How to play S3CCG Part 2 Now Available!!
The Basics! (1v1)


"Before you can wear the crown of a full-fledged Monarch, you’ll have to learn the basics..."
You can download the PDF rulebook to read through the rules.
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Now that you know how to get started, it's time to learn the basics. Check out the video below for a quick overview before we hop into what you should know!


We'll start with learning the 1v1 gametype!
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First, you'll need to select a champion to construct your deck.
Let's select the Dreadknight, Esgaris!

Skill Tree

Each champion has their own skill tree that dictates what kind of actionable cards they can use!
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Esgaris can use up to:
Level 4 Offensive Skills
Level 1 Defensive Skills
Level 2 Nature Spells





Offensive skill cards are used to attack opposing units. Champions cannot attack without activating a card. Champions can use offensive skills up to the level of offensive skill markers on their skill tree.
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Defensive skills can be activated to protect you against other card effects.
Champions can use defensive skills up to the level of defensive skill markers on their skill tree.
You may cast spells of the same element in your skill tree up to the level equal to the markers on the champion's skill tree.



Judgement Strike is a level 5 Offensive Skill, too high for Esgaris.
Hero's Oversight is a level 3 Defensive Skill. Esgaris can only use level 1 Defensive Skills.
Fireball is a Flame Spell. Esgaris can only use Nature Spells since he has 2 Nature Spell markers.



Every champion is able to use Strategy, Will, and Ally cards regardless of the skill tree, so be sure to add these to your deck.

Every champion can use Strategy cards unless stated on the effect and restricted by the symbol.
Will Cards are your resource cards, use them to activate skills, spells, etc. Consume 1 Will card per WC. Example, 3 WC, consume 3 Will Cards.
Each champion has a unique ally card that can be played by any champion. You can only have a max of 3 Ally cards in your deck.

Now let's make a deck!
For 1v1 you'll need :
1 Champion
20-30 actionable cards
Up to 5 cards in your inventory

Now that you have your deck, let's place our cards on the arena and walk through the basics of a 1v1 match!
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Place the following into their starting locations:
Esgaris in the Champion Zone.
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3 Will in the Will Zone (add the remainder to your Main Deck)
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Main Deck of actionable cards in the Deck Zone
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Inventory Deck in the Inventory Zone
(Refer to the 'Getting Started' page for help with card placement.)
S3CCG is played in turns and rounds.
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Players will alternate controlling champions for a turn until each champion has acted, ending a round.
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Once a round has ended, a new round will start.
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Only the last champion acting during the 1st round can conduct their Action Phase. After the first round, every champion can complete an action phase.

Turns are organized into 5 Phases:
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Prep Phase
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Draw Phase
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Planning Phase
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Action Phase
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Conclusion Phase

1) Prep Phase: Complete the following steps
Refresh Will- Move all Will from the Used Will Zone to Will Zone
Cooldown (if it is your party leader's turn)- From right to left, move cards in each cooldown Zone to the right by 1 space
Upkeep- Attach 1 Will card from the Will Zone to a card you'd like to remain on the field this turn. This is called charging. You can only charge Skills, Spells, and Will cards
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Wipe- Move any card that did not receive a charge this turn from the Activity Zone to the Cooldown or Used Card Zone
2) Draw Phase
Draw cards from the Main Deck until your hand has 5 cards, or draw 1 card if your hand already equals 5.
3) Planning Phase
Activate Will and/or Strategy cards from your hand and choose to access your inventory.
In the first round, you cannot attack unless you are the last acting champion, so let's use this time to equip a weapon!
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Weapons can only be equipped to champions if:
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The weapon is of the same prestige or lower than the champion
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The champion's class or sub-class is listed on the weapon's class restriction




Equipped weapons add markers to the champion's skill tree and add their stats to the champion's stats. Place the weapon under the champion to equip the weapon.
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Remember, you can only access your inventory once per turn, and if you do, you must skip your Action Phase.
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Broken weapons, like any activated inventory card, are sent to the Used Inventory Zone.

4) Action Phase
During this phase, you can activate any card from your hand, field, or Library, however, if you've used any Inventory cards or it is the first round, then this phase is skipped.

You can place a card face up to activate it or face down to store it.
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If you activate a card that has a WC or Will Cost requirement, you'll need to consume Will.







To consume Will, move the Will from the Will Zone to the Used Will Zone.

When a card is activated that would prompt a reaction, then your opponent can activate a card in response. Let's look at a defensive skill.





To calculate damage you'll take the base ATK or SDG of the attacking champion and add the ATK or SDG of the actionable card.
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Next, subtract the DEF, if attacked by ATK, or INT, if attacked by SDG, of the defending champion from the attack.
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Then, deduct the difference from the defending champion's HP.


19 + 65 = 84


12 + 45 = 57
84 - 57 = 27, Avigail takes 27 Damage
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Subtract 27 from Avigail's current HP.
If the defending champion still receives damage after activating a defensive skill or spell, then the skill or spell is shattered during the conclusion phase and sent to the Used Card Zone.

If you'd like to combo, you can activate as many cards as you have free zones in your Activity Zone. You cannot activate cards in zones that are occupied by another card.
You may combo by the name of the card or by the rank of the card.
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Strategy cards and Will cards exist outside of the combo.
Combo by Name Example
Discounting Will and Strategy cards, every card in the combo is named 'Power Slash'.





Combo by Rank Example
Discounting Will and Strategy cards, every card in the combo is rank 'King'.





Joker Combo by Rank Example
Discounting Will, every card in the combo is rank 'King'. The Joker has been substituted for the 'King' rank.





NOT an acceptable Combo by Rank Example
Vine Whip 'King' cannot be activated in this combo.





5) Conclusion Phase
Move any Will from the Activity Zone to the Will Zone and any activated cards to cooldown.
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Strategy cards and 1TU cards are moved to the Used Card Zone.
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Lingering cards remain on the field outside of the activity zone.
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If your hand size is greater than 5, then discard 1 card to the Used Card Zone.
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Once the turn ends, your opponent will walk through the same steps until only 1 player controls champions with HP greater than 0.
At any point, feel free to look over the rulebook to learn more and check out our extended cut of the tutorial match.
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'How to Play' Blog Posts