Pocket Paragons: Origins Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Card Structure
  • Card Types
  • Ability Cancellation Chart
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • 1. Play Abilities
  • 2. Cancel Abilities
  • 3. Deal Damage
  • 4. Apply Effects
  • 5. End of the Round
• Destruction
• Draw
• Health
• Energy
• Super Abilities
  • Permanent Super Abilities
  • Playable Super Abilities
• Game Formats
  • Standard
  • Conquest
  • Legacy
  • Team Selection
  • Conquest
  • Legacy
    • Passing Abilities
• Solo Play
  • Components
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
  • Destruction
  • Card Selection Order
  • Challenge
  • Legacy

Components

• 10 hero decks of 8 cards each: 1 hero card and 7 ability cards
• 13 divider cards
• 2 counters

Card Structure

Hero cards: Name; Difficulty Level (rated from 1 to 3); Talent (the hero's key ability); Play Style (not a game effect).

Ability cards: Type (7 different types are in the game); Name; Attack value (if any; the damage dealt to the opponent); Effect (the unique effect of the ability card); Type effect (a general effect shared by cards of that type).

Card Types

Strength, Weapon, Intellect, Defense, Dexterity, Respite, Super Ability.

Ability Cancellation Chart

Based on "Rock, Paper, Scissors": Intellect cancels Strength, Strength cancels Dexterity, Dexterity cancels Intellect.

Setup

Each player chooses a hero and takes its 8 cards. Place the chosen hero card on the table, along with its Super Ability card, which starts the game in reserve. The player takes the other 6 cards into hand. Place a counter next to the hero card, setting health to 10 and energy to 0.

Gameplay

The game lasts several rounds, each consisting of the following consecutive steps:

1. Play Abilities

Each player chooses 1 card from their hand and places it face down on the table. Then the players simultaneously reveal the chosen cards.

2. Cancel Abilities

Some type effects allow some ability cards to cancel others (see the Ability Cancellation Chart). For example, a Strength card cancels a Dexterity card. If the card you played cancels your opponent's card, you immediately gain 1 energy. Ignore the attack and all effects of the cancelled card, unless stated otherwise (see step 4).

3. Deal Damage

Each uncancelled card deals damage to the opponent equal to its attack value, which is shown in the center of the card and may be modified by effects. Reduce the heroes' health by the corresponding amounts.

The type effect of Defense cards (and some other effects) allows you to block damage dealt to you. A block is considered successful if the card blocked at least 1 damage. Blocked damage is not dealt.

4. Apply Effects

All effects are mandatory, except effects that say "may" — you choose whether to apply those or not.

Some effects can only be applied after damage is dealt. Such effects begin with the words "on hit" and are applied immediately after the card has dealt at least 1 damage to the opponent.

Some effects may also remove cards. Removed cards are taken out of the game until the end of the match.

Ignore the effects of the opponent's cancelled card unless stated otherwise (for example, the Breakthrough effect deals 1 unblockable damage to the opponent if they cancelled your card).

5. End of the Round

Discard the played cards, and return cancelled cards to your hand (unless an effect says otherwise). Discarded cards lie face up on the table next to the hero card so that the opponent can look at them at any time.

If at this moment at least one hero's health is 0 or less, the game ends. The player whose hero has more health wins. Otherwise, begin a new round.

Example. Anton played the Intellect card "Summer Heat" and Igor played the Strength card "Scorching Grip". The Intellect card cancels the Strength card (shown at the bottom of the card). Anton immediately gains 1 energy for cancelling the opponent's card, then deals 3 damage to the opponent and applies all possible effects (takes a Defense card from his discard pile, if there is one). Igor applies the Breakthrough effect, since his card was cancelled, and deals 1 unblockable damage to the opponent. Then Anton discards the played card, and Igor returns the cancelled card to his hand.

Destruction

The type effect of Weapon cards allows you to destroy the opponent if they played a Respite card in the same round. If this happens, the game immediately ends with your victory. Some heroes have additional ways to destroy an opponent.

Draw

If at the end of the round both heroes' health is 0 or less, but is equal, begin a new round. The game ends when, at the end of a round, the heroes' health stops being equal. The player whose hero has more health wins (it may be negative).

Health

Health cannot exceed the maximum number shown on the counter. If you must simultaneously take damage and restore health, first take the damage, then restore the health.

Energy

Energy cannot exceed the maximum number shown on the counter. Energy is required to activate the Super Ability card and can be gained by playing a Respite card or by cancelling an opponent's card. Energy for cancelling an ability is gained immediately; energy for playing a Respite card is gained at the end of the current round.

Super Abilities

Each hero in this set has 1 Super Ability card. There are 2 kinds of Super Ability cards, both of which start the game in reserve.

Permanent Super Abilities

Such cards always lie on the table, and cannot be taken into hand or discarded. Their effect does not apply until you gain the required amount of energy (shown at the bottom of the card). As soon as this happens, the Super Ability card is no longer in reserve, but remains on the table next to the hero card. After activation, the effect of such cards lasts until the end of the match. Some of these Super Ability cards do not need energy to activate and apply from the very start of the game. Energy accumulated above the activation threshold does not affect the game.

Playable Super Abilities

At the start of the game such cards also lie on the table, and their effect does not apply until you gain the required amount of energy (shown at the bottom of the card). As soon as this happens, take the Super Ability card into your hand. You may play it like any other card. After such a card is played, read on it whether it is removed from the game, discarded, or returned to reserve. If the card is sent to reserve, you lose all energy (set the counter to 0). You can take this card into hand again if you accumulate the required energy once more. Cards in reserve cannot be taken into hand by playing a Respite card.

Game Formats

Standard

Play one match with one hero, or several matches — until someone has two wins.

Conquest

Play with three heroes and try to win a match with each of them.

Legacy

Play with three heroes with the option of passing on the cards of a defeated hero.

Team Selection

For the Conquest and Legacy formats, each player chooses a team of 3 heroes. Once the choice is made, you may look at each other's teams. Then secretly choose one of your heroes for the first match and reveal them simultaneously. Before each new match, perform setup under the normal rules (see Setup).

Conquest

The game lasts several matches. If you won a match with one of your heroes, that hero cannot be used again until the end of the game — you must choose a different hero from your team for the next match. The losing player may change their hero or keep the same one. Both players secretly choose heroes for the next match and reveal them simultaneously. You win by winning 3 times with each of your heroes.

Legacy

The game lasts several matches. If your hero is defeated, that hero cannot be used again until the end of the game — you must choose a different hero from your team for the next match. An ability card of the defeated hero can be passed on to the next hero (see below). The winning player does not change their hero. You win by winning 3 matches against all of your opponent's heroes.

Passing Abilities

When your first hero is defeated, you may choose 1 of its cards and pass it to your second hero. To pass a card, remove from the second hero's deck the card of the same type and add the chosen card from the first hero. Cards with the (super ability) symbol cannot be passed. When your second hero is defeated, you may in the same way pass 1 of its cards to the third hero, including the card it received from the first hero. Do not show your opponent which cards you pass.

Example. Card A can be passed to replace the second hero's Strength card. Card B has the symbol, so it cannot be passed.

Solo Play

Hone your skills in combat in solo mode and take on challenges in battle against the Automa.

Components

10 Automa cards; 10 Automa hero cards; 2 cards for the Legacy format.

Setup

Set up your own side under the normal rules. Look at the Automa hero card that corresponds to your hero. If it has a "Player" section, keep it next to your hero card — this section gives special rules for playing your abilities against the Automa.

Set up the Automa with some changes:

1. Choose the hero you want to play against. Place its Automa hero card face up in front of you (the regular hero card is not needed) and its 7 ability cards — this is the Automa's hand.
2. In the bottom left corner of the Automa hero card are the numbers of the Automa cards that make up its deck — find them, shuffle them, and place them face down.
3. Place a counter next to the Automa hero card and set health to 10 and energy to 0.

Gameplay

The game proceeds by the normal rules, but with some changes for the Automa:

1. Play Abilities. Choose and play a card of your hero under the normal rules. Then reveal 1 card from the top of the Automa's deck — it lists ability card types. Find the topmost type whose card is available to the Automa — it plays that card. Place the revealed deck card in the discard pile face up. If the deck has run out of cards, or the Automa plays a Respite card, shuffle the discard pile and form a new deck.
2. Cancel Abilities. Perform under the normal rules.
3. Deal Damage. Perform under the normal rules.
4. Apply Effects. The Automa hero card may have special conditions for applying effects — follow them. After applying all effects, turn the played Automa card face down. It is considered discarded.
5. End of the Round. Perform under the normal rules.

Example. The Automa card is revealed as shown. First of all, the Automa will try to play the Super Ability card. If this is impossible (for example, because it is in reserve or is permanent), the Automa will try to play a Strength card. If that is also impossible (for example, the card is discarded), the Automa will try to play a Dexterity card. And if that is also impossible, the Automa will play a Respite card.

Destruction

If at the start of the round you have only a Respite card in hand, and the Automa has a Weapon card in hand, the Automa does not use the normal algorithm for choosing its card. Instead it plays the Weapon card, and if that is impossible, the Respite card.

Card Selection Order

At the bottom of the Automa hero card the card selection order is shown. It is needed when the Automa must take or discard a card of its choice. If the Automa must discard a card, it chooses a card of the type located farthest to the left. If the Automa must take a card, it chooses a card of the type located farthest to the right.

Challenge

For a fiercer fight against the Automa, follow the special challenge rule shown in the frame on the Automa hero card. Ignore this rule in normal play.

Legacy

You can play the Legacy format against the Automa — for this, use one of its cards specially intended for this format. It shows the composition of the Automa's team, the order in which it will choose heroes, and the types of cards it will pass on. You can also try playing these teams yourself — the cards describe the play styles and strengths of the teams.