Rules

Tactigonium is a 1 v 1 Strategy CCG based upon various themes found throughout history and fiction. The game consists of two players forming battlefields on a grid-like mat that allows each player to comfortably seat 15 cards. These 15 cards are your “Army”. The mat is divided up into a grid, with rows of 5 card slots. Each player will fill up the first 3 rows of 5 in front of them with their Army.

The middle 3 rows of 5 are left empty. As such, there will be 9 rows of 5 in total on the mat. The player will have a pack of 22 cards in which to decide which 15 cards he or she will be using in battle (GENERAL must always be chosen).

Along with the 15 army cards on the battlefield, each player will have 1 additional card that exists outside of the battlefield. This card is known as the Leader card. Leader cards are the only Unique cards in Tactigonium in the sense that they are the only cards whose effects are different.

Of the 22 card pile that each player receives, all will be labeled with a number 1-10, with the exception of BOMB cards. The number at the top left corner of the card indicates the power of that specific card, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

The card with the number 10 in the top left corner is the player’s GENERAL. This card is mandatory and must be played in the initial 15 card selection. The remainder of the cards 1-9 are selected with a max of two of the same numbered cards allowed. You can forgo choosing a numbered card and instead opt for a BOMB card, but you may only have a maximum of three BOMB cards selected for a game. The differences between BOMB Cards and the 1-9 Numbered Cards are described below in Card Types.

The goal of Tactigonium is to move your cards around the board in an attempt to defeat your opponent's GENERAL. Once a player's GENERAL is defeated, the game immediately ends. Each card can move one space at a time unless otherwise stated. Each card remains face down until it interacts with another of your opponent’s cards; this is called attacking. To attack your opponent, your card must be one space anywhere around the opponent's card except for diagonally on the board (unless otherwise stated by card effect) and you move your card towards said position. Once an attack is initiated, both players reveal their cards and the higher number claims victory unless otherwise stated by a card's ability (See Card Abilities explained in the Card Types Section). If the player attacking successfully defeats the opponent’s card, then their card takes the place of the defeated card on the board. If a player attacks a BOMB card, the BOMB card is removed and the attacking card is destroyed. (Note: If a General hits a bomb card, that’s game over!) If a card is revealed in any way, the card stays revealed for the duration of the game. Any card the player owns, except for BOMB cards, can switch places with their own cards so long as they are next to them. Players may not swap card places with a BOMB unless otherwise stated by card effect.

Choose which deck you want; Dark Fantasy or Steampunk (Leader abilities are different for each).
Pick 15 of the 22 cards given.
GENERAL MUST be chosen.
Only 2 types of each card can be chosen (Exception: BOMBS).
You can choose 3 BOMB cards.
Place cards face down in your first 3 rows of 5 in any order.
You MUST fill all the space in your 3 rows of 5, so 15 cards total.
Decide who goes first.
Each card has 1 Movement (Exception: Scouts/Card Effects).
Each card has 1 Attack (Exception: Card Effects).
Each card has 1 Effect activation.
Cards are flipped (REVEALED) face up when they attack, or are attacked.
Rounds involve each player taking 1 turn. Player 1 goes then player 2 goes, which is 1 round, etc.
When attacking, cards can only attack in a “Plus” sign direction, (forward and side to side; exception: Card Effects).
Cards CANNOT attack diagonally (Exception: Card Effects).

Infirmary: Where destroyed cards go.

Reveal: When a card Attacks, is Attacked or if it activates its Effect it gets flipped face up.

Field closes at:

60 rounds

80 rounds

100 rounds

When the game enters round 60, the row closest to each player (back row) closes off (any cards left in these rows at the beginning of round 61 are sent to the Infirmary).

Round 80, the second row closes, then round 100 the third row closes.

Rounds 101-120, the only rows left are the middle three rows.

End of Game

120 Rounds OR until GENERAL gets destroyed.

Draws

Once Round 120 concludes, the game comes to an end. The player with the greater combat power emerges as the winner. To illustrate, if Player 1 possesses a GENERAL with a strength of 10 and an additional card valued at 8, competing against Player 2 with a GENERAL and another card with 9, Player 2 prevails. This is because Player 2's combined combat power is 19, surpassing Player 1's 18.

Card Types

All the different types of cards are described below. Note that all cards 1-10 have the same abilities for everyone playing. The only effect that varies is the Leader Card Abilities. The higher number usually wins in Tactigonium, but there are various cards with effects that can make the very opposite true, see below for all.

Next, there are the BOMB (0) cards. These cards cannot move by themselves, they can only be moved by BOMBARDIER cards. When an opponent's card attacks a BOMB card, the opponent's card is destroyed. The only card that cannot be destroyed is another BOMBARDIER card. The BOMBARDIER card can disarm the enemy BOMB card.

Remember, the same number types will get destroyed if they attack each other.

Ex: If 3 attacks 3, they will both be destroyed.

The only cards that do not destroy each other are the number 8 cards; the SENTINEL. If an 8 attacks another 8, the attacking 8 destroys the defending 8.

Card Effects

0 – Bomb: When attacked, destroy the attacking card, unless it's a BOMBARDIER

2 – Scout: Unlimited movement into open space; forward, backward, side to side. When it moves, it has to keep moving until it hits something (edge of the map or another card).

3 – Bombardier: It can swap positions with a BOMB card you own if adjacent to it in any direction. Additionally, it has the ability to disarm an enemy BOMB card.

4 – Shield Decoy: When attacked for the first time, this card flips over, deflects the attack, and remains undestroyed. This effect is only active for the first attack.

5 – Strategic Maneuver: This card can swap positions with one of your cards located two spaces away, but only in a “Plus” sign direction – forwards and side to side.

6 – Sentry: This card can exchange positions with any of your REVEALED cards, from anywhere on the field (its effect can activate even when face-down. When the effect is activated while this card is face-down, this card is revealed).

8 – Sentinel: If this card attacks another “Sentinel” or '8' card, it destroys the target without being destroyed itself.

10 – General: When revealed, you can revive a “Silver (2-8)” card from the Infirmary. A Revived card must be placed on your side of the battlefield—specifically within your original 3 starting rows.

Fantasy Leader: Choose a card; that card can attack in any direction.

Steampunk Leader: Choose a card; that card can move 2 spaces instead of one this turn.

Cards Movement

Cards cannot move diagonally, but they may swap places with one of your own cards positioned diagonally. Standard movement is limited to horizontal and vertical directions unless otherwise specified by a card effect.

Revealing Cards

When a card effect is activated, that card becomes REVEALED.

When a card attacks another card both cards become REVEALED.

Reusable Effects

Only specific cards can activate their effects more than once (but never more than once per turn), even after being Revealed. These cards are:

Scout (2)
Bombardier (3)
Strategic Maneuver (5)
Sentry (6)
Sentinel (8)

Actions per Turn

Each card can perform one action per turn. There are three possible actions:

Move Action – Move the card 1 space horizontally or vertically (unless a card effect states otherwise). Alternatively, a card may swap places diagonally with one of your own cards as its movement.
Attack Action – Use the card to attack another card.
Effect Action – Activate the effect of a face-up or face-down card.

You must choose one of these actions per card on your turn. Each action can only be used once per card, per turn.