Duel for Cardia

Here is how to play the game, broken down into setup, how a round works, and how the game ends.

Setup

• Sit opposite each other and place all signets, modifiers, and ongoing tokens within easy reach at one end of the table (p. 2).
• Take the character cards marked with a I in the lower right corner, ensuring each player takes the 16 cards with the same back design (p. 2).
• Shuffle your 16 cards face down to form your draw pile (deck), and draw the top 5 cards into your hand (p. 2).
• Take 2 summary cards each (p. 2).

How a Round Works

A game lasts several rounds, and each round consists of 3 phases (p. 5):

1. Play cards: You each place one card face down on your side of the play area opposite each other (forming an encounter) and then reveal them simultaneously (p. 5). Compare their influence values; the card with the higher influence wins the encounter, and you take 1 signet from the supply and place it onto the winning card (p. 5, p. 12). If both cards have the same influence, it is a tie, no signet is placed, and you skip phase 2 (p. 12).
2. Activate ability: Only the player whose card loses the current encounter immediately activates the ability of that losing card (p. 12). You must resolve the activated ability to the fullest extent possible (p. 12).
3. End of the round: At the end of the round, each player draws 1 card from their deck into their hand (p. 14). Then, a new round starts with phase 1 (p. 14).

How the Game Ends

The game ends immediately if one of the following conditions is met (p. 7):

• Phase 1: Your opponent cannot play a card (p. 7).
• Phase 2: You activate an ability that says you win the game (p. 7).
• Phase 3: You have 5 or more signets on your cards at the end of the round (p. 7).

(Note: The provided evidence does not mention any win conditions outside of these specific triggers.)