How to Play
Full Complete Rules
Updated as of December 2nd, 2024
—> click here to download pdf <—
Video Tutorial
Updated as of July 10th, 2023
Simple Rules Step-by-Step
The Deck
To play SpellArms you need 66 cards (or 12)
60 cards for you deck
1 Contestant card
1 Familiar card
1 “Hand-to-hand” card
1 Close Range card, 1 Medium Range card, 1 Long Range card
(12 extra cards if you are playing with a sideboard)
x30
A main deck is made of exactly 30 green, 20 blue, and 10 red cards.
x20
x10
You can have up to 3 copies of any green card.
You can have up to 2 copies of any blue card.
You can have up to 1 copy of any red card.
The Board
The entire table, both you and your opponent’s side, is called “the board”.
Your side of the table is called “the field”.
A field is made of several zones.
Set up
Both players will need to track their HP and Armor. This can be done with dice, pen and paper, or a phone app.
Players start with 20 HP and 0 Armor. You can have a max of 20 HP and a max of 20 Armor.
Players will need to take out their chosen contestant, chosen familiar, “hand-to-hand” card, and range cards before they shuffle their main deck.
Your field should look like this…
Portal Phase
Before drawing, both players should decide who goes first.
Afterwards, both players draw 7 cards from the top of their main deck. After drawing, the first player will get the first chance to perform a Portal Action. Portal Actions are divided into Portal Actions on cards and Contestant Placement.
Players go back and forth using Portal Actions, until no actions can be taken or both players use the Contestant Placement.
If a player performs a Contestant Placement, they may then place their contestant on one of the three range marker cards. Once this action is performed, they must pass their portal action until both players perform a Contestant placement.
So why do this?
The player who places their contestant first, steals first turn.
Portal Actions are powerful effects usually on contestants and familiars that can drastically change all elements of the game. A card will say in its rules text box “Portal Phase” if it can perform this action.
Portal Actions are powerful abilities usually on contestants and familiars that can drastically change all elements of the game. A card will say in its rules text box “Portal Action” if it can perform this action.
Beginning Phase
The first step in this phase is to fill all cards on your field that have drained.
The second step is to check and activate any cards that have the effect in their rules text “start of turn”.
The third step in this phase is to look at the top two cards of your deck without showing your opponent.
One is added to your hand and is considered drawn, the other one is weaved onto your field as ward face down. The ward needs to be marked to show it’s color. This can be done with a token, dice, or any other object.
A warded card is placed on a range slot and provides shields. Wards are placed left to right in order. Each range can only have a maximum of five wards
Auto Phase
Currently no cards use this zone until the 2nd booster set.
1st Major Phase
Move your contestant to a different range token…
In this phase you can play cards from your hand…
Use activated effects on the field, such as Drain…
Card Types In Your Deck
Cards are broken into Types (left), Subtypes (middle), and Categories (right).
Types are divided into subtypes and categories, but only subtypes change how the card is played in the game. For example, this treasure card has the subtype equipment, which is played into your inventory. It’s category, Petrimancy, just means that it is recommended to play with other Petrimancy cards.
Items: You may have more than one on the field.
Treasures: You can have more than one on the field if they have different subtypes.
Weapons: Used for attack actions. Can only have one spellarm and one melee.
Enchantment: Attaches to other cards and changes them.
Skills: Divided into rookie, panic, and expert cards.
Skill Subtypes
Rookie: Can only be played on your turn during a major phase.
Panic: Can only be played on an enemy player’s turn at any time
Expert: Can be played at any time during any turn.
Attack Phase
The first step is to declare the start of your attack phase, this is where start of attack phase cards activate and some skills can be played.
The second step is declare an attack action. This means choosing a weapon, draining it, removing a charge, and targeting a specific range to attack. When you attack, you don’t need to choose a range with a contestant on it and can attack any range.
The third step is to boost, players can discard cards to increase the shield value of a ward. The color discarded adds its shield value to the shield value of the ward. Blue has a shield value of 2, so if it is added to a blue ward, it is increased to 4.
Make sure to reveal any wards that are destroyed as each ward is resolved.
The fourth step is resolve the attack from right range slot to left range slot. Wards reduce the amount of DMG done based on their color, which provides a shield value. Make sure to reveal any wards that are destroyed as each ward is resolved. The remaining DMG is done to the contestant’s owner. Reducing armor first (if they have any), then reducing HP.
If you attack a range with no contestant on it, no DMG is done.
The final step is to check for any end of attack phase effects.
2nd Major Phase
Same as the first major phase, but you can only move your contestant if you didn’t move in your first major phase.
Ending Phase
The first step is to check and activate any cards that have the effect in their rules text “end of turn”.
The second step is to check your hand size, if you have eight or more cards in your hand, you must discard till you have seven cards.
Null Phase
First is your null check. This is automatically passed unless you have no cards left in your deck.
If you fail your null check, you must immediately perform null removal. You must forbid 2 cards in your hand, 2 cards on your field, and take DMG that cannot be prevented or reduced in any way.
How to Win
First player to hit 0 HP loses.