still going to its right.
• If I discard Verve to pay the Extra Cost for Firecracker, does Firecracker's ATK increase? Yes, Verve's effect adds ATK to Firecracker. For details about resolution order, see the question above, "At what point are you 'Using a card?'"
• Rosette is 2 spaces in front of the Clad when it uses Rush to move 2 spaces. Can Rosette use her Skill card Counter Cross? No, she cannot use Counter Cross. The Clad moves 2 spaces in a single movement, not 1 space at a time. In order to use Counter Cross, Rosette must be adjacent to the Clad before its Attack resolves; i.e., before the 'Move 2' icon.
• When I move from Flare's Hook Shot effect, can I choose between moving in the direction of the Attack and the opposite direction? No, Hook Shot only allows you to move in the direction of the Attack. If there is another Witch between you and the Clad, you do not move.
• While in the Clad's Attack Range, Flare uses Reflect. Then, Luna uses Mirror of Eight to change the Clad's direction and Flare is no longer in the Clad's Range. In this instance, can Reflect's effect still deal damage to the Clad? No, as Reflect is a Skill that requires Flare to be Attacked to trigger. It cannot damage the Clad if she is outside the Clad's Attack Range.