Current as of: 20 June 2023
Effective: 30 June 2023
2.1 Determining Starting Player
1.1.1 Main Deck
Main deck minimum/maximum is 50 cards.
1.1.2 Side Deck
Side deck maximum is 15 cards.
1.2.1 Copies Per Deck
Maximum number of copies of a card across both the main deck and side deck is 3 copies.
The method to decide the starting player, the player who goes first, can be any method agreed upon by all players. Examples of methods: rolling dice, rock paper scissors, etc.
All players will shuffle their respective decks.
All players will draw the top 6 cards of their respective decks.
2.3.1 Recursion
All players can take any number of cards from their hand and place them on the bottom of their respective decks in any order to draw that many cards. Players may only do this once. Afterwards, players will shuffle their decks.
All players shall place the top 6 cards from the top of the deck face down, without looking at them, into their respective 11 year rows.
Whenever all of your opponents are destroyed, you win.
If you are destroyed, you lose.
3.1.1
If you are unable to draw a card during your draw phase, you are destroyed. If you are playing a limited format, draft, Booster Decks or etc., shuffle your limbo pile into your deck instead.
3.1.2
If you are dealt damage while you have no 11 year cards, you are destroyed.
A player may concede the game at any time. A player who concedes is no longer in the game and is considered to be destroyed. This is unaffected by any rules and can not be disallowed by any effect.
The turn player disengages their citizens on the island and all cards in their soul row.
The turn player draws a card from the top of their deck. If the turn player is unable to draw this card due to their deck being empty, they are destroyed. In limited, they instead shuffle their limbo pile into their deck and destroy an 11 year card. If they do not have any to destroy they are destroyed instead.
4.2.1 First Turn
If it is the first turn, the player going first skips this phase.
Any effects that say “at the start/beginning of your turn” that the turn player controls would trigger now.
During this phase, the turn player may play citizens, put a card from your hand into your soul row disengaged.
The combat phase is made up of 5 steps.
4.4.1 Beginning of Combat
Any effects that would trigger at the beginning of combat would do so now.
The turn player may select a disengaged citizen they control, who has not already attacked this phase, to attack. The selected citizen is then engaged. Then the attacking player selects their target(s). If no citizen is selected, skip to End of Combat.
4.4.3 Command Blocker(s)
The defending player can choose to block with any (including weary) disengaged citizens they wish or not at all. The selected citizen(s), if any, are then engaged. They are now considered to be blocking the attacking citizen. If a citizen would gain an ability such as sidestep or if blocked by 2 blockers as tenacious but 1 of those citizens is destroyed, it remains blocked.
4.4.4 Combat Resolution
4.4.4.1 Attacking Damage Order
The attacking citizen assigns its damage to the blocking citizen(s) if there are any. If there are 2 or more blockers then you choose the order that damage will be dealt to each. Once enough damage equal to the first citizen’s defense is dealt, it applies the remaining damage to the next citizen in line, and so on until the amount of damage dealt equals the attack of the attacking citizen.
4.4.4.2 Blocking Damage
The blocking citizen(s) pool together their attack and assign damage to the attacking citizen equal to that amount.
4.4.4.3 Damage
Both sides deal the assigned damage simultaneously. Once a citizen has been dealt damage equal to their defense, they are destroyed. Damage remains on citizens until the end of the turn.
Unblocked citizens deal damage equal to their attack to their target. 11 year cards that have been dealt combat damage are destroyed. A citizen with an attack of 0 can not destroy 11 year cards or players.
4.4.4.4 End of Combat Resolution
The turn player wants to attack with another citizen, go back to step 4.4.2 (Command Attacker). Otherwise proceed to 4.4.5 (End of Combat).
Any effects that would trigger at the end of combat would do so now. Once there are no longer any effects on the effect pile proceed to 4.5 (2nd Phase)
During this phase, the turn player may play citizens. Also if you have not done so previously this turn, you can put a card from your hand into your soul row disengaged.
After both players pass priority, Any effects that would trigger at the end of turn would do so now; then effects that say “until end of turn” would end now, simultaneously. If the turn player has more than 7 cards in their hand, they must discard cards of their choosing from their hand until they have 7 cards in their hand. Then the next turn starts.
The areas where the game takes place.
If a card would leave the island and go to a zone of a player besides its owner, it goes to their owner’s equivalent zone instead.
The cards you hold.
Your opponent cannot see these cards unless a spell or ability specifically says they can.
Maximum hand size is 7.
Where you draw your cards from.
The main zone of play. This is where citizens go when they are cast or returned. All effects that target a citizen unless specifically stated otherwise can only target citizens on the island.
Cards that are attached to citizens through card effects or mechanics are placed underneath those citizens. Cards attached to citizens do not have their passive abilities in effect unless specifically stated and cannot activate their active or triggered effects unless specifically stated. Cards attached to citizens are not able to be targeted or affected normally unless an effect specifically states it. If a citizen is removed from the island while cards are attached to it, those cards go to their owner’s limbo piles. If a citizen is attached to another citizen while cards are attached to it, those cards are also attached to the same target.
The six 11 year cards that you place down at setup. These cards should be face down and not looked at unless a card specifically states otherwise.
Once per turn, during your 1st or 2nd phase, you may put a card from your hand upside down face up. (the top of the card should be facing you) So that the soul box (the part of the card that identifies what colors of soul energy it can produce) is easily visible.
Where citizens go when they are destroyed, where spells go once they are done resolving, and where discarded cards are discarded to.
Where cards go when they are abolished.
When an 11 year card you control is destroyed, you reveal it to all players. You may then use its 11 year ability or pay its 11 year cost to cast it immediately. The choice is put on the effect pile, you choose which to do upon this effect’s resolution. If you do not, put the card into your hand. Once a card has been placed into your hand, you can no longer use its 11 year effect or cast it for its 11 year cost.
6.1.1 Damage
When a citizen deals combat damage to an 11 year card, that 11 year card is destroyed.
You are only able to look at your 11 year cards if an effect specifically states you can.
When looking at 11 year cards from an effect, you must keep them separate and not change their order.
6.3 Rearranging
You may not rearrange your 11 year cards unless an effect specifically states otherwise.
Citizens have attack and defense to the left and right of their soul cost respectively.
Once a citizen is dealt damage equal to their defense or if their defense is reduced to 0, they are destroyed. If a citizen with 10 defense takes 9 damage then gets -1/-1, The damage taken would be equal to their defense and they would be destroyed.
A Citizen can not have its stats lowered below zero.
You may only cast citizens on your turn during your 1st or 2nd phases while the effect pile is empty unless it is being cast for its 11 year cost or otherwise specifically stated.
Whenever a player gains control of a citizen either from an effect, having cast the citizen themselves, or etc., they become weary.
7.1.1 Faction
Some effects check to see what faction a citizen card is from. A citizen’s faction is denoted in their type line preceding “citizen”.
7.1.2 Overlord
Some citizens are overlords denoted by “overlord” after “citizen” in their type line. You may only have one overlord of a given name. You may not cast cards with the same name as an overlord you control. You can not attempt to gain control of an overlord of the same name. Before you would gain control of an overlord while you control another of the same name, you must put one of them into their owner’s abolish zone. This does not trigger dies effects.
Spells are one time effects that can be used at any time a player has priority, unless they specifically say otherwise.
Casting is the process of paying a card’s soul cost in order to play
Cards and abilities will typically have a cost to activate/cast. Any actions taken to pay for a cost does not use the effect pile. You must be able to pay the cost in order to be able to cast a card or to activate an effect.
This is the cost to play a card in the center of the card separating the text box and the picture.
8.1.1.1 Soul Stone Types
Cards will either have specific soul stones or generic soul stones to be cast.
8.1.1.1.1 Specific Soul Stones
Specific soul stones represent a cost that must be paid with soul energy of a matching color. A specific soul stone such as {w} must be paid with white soul energy.
8.1.1.1.2 Multicolored Soul Stones
Multicolored soul stones are also specific soul stones. Each one represents a cost that can be paid in one of two ways, as represented by the two halves of the stone. A multicolored soul stone such as {w/u} can be paid with either white or blue soul energy.
Generic soul stones represent a cost that can be paid for with any color of soul energy. The amount of soul energy required is equal to the number in the generic soul stone.
This is the cost to play a card when it is destroyed while in the 11 year row, The cost is shown in the bottom left of cards next to the hourglass. The soul energy needed to cast cards for their 11 year cost is all generic soul energy.
This is the cost to activate active or some triggered abilities of citizens, the cost will be shown in the ability box on citizens.
If a card requires an additional cost to be cast that action to pay the cost does not use the effect pile.
If a card with an additional cost is able to be cast for free, you must still pay the additional cost but not the regular soul cost.
This is what cards in the soul row produce to play cards.
8.2.1 Soul Energy Production
You engage cards in your soul row to produce one soul energy of any color(s) in the soul box.
Abilities and effects that produce soul energy are outside of the effect pile.
8.2.2 Soul Pile
This where unspent soul energy is kept, This goes away at the end of the turn.
The player with priority may cast cards, use abilities, or place cards into their soul row. No player may have priority while a card or effect is resolving or during the disengage and draw phases.
8.3.1 Starting
The turn player starts with priority at the start of a phase or step, or after an effect on the effect pile resolves.
Whenever a player activates an effect, casts a card, or simply passes priority without action, priority passes to the opponent. In the case of Krucible, priority is passed to the left or clockwise. Once all players have passed priority the most recent effect on the effect pile can resolve. Both players must pass priority while the effect pile is empty in order to move to the next phase/step.
Anytime a player casts a card, uses an ability, or an ability is triggered, it is put on the effect pile and priority is passed to the next player. Players can put effects onto the effect pile before the most recent effect on the effect pile resolves. After the most recent effect resolves the turn player is given priority.
If multiple effects would happen simultaneously, such as abilities that trigger on cast, they are put onto the effect pile in clockwise order starting from the turn player. If multiple effects that happen simultaneously are controlled by one player, they choose the order they are placed on the effect pile.
Effects on the effect pile follow a first in last out sequence. Example: the order they are played; effect 1, effect 2, effect 3. The order they resolve; effect 3, effect 2, effect 1.
8.4.1 Multi-effect Cards
Whenever a card has multiple separate effects, which are separated by paragraph, its caster puts the effects onto the effect pile in any order.
Whenever a spell or ability says target, that target must be declared upon casting/activation.
Effects that say “target citizen” may only target citizens on the island, unless specifically stated otherwise.
Spells without a legal target can not be cast. Active abilities without a legal target can not be activated.
If the target of an effect leaves the zone it was targeted in or becomes an illegal target before the effect would resolve, the effect is removed from the effect pile without effect.
If an effect would target and says “up to” and the number of targets is not zero then you must remove all targets to have the effect be removed from the effect pile.
Citizens must be on the island for any abilities to have an effect/be activated, unless specifically stated otherwise.
These abilities require some kind of cost to be used. Once the cost is paid, the effect is put onto the effect pile.
Active abilities are structured as such: (Cost):(Effect).
These abilities are persistent effects. These effects continue for as long as the citizen remains on the island and meets all conditions if any.
Passive abilities are structured as such: (Effect) or (Condition),(Effect).
Triggered abilities wait for an event meeting the trigger criteria described on the card to put an effect onto the effect pile.
Some triggered effects require a cost to be activated. Some triggered effects are optional. Effects that are not paid for or are elected to not be done do not go on the effect pile.
Triggered abilities are structured as such: (Trigger Criteria),(Effect) or (Shorthand Trigger Criteria);(Effect).
Spells and abilities have effects. Whenever a spell is cast or abilities are activated their effects are put onto the effect pile. A card can have multiple effects which are separated by paragraph. Effects check boardstate upon resolution.
Any time an effect would contradict the rules, follow the card. Only the rules directly affected are ignored.
Cards and effects that disallow something from occurring supersedes any rules, cards, or effects that allow for something to occur.
If any non-targeting effect would be impossible to complete, complete to the greatest degree possible.
Anytime an effect would allow a player to choose a value, that value must be a positive integer or 0. This includes effects that say “up to” as long as the integer chosen does not exceed the value allowed by the effect.
In constructed formats these card quantity restrictions apply.
Brassman’s Will (as printed on the card)
Hecatomb (effective 30 June 2023)
Abolish
To abolish a card, put it in the abolished zone. Citizens that are abolished do not cause dies effects to trigger.
Attach
Put the specified card(s) underneath the specified citizen(s). They are not considered to have entered the island nor are they considered to be on the island. You are not able to attach cards without an effect.
Controller
The controller of a card is whoever has the card on their side of the island.
Counter
To counter something in Kryptik, means to prevent it from being cast/activated when it is cast/activated from anywhere. If a card is “countered” all of its effects are removed from the effect pile and are put directly into the limbo pile. You may only counter cards/effects on the effect pile that are being cast/activated, not cards that are moving zones via a spell or ability.
Discard
To discard, put a card into your limbo pile from your hand.
Disengage
To disengage, orient the card(s) vertically. This indicates that the card is ready to be used.
Destroyed/Dies
Whenever a card is destroyed or dies, it is sent to its owner’s limbo pile, unless specifically stated otherwise.
11 year cards are destroyed when they take any combat damage.
Abilities that trigger “When this/a citizen dies,” or “Dies;” do so now. If the citizen had their effects removed or were abolished, they do not gain these effects upon death.
Detach
Remove the specified card(s) from underneath citizens you control, and place them in their owner’s limbo pile.
Draw
To draw, put the top card of your deck into your hand. If drawing more than one card, all cards are drawn sequentially. If you are playing a limited format, draft, Booster Decks or etc., shuffle your limbo pile into your deck and draw any remaining cards
Eager
Citizens with eager ignore weary.
To Engage, orient the card(s) horizontally. This indicates that the card is unable to attack/block/engage until its controller’s disengage phase.
Focused
Spells and abilities with focused can only be cast/activated during the turn player’s 1st or 2nd phase while the effect pile is empty unless they are destroyed as an 11 year card and cast for their 11 year cost.
Opponent(s)
Any player(s) that you or your team is competing against.
Owner
The owner of a card is whoever started the game with that card in their deck.
Player
Any person directly involved in the game.
Plunder X <type>
Abolish X cards from your limbo pile of the specified type. If a type is not specified, you may abolish cards regardless of type.
You may draw x cards (equal to the number on the card), then discard that many.
Put/Place/Move
Effects may cause cards to be put/placed/moved from one zone to another. Whenever a citizen is put/placed/moved to the island from any other zone they are not considered to have entered the island.
Ravenous
Citizens that are ravenous can target, and destroy, two 11 year cards when attacking. The two cards are destroyed simultaneously. A citizen who loses ravenous during an attack must choose which of the two cards to hit.
Return
Effects may cause cards to be returned from one zone to another. Whenever a citizen is returned to the island from any other zone they are considered to have entered the island, for the purpose of Enter; effects.
To sacrifice, put a citizen you control into its owner’s limbo pile and resolve any death/dies triggers.
Search
To search, look through your deck for a card that meets the appropriate criteria. Afterwards, shuffle your deck.
Short Time X
These effects check to see if your opponent has equal to or less than X 11 year cards in play. If they do, then this effect may be used.
Shuffle
To shuffle a deck, randomize the cards within it so that no player knows their order. A shuffle must change the top and bottom cards of a deck to be considered legal. Any time a player shuffles, they must allow an opponent the opportunity to cut the deck.
Sidestep
Citizens with sidestep can only be blocked by citizens with sidestep.
Solo
A player may not use the ability of a card with solo if they have previously used that ability of a card with the same name that turn.
Steadfast
Citizens with steadfast do not engage when they attack.
Tenacious
Citizens with tenacious can only be blocked by at least 2 citizens, in order to be blocked at all, when they attack.
Toxic
When a citizen, with toxic, deals damage, the first point of damage they deal is considered lethal.
If the toxic citizen is blocked by 2 or more citizens then he will deal 1 damage to the first blocker then deal the rest of his damage to other blockers as normal.
Use
To use a card is to use its ability/keywords/Attack/Block.
Weary
A weary citizen can not attack or pay engage costs. Whenever a player gains control of a citizen, it becomes weary. A citizen loses weary during their controller’s disengage phase.