Overview

Two combatants clash in a psychic arena, wielding customizable arsenals of supernatural skills. Use movement, timing, and synergy to outplay your opponent before your Vitality runs out!

Components

• Your Arsenal: A personal deck of 15–20 Skill Cards (built before the match)
• Vitality Tracker: Track HP from 20 down to 0 (use dice, tokens, or a notepad)
• Zone Indicator: A simple marker showing your current Range Zone (Close / Mid / Long)
• (Optional: Battlefield Card for environmental effects)

The Three Zones

Combat happens across three abstracted distance zones:

Zone Description

At game start, both players begin in Mid Range.

Turn Structure

Each turn has 3 Phases:

1. Refresh Phase

   Draw up to 5 cards (max hand size = 5).

   Reset any “once per turn” abilities.

2. Action Phase

   You get 2 Actions. On each action, choose one:

   1. Play a Skill Card
   2. Shift Zone: Move 1 step closer or farther

   From Long ↔ Mid ↔ Close

   Cannot skip zones (e.g., Long → Close costs 2 actions)

   Some cards say “Quick Action”—these can be played as a free action but still count toward hand limits.

3. End Phase

   Discard down to 5 cards if needed. Check for win/loss (Vitality ≤ 0).

Resources

This version uses no mana or energy. Balance comes from:

• 2 Actions per turn
• Max 5-card hand
• Reaction costs (discard to use)

Skill Card Types

Every card belongs to one of five Attributes:

1. Optical - Precision, control, debuffs
2. Restoration - Healing, shields, support
3. Kinetic - Raw damage, knockback, aggression
4. Nuclear - AoE, delayed explosions, risk/reward
5. Meteor - Elemental, status effects, terrain-like powers

Keywords

• Melee: Only usable in Close range.
• Projectile: Usable from Mid/Long; hits unless reacted.
• AoE: Affects both players or multiple zones.
• Reaction: Discard to respond to an opponent's skill.
• Dash: Play as a movement action—move 1 zone + draw 1.

Defense & Counters

When an opponent plays an offensive skill:

You may discard a Reaction card to negate it. “Unblockable” attacks cannot be reacted to. If no reaction is used, the attack resolves immediately.

Example: Opponent plays Photon Lance (5 dmg). You discard Mirror Shield: “Negate projectile and deal 2 damage back.”

Vitality & Winning

Start with 20 Vitality. Reduce opponent's Vitality to 0 or below to win. No draws—first to eliminate the other wins!

Building Your Arsenal

Before playing:

• 15–20 cards total
• Max 3 copies of any card
• Max 12 cards from one Attribute
• Must include at least 2 Reaction cards
• Mix short-range finishers, long-range pressure, and mobility!
• Optional: Battlefield Effects

At game start, draw 1 (or agree on one):

• Battlefield Effect: Shattered Plaza, Both start in Long range.
• Gravity Core: Moving into Close deals 1 self-damage.
• Echo Chamber: All Optical skills gain +1 effect.

(Skip for your first few games!)

Quick Start Guide

1. Build a 15-20 cards deck.
2. Set Vitality to 20. Place Zone markers at Mid.
3. Draw 5 cards.
4. Roll a dice or toss a coin to see who goes first.
5. Play 2 Actions per turn—attack, move, or react.
6. Reduce opponent's Vitality to 0 to win.

Example deck

Sample Starter Deck (Kinetic/Rush - 15 cards)

Design Notes

Zones are shared: if you're in Close, so is your opponent.

Reactions are powerful—don't hoard them!