Core Connection: Rise of Atlantis
Core Connection: Rise of Atlantis Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Welcome to the world of Core Connection! I am Na. Vi. Co. A Fully autonomous connection support interface. I am here to guide you in your battles against Atlantis.
Core Connection: The Rise of Atlantis is a deck-building card game for 2 to 4 players. The players pilot giant machines called Resonants, which they can enhance with various Attachments and Tactics. The goal of the game is to defeat the army of Atlantis more quickly than any other player can, and become the one true hero worthy of succeeding to the throne of Atlantis. Fight various Monsters (the minions of Atlantis) to gain Energy. Gain enough Energy to unleash your Resonant's full power, and bring an end to the treacherous lords of Atlantis!
I: The Pilots
Akari Hino. Japanese high-school student Akari's first encounter with Atlantis was at an exhibition with her sister Izuru. While Akari was able to fend off the mass of attackers, Izuru was not so fortunate and was abducted by the retreating Vril. Vowing to rescue her sister, Akari continues to storm the battlefield with her Resonant, Kannagara.
Amelia Hawk. A renowned pilot of the U.S. Air Force, a true soldier and patriot, she did not hesitate to join the seemingly hopeless war against Atlantis. Her Resonant "FRONTIER" is actually conceived of human technology and not a genuine relic of the lost arts, but that does not make her any less of threat to the Vril forces.
Romana Ilis. A Greek scientist, she doubles as the lead researcher and pilot of the recovered Resonant Er-28 Phalanx. While undeniably brilliant, being one the first pilots to discover the Royal Wavelength (the mystical connection between royal bloodlines and Resonants), her relaxed personality often causes problems.
Gao Fuan. The CEO of Conglomerate GAO Group, and the youngest multi-billionaire in history, for her, even the battle against Atlantis is business ... with her own Resonant, Ko-Ryu, being the ultimate asset. But she is not without a heart, as she genuinely does care for her family and employees.
Cleo Elharm and Patra Elharm. Self-proclaimed master tomb raiders of Egypt, the Elharm twins stumbled upon their greatest spoils ever ... Twosret, a slumbering giant of the lost ages. They wholeheartedly joined the battle against Atlantis, but nobody knows for sure if they are in it for justice, or for the treasures of that ancient empire.
Rasha Dragnov. Little is known of Rasha Dragnov's background. While a member of the task force fighting for humanity, her true allegiance and goals remain a mystery. Due to her extreme changes of personality on the battlefield, there are rumors that she has a split identity, a result of a malicious experiment to create super soldiers.
II: Game Preparation
1. Card Placement
(Diagram: Your opponent's Play Area is across the table. The shared area holds the Monster Area (the MD card, Monster Cards and Event Cards), the HQ Area (HQ, Resonants and True Pilots; the HQ Deck; and the Junkyard). Your Play Area is at your seat.)
(Diagram labels, Your Play Area: Mecha/Pilot/Attachments; Energy Pool; Resources; Your Deck; Discard Pile; Hand.)
(Diagram label, opposite your seat: Your opponent's Play Area.)
(Diagram labels, Monster Area: MD; Monster Cards; Event Cards.)
(Diagram labels, HQ Area: HQ, Resonants, and True Pilots; HQ Deck; Junkyard.)
2. Card Types
There are 6 different kinds of cards in Core Connection:
1. Mecha
The most important cards, and your greatest assets against the terrors of Atlantis. You start out with a weak Prototype, but you can move on to much more powerful Resonants as the game progresses. Each Mecha has unique abilities and 3 numbers called "Battle Values," which represent their Melee fighting power, Ranged fighting power, and Durability (from left to right). These cards are double-sided, and have a super-devastating Critical State on the back.
2. Pilots
The most prominent enhancer for your Mecha. You start out with a weak Mysterious Figure, but just like your Mecha, you can later reveal your Pilot's true identity and pick a new, much more powerful True Pilot after a certain point in the game. Each Pilot has 3 modifier values, which are added to the Mecha's Battle Values.
For example, if Amelia Hawk was connected to FRONTIER, the Mecha's Melee, Ranged, and Durability values would become 8, 7, and 6.
3. Attachments
Attachments add to your Mecha's power, much like pilots. They include weapons, machinery, and equipment which enhances your Mecha in a wide variety of ways. While you can only have 1 pilot, up to 6 Attachments can be connected to your Mecha. However, neither purchasing nor connecting Attachments is free: you must have enough Resources to carry out either action (See P18, "2. Main Phase," for details).
Attachments have a constant effect as long as they are connected to your Mecha. However, some Attachments have abilities which can only be used during certain parts of your turn. The beginning of the effect text of these Attachments will indicate which phase they can be used in, shown in brackets. If an Attachment card says "once per turn," then you may only use the effect of that Attachment once each time it is your turn.
Attachment cards have no effect when they are not connected to your Mecha.
4. Tactics
These cards represent the various strategies you may adopt to battle the forces of Atlantis. Some prepare your Mecha for battle, while others help you gain more powerful cards. A few even disrupt the other players' actions.
Tactics are not connected to your Mecha like Attachments. When you play a Tactic, it is placed in your play area face up (they remain so for the duration of the turn) and activate their effects. Just like Attachments, you are required to have enough Resources (as shown on the card) to purchase or play a Tactic.
If a Tactic card says "once per turn," you may only play 1 copy of that card each turn.
5. Monsters
Terrifying cybernetic minions of Atlantis which you must defeat to win the game. In addition to their Battle Values and unique effects, each Monster has a certain amount of Energy shown at the top left of the card. When you defeat a Monster, you obtain that card and add it to your Energy Pool. Once in your Energy Pool, the Monster Card adds its Energy to your Energy Total. In general, more powerful Monsters will provide more Energy.
Some Monsters have a "when revealed" effect. These always take effect immediately when the Monster is revealed, regardless of why the card was revealed (such as during the Identify Enemy Step of the Battle Phase).
Some Monsters have a "when defeated" effect. These always take effect immediately when the Monster is defeated by any means, such as during a battle with a player's Mecha.
6. Event Cards
These cards randomly appear when battling Monsters, and add a twist to the fight. In most cases, the Monster you end up fighting gains some sort of boost, making it a larger threat. However, if you do manage to defeat the Monster, you will not only obtain that Monster Card but the Event as well, which provides bonus Energy.
Decks and Discard Piles
In Core Connection, each player plays with their own personal deck of cards, which will evolve over the course of the game. When you are instructed to "draw" cards, always draw them from your own personal deck (unless the effect says otherwise). When you discard a card, it is placed in its owner's discard pile. Cards in your discard pile are always kept face up. The order of the cards in your discard pile doesn't matter—you may discard your cards in any order you choose.
A Note on "Trashing" Cards
Some game effects will instruct you to "trash" a card. When you trash a card, it does not go to your own discard pile. Instead, it is placed in the "Junkyard" area of the table. Cards in the Junkyard are not "in play," and can only be targeted by an effect that specifically targets cards in the Junkyard.
3. Before the Game
Mechas and Pilots
Give each player 1 Prototype and 1 Mysterious Figure for their initial Mecha and Pilot. Put the Remaining Mecha and Pilots aside for now.
Player Decks
Give the 10 cards listed below to each player to form their starting decks. Core Connection is a deck-building game, so gameplay consists of constantly adding and removing cards from your deck to make it better and more suited to defeat Monsters.
- A-01 Hi-Frequency Blade
- A-02 Gatling Pod
- A-03 Impact-Resistant Shield
- A-04 Super-EM Knuckles
- A-05 Rotating Railgun
- A-06 Anti-Vril Barrier
- T-01 Operator (x2)
- T-02 Mechanic
- T-03 Engineer
Each player shuffles their deck and places it face down in their play area. Then, they draw 5 cards for their starting hand.
HQ and HQ Deck
Shuffle the cards listed below into 1 deck:
- Attachments (4 each, except for cards A15~17):
- A-07 NAVI System
- A-08 Decoy Unit
- A-09 Frontline Base
- A-10 NS Bind Coil
- A-11 Emergency Booster
- A-12 Long-range Sensor
- A-13 Implosion Generator
- A-14 Sense Amplifier
- A-15 Godforge-Oreikhalkos (x1)
- A-16 Godforge-Tríaina (x1)
- A-17 Godforge-Aigis (x1)
- Tactics (3 each):
- T-04 Emergency Budget
- T-05 Rushed Supplies
- T-06 Maintenance
- T-07 Core Connect
- T-08 Search Pattern
- T-09 Friendly Fire
- T-10 Advanced Development
- T-11 Coordinated Attack
- T-12 Sabotage
- T-13 Traitorous Deeds
- T-14 Concentrated Fire
This deck is called the "HQ Deck." Turn over cards from the top of the HQ Deck until you reveal a total of 8 different kinds of cards. Place these cards next to the HQ deck so they are accessible to all players. If you turn over multiple copies of the same card, stack them together into a single pile.
This collection of cards (piles) is called the "HQ." During the game, players can purchase new Attachments and Tactics from the HQ.
Monster Decks
Shuffle the cards listed below into 1 deck:
- Monsters:
- M-01 Ennosigaios
- M-02 UNKNOWN
- M-03 Arma Atlantis
- M-04 The Slaughterer
- M-05 Innocent Pursuer
- M-06 Vril Wall
- M-07 Vril Force
- M-08 Vril Prism
- M-09 Vril Guardian (x3)
- M-10 Vril Breaker (x2)
- M-11 Vril Parasite
- M-12 Vril Unite
- M-13 Vril Mine (x2)
- M-14 Vril Commander (x3)
- M-15 Vril Disruptor
- M-16 Vril Call
- M-17 Vril Trooper (x10)
- M-18 Lucky Rabbit
- M-19 Lucky Bird
- M-20 Vril Spawn (x2)
- Events:
- E-01 Titanic Growth
- E-02 Sudden Mutation
- E-03 Survival Instinct
- E-04 Lateral Battle
This deck is called the "Monster Deck," or "MD." When you attack Atlantis, you must face the Monster that waits on top of the MD.
Once you are finished preparing the player decks, HQ, and Monster Deck, decide what order the players will take their turns in any random fashion.
Congratulations. You are now ready to combat the forces of Atlantis!
III: Gameplay
1. Turn Flow
In Core Connection, the players take turns gaining new cards, fighting Monsters, and repairing their Mecha. Each turn is divided into 4 Phases, which you must play in order:
- Ready Phase
- Main Phase
- Battle Phase
- Discard Phase
When your Discard Phase is complete, your turn ends and the next player begins their turn. You will continue taking turns until a player has collected at least 20 Energy (See P27 "3. Winning the Game," for details).
1. Ready Phase
This phase is for the maintenance of your Mecha.
Follow the chart below and carry out any required actions, according to the State of your Mecha:
- Your Mecha is Normal: Proceed to the Main Phase.
- Your Mecha is Critical: You may Repair your Mecha by discarding 2 cards (optional). Proceed to the Main Phase.
- Your Mecha is Broken Down: (no action is listed for this state in the chart).
- Is your Mecha a Prototype: You must Repair your Mecha by discarding 1 card (mandatory). Proceed to the Main Phase.
- Is your Mecha a Resonant: Discard half (rounded up) of the Attachments connected to your Mecha and end your turn. At the beginning of your next Ready Phase, your Mecha returns to Normal.
2. Main Phase
You can carry out 3 kinds of actions (in any order you choose) during your Main Phase:
A. Purchase 1 Card (max. once per turn)
You can purchase 1 card from the HQ that has a cost equal to or lower than the amount of Resources you have generated this turn. Purchased cards are added directly to your hand.
Whenever a card is purchased (or obtained in any other way), if there are now less than 8 different kinds of cards in the HQ, you must immediately turn over cards from the top of the HQ Deck and add them to the HQ until there are 8 different kinds of cards there again (add any duplicate cards to the matching piles).
B. Connect 1 Attachment (max. once per turn)
You can connect 1 Attachment that has a cost equal to or lower than the amount of Resources you have generated this turn, by playing the card from your hand onto your Mecha. A Mecha may only have 6 Attachments at a time. If you want to connect a seventh Attachment, you must first Trash 1 Attachment that was already connected to your Mecha, adding it to the Junkyard.
C. Playing Tactics (no limit per turn)
You can play a Tactic that has a cost equal to or lower than the amount of Resources you have generated this turn, by playing the card from your hand. Once in play, the Tactic stays in front of you until the Discard Phase (see P20, "4. Discard Phase," for details). You may play multiple Tactics on the same turn.
Generating Resources
Resources are used to purchase cards and play Attachments and Tactics. During your Main Phase, you can place any number of cards face down in your play area at any time. Each of these face-down cards generates 1 Resource. The cards used for Resources are placed in the Discard during the Discard Phase (see P20, "4. Discard Phase," for details). However, note that you cannot place a card you purchased this turn face down to generate Resources.
Using Resources
Resources are not "spent" when you purchase or play cards. You only have to have enough Resources in play that turn in order to take the actions you want to take. For example, if you have played 3 cards as Resources, you could purchase a Decoy Unit (cost 3), connect it to your Mecha (cost 3), and play both an Engineer (cost 0) and a Rushed Supplies (cost 3), all on the same turn.
3. Battle Phase
In this phase, you may attack Atlantis in an attempt to defeat a Monster and obtain Energy. Attacking is optional: you may skip this phase if you wish.
The Battle Phase is made up of the following 4 steps:
A. Initiate Combat
Declare which style of combat you wish to use: Melee or Ranged.
B. Identify Enemy
Reveal the top Card of the MD.
C. Battle!
The Mecha and the Monster each deal damage to each other equal to their Battle Value for the chosen style of combat. Monsters or Mecha which suffer damage equal to or greater than their Durability Battle Value are defeated or Disabled (see P24, "1. Battle," for details).
D. Combat Results
If the Monster is defeated, add it to your Energy Pool (even if your Mecha was also Disabled!). If not, place it at the bottom of the MD.
4. Discard Phase
This phase includes 1 mandatory action and 1 optional action (in the following order):
I. Reset Your Battlefield (Mandatory)
Place your hand, all Tactics in your play area, and any cards you placed face down as Resources this turn into your discard pile. Then, draw 5 cards from your deck to form your new hand. If you do not have enough cards remaining in your deck, draw as many cards as you can, shuffle all the cards in your discard pile, and place them face down as a new deck. Then draw the rest of the cards you need from your new deck.
II. Reveal a True Pilot and/or Board a Resonance (Optional)
If you now have a Total Energy of 4 or more, you may Trash your Mysterious Figure and replace it with 1 of the remaining True Pilots.
Also, if you have a Total Energy of 8 or more, you may Trash your Prototype to replace it with 1 of the remaining Resonants. Any Attachments connected to your Prototype are automatically connected to your new Resonant at no cost.
Important: You do not "spend" your Energy, you just have to have enough Energy in your Energy Pool.
2. Example Turn
Hideshi starts his turn with 5 cards in his hand: 2 Operators, a Gatling Pod, an Anti-Vril Barrier and a Mechanic.
In his Ready Phase, his Mecha (a Prototype) is Broken Down, so Hideshi must discard a card from his hand to repair it.
Hideshi moves on to his Main Phase. He places 4 cards from his hand face down in his play area, generating 4 Resources. With 4 Resources, he can purchase Maintenance from the HQ, adding it to his hand.
Hideshi plays Maintenance from his hand (he may do so because he has played at least 4 Resources this turn). Maintenance allows him to draw an additional card, which is a Hi-Frequency Blade. After resolving the Maintenance card, he can immediately attach the Hi-Frequency Blade to his Prototype (since it has a cost of only 2 Resources and he hasn't attached anything to his Mecha yet this turn).
Hideshi ends his Main Phase and moves on to the Battle Phase.
To see the results of Hideshi's Battle Phase, see "1. Battle" on P24.
After his Battle Phase is over, he moves on to the Discard Phase, the final part of the turn:
Hideshi places his hand, the cards he placed face down in his play area, and the Maintenance he played earlier this turn into his discard pile. Then, he draws 5 cards from his deck. However, since he only had 3 cards left in his deck, he first draws those 3 cards, then he shuffles his discard pile and makes a new deck, and finally he draws the other 2 cards from that new deck.
3. Battle and Mecha States
1. Battle
Battles are fought using 1 of the 2 attack Battle Values, Melee or Ranged, depending on the style of combat being fought, usually chosen during the Initiate Combat step.
Fighting the battle itself is a simple process: each combatant (Mecha or Monster) inflicts damage equal to the chosen Battle Value, which is compared to its opponent's Durability.
Modifying Battle Values
Some game effects, such as Tactics cards and Monster abilities, can change the Battle Values of a Mecha or Monster during a battle. In all cases, these modifiers apply to the final total value of the Mecha or Monster, including any modifiers that already apply (such as Attachments). For example, if you had a Prototype Mecha (Melee 1) with a High-Frequency Blade (Melee +2) and you played a Mechanic (Melee +1) before you faced a Monster that cut your Melee in half, you would have a final Melee Value of 2 (1 + 2 + 1 = 4 / 2 = 2).
Here is an example:
Hideshi's Mecha is a Prototype, and his Pilot is a Mysterious Figure. A High-Frequency Blade and Anti-Vril Barrier have been attached to the Prototype. It's the end of Hideshi's Main Phase, so he moves on to the Battle Phase.
First, he declares that the style of combat will be Melee. Then, he reveals the top card of the MD: It's a Vril Trooper!
The Prototype deals 4 damage (1+1+2) to the Vril Trooper, while the Vril Trooper deals 2 damage to the Prototype.
The Vril Trooper only has 2 Durability, so it is defeated. On the other hand, the Prototype has 5 Durability (1+1+3), so it endures the 2 points of damage dealt by Vril trooper without suffering any ill effects.
Thus the battle is over. Since the Vril Trooper was defeated, Hideshi adds it to his Energy Pool, and gains 1 Energy.
Important: Damage does not carry over from one battle to the next. If the damage is not enough to Disable or defeat the Mecha or Monster, its Durability is not reduced and it fights the next time back at full strength!
2. Mecha States
When a Mecha suffers damage equal to or greater than its Durability, it is Disabled. However, what happens when a Mecha is Disabled depends on whether it is a Prototype or a Resonant, and what State it is in at the time:
Prototypes
When a Prototype is Disabled, it Breaks Down. Turn the card 90 degrees to show that it has Broken Down.
Resonant
If a Resonant is Disabled when it is in its Normal State, flip it over to show its Critical State.
A Critical Resonant is far more powerful than one in its Normal State. However, if a Resonant is Disabled while in its Critical State, it Breaks Down (turn the card to show that it has Broken Down).
Broken Down
Your Mecha can become Broken Down when it is Disabled. (Printed as "You Mecha"; read as "Your Mecha.") As long as a Mecha (including a Prototype) is Broken Down, it cannot participate in any battles.
If your Prototype is Broken Down during your Ready Phase, you must place 1 card from your hand in your discard pile to repair it.
The drawback for your Resonant Breaking Down is much heavier than when your Prototype Breaks Down. You not only have to remove half (rounded up) of your connected Attachments and place them in your discard pile, but you also have to skip the rest of your turn.
One important thing to remember is that you can choose to repair your Critical Resonant during your Ready Phase by placing 2 cards from your hand into your discard pile. Consider your situation and choose wisely!
Awakened True Pilots
If your Resonant enters its Critical State, your True Pilot automatically becomes Awakened at the same time: flip over your True Pilot card to reveal their full potential. A True Pilot remains Awakened as long as the Mecha they are connected to is Critical.
Note: True Pilots and Resonants do not lose their Normal State effects when they are Awakened or become Critical.
3. Winning the Game
The goal of the game is to collect at least 20 Total Energy in your Energy Pool faster than any other player. However, you do not win right away. In order to win the game, you must wait until your next Main Phase after you reach 20 Energy. At that point, if you still have the most Total Energy, you win the game! But, if another player now has more Total Energy than you, the game goes on. The game continues until a player has the most Total Energy at the beginning of their own Main Phase.
Sudden Death Victory
If you can reach a total of at least 30 Total Energy before any other player wins the game, the game immediately ends and you are the winner!
IV: Game Terms
- Attack Value: The Melee or Ranged value of a Mecha or Monster.
- Awakened State: When the [Awakened] side of a True Pilot is facing up.
- Battle Values: The Melee, Ranged, and Durability values of a Mecha or Monster. When any in-game text refers to the Battle Values of a Mecha or Monster, it is referring to the total value including all modifiers.
- Cost: The number shown in the top left corner of Tactics and Attachments. Cost indicates how many Resources are required to purchase and play or connect those cards.
- Critical State: When the [Critical] side of a Resonant is facing up.
- Defeat: When a Monster suffers damage equal to or greater than its Durability, it is defeated. Defeated Monsters normally go into the player's Energy Pool.
- Disable: A general term for when a Mecha suffers damage equal to or greater than its Durability. The effects of being Disabled depends on the State and type of Mecha.
- Energy: The number shown in the top left corner of Monsters. A Monster is worth that much Energy when placed in your Energy Pool.
- Energy Pool: An area where you place the Monsters you have defeated in battle.
- HQ: The selection of cards which a player can purchase during their Main Phase. There must always be exactly 8 different cards (and/or piles) in the HQ.
- HQ Deck: A deck of cards placed next to the HQ. Whenever there are less than 8 different cards in the HQ, new cards are added to the HQ from the top of the HQ Deck.
V: FAQ
Q: Can I connect Sense Amplifier to my Mecha if it only has 2 or less Durability?
A: No, you cannot. You cannot connect Attachments in any way that decreases your Mecha's durability to 0 or less.
Q: What happens if I reach 8 or more total Energy from 3 or less total Energy in a single turn?
A: You can both reveal a True Pilot and board a Resonant during the Discard Phase of that turn.
Q: Can I play Tactics or connect Attachments during my Battle Phase?
A: No, you cannot. Unless specified otherwise, Tactics and Attachments can only be played or connected during your Main Phase.
Q: When I defeat a Monster, but my Mecha is Disabled at the same time, do I still add the Monster to my Energy Pool?
A: Yes, you do.
Q: If my Total Energy reaches 20 or higher during my opponent's turn (due to my defeating a Monster via the effect of Lateral Battle, for example), do I win the game at beginning of my next Main Phase (if no other player has more Total Energy)?
A: Yes, you do.
Q: If I Disable an opponent's Mecha with Traitorous Deeds, but my Mecha is also Disabled in the process, do I still get a Monster from their Energy Pool?
A: Yes, you do.
Q: What happens if I battle Ennosigaios after activating Concentrated Fire?
A: Ennosigaios is immune to all effects, including effects that negate Monster effects. Thus, Concentrated Fire has no effect on Ennosigaios.
Q: What is the difference between "looking at the top card of the MD" and "revealing the top card of the MD?"
A: To "look at" the top of the MD means that a single player views the top card from the MD without showing it to any other player, then returns it to the deck, face down. To "reveal" the top of the MD means to turn that card over so all players can see it.
Q: What happens if I use Amelia Hawk's ability and the Monster I look at has a Durability higher than 4?
A: You return the Monster to the MD, face down, and proceed with your Battle Phase as normal (which could include deciding not to fight!). Note that using this ability to "defeat" a Monster with Durability 4 or less does not count as a battle, so you can still battle the top Monster on the MD during your Battle Phase as normal!
Q: If I use Cleo & Patra's ability to look at the top 3 cards of the HQ Deck, what do I do with the cards that I don't attach to my Mecha?
A: You return them to the HQ Deck, face down, in the same order that you drew them.