Neopets TCG

Neopets TCG Rulebook

Table of Contents

What's New in the Battle for Meridell Set

Let the Battle for Meridell Begin!

The Battle for Meridell expansion set for the Neopets trading card game (TCG) takes you to Neopia's medieval land of Meridell. Now you can play out the epic struggle between Kass's evil forces from the Darigan Citadel and the heroic citizens of Meridell fighting to protect their homes. With 10 new Neopet species to choose from, there are nearly endless ways to mount your attack. The new Location card type even lets you force your opponent to fight on your terms. And that's just the beginning! Use the checklist in this rulebook to keep track of your collection as you quest for all 140 cards in the set. All that's left to decide is which side you're on!

If you're new to the Neopets TCG, learn to play with the Starter Set. When you're ready for more of a challenge, get a Theme Deck to play right out of the box. You can get more cards for your decks and your collection in Booster Packs. When you're ready to build your own deck, check out the rest of this insert.

Playing the Darigan Deck

The forces of the evil Kass believe that might makes right, and they've got the muscle to back it up. With this deck, use your powerful Eyries and Skeiths to dominate the strength arena. With a huge strength of 8 or even 9, you should be able to crush any Neopet your opponent sends against you. Quick-witted Blumaroos balance your force with high intelligence. Agility and magic aren't your strong points—but that's where your Villains come in. If your opponent thinks he or she has the edge in agility or magic, just drop an enormous Villain like Draik Skeleton or Morguss into one of those arenas. Your opponent's 7 magic doesn't look so hot next to your Morguss's 18, does it?

Your deck also includes some sneaky tricks to keep your opponent guessing. Secret Passage and Chocolate Korbats help you put your Neopets in the right place at the right time. If your opponent manages to outclass you in one arena, just use Secret Passage or Chocolate Korbats to move to an empty one. And a timely Chomp! tends to ruin any opponent's plans. When you bank Spooky Beans, you can move a rival Neopet to an arena where it can't do any good, like one where your opponent was already winning. Using Spooky Beans to move your opponent's Neopet face-to-face with your grinning Draik Skeleton? Now that's just mean.

Playing the Meridell Deck

Neopia's greatest hero is back to lead the defense of Meridell Castle! In this deck, Jeran, Meridell Knight tops a list of impressive Heroes who can completely overpower ordinary Neopets. Save the Heroes you have in your hand until you really need them. If your opponent builds up higher stats in one arena, call in your hero at the crucial moment to blast through your opponent's defenses. After all, saving the day is what Jeran does best. Kayla and Morris are Heroes with a new twist. If your opponent rolls a 6 and beats your Kayla, you draw a card. It's like you won after all! If Morris loses a contest, he just doesn't give up. He challenges again every turn until he wins. That's some serious dedication.

With this deck, your Basic Neopets are prepared to win anywhere and everywhere. Your Red Zafaras have solid numbers in every single stat. While your opponent focuses all his or her attention on one arena, you can win the other 3. If your opponent specializes in 2 arenas, consider doubling up 2 of your Neopets to beat your opponent's weakest Neopet, and winning the last arena where there are no rivals. You also have some serious power in agility and magic. Your nimble Quiggles have 7 or even 8 agility, while your mysterious Green Zafaras have a whopping 8 magic. Even your experienced Neopets get into the action, like Quiggle Runner, who bounces to save the day all over the place. If you use Icy Snowball and Sceptre of Banishing to keep enemy Villains away, the flexibility of your Neopets and the sheer power of your Heroes should win you the game.

Battle for Meridell Theme Deck Lists

The expansion symbol after each card tells you which Neopets TCG set it came from: Base Set, or Battle for Meridell set.

Darigan Deck

Neopet Stack

2 Blue Blumaroo
1 Yellow Blumaroo
2 Green Eyrie
1 Red Eyrie
1 Blue Skeith
3 Green Skeith

Deck

1 Blumaroo Squire
2 Chocolate Korbats
1 Chomp!
1 Count Boris
1 Darigan Skeith
1 Drackonack
1 Draik Skeleton (foil)
3 Essence of Brain
2 Eyrie Breastplate
1 Eyrie Guard
2 General Kass
1 Kass's Charm
1 Makeshift Sword
2 Meaty Pie
2 Meowclops
1 Morguss
1 Oubliette
2 Peachpa
2 Secret Passage
2 Spooky Beans
2 Stale Bread
1 Stone Snowball
2 The Thieves' Code
3 Tomatoes
2 Usica Berries

Meridell Deck

Neopet Stack

2 Green Quiggle
3 Yellow Quiggle
3 Red Zafara
2 Yellow Zafara

Deck

2 Beyond Neopia
2 Cheese
2 Chocolate Korbats
1 Escape Rope
1 Faerie Pancakes
1 Gigantic Snowball
2 Healing Potion
1 Icy Snowball
1 Jeran, Meridell Knight (foil)
2 Jeran's Armor
1 Jeran's Sword
2 Kayla
2 Library Visit
1 Light Faerie Token
2 Lisha's Charm
1 Marketplace
2 Morris
1 Petpet Growth Syrup
2 Puppyblew
1 Quiggle Runner
1 Quiggle Scout
1 Sceptre of Banishing
1 Slumberberry Potion
2 Starberry
3 Strawberries
2 Water Faerie Token

Learning the Advanced Game

The best way to learn to play the Neopets trading card game (TCG) is with the Starter Set and playmat. Once you already know how to play, this rulebook is a great reference tool. This rulebook contains the rules on the playmat plus the extra rules you'll need to play with the cards you find in Neopets Booster Packs and Theme Decks. It will be a lot easier to learn the game by playing with the Starter Set first.

In these advanced rules, you'll learn about new types of cards like Experienced Neopets, Heroes, and Villains. You'll also learn some new things about the cards you've already seen in the basic game. And best of all, you'll learn how to build your very own Neopets TCG deck!

Object: Have your Neopets win contests in strength, agility, magic, and intelligence. When you win a contest, you can put an Item or Equipment card in your bank. Put 21 points of Items and Equipment in your bank and you win!

Setup: Each of you shuffles your Basic Neopets and puts them face down in front of you. This is your Neopet stack. Then shuffle your deck of other cards and put it face down next to your Neopet stack. This is your deck. Draw 4 cards from your deck to start. To decide who goes first, roll the die; highest number goes first.

[Diagram on the playmat page, captioned "Arenas": the four arenas across the top, with the deck, discard pile, bank and Neopet stack below.]

On Your Turn

Draw a card to start your turn. Important! The person who plays first doesn't draw a card on his or her first turn. This is a rule that wasn't explained on the playmat.
Untap all your tapped cards.
Flip over the top card of your Neopet stack if you don't already have 3 Neopets in play. Put it into one of the 4 arenas tapped.
Play cards and do things with your Neopets. You can do these things in any order. It's okay to skip any of them or do any of them more than once.
- Move 1 of your untapped Neopets to a new arena by tapping it and moving it (and any Equipment that's attached to it) from one arena to another.
- Trade in 1 of your untapped Neopets by tapping it, discarding any Equipment that's attached to it, and returning it to the bottom of your Neopet stack (if it's a Basic Neopet) or discarding it (if it's an Experienced Neopet). Then flip over the top card of your Neopet stack and put it into an arena tapped. You don't have to put the new Neopet in the same arena the old one was in.
- Play cards from your hand. Cards you can play from your hand are Experienced Neopet, Hero, Villain, Something Has Happened, Equipment, and Location cards. (How to play each of these cards is explained later.)
- Start a contest with 1 or more of your untapped Neopets or Heroes. (How to do a contest is explained later.)
Your turn is over when you don't have anything else you want to do.

Before Your Turn

A card might tell you to do something before your turn. Do these things on your turn before you draw a card.

Tapping

Some cards and actions require you to tap your Neopets. To tap a card, turn it sideways. This shows you've used that card. You'll have to wait until it untaps (straightens out) to use it again. This usually isn't until your next turn.

These things tap your Neopet:

Putting it into an arena from your Neopet stack
Trading it in for a new Neopet from your Neopet stack
Moving it from one arena to another
Starting a contest with it

Additionally, many cards require you to tap 1 of your Neopets in order to play them. If you need to tap a Neopet to play or use a card, it will say so in the text box.

Parts of a Card

[Diagram labels: card name; keyword line; card type; faerie symbol; strength, agility, magic and intelligence stats; text box; rarity symbol; card collector number.]

Types of Cards

Basic Neopet

You play 1 Basic Neopet every turn for free until you have 3 in play. Just flip over the top card of your Neopet stack and put it into an arena tapped. This is the only type of card you don't play from your hand.

Experienced Neopet

To play an Experienced Neopet, replace 1 of your Neopets in play with an Experienced Neopet of the same species. (Neopets species are listed on the keyword line.) The Experienced Neopet keeps any Equipment the original Neopet had, even if it couldn't normally attach that Equipment.

Put the old Neopet on the bottom of your Neopet stack (if it's a Basic Neopet) or discard it (if it's an Experienced Neopet). The Experienced Neopet comes into play in the same arena the old Neopet was in and is tapped if the old Neopet was tapped.

Hero

To play a Hero, tap 1 of your untapped Neopets. Put the Hero untapped into that Neopet's arena. The Hero can start or join contests and defeat Villains just like a Neopet. At the end of your turn, discard the Hero and any Equipment attached to it.

Villain

When you play a Villain, put it untapped into any arena that doesn't already have a Villain in it. That Villain must be defeated in a special Villain contest (or leave the arena some other way) before any player can start a regular contest in that arena or play another Villain there.

Equipment

When you play an Equipment, choose 1 of your Neopets or Heroes and slide the Equipment card underneath it. The Equipment gives its bonuses to the Neopet or Hero it's attached to for as long as it's attached.

Most Equipment cards require you to tap 1 of your Neopets to play them. You can give the Equipment to the Neopet you tapped or to 1 of your other Neopets or Heroes.

Something Has Happened!

When you play a Something Has Happened card, show it to your opponent, do what it says, and then discard it.

Item

You can play Item cards only during a contest. (Contests are explained later.) They look like Equipment cards, but you can't give them to your Neopets or Heroes.

Location

When you play a Location, put it into an arena. If there's already a Location in that arena, discard the old one.

Arenas

There are 4 different arenas: strength (red), agility (blue), magic (yellow), and intelligence (green). When a contest is in an arena, use the stats on your cards matching that arena.

Contests

To start a contest, choose an arena where you have at least 1 untapped Neopet or Hero.

Tap any number of untapped Neopets and Heroes you have in that arena. Each one you tap is in the contest. If the other player doesn't have any Neopets or Heroes in that arena, you win the contest automatically. If the other player does have any Neopets or Heroes in that arena, all of them join the contest (whether they're tapped or untapped) and become your Neopets' and Heroes' rivals.
Each player can play an Item. First, if you want to, you can put 1 Item from your hand face down. Then, if your opponent wants to, he or she can put 1 Item from his or her hand face down. (Your opponent can do this even if you choose not to, and once you pass you can't change your mind after you see if your opponent plays one or not.) After both players have a chance to put an Item face down, those cards are revealed. Do anything the Item cards say to do. (The person whose turn it is goes first.) Most Items also add to your stat total in the next step.
Each of you rolls a die. If either of you rolls a 6, that player automatically wins. If you both roll a 6, roll again. If no one rolls a 6, each of you adds up:
- the stat for that arena for each of your Neopets and Heroes in the contest (including any bonuses from Equipment),
- any appropriate bonuses from your Item card, and
- your die roll.
The player with the highest total wins the contest. If the totals are tied, you and your opponent reroll and add everything up again. After you know who wins, any Item cards played get discarded.

If you roll a 6, you automatically win, no matter what the total is!

Example 1: You have a Blue Mynci (agility 8) in the agility arena. You tap it to start a contest. Your opponent has a Green Acara (agility 7) in the agility arena, so it automatically joins the contest. Neither of you plays an Item. You each roll a die. You get a 3 and your opponent gets a 5. Your total is 11 (8 + 3) and your opponent's is 12 (7 + 5). Your opponent wins the contest.

The End of a Contest

When you win a contest on your turn, you can do one of these two things:

Put 1 Item or Equipment card from your hand into your bank. If you have 21 or more points in your bank, you win!
OR
Draw a card.

[Callout on the banking illustration: "Worth 3 points when banked!"]

If your opponent wins a contest on your turn, neither of you gets to bank or draw a card.

If any cards tell you to do something at the end of a contest or when a player wins or loses a contest, it happens after the chance for banking or drawing.

Text on Items and Equipment applies only when you play them normally. It doesn't apply when they're banked unless it says so.

You can't start more than 1 contest per turn in the same arena. So if you have 2 untapped Neopets in the strength arena and you want to start a strength contest, you can choose to tap only 1 of them. If you do that, then you can't start another strength contest with the other one. So it's usually a good idea to use all your untapped Neopets and Heroes in an arena in the contest (unless you want to tap them to play a card or move them later in your turn).

Example 2: You have a Green Acara (intelligence 5) and a Blue Scorchio (intelligence 5) in the intelligence arena. You tap them both. Your Scorchio also has a Warf (intelligence+2) attached to it. In the intelligence arena, your opponent has a Red Aisha (intelligence 7) and a Blue Mynci (intelligence 5). They both automatically join the contest. Each of you plays an Item. Yours (The Thieves' Code) gives +4 intelligence and your opponent's (Beyond Neopia) gives +5 intelligence. You both roll the dice. You get a 4 and your opponent gets a 2. Your total is 20 (5 + 5 + 2 + 4 + 4) and your opponent's is 19 (7 + 5 + 5 + 2). You win the contest.

Contests Against Villains

If there is a Villain in an arena, neither player can begin a regular contest without first defeating the Villain in a special Villain contest (or making it leave the arena some other way). To defeat a Villain, just do a normal contest (tap at least 1 Neopet or Hero, play an Item if you want, roll a die, and add it all up), except:

the other player doesn't roll a die or play cards;
if you win, the Villain's owner discards it (you don't get to bank or draw a card); and
a contest with a Villain doesn't count toward your 1-contest-per-turn limit in the arena.

Doing What Cards Say

Sometimes cards will tell you to do something you can't do. For instance, a card might say, "When you bank this card, choose 1 of your opponent's banked cards and discard it." If your opponent doesn't have any banked cards, just skip that instruction. This is different from cards that say you have to do a particular thing to use them. For instance, a card might say, "You may choose and discard a card in your hand to choose 1 of your opponent's banked cards and discard it." To use this ability, you have to discard a card from your hand. If you don't have any cards in your hand, you can't use the ability.

Sometimes, one card will tell you to do something while another card says you can't. Whenever this happens, the "can't" always wins.

Usually, the order things happen in doesn't matter. But if it does, the person whose turn it is does all his or her things first.

Running Out of Cards

It's possible to run out of cards in your deck. If you have to draw a card from your deck and you don't have any left to draw, you lose the game.

Building Your Own Deck

One of the most exciting parts of the Neopets TCG is building your own deck! You can find more cards to play with in Booster Packs or by trading with your friends. You can build your deck however you like, as long as you follow these simple rules:

Your deck must have at least 40 cards (none of which can be Basic Neopets). You must also have a Neopet stack of at least 10 Basic Neopets.
You can't put more than 3 copies of any card in your deck or Neopet stack.

It's tricky to build a good deck. An easy way to get started building your own decks is to customize this Theme Deck. Here are some things to think about:

At least half of your deck should be cards you can bank (Items and Equipment).
Some cards require Neopets of a particular Faerie type to play. If you use these cards, make sure you put Basic Neopets that match them in your Neopet stack. Since you can have only 3 Neopets in play at a time, it's a good idea to pick only a few different Faerie types.
If you are playing with Experienced Neopets, make sure you have enough Basic Neopets whose species match them.

After you build your deck, play it a lot! Replace cards that don't help you or that you can't play very much. Keep playing your deck and making it better, and soon you'll be able to take down your opponents. Remember, the best part of trading card games is the ability to put any card you want into your deck, so start experimenting!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why do some cards have Faerie symbols in the upper right corner? A: Most cards have one of the 6 Faerie types (Air, Dark, Earth, Fire, Light, and Water). You can also find a card's Faerie type on the keyword line (under the card title).

Q: Why do some cards have arrows in a circle in the upper right corner? A: Some cards require you to tap a Neopet in order to play them. A card that requires you to tap a Neopet of a particular Faerie type shows "tapping" arrows circling around that Faerie symbol in the upper right corner. If you can tap any of your Neopets, the card shows empty "tapping" arrows.

Q: Some Equipment cards have Faerie types. Can I give an Equipment to a Neopet or Hero if its Faerie type doesn't match? A: Yes. If the Equipment says to tap a Neopet of a particular Faerie type to play it, you can tap that Neopet and give it to a different Neopet or Hero of any type. If the Equipment just says you need a Neopet of a particular Faerie type in play, you can give the Equipment to that Neopet or to a different Neopet or Hero of any type. (Some Equipment cards say you can attach them only to a particular Neopet or Hero, though.)

Q: Lots of cards say I need a particular Neopet to use them. Do Heroes or Villains count as Neopets? A: No. Neopet is a card type that counts only Basic and Experienced Neopets. Even though some Heroes and Villains look like Neopets, they are different than regular Neopets.

Q: Can a Neopet or Hero have more than 1 Equipment attached to it at a time? A: Yes.

Q: Can I move an Equipment from 1 of my Neopets or Heroes to another? A: No. Once you attach an Equipment to a Neopet or Hero, it stays there until a rule or card effect moves it.

Q: When 1 of my Neopets or Heroes leaves play, what happens to its Equipment? A: Unless the Neopet is being replaced (see the glossary), discard the Equipment.

Q: Can I start a contest against a Villain that I played? A: Yes. In fact, you can't start a contest in that arena against anything but the Villain.

Q: Lots of cards say, "When this Neopet or Hero starts a contest . . . ." Can I use them on my opponent's turn? A: No. Your Neopets and Heroes "start a contest" only when you tap them to start a contest on your turn.

Q: I have an Item that says I need a Neopet of a particular Faerie type to play it. Does the Neopet need to be in the contest I want to play the Item in? A: No. Unless the card says the Neopet needs to be in the contest, you just need to have the Neopet in any 1 of the 4 arenas.

Q: During a contest on my turn, I play an Item. Then my opponent plays an Item. Can I play another one? A: No. Each player can play only 1 Item per contest.

Q: During a contest on my turn, I choose not to play an Item. Then my opponent does play an Item. Can I play one now? A: No. You can't change your mind after seeing what your opponent does.

Q: Both my opponent and I played Items that say they do something when they're played. Which happens first? A: When more than one thing happens at once, the person whose turn it is does his or her things first. After he or she finishes, the other player does his or her things.

Q: If the person whose turn it is does things first, doesn't that mean Wand of Nova doesn't work? Wand of Nova says, "When your opponent plays an Item in a contest this Neopet or Hero is in, you may choose a card from your hand and discard it to have that card do nothing and be discarded." A: Sometimes individual cards break the rules in this rulebook. If a card says one thing and the rules say another, the card wins. Wand of Nova breaks the rule that the person whose turn it is does his or her things first. Wand of Nova's effect happens right before your opponent's Item would happen, stopping it.

Q: When I play an Item in a contest that I have more than 1 Neopet or Hero in, do the stat bonuses get added to each Neopet or Hero? A: No. Add stat bonuses to your total after you roll, not to any Neopet or Hero.

Q: Lots of cards let me roll extra dice or reroll in contests. What happens if I roll a 6? A: You win anytime you roll a 6, unless you and your opponent both roll at least one 6. If you both roll a 6, you both reroll for the whole contest.

Q: Do I get to bank or draw a card for a contest I win on my opponent's turn? A: No. That happens only when you win a contest on your turn.

Q: Can I choose to bank the Item I played in the contest I won? A: No. The Item you played leaves your hand as soon as you play it in the contest. It goes to your discard pile after you compare totals but before you get a chance to bank or draw cards.

Q: When I win a contest, can I bank an Item or Equipment with a Faerie type if none of my Neopets or Heroes in the contest matches the Faerie type? A: Yes. Faerie type doesn't matter for banking cards. You don't even need a matching Neopet in play.

Q: Some Items and Equipment have effects that happen when they're played. Does banking them count as playing them? A: No. Text on Items and Equipment doesn't apply when they're banked unless it says so.

Q: Some cards say to do things at the end of a contest or when I win or lose a contest. When is that? A: That happens after the chance to bank or draw a card.

Q: Can I start more than 1 contest on my turn? A: Yes. You can start 1 contest in each arena you have untapped Neopets or Heroes in. (Contests with Villains don't count toward this limit.)

Glossary

agility One of the 4 arenas. When a Neopet, Hero, or Villain is in a contest in the agility arena, use its agility stat (in the blue box).

arenas Where your cards are in play. There are 4 arenas: strength (red), agility (blue), magic (yellow), and intelligence (green). When there is a contest in an arena, use the stat on your cards that matches that arena.

attach Give an Equipment to a Neopet or Hero by playing it from your hand or moving it from somewhere else because of a card's effect. The Equipment is "attached" to that Neopet or Hero.

bank (noun) An area between you and the arenas, next to your deck. When you win a contest on your turn, you may put 1 Item or Equipment from your hand into your bank. When you have 21 points in your bank, you win!

bank (verb) What you do with a card when it is put into your bank either because you won a contest on your turn or because of a card effect.

Basic Neopet A card type. You play 1 Basic Neopet each turn for free until you have 3 in play. Just flip over the top card from your Neopet stack and put it into one of the arenas tapped. This is the only type of card you don't play from your hand.

card type The first word on each card's keyword line. The current card types are: Basic Neopet, Experienced Neopet, Hero, Villain, Something Has Happened, Item, Equipment, and Location.

contest A competition involving Neopets, Heroes, or Villains. On each of your turns, you can start 1 contest in each arena you have untapped Neopets or Heroes in. See page 12 for more about contests.

deck Where you put all types of cards except Basic Neopets (which go in your Neopet stack). Each player has his or her own deck. After shuffling, you can't look at the cards in your deck or in your opponent's deck unless a card tells you to. See page 17 for how to build your own deck.

discard Put into a discard pile or on the bottom of a Neopet stack. To discard a card, you remove it from play, a deck, a bank, or a hand. Then it goes to its owner's discard pile (if it isn't a Basic Neopet) or the bottom of its owner's Neopet stack (if it is a Basic Neopet).

discard pile Where all discarded cards go, except Basic Neopets. It's always face up, and either player can look at it whenever he or she likes.

draw Put the top card of your deck into your hand.

Equipment A card type. When you play an Equipment card, slide it under one of your Neopets or Heroes. The Equipment gives its bonuses to that Neopet or Hero as long as it's attached. Instead of playing an Equipment, you can put it into your bank after winning a contest on your turn. A banked Equipment gives you points equal to the number inside the coin.

Experienced Neopet A card type. To play an Experienced Neopet, replace one of your Neopets in play with an Experienced Neopet of the same species. The species is on the keyword line. The Experienced Neopet keeps any Equipment the old Neopet had. Put the old Neopet on the bottom of your Neopet deck (if it's a Basic Neopet) or discard it (if it's an Experienced Neopet). The Experienced Neopet is tapped if the old Neopet was tapped.

Faerie type Air, Dark, Earth, Fire, Light, or Water. If a card has a Faerie type, it's on the keyword line (under the card title). There's also a Faerie symbol in the upper right corner.

flavour text Text that appears in italics at the bottom of some cards. Flavour text has no effect on game play—it's just there for fun.

hand The cards you are holding but haven't played yet. There is no limit to the number of cards you can have in your hand. You have a hand even if there are no cards in it, though.

Hero A card type. To play a Hero, tap one of your untapped Neopets. Put the Hero untapped into that Neopet's arena. The Hero can participate in contests and defeat Villains just like a Neopet. At the end of your turn, discard the Hero and any Equipment attached to it.

in play In an arena. Cards in your bank, hand, deck, Neopet stack, and discard pile aren't in play. Neither are Something Has Happened cards or Items you play during a contest.

intelligence One of the 4 arenas. When a Neopet, Hero, or Villain is in a contest in the intelligence arena, use its intelligence stat (in the green box).

Item A card type. You can play Item cards only during contests. Most Items give a stat bonus for a contest. Instead of playing an Item, you can put it into your bank after winning a contest on your turn. A banked Item gives you points equal to the number inside the coin.

keyword A word that appears on some cards after the card type. Other cards and the rules sometimes refer to keywords.

Location A card type. When you play a Location, put it into an arena. If there's already a Location in that arena, discard the old one.

magic One of the 4 arenas. When a Neopet, Hero, or Villain is in a contest in the magic arena, use its magic stat (in the yellow box).

move Tap one of your untapped Neopets and put it (and any Equipment it has) in a new arena on your turn.

neopet stack Where your Basic Neopets go. Each player has his or her own Neopet stack. After shuffling, you can't look at the cards in your Neopet stack or in your opponent's Neopet stack unless a card tells you to. See page 17 for how to build your own deck and Neopet stack.

Neopet Either a Basic Neopet or an Experienced Neopet. Even though some Heroes and Villains look like Neopets, they are different than regular Neopets.

owner of a card The player who started with that card in his or her deck or Neopet stack. Some effects let you change control of a card in play, but a card's owner never changes.

play Use a card in your hand. You play most cards (Experienced Neopet, Hero, Villain, and Equipment cards) into the arenas. Follow the rules on how to play each card type. Even though you "play" Item cards and Something Has Happened cards, they're never "in play." Just do what they say and then discard them. Banking Items and Equipment doesn't count as playing them. See also in play.

points What you get for banking Items and Equipment. You get points equal to the numbers in those cards' coins. When you have 21 points in your bank, you win!

replace Put a new Neopet in the place of an old one. It's as if the old Neopet turns into the new one. Put the new one into the same arena the old one was in. It keeps any Equipment the old one had, even if it couldn't normally attach that Equipment. Put the old Neopet on the bottom of your Neopet stack (if it's a Basic Neopet) or discard it (if it's an Experienced Neopet). The new Neopet comes into play tapped if the old Neopet was tapped. See also trade in.

rival A Neopet, Hero, or Villain in a contest against your Neopets or Heroes. A Petpet (a type of Equipment) attached to a Neopet or Hero in a contest doesn't count as a rival.

Something Has Happened! A card type. When you play a Something Has Happened card, you show it to your opponent, do what it says, and then discard it.

species A word on the keyword line that comes after the card type (under the card title) on most Neopets, Heroes, and Villains. You can play an Experienced Neopet only by replacing a Neopet with a matching species.

stats Numbers on every Neopet, Hero, and Villain. There are 4 different stats: strength (red), agility (blue), magic (yellow), and intelligence (green). Equipment and other cards can change stats. For example, if a card says it gives "+3 to all stats" to one of your Neopets, it adds 3 to each of the stats printed on that Neopet. When a Neopet, Hero, or Villain is in a contest, it uses the stat that matches the arena it's in.

strength One of the 4 arenas. When a Neopet, Hero, or Villain is in a contest in the strength arena, use its strength stat (in the red box).

tap Turn sideways. Some cards and effects have you tap your Neopets. This shows that you've used those Neopets. You'll have to wait until the Neopets untap (straighten) to use them again. That usually isn't until your next turn.

trade in On your turn, tap one of your untapped Neopets, discard any Equipment it has, and return it to the bottom of your Neopet stack (if it's a Basic Neopet) or discard it (if it's an Experienced Neopet). Then flip over the top card of your Neopet stack and put it into an arena tapped. You don't have to put the new Neopet in the same arena the old one was in.

untap Straighten. "Tap" means "turn sideways," so to untap a card, you turn it back.

Villain A card type. When you play a Villain, put it untapped into any arena that doesn't already have a Villain in it. That Villain must be defeated in a special Villain contest (or leave the arena some other way) before any player can start a regular contest in that arena or play another Villain there.