Blade Rondo: Frost Veil

Blade Rondo: Frost Veil Rulebook

Table of Contents

Changes from Blade Rondo

The "Freeze" keyword has been added to the keyword abilities (page 9), and "Freeze" has been added to the glossary (page 10).
The detailed rules have been updated (page 11).
The rules for solo play (pages 13–16) have been changed to rules original to this game.

Objective of the Game

This is a competitive card game for 1–2 players. You fight with the seven "Swords" you have chosen as your hand, and you win by reducing your opponent's life to 0. The two-player rules are explained first; if you are playing solo, please also read from here, in order.

Preparing the Game

1. Prepare your area as shown below.

Parameter dice: Set each die to show its 0 face, and place it inside the circle of the matching color. The die above ATTACK represents attack power, the die below VOLTAGE represents voltage, and the die above DEFENCE represents defence power.
Life stone: Place it on 15.
Parameter board: Place it so that it connects to the top edge of your opponent's board, so that both players can see it easily.
Breathing Method cards: Place one "Heating Method" card and one "Guarding Method" card, face up, in front of you.

2. Shuffle the 40 Sword cards face down and deal 15 to each player. The remaining 10 cards are not used; set them aside face down, without revealing them.

3. From the 15 cards dealt to you, choose 7 to form your hand. The remaining 8 cards are not used; set them aside face down, without revealing them.

4. Decide the first and second player by fate. The second player receives a "Pulse Method" card, places it in front of themselves, and raises their attack power to 1. Once all of the above is complete, the battle begins.

If you want to fight with the swords you like… If each player owns a copy of this game, each player may fight using 7 Sword cards they have prepared in advance. Up to 2 cards of the same name may be included in a hand. In this case, steps 2 and 3 above are skipped.

Flow of the Game

Until a player wins, the first player and the second player take turns alternately, following the flow below.

Processing at the Start of the Turn

Increase your voltage by 1. Voltage cannot go to 10 or higher; if your voltage is already 9, you Burst and lose 1 life.
Process the start-of-turn effects of the cards granted to you.
If there is a card with Freeze in your Set Area, you may process its effect. (This may also be done during step 2, Action.)
Process the start-of-turn effects of the cards subordinate to you.

Action

Use any number of cards, as long as their total cost does not exceed your voltage.

To use a card Choose one Breathing Method card in front of you, or one Sword card in your hand, and put it into play. If that card has the "Response (Z)" ability, put it into play face down; otherwise, put it into play face up. At this time, you pay the cost written at the top left of the card. For a card with "Response (Z)," the cost is 1; for the "Guarding Method" card, the cost is one you decide yourself. Paying a cost does not reduce your voltage itself. After that, if the card is face up, process its effect. The place where used cards are put is called your Play Area.

Processing at the End of the Turn

For each of your face-up cards in your Play Area, do the following:
- A card with the Limited icon: it becomes a discard.
- A Sword card without the Limited icon: it returns to your hand.
- A Breathing Method card without the Limited icon: it returns to its place in front of you.
If there are face-down cards in your opponent's Play Area, your opponent returns them to their hand.

When parameters or life change Move the top face of the parameter die, or the life stone, to the position matching the new value. The upper limit of each parameter is 9, and the upper limit of life is 15. However, attack power and defence power may temporarily exceed their upper limit through the effect of a Sword card. In that case, there is no need to change the top face of the parameter die.

Game Area

Each player's area is made up of the following places.

Set Area: The place where subordinate cards and granted cards are placed.
Breathing Method card place: The place in front of you where your own Breathing Method cards are kept.
Play Area: The place where used cards are placed.

How to Read a Card

Breathing Method cards and Sword cards are displayed as follows.

Card name
Cost: The cost required to use this card.
Limited icon: A card bearing this icon becomes a discard at the end of the turn once it has been used. (This applies only if the card is in your Play Area at the end of the turn.)
Symbol
Text: The effect when this card is used.
Flavour: A summary of the story or legend. It is not used in the game.

Other information printed at the bottom of a card, such as the card number and the names of the people shown in the illustration, has no bearing on how the game is played.

Card Types

This game is played with Breathing Method cards and Sword cards. These classifications do not impose any conditions on when a card may be used.

Breathing Method (an art that strengthens yourself): A card that raises your own parameters, and is placed in front of you. Every player always holds "Heating Method" and "Guarding Method," and the second player gains "Pulse Method."
Physical (Sword; the basic form of attack): A card whose power changes according to your attack power, with the "Physical Attack" effect.
Magic (Sword; a guaranteed strike that ignores defence): A card that deals damage while ignoring the opponent's defence power, with the "Magic Attack (X)" effect.
Support (Sword; a supporting effect that favours your battle): A card with effects such as life recovery, raising parameters, or calling a subordinate with the "Summon (Y)" effect.
Foreshadow (Sword; preparation against the enemy's attacks): A card with the "Response (Z)" effect, which may be used in reaction to the opponent's actions.
Special (Sword; a special action that breaks the mould): A card with several different effects.

Keyword Abilities

Some effects written on a card are abbreviated and shown as keywords.

Physical Attack Deal damage to the opponent equal to your attack power (or your subordinate's attack power) minus the opponent's defence power.

Magic Attack (X) Deal X damage to the opponent.

Summon (Y) Even if this card has the Limited icon, it does not become a discard at the end of the turn. After it is used, it becomes subordinate Y with the parameters and text listed below, and is placed in your Set Area.

If the subordinate has attack power, refer to that value when this subordinate Y makes a Physical Attack.
If the subordinate has defence power, when you receive a Physical Attack from the opponent (or from the opponent's subordinate), you may refer to that value in place of your own defence power.

Response (Z) When you use this card, place it face down in your Play Area so that the opponent cannot see its face. This card does not return to your hand at the end of your own turn, and it does not become a discard. If an action bearing the Z symbol is performed during the opponent's turn, you may turn this card face up; if you do, process its effect. If several "Response (Z)" cards have their conditions met at the same time, you may turn them face up and process them in any order you choose. A card whose effect has been processed becomes a discard at the end of the opponent's turn. A card that remains face down and unprocessed until the end of the opponent's turn returns to your hand.

Freeze When you use this card, its effects other than "Freeze" are not processed. This card is placed in your Set Area at the end of the turn in which it was used. From the next turn onward, at any time during your own turn, you may turn this card sideways. If you do, process its effects other than "Freeze" without paying any cost. If the card whose effect was processed bears the Limited icon, it becomes a discard at the end of the turn; if it does not, it returns to your hand.

Additional Process this effect only if the effect of this card dealt at least 1 damage to the opponent.

Refinement When you use this card, you may process this effect before paying the cost.

Price When you use this card, process this effect at the same time as you pay the cost.

Glossary

You The player who used the card, or the player to whom that card has been granted.

Subordinate A card placed in the Set Area by the effect of "Summon (Y)."

Action The collective name for a card, and for the effects bearing symbols written on a card.

Attack The collective name for actions that bear a Physical or Magic symbol. Example: "Frozen Mist" is an action and an attack. Its text reads: Magic Attack (1). If you have 4 or more cards in your Set Area, this attack becomes Magic Attack (2).

Deal (receive) damage Reduce the life of the target player. This is distinct from "losing life."

Respond When a card bearing the Z symbol is used during the opponent's turn (or an action bearing the Z symbol is used by a subordinate or the like), turn face up a "Response (Z)" card that you had placed face down in your Play Area, and process its effect before the opponent's card.

Nullify To cancel the effect of a card or an action, other than its "Price." The cost of a nullified card is not refunded, and if it is a card with the Limited icon, it becomes a discard at the end of the turn.

Grant To place this card in the Set Area of the target player. While it remains there, the target player receives the effect of the text written on it. A granted card does not become a discard at the end of the turn, even if it has the Limited icon.

Freeze To place a card in the Set Area; while it remains there, that card is treated as having "Freeze." Example: "Silver Peak Spear" has the Additional text: "At the end of the turn, if this card is in your Play Area, Freeze it." When that Additional effect is processed, the card is placed in your Set Area. From the next turn onward, it may be turned sideways again and its effect processed.

Do the following (may do) Perform the actions listed below. If no cost is written, they may be performed at 0 cost. Example: "Erasing Wedge" reads: At the start of your turn, do the following. Erasing Wedge: If your life is higher than your opponent's, you win. Because this is treated as a 0-cost action, it cannot be responded to with "Opal of the Aurora Sky."

Detailed Rules

This section excerpts the fine rules from the detailed rules (Ver. 1.01). It does not need to be read first; refer to it when something comes up during play. The detailed rules may be updated as necessary; the full latest text and the per-card Q&A are on the official site.

1. Hand "Hand" refers only to the Sword cards held in your hand. Breathing Method cards, and cards placed in the Play Area, are not considered part of your hand.

2. Parameters If an effect that changes a parameter carries a duration such as "until the end of the turn" or "while this card is in play," the value of the parameter dice is not changed. Such an effect may temporarily exceed 9, the upper limit of each parameter.

3. Damage

3.1 Even if an effect that deals damage is used, if damage cannot be dealt to the opponent for any reason other than nullification (for example, reduction by defence power), it is treated as having dealt 0 damage.
3.2 Losing life is not the same as taking damage. The effect "Phosphorescence" cannot be used in response to life being lost through "Burst" or "Poison."

4. Response

4.1 When processing the effects of "Response (Z)" cards that were placed face down, turn them face up one at a time. After one card's effect has been processed, decide whether to process the effect of another "Response (Z)" card.
4.2 The effect of a "Response (Z)" card may be processed only during the opponent's turn.
4.3 Unless specifically stated otherwise, a card without "Response (Z)" cannot interrupt an action in order to be processed first.
4.4 A card without "Response (Z)" cannot be placed face down in the Play Area. (This excludes the Outer Draw in solo play.)

5. Using Cards

5.1 A player may use a Breathing Method card, or a Sword card in hand, by putting it into the Play Area. However, depending on a card's effect, a player may carry out processing as if they had used a card.
5.2 When an "Attack" is made, process it in the following order.
1. If the card has "Refinement," you may process its effect.
2. Pay the cost. If the card has a "Price," process its effect at the same time.
3. If a continuing effect nullifies this attack, do not carry out the rest of the processing. (For example, "Topaz of the Lost Path.")
4. The non-turn player may, if they have a "Response" card placed face down, turn it face up and process its effect. (At this point, the effects of "After the attack" and "Damage adjustment" are not processed.)
5. Process the effects that occur before the attack. (For example, "Finale.")
6. Determine the turn player's attack power. (For example, "Sunlight-Guiding Cantata.")
7. Determine the non-turn player's defence power. (For example, "Moonlight Lutil.")
8. Calculate the base damage. (Physical Attack, Magic Attack (X).)
9. Apply the turn player's damage adjustment. (For example, "Crowlee Shiran.")
10. Apply the non-turn player's damage adjustment. (For example, "Amesist of Penetrating Phenomena.")
11. The turn player uses "Phosphorescence."
12. The non-turn player uses "Phosphorescence."
13. The non-turn player loses life equal to the damage determined up to this point.
14. Process the "Additional" effect.
15. Process the effects of "After the attack" and "After the action." (For example, "Agate of Sealed Calamity.")
16. Process the effects of "Immediately after this attack." (For example, "Dancing Sword.")

Frozen Rose

Black-clad swordsmen surround you as you climb the icy mountain, their expressions equally dark and hollow, with a burnt-looking rose in their right hand. A young girl steps out behind them and calls you to a duel in the name of the Rose Envoys. "Take up your sword and steady your breath. A novice Sodia!"

Solo Play Preparation

1. Prepare your area and Sonia's area as shown in the diagram in "Preparing the Game" (page 3). However, do not place Breathing Method cards in Sonia's area; place "Sonia" there instead.

2. Shuffle the 40 Sword cards face down and draw 15. From those, choose 7 to form your hand.

3. Shuffle the 10 Sonia Sword cards other than the Foreshadow cards face down, draw 5, and arrange them in Sonia's "Action List" in ascending order of their activation turn value. If several cards have the same activation turn value, arrange them in the order in which they were drawn.

4. Shuffle the 4 Sonia Foreshadow cards face down, draw 2, and arrange them in Sonia's "Response List" in the order in which they were drawn.

5. You are the second player. Set your attack power to 1, receive the "Pulse Method" card, and begin the battle. If you can reduce Sonia's life to 0 before your own life reaches 0, you win.

How to Read Sonia's Cards

Sonia, the opponent in solo play, is displayed as follows.

Card name
Flavour: Sonia's lines. They are not used in the game.
Sonia's basic action: The name of the basic action Sonia takes every turn.
Text: The effect of the basic action Sonia takes every turn.

Example: "Ice Blossom Purity Sonia" has the basic action "Breath Regulation." Its text reads: Sonia's defence power is +1. However, if Sonia's attack power is at or below her defence power, her attack power is +2 instead.

Sonia's sword cards are displayed as follows.

Symbol
Startup turn: This action is performed from the first turn on which Sonia's voltage is equal to or greater than the startup turn value. Foreshadow cards have no startup turn; when the condition written in their text is met, their effects are processed regardless of voltage.
Card name
Limited icon: A card bearing this icon becomes a discard at the end of the turn once it has been used.
Text

Example: "Accelerating Rondo" has a startup turn of 3. Its text reads: At the end of the turn, Sonia's voltage is +1.

Solo Play Area

Sonia's parameter board (the near side is your own area; see page 6).
Action List: The place where Sonia's sword cards, other than her Foreshadow cards, are placed, together with Sonia herself.
Response List: The place where Sonia's Foreshadow cards, which are Sonia's sword cards with "Response (Z)," are placed.

Solo Play Rules

You are the second player, and you take turns with Sonia, your opponent. Follow the flow of the turn given under "Flow of the Game" (page 4).

Rules that apply to Sonia

Sonia's initial parameters are: attack power 0, defence power 0, voltage 0, life 15.
Sonia has an Action List. The Action List contains "Sonia," followed by 5 of Sonia's sword cards.
When Sonia processes the effect of a card with the Limited icon, that card becomes a discard.
On her own turn, Sonia performs the following in order.
1. Process the "Processing at the Start of the Turn" (page 4), such as voltage +1.
2. Starting from the front of the Action List (the leftmost card, "Breath Regulation"), perform in order all the actions of her sword cards whose startup turn is equal to or less than Sonia's voltage. (For example, in the diagram on page 15, on the turn Sonia's voltage reaches 5, "Breath Regulation," "Icicle Drop" and "Silver Peak Spear" are performed.)
Each time you or a subordinate performs an action, process the effects of the cards in the Response List, starting from the card at the front.
If Sonia's action is frozen, it is not moved to the Set Area; it remains in the Action List.
When Sonia receives a "Crushing Sword," the condition for whether Sonia uses "Binding Sphene" is decided by the damage that would result if the attack were treated as 4 times its attack power.
When Sonia receives a "Crushing Sword," first process the effects of Foreshadow cards. Then:
- If treating the attack as 4 times its attack power would reduce Sonia's life to 0, then starting from the sword card to the right of Sonia in the Action List, discard 2 cards in order, and Sonia takes 2 times the damage.
- If Sonia's life would still be 1 or more even when the attack is treated as 4 times, or if there are not 2 or more sword cards in the Action List, Sonia takes 4 times the damage.

Rules that apply to you

Some effects of the sword cards you use are changed as follows.
- Vanguard White Blade (Limited icon): Physical Attack. Additional: You may choose one card in Sonia's Action List whose startup turn is X or less, and discard it. X is equal to twice the damage dealt to Sonia by this attack.
- Aurora Sky Opal (Limited icon): Response (bearing the Physical, Magic and Support symbols). If that action is the last action of that turn, nullify that action.

Your First Battle

The rivalry between Maria and Sonia never ends, and they fight whenever they have the chance, in any place. Why not first borrow their favourite swords and fight?

Player A receives Maria's 10 cards, and Player B receives Sonia's 10 cards.
- Maria's cards: No.61 Ice-Edged Sword, No.62 Ash Sword, No.65 Crushing Sword, No.66 Icicle Drop, No.67 Voltex Viola, No.68 Spiral Sage, No.72 Frozen Howl, No.74 Howling Crescendo, No.77 Binding Sphene, No.80 Aurora Sky Opal.
- Sonia's cards: No.63 Silver Peak Spear, No.64 Vanguard White Blade, No.69 Tempest Iris, No.70 Magic Sword of Hydrangea, No.71 Fruiting Dolce, No.73 Calming Campanella, No.75 Revolving Refrain, No.76 Engraved Lament, No.78 Clear Moonstone, No.79 Amber of Warmth.
Each player shuffles their 10 cards and, without choosing, takes 7 at random to form their hand. The remaining 3 cards are set aside face down, without revealing them.
Perform steps 1 and 4 of "Preparing the Game" (page 3), and begin the battle.
Once the battle is decided, try again: from the 10 cards you received in step 1, choose 7 cards yourself and fight.

Mixed Play

If you own "Blade Rondo," you may also play by mixing this game with it.

Make two stacks, each made up of one copy of each of the 40 types of Sword card from "Blade Rondo" and "Blade Rondo: Frost Veil."
Each player receives a stack of 40 cards. From it, each player selects and removes 5 Sword cards they do not want the opponent to use, and passes the remaining 35 cards to the opponent.
Reveal the 5 removed cards at the same time. From the 35 cards passed to you by the opponent, choose 7 to form your hand. Then perform steps 1 and 4 of "Preparing the Game" (page 3), and begin the battle.