Deck Building
Your loadout is the deck of cards you bring into a match. Building it well is the single biggest decision you make before a game starts.
The rules
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Loadout size | Up to 18 Battle Cards |
| Gambit Cards | Arriving in a later season |
| Piece coverage | One card per piece at each Focus Level: six pieces, three levels |
| Clubs | Universal cards plus your own club's editions |
| Empty slots | Running fewer cards is a valid strategy |
| Lock-in | Your loadout locks the moment the match starts |
You build your loadout on the Arm your pieces screen before you queue. It shows only the cards you own. Tap a card to arm it and tap it again to take it off; arming a second card for the same piece at the same Focus Level swaps out the first. Hold a card to read it. The slots across the top show which pieces carry a card, and Find match counts the cards you're bringing. A card you can't bring sits at the end, locked, and says why: Spent (no uses left until you Refocus it), Needs rating 1400 (a Level 3 card below that rating), or Etheryst only or Bitcoinia only (you hold only the other club's edition). If you own no card for a piece, the More cards tile names it and opens the Card Shop. When you own a card in both editions, the switch under it picks the one the match plays.
Strategy basics
Abilities make a deck, not clubs. Every ability is open to every club, so a deck is built from the abilities you want. Your own club's editions play exactly like universal cards; their perk is only in how long they last or what they cost to bring back.
Fewer cards can be stronger. Every card in your loadout uses one of its uses in a ranked or tournament game, whether it fires or not, so a card you never reach for still costs you. A tight deck of cards you actually use beats a full one. Don't fill slots just because they exist.
Balance your categories. A deck that's all OFF has no answers when you're under pressure. Mix in TAC and DEF cards so you have a plan for every phase of the game.
Build for the format. Casual ladder play is forgiving. Higher-tier tournaments will have stricter loadout requirements, announced ahead of time, so if you're aiming for championships, keep collecting.
Tournament deck requirements
Tournament formats have their own loadout rules (minimum card count, rarity gates). Each event's requirements are published with the event before registration opens.
A solid starter loadout
If you're new, aim for something like:
- 4–5 FL1 cards covering your most-used pieces (Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen)
- 1–2 FL2 cards for mid-game swings
- (Once Gambit Cards arrive in a later season, one makes a good emergency or finishing-blow slot)
- Leave the rest empty until you know what your playstyle wants
Refine from there as you learn which cards you actually reach for.