How to play Shardmoon

Goal

Bring your opponent from 25 life to 0.

Before the game

You start with 6 cards (7 if you go second). You may swap one card for a random base Shardling from your deck; that costs 2 life. Then the starting player places up to 2 base Shardlings for free, face-down. The other player sees which lanes are taken, but not the cards, and places afterwards. The cards are revealed when the starting player’s first turn begins. Play effects of placed Shardlings do not trigger. On their first turn the starting player cannot attack: their placed Shardlings count as just played.

Your turn

Draw 1 card. Your energy equals the turn number, up to 8. Up to 2 unspent energy carries over. Play cards, choose your attackers, then press End turn. The attacks happen when you end the turn.

Rune

The rune makes the cards of one class 1 cheaper. It takes the class of the Shardling destroyed last, so it usually helps the player who is losing Shardlings. Until the first Shardling falls there is no rune. It changes at the start of a turn; the panel shows which rune comes next.

Lanes and attacks

There are 4 lanes. A Shardling attacks the Shardling opposite. If that lane is empty, it hits the opponent. The defender does not strike back. Tap your Shardlings in the order they should attack. A newly played Shardling attacks from your next turn.

Evolve

Play a Stage 2 onto its Base, or a Stage 3 onto its Stage 2. The card says which one it evolves from. You only pay the cost difference. It keeps its damage and all bonuses it already has, and may still attack this turn.

Push (Fogmoth)

When Fogmoth is played (not placed for free), it may push an enemy Shardling to a neighbouring lane. If a Shardling stands there, it goes back to its owner’s hand together with every earlier stage, so the owner has to pay for all of it again.

Replace

You may play any Shardling onto a lane you already occupy for its full cost. The old one is discarded with all its bonuses; the new one takes over its right to attack, so it may still attack this turn if the old one could. You are asked to confirm a replace. Marked red on the board.

Spells

A spell with a target is dragged onto that target. A spell without a target goes to the middle of the table.

Jokers

From level 2 you unlock a binder joker with every level up to level 6. Each deck takes up to 3: choose them when you build the deck or before a game. In a match they lie below End turn. Each costs energy and can be used once per match, in your turn. Ranked opens at level 8.

Traps

Traps go to the middle of the table and lie face-down next to your hero, at most 2. They trigger on their own. A trap that would do nothing stays.

Keywords

• Jump: the effect happens when the card is played.
• Deathwish: the effect happens when the Shardling dies.
• Swift: may attack at once.
• Sparkstrike X (Jump): X damage to the opposing lane.
• Wildfire (Jump): 2 damage to every enemy lane. Lane damage that finds no Shardling hits the enemy ward.
• Pierce: excess damage hits the ward.
• Regrow X: heals X at the end of your turn.
• Thorns X: attackers take X.
• Bulwark X: takes X less from attacks.
• Rampage: if it destroys the Shardling opposite, it attacks again.
• Bloom X: at the end of your turn, heals X on each friendly Shardling in a neighbouring lane.
• Veil: enemy spells, traps and abilities have no effect on it.
• Guard: attacks and lane damage on your ward through a neighbouring open lane hit this Shardling instead.

Hand and deck

You hold at most 10 cards. If your deck is empty you take rising damage each turn: 1, then 2, then 3.

Controls

Tap your hand to open it. Drag a card to its target or tap it and then the target. Hold a card to read it. Tap an enemy card to read it. Surrender needs two taps.

Frequently asked questions