Preparation
Deck Construction
A Runes of Wyrd deck contains exactly twenty cards. Your Hero is selected separately and does not count toward this limit.
Equipment
Permanent cards that remain attached to your Hero
Triggers
Prepared reactions that wait for their condition
Events
Global rules that remain until another Event replaces them
Actions
Immediate effects that resolve in their written order
Every card has a limit
- Equipment: a maximum of one copy of the same card
- Actions, Events and Triggers: a maximum of two copies of the same card
Some roles can appear only once
Two cards carrying the same unique property cannot coexist in one deck. The restriction applies to the property marked as unique, not to every related theme.
Higher slots may be filled by lower rarities
These limits define the maximum number of premium cards. An unused higher-rarity slot may be occupied by a card of any lower rarity.
| Rarity | Natural slots | Cumulative limit |
|---|---|---|
| Legendary | 1 | 1 Legendary maximum |
| Epic | 2 | 3 cards across Legendary and Epic |
| Rare | 3 | 6 cards across Legendary, Epic and Rare |
| Uncommon | 4 | 10 non-Common cards in total |
| Common | Remaining | No separate rarity limit |
Example: if your deck contains no Legendary, Epic or Rare card, it may contain up to ten Uncommon cards.
Divide the deck into four Chapters
Each Chapter contains exactly five cards. Cards are ordered only against the other cards inside their own Chapter.
Controlled order
Wyrd Points
Every player receives exactly twenty-five Wyrd Points during deck preparation
Initiative
Fixed Initiative ranges from -3 to +3. Its progressive cost is based on its absolute value: 1, 3 or 6 Wyrd Points.
- Higher final scores are placed earlier
- Initiative is compared only inside the card's Chapter
- At shuffle, every card receives a real random value from 0 to 5, added to its fixed Initiative
Thread of Fate
Wyrd Points for one linked pair
- Both cards must belong to the same Chapter
- Card B is always placed immediately after Card A
- Only Card A's Initiative is used for ordering
- A card may belong to only one Thread of Fate
At shuffle, every card or Thread block receives its random value. Fixed Initiative is added, then the resulting order is locked before the duel begins.
- 01 Build Select twenty cards
- 02 Divide Create four Chapters
- 03 Bind Create Threads of Fate
- 04 Spend Assign Initiative
- 05 Order Calculate final scores
- 06 Assemble Join the four Chapters
Once deck preparation is complete, identical game states always produce identical results
Automatic resolution
Battle
Battle Resolution
Every card resolves in order
Combat contains no attack roll, defense roll or random damage. Each value and reaction follows a precise resolution order
Start the turn
Resolve effects triggered at the start of the active player's turn
Apply deck pressure
The active player reveals and plays the next card of their prepared deck
Resolve the card
Conditions are checked and actions resolve in their written order
Resolve reactions
Hero abilities, Equipment, Triggers and the active Event may react to the card or its actions
Move the card
The resolved card moves to its appropriate zone
End the turn
Resolve end-of-turn effects, update durations and prepare the opposing player's turn
Card Types
Action
Resolves its effects immediately, then moves to the discard pile
Equipment
Remains equipped and provides persistent effects or recurring reactions
Trigger
Waits in the Trigger zone until its activation condition is fulfilled
Event
Changes the rules for both players. Playing a new Event replaces the currently active Event
Attack Resolution
Armor and other defensive effects are then applied according to their specific rules. The final damage is first assigned to Shield, then to Health
Shield
Shield is consumed before Health and does not expire naturally
Shields do not stack. When gaining Shield, keep the highest value between your current Shield and the new value
Losing Shield is not Health loss and does not activate effects that require Health loss
Break Shield
Each point of damage counts as two against Shield
Any remaining damage continues normally against Health
Cold and Heat
Temperature
Temperature
Between deadly frost and consuming fire
Each Hero has an individual Temperature Cursor ranging from Cold 3 to Heat 3. Temperature effects normally resolve at the end of that Hero's turn. Extreme levels resolve immediately
Neutral
Cold 3
Immediate resolution
- Gain permanent Frozen
- Suffer 3 True Damage
- Remove all Bleeding effects
- Gain Bleeding Immunity for 3 turns
- Your next Action is discarded if you remain Frozen
- Return immediately to Cold 1
Heat 3
Immediate resolution
- Gain permanent Burning
- Suffer 3 True Damage
- Gain Vulnerable 1 for 3 turns
- Return immediately to Heat 1
Cold 2
- Remove Kindled and Burning
- Permanent Frozen remains permanent
- If you are not Frozen, gain Frost 1
Cold 1
- Remove Kindled and Burning
- Reduce Frost by 1
Neutral
- Permanent Burning becomes temporary for 3 turns
- Permanent Frozen becomes temporary for 3 turns
- Permanent Kindled becomes temporary for 2 turns
- Existing temporary durations naturally decrease
- Reduce Frost by 1
Heat 1
- Remove Frost and Frozen
- Permanent Kindled becomes temporary for 2 turns
- Existing temporary Kindled naturally decreases
Heat 2
- Remove Frost and Frozen
- Existing Burning becomes permanent
- If you are not Burning, gain permanent Kindled
Unique powers
Heroes
Andfuglsjá Queen
Skörta
Skörta is an aggressive ritualist who weaponizes Ravens, Bleeding and mental pressure. She creates Raven Sight through careful sequencing, then consumes it to transform risky cards into protected or empowered versions
Hrafnsálbinding
After Skörta resolves one of her own cards with the Raven property, she gains Raven Sight
Raven Sight
Raven Sight is Skörta's personal resource. She gains it after resolving one of her own cards with the Raven property
Raven Sight remains active until an effect explicitly consumes it. Cards may check whether it is active, alter their resolution or consume it after applying their empowered effect
Jarl of Skalvheim
Mikal-Finnvard
Mikal-Finnvard builds elemental Attunements over time. His power comes from maintaining several elements, filling the Green Circle and deciding when to spend Harmony or pursue One with Nature
The Green Circle
Each different element Mikal-Finnvard Attunes to is permanently marked on the Green Circle
Air
Earth
Fire
Water
Green Circle Progression
The first time each turn that a newly gained Attunement marks a new element on the Green Circle, extend every other active Attunement by 1 turn, without exceeding 3 turns
Reapplying an already marked element does not activate this extension
Harmony
When all four elements have been marked, the Green Circle resets and Mikal-Finnvard gains Harmony until an effect consumes it
One with Nature
When all four Attunements are active simultaneously, Mikal-Finnvard enters One with Nature for 4 turns
The final Attunement that completes the set determines which elemental bonus below is applied
Earth
Gain Armor +1 and Thorns 1
Fire
Gain Attack +1. Melee attackers move 1 toward Heat and may gain Burning
Water
Gain Regeneration 1. Melee attackers move 1 toward Cold and may become Frozen
Air
Each Action card played also performs an additional Ranged Attack
Bard of Niflheim
Ash
Ash is a scaling musical Hero. Her cards build a Performance with either Cello or Hurdy-Gurdy. She transforms sustained music into immunities, Memory bonuses and powerful Deep Perform effects
Frozen Requiem
Ash builds her Perform level while maintaining a limited Performance duration. At Perform 5, she unlocks instrument immunities and Memory. At Perform 10, she begins Deep Performing
The current Perform value. It determines which instrument and Memory bonuses are active
The Cello or Hurdy-Gurdy currently used by the Performance
The remaining turns before the Performance ends. Losing Health may reduce this duration
Cello at Perform 5
Gain Frozen Immunity. Frost and Frozen linked to this immunity are removed or prevented
Hurdy-Gurdy at Perform 5
Gain Burning Immunity. Kindled and Burning linked to this immunity are removed or prevented
Memory
After an opposing card finishes resolving, Ash records every compatible property on it
- Compatible properties are Offensive, Defensive, Magic, Environment and Spirit
- Each stored property lasts 2 turns and does not decrease during the turn in which it was learned
- Learning an already stored property refreshes its duration
- Several different properties may coexist
- Perform 5 is required to acquire properties. Stored properties remain active below Perform 5 while Ash is still Performing
- When the Performance ends, every stored Memory property is lost
| Property | Perform 5 to 9 | Deep Perform 10+ |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive | Attack +1 | Attack +2 |
| Defensive | Armor +1 | Armor +2 |
| Magic | The first Magic card played each turn extends Performance by 1 turn, without exceeding 3 turns | Same effect. Temporary buffs and negative statuses created by Ash's Magic cards last 1 additional turn |
| Environment | At the start of Ash's turn, move her Temperature Cursor 1 toward Neutral | Same effect. If already Neutral, gain Thorns 1 for 1 turn instead |
| Spirit | At the start of Ash's turn, Heal 1 | At the start of Ash's turn, Heal 2 |
Oathkeeper of Trondheim
Torstein
Torstein is a resilient oath warrior whose first defeat opens a second combat phase. His cards prepare an Oath and strengthen the Ethereal Form that follows Eir's Intervention.
Eir's Last Intervention
Torstein starts combat with 1 Eir's Intervention. He does not lose maximum Health from Fatigue, but he still gains Fatigue levels, loses Armor and is defeated at Fatigue 3. When his Health reaches 0, he consumes an Intervention instead of being defeated and enters Ethereal Form for 4 turns. If he survives that form, he returns with 5 Health.
How Essence works
Essence becomes Torstein's life resource throughout Ethereal Form. Health is no longer used to absorb damage during this phase.
-
Entering the form
Torstein begins with 5 maximum Essence and restores it immediately to full. His base statistics become 4 Attack and 2 Armor, his Shield is removed, and Ethereal Armor or Ethereal Weapon bonuses are added when the form begins.
-
Start of each Ethereal turn
Essence returns to its current maximum before Torstein acts, unless an effect specifically prevents the next restoration. He then performs a Spiritual Attack 4. His next card is discarded instead of resolving normally, after any effect written specifically for Ethereal play has resolved.
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Damage and defeat
Damage suffered in Ethereal Form removes Essence. If Essence reaches 0, Torstein is definitively defeated and cannot resurrect. Restoring Essence never exceeds his current maximum.
-
End of the form
The turn on which Torstein entered Ethereal Form does not consume one of its 4 turns. If he still has at least 1 Essence after the fourth complete Ethereal turn, he resurrects with 5 Health, returns to his living statistics and loses all remaining Essence.
The three Oaths
Only one Oath may be active. Applying a new Oath replaces the previous one. The Oath captured when Torstein enters Ethereal Form determines the following bonus.
Oath of Protection
Maximum Essence becomes 7 instead of 5, and the form starts with all 7 Essence.
Oath of Fidelity
Torstein resurrects with 10 Health instead of 5 if he survives Ethereal Form.
Oath of Vengeance
While Torstein is Ethereal, an opposing non-Ranged Attack can trigger Riposte 0. A normal Riposte takes priority, and a Ranged Attack or another Riposte cannot trigger it.