Nexus (2025)
Nexus (2025) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
Nexus is a fast-paced 1vs1 card game set in an epic fantasy world where powerful factions fight to survive the cataclysm.
In Nexus, you combine two unique factions to build your deck and face your opponent in strategic, quick, and dynamic duels.
Master the mechanics and combos of each faction, maximize their synergies when combined, and forge your own strategies to destroy the rival nexus and claim victory.
Choose your alliance, master your strategy, and destroy the rival Nexus!
Game Objective
Your goal is simple: reduce your opponent's nexus from 30 W points to 0 before they do the same to you.
To claim victory, you must play your offensive, defensive, and support unit cards strategically, alongside powerful event cards and faction-specific abilities.
Components
The two boxes contain the following. Each box holds 8 faction decks, and each faction deck comes with a randomizer and a faction aid card:
Warnarok Box
- 2 Life counters (W counter)
- 1 Initiative coin token
- 8 Randomizer cards
- 8 Faction aid cards
- 8 faction decks (126 cards):
- Celestials (15 cards)
- Dynasty Guardians (15 cards)
- Insectoids (15 cards)
- Samurai (15 cards)
- Siege Masters (18 cards)
- Skeletons (15 cards)
- Vikings (18 cards)
- Wizards (15 cards)
Last Dawn Box
- 2 Life counters (W counter)
- 1 Initiative coin token
- 8 Randomizer cards
- 8 Faction aid cards
- 8 faction decks (129 cards):
- Assassins Order (23 cards)
- Chronomancers (15 cards)
- Dragons (15 cards)
- Dryads (15 cards)
- Pharaoh's Army (16 cards)
- Pirates (15 cards)
- Tritons (15 cards)
- Vampires (15 cards)
Card Types
Unit Cards
When you play a unit, place it on the battlefield in front of you, where it remains in play until it is destroyed. There are 3 types of unit cards, recognizable by the color and shape of their unit value containers:
- Offensive units: identified by a red round-shaped container. Able to attack opponent's nexus or units. Units cannot attack other units or be chosen as the target of an attack.
- Defensive units: identified by a blue shield-shaped container. Unable to attack, but they force units and damage effects to target them instead of the nexus or other units.
- Support units: identified by a yellow hexagon-shaped container. Unable to attack, but they offer powerful effects while in play.
Some units may have two different value containers. These units are considered multi-type.
Event Cards
Events trigger powerful effects but do not remain on the battlefield. After an event card is played and its effect resolved, place it in the graveyard. Event cards are identified by their golden frame and the absence of unit value containers.
Token Cards
Some factions use token cards, which are set aside during setup and are not part of the players' deck. Tokens have special mechanics, explained in the faction rules section (p.26). Token cards are not considered to be "in play". The number of tokens of each faction is limited to the ones included in the game.
Randomizer and Aid Cards
Each faction includes one randomizer card, used during setup to decide which factions players will use in each game. A player aid card with the faction rules is also included.
Card Elements
- Faction icon: identifies the card's faction.
- Card art
- Unit values: numbers appearing inside containers indicate a unit's attack, defense and support values. These values also determine the unit's Hit points.
- Chain icon: a card with this icon allows you to play an additional card this turn.
- Sub-type: some cards include a sub-type that may be referenced by effects from other cards.
- Card abilities: different abilities that are triggered when a card is played or specific conditions are met.
- Number of cards: copies of this card in your deck.
- Card name: when an effect references a specific card, it will do so by its exact name.
Abilities & Icons
- DEPLOY (Q icon): these abilities' effects are activated once immediately after the unit is deployed (placed on the battlefield). The resolution of these abilities is mandatory unless the text specifies otherwise.
- EXHAUST (R icon): these abilities' effects may be activated once during each Action phase, including the same turn in which the unit is deployed, by exhausting the card (turning it 90º).
- REACTION (E icon): these abilities' effects may be activated at any moment, even during the opponent's turn, when the specified conditions are met by exhausting the card (turning it 90º).
- CHAIN (Chain icon): a card with this icon allows you to play an additional card. When the Chain icon is present in any card played from your hand, because of any reason (this turn's play, previous Chain effect, another card effect, etc), you may play an additional card during your current Action phase.
- PASSIVE: any effect on the card that is not preceded by an icon or keyword is considered passive and is active as long as the card is on the battlefield.
Game Zones
Battlefield: the area in front of each player where played cards are placed. Any unit on the battlefield is considered "in play".
Deck: the pile of cards where each player's faction cards are shuffled together, face-down. After you search for a card in your deck or return a card to it, shuffle it immediately before resolving any further actions.
Graveyard: pile where discarded cards and destroyed units are placed, face-up. You may look at both your own and the opponent's graveyard at any time. When an effect allows you to interact with a graveyard you have to do so publicly, allowing the opponent to see and verify that the effect is being carried out correctly.
Hand: all the cards you have in your hand, available to play. You can have a maximum of 10 cards in hand at the End of turn phase. At that point, you must burn any excess cards.
Life Counter: rotating dial that indicates how many W points your nexus has.
Token Area: some factions use token cards, which are not part of the players' deck or hand. Following special faction rules (p.26), tokens are placed on each player's token area.
Opponent's Area
The printed diagram on page 11 shows the zones above laid out for the opponent's area and the player's area (hand, token area, deck, graveyard, battlefield, life counter). It contains no rules beyond the Game Zones section.
Setup
This is the setup for a Best of 1 game mode. To play a Best of 3 game, refer to page 24 (see Best of 3 Mode).
1. Establish Initiative
Choose which player has the initiative by flipping the initiative coin.
2. Choose Factions
Shuffle all randomizer cards and draw 4 at random. Lay them out face-up in front of the players.
The player with the initiative drafts one of the factions. The other player drafts two factions. The remaining faction is taken by the player with the initiative. Both players now have two factions each.
3. Deck Creation
- Take the faction cards from each one of the factions you drafted.
- Set aside the randomizers and aid cards from your factions. If your factions use tokens, place them beside the battlefield. This will be your token area.
- Shuffle the 30 faction cards from your 2 factions together. This is your deck. Place it face down on the table, leaving a space next to it for the graveyard.
4. Prepare to Start
- Each player takes 1 life counter and sets it to 30 W points.
- The player with the initiative is the starting player.
- Each player draws the top 5 cards from their deck. This is their hand.
- Each player may mulligan (replace) any number of drawn cards once before the game starts. To do so, they set aside any cards they don't want to keep and draw the same number of cards from their deck. After that, they shuffle the cards that were set aside back into their deck.
- When both players have declared that they are ready, the starting player initiates their turn.
How to Play
Both players play alternating turns until a nexus is destroyed by reducing its W points to 0. The winner is the player whose nexus has not been destroyed.
Each turn is composed of 4 phases, performed in order by the active player:
Start of turn → Action → Attack → End of turn
1. Start of Turn
Draw 1 card from your deck and add it to your hand, with the exception of the starting player on the first turn of the game.
Resolve any Start of turn effects in any order you decide (before and/or after drawing).
Depleted deck: If there are not enough cards in your deck to perform an action (draw, reorder a number of cards, etc.), take all cards from your graveyard, shuffle and place them face-down under your current deck. This is your deck now. Then, perform the action.
2. Action Phase
During the Action phase you may play cards and activate R abilities in any order.
Play Cards
Cards do not have an associated cost to be played. You may play only 1 card from your hand each Action phase, unless an effect allows you otherwise:
- If the played card (from your hand) has a Chain icon, you may play an additional card during this phase.
- If an effect allows you to play a card "for free", it does not count as the card played this turn.
Actions must be performed clearly so both players can verify them. This may require a player to show cards to their opponent to prove the conditions are being met.
Play Event cards: If you play an event, resolve its effect immediately and then place it in your graveyard.
Play Unit cards: You cannot have more than 8 units on the battlefield at the same time (not counting events or tokens). You may burn (p. 20) one of your units on the battlefield in order to play another card if that limit has already been reached.
All played units enter the battlefield ready (p. 21) unless an effect specifies otherwise.
If you play a unit with a Q ability, resolve that ability's effect immediately after deploying it on the battlefield.
Activate Exhaust (R) Abilities
During the Action phase you may activate R abilities from any ready units by exhausting them. All non-exhausted units are considered ready. R abilities cannot be activated in any other phase than the Action phase.
Units may activate R abilities in the same Action phase they were played, as long as they are ready.
3. Attack Phase
During the attack phase, you may attack with any number of your ready units, in any order, including the ones that were deployed during this turn. Only units are able to attack. Execute each attack individually following these steps in order, until there are no units left to attack with, or you decide to stop attacking.
1. Declare Attacking Unit: Exhaust one of your ready units to declare it as the attacker.
2. Select Target: If the opponent has any units on the battlefield (even if they are exhausted), your attack must target one of them. If there are no units on the battlefield your attack may target units or the opponent's nexus.
Targeting units: Some card effects allow your attacks to target units. In that case, units are still mandatory targets if present on the battlefield before targeting units.
Targeting multi-type units: If a unit has 2 types, it is considered both at the same time. Units with a defensive (blue shield) container are still considered mandatory targets even if they have another type.
Attacking units cannot declare other units as target, unless their abilities allow them to, or the target also has a defensive (blue shield) or support (yellow hexagon) container (multi-type unit).
3. Apply Damage: Attacking units deal as much damage as their attack value. Reduce the targeted unit's Hit points or targeted nexus W points as much as the received damage.
Units can endure as much damage as their Hit points before being destroyed. Unit's Hit points are equal to their defensive (blue shield), support (yellow hexagon), or offensive (red round) value. If a unit has more than one container, its Hit points are always determined by their defensive (blue shield) or support (yellow hexagon) values, in that specific order.
4. Resolve Attack: After applying damage, if a targeted unit's Hit points reach 0 or less, it is destroyed. The attacking unit is always destroyed after resolving the attack, unless stated otherwise.
Destroyed units: Whenever a unit is destroyed, first resolve any effect triggered by its destruction. Then place that destroyed unit in the graveyard.
4. End of Turn
- Ready your exhausted units: Ready all your exhausted units by turning them upright. Permanently exhausted units skip this step (p.31).
- Restore Hit points: All units on the battlefield, both yours and your opponent's, restore their Hit points to their original value.
- Burn excess cards in hand: If at this point you have more than 10 cards in hand, choose and burn any excess cards until you have 10 remaining.
After all the phases of your turn are finished and you have declared your turn is over, it is the next player's turn.
Burn: You may have to burn cards at certain moments. To do so, place them in your graveyard. Burnt cards do not count as discarded or destroyed for card effect purposes.
Clarifications
Deploy / Play: Any card placed on the battlefield, no matter where it comes from (hand, deck, graveyard, etc), is considered deployed, but only cards placed on the battlefield from your hand are also considered played.
Ready / Exhaust: Units are placed on the battlefield ready (upright), which allows them to activate abilities or attack even in the same turn they were deployed. When a card has to be exhausted, turn that card 90º. Any ability or action that requires exhausting a card can only be performed if that card is ready. (The printed page shows a unit turned upright as "Ready" and turned 90º as "Exhausted".)
Card text prevails: Whenever a card's text contradicts the rules in this rulebook, the card takes precedence.
Minimum quantity required: If a card effect requires a specific amount, you may activate that effect as long as you have that quantity or more. Having more than the required quantity is also valid.
Additional Rules
Direct Damage Effects
Some effects deal direct damage to the nexus or units. There are two types of damage effects, printed on each card as follows:
Deal damage to a specific target: This effect directly targets a specific target (like the opponent's nexus, for example), ignoring any units on the battlefield.
Deal damage: This effect may target any nexus or any defensive, support, or offensive unit. If the opponent has units on the battlefield, the damage must target them before targeting their nexus or other units. All damage from an effect has to be dealt to the same target, unless stated otherwise.
Apply direct damage by reducing the targeted unit's Hit points or targeted nexus W points. After applying damage, if the targeted unit Hit points reach 0 or less, it is destroyed (p.19).
You may deal damage to your own nexus or units. In that case, units are not mandatory targets (yours or your opponent's).
Order of Resolution
If two abilities are activated simultaneously, the order of resolution is as follows:
Passive > E Reaction > Chain > Q Deploy > R Exhaust
If two abilities of the same type are activated simultaneously by a player, that player decides the order of resolution. If activated by different players, the active player's ability takes priority.
Linked Effects
A linked effect is an effect that is triggered as a direct result of resolving another effect. The linked effect must be resolved immediately, interrupting the resolution of the effect which triggered it. A linked effect may, in turn, trigger another linked effect, becoming the trigger for this third effect.
It is possible that different linked effects may belong to different players. This does not alter the resolution order explained above.
The printed page illustrates a chain of linked effects: Resolution of effect A triggers Effect B. Resolution of effect B triggers Effect C. Resolve Effect C fully. Finish resolving Effect B. Finish resolving Effect A.
Best of 3 Mode
Players will face each other in a series of 3 games, where the first player to achieve two victories is the winner.
To play the Best of 3 mode, each player needs 4 factions instead of 2. Follow these steps to choose your factions instead of step 2 of the game setup:
Choose Factions
- Shuffle all randomizers and draw 8 of them. Lay out the randomizers face-up in front of both players.
- Starting with the player that has the initiative, both players take turns drafting 1 of the available factions until both players have drafted a total of 4 factions.
Game 1
Each player chooses 2 of their 4 factions in secret to create their deck for the first game. Both players reveal their chosen factions and start playing.
Game 2
Each player uses the 2 remaining factions that they did not play in the first game. The player who lost the first game has the initiative for this second game.
If a player wins both games 1 and 2, they are the winner of the Best of 3 series.
In case of a tie (1 game won by each player), a third tiebreaker game will be played. The player that wins this third game is the winner of the best of 3 series.
Game 3 (Tiebreaker)
Each player secretly chooses 1 faction from their first game and 1 faction from their second game, creating a new deck combination not played in any of the previous games. Both players reveal their chosen factions and start playing.
The player who lost the second game has the initiative for this third game.
Special Faction Rules
Some factions have special mechanics that require the use of token cards or faction specific keywords, detailed in this section.
Faction icons that appear inside the printed text of this section are written out here by faction name.
Assassin's Order
Assassin tokens: At the start of the game, place the 8 Assassin tokens in your token area. Some Assassin's Order cards' effects place those Assassin tokens in the opponent's deck during the game.
Hidden Assassins: Any Assassin tokens that are not in your token area are considered hidden. Some Assassin's Order cards' effects are related to the amount of hidden Assassins. The amount of Assassins hidden equals 8 minus the Assassins that currently remain in your token area. Some Assassin's Order cards may also be hidden in the opponent's deck, but those do not count towards the number of hidden Assassins.
If an opponent draws an Assassin token from their deck, the Assassin deals 2 damage to their nexus. After that, that player draws another card and returns the Assassin token back to its owner's token area.
Detected: Whenever the Assassin's Order player is looking at cards in the opponent's deck (because an effect allows them to do so) and finds a card with a "Detected" ability in it, the Detected ability is triggered. Detected abilities can only be triggered by the Assassin's Order player.
Siege Masters
Gear tokens: At the start of the game, place the 3 Gear tokens in your token area. Every time a unit with the "Siege Engine" subtype is destroyed, you obtain 1 Gear token. Whenever you obtain a Gear, take it from the token area and place it in front of you.
You cannot have more than 3 Gear tokens. During your Action phase, you may spend 3 Gear tokens to play 1 unit with the "Siege Engine" subtype from your hand for free.
When you spend Gears, return them to your token area.
Celestials
Purify: When an effect Purifies, take the top card from your deck. Reveal it and then place it in your graveyard. That card has been purified.
Purified: When a card with a "Purified" ability is placed in the graveyard by a Purify effect, its Purified ability is triggered immediately. Fully resolve any abilities or effects triggered by that purification before any further actions (see Linked effects, p.23). If a card is sent to the graveyard by any effect other than a purification, it does not activate its Purified ability.
Purify effects place cards in the graveyard, but do not count as a discard or destroy for card effect purposes.
Pirates
Capture: Take the specified number of cards from the top of your opponent's deck (unless the effect specifies a different location) and place them in your token area, face-down. Those cards are now considered captives, and are removed from the game. You cannot have more than 8 captives at any time. If you were to Capture and that limit is already reached, the Capture ability is not carried out.
You may look at or count your captives at any time, but your opponent may not know which cards have been captured.
Vikings
Rage tokens: At the start of the game, place 2 Rage tokens in your token area and 1 Rage token in front of you, already available to use. Whenever you obtain Rage, take it from the token area and place it in front of you. When you spend Rage, return it to your token area.
Enraged units: Units with the "Enraged" keyword are considered Enraged units. When an Enraged unit is played, you obtain 1 Rage token. You cannot have more than 3 Rage tokens.
When attacking with an Enraged unit, you may spend any number of available Rage tokens to add +1 to that unit's value for this attack for each Rage spent this way.
Pharaoh's Army
Day/Night cycle: At the start of the game, take the Day/Night token and place it in front of you with the Day side facing you. The side facing you each turn represents the current cycle. Once during each of your Start of turn phases, turn the Day/Night token 180 degrees, changing from Day to Night or vice-versa.
N / M icons (the N icon is the star-shaped day symbol; the M icon is the crescent night symbol): Any Pharaoh's Army card may be played regardless of the current cycle, but some abilities are preceded by an N or M icon. These abilities can only be triggered during their matching Day/Night cycle. Abilities above the N or M icon are triggered and resolved normally.
Chronomancers
Timewalk: When a Chronomancers unit with a Timewalk ability is destroyed, you may place it face-down on a new pile called the Timewalk pile instead of the graveyard. At the End of turn phase, take all face-down cards from the Timewalk pile and turn them face-up. At any time during your turn, you may activate any number of Timewalk abilities from any face-up cards in your Timewalk pile. After resolving those abilities, the cards from the Timewalk pile that were activated are placed in the graveyard.
Cards stay in the Timewalk pile until their Timewalk ability is activated. The Timewalk pile may be checked by any player at any time.
Glossary
Allied unit: Unit belonging to any of the 2 factions conforming a player's deck at the start of a game.
Battlefield: The area in front of each player where played cards are placed. Any card on the battlefield is considered "in play".
Burn: Burnt cards (because of a card limit) are placed from your hand or battlefield to the graveyard. Burnt cards are not considered discarded or destroyed.
Card limit
- Battlefield: each player can have a maximum of 8 units on their battlefield. Tokens and event cards do not count towards this limit. A player with 8 units on their battlefield must burn 1 unit before playing a new one.
- Hand: each player can have a maximum of 10 cards in their hand at their end of turn phase. When a player starts their End of turn phase, they have to burn any excess cards over 10.
Chain (Chain icon): When the Chain icon is present in any card played from your hand, because of any reason (current turn's play, previous Chain effect, another card effect, etc), you may play an additional card during the current Action phase.
Controlling player: The player on whose battlefield a unit is currently placed. If you control a unit, it is considered "your" unit and you decide over its actions. Units controlled by your opponent are referred to as "their" or "opponent's" units.
Damage: When a unit or nexus is attacked or targeted by a direct damage effect, it is dealt damage. When a nexus is dealt damage, subtract the amount of dealt damage from its current W. When a unit is damaged, subtract the amount of dealt damage from its Hit points. If the unit's Hit points reach 0 or less, it is destroyed.
Deck: The pile of cards where your faction cards are initially shuffled together, face-down. This is the pile where you draw cards from each turn. If there are not enough cards in your deck to perform an action, see Depleted deck.
Depleted deck: If there are not enough cards in your deck to perform an action, take all the cards from your graveyard, shuffle and place them face-down under your current deck. This is your deck now. Then, you may continue to perform the action.
Deploy: Any unit that enters the battlefield from any location is considered "deployed". Cards deployed from a player's hand are also considered "played".
Deploy ability (Q): Mandatory abilities that activate immediately when a unit is deployed on the battlefield. If the Q text specifies that an ability "may" be activated, the controlling player decides to do so or not.
Destroy: When a unit receives damage equal or greater than its Hit points, it is destroyed. When a unit is destroyed, place it in its owner's graveyard. Other effects may destroy a card automatically without dealing damage.
Double attack: After a unit with double attack resolves its attack, ready it and attack a second time with it. You may choose the same or a different target.
Draw: Players draw cards from the top of their deck, unless specified otherwise.
Exhaust: Turn a ready unit card 90º to exhaust it. Only ready units may be exhausted. Units get exhausted either by attacking, activating their R or E abilities, or other specific card effects.
- Permanently exhausted: any permanently exhausted unit skips the "ready your exhausted units" step during the End of turn phase. Effects that ready a card still apply to permanently exhausted units.
Exhaust ability (R): These abilities may be activated during each Action phase, including the same turn in which the unit is deployed, by exhausting the card.
For free: A card that specifies it may be played "for free" can be played outside of the 1 card played per turn limit. This only applies to cards being played from your hand, and cannot be activated from any other location.
Graveyard: Pile where your destroyed units and discarded cards are placed, face-up. You may check both your own and the opponent's graveyard at any time. When an effect allows you to interact with a graveyard you have to do so publicly, allowing the opponent to see and verify that the effect is being carried out correctly.
Hand: All the cards you have in your hand, available to play. You can have a maximum of 10 cards in hand at the End of turn phase. At that point, you must burn any excess cards.
Hit: To successfully deal damage to a nexus or another unit with an attack.
Ignore (blue shield): A card that has the "Ignore [defensive unit]" effect is not forced to target defensive units when attacking or dealing direct damage.
In play: A unit is considered "in play" while it is on the battlefield, no matter where it came from (hand, graveyard, deck, etc.).
Nexus: Each player starts the game with their nexus at 30 W. If a player's nexus reaches 0 W or less, that player loses the game immediately. A nexus can never have more than 30 W.
Owner: Each player is the owner of all the cards from the two factions they drafted during setup, no matter who controls that unit.
Opponent's unit: Any unit controlled by the opponent is considered an opponent's unit.
Reaction ability (E): These abilities may be activated at any moment, even during the opponent's turn, when the specified conditions are met by exhausting the card.
Ready (action): To turn an exhausted card 90º and put it upright, available to be exhausted again.
Ready unit: All non-exhausted units are considered ready. All units enter the battlefield ready, unless specified otherwise.
Restoration: Effect that adds the indicated amount of W to a nexus (never surpassing the 30 W limit). A nexus W is considered "restored" when its current amount of W has increased.
Return card: Effect that changes a card from one location to another. When cards are returned to the deck, place those cards on top of the deck and shuffle it immediately before resolving any further steps.
Search: Search a specified card in the specified pile. If you have searched in a deck, shuffle that deck after doing so.
Take control: When taking control of an opponent's unit, place that card on your side of the battlefield in the same state it was previously. You are now its controlling player, but not its owner.
Target: An attack's or effect's target is the unit or nexus selected as the receiver of said attack or effect.
This card: Effects with "this card" in its text always refer to the card on which that text is printed.
Tokens: Special cards used by some factions to carry out their specific mechanics. Tokens are set aside from the deck during setup. During the game tokens are not considered "in play" or in "hand", and do not count towards card limits. Tokens can not be targeted by any attack or card effect.
Trample: If an attack or direct damage with Trample targets an opponent's unit, any excess damage after subtracting the targeted unit's Hit points is dealt to the opponent's nexus. That excess damage can not be dealt to other units.
Tucked cards: Some cards may instruct you to tuck other cards beneath them. Tucked cards remain under the host card while it is on the battlefield. If the host card leaves the battlefield, all tucked cards are placed into their owners' graveyards.
Unit types
- Offensive unit (red round container): able to attack the opponent's nexus or units. Offensive units cannot attack other offensive units or be chosen as the target of an attack, but can be targeted by "deal damage" effects.
- Defensive unit (blue shield container): unable to attack, but they force units and damage effects to target them instead of the nexus or other units.
- Support unit (yellow hexagon container): unable to attack, but they offer powerful effects while in play. Support units may be targeted by offensive units.
Value: A unit's value is equal to the value in its red, blue or yellow container. When a card has more than one container, its value is equal to the highest value in its containers. If a card has no container, its value is considered 0.
Alternative Game Modes
Random Pick
Play with random factions, instead of drafting them (step 2 of the game setup). Shuffle all randomizers, and then each player draws 2 of them at random and plays with those factions.
Casual Game
Play with any factions you want from the entire factions pool without randomness. The player with the initiative chooses any faction first. Then the other player chooses two factions. Finally, the first player takes their second faction.
Back and Forth
Set up a game normally and play your first game. Write down the W points each player has at the end of it.
After the first game, players exchange their decks and play the second game. Write down the W points each player has at the end of this second game.
If a player won both games, they are the winner. In case of a tie, add each player's remaining W from both games and the highest one wins. If the tie persists (both games concluded with the same results), the game ends in a tie.
Solo Mode
The following is the official Nexus Solo Mode rulebook (a separate PDF, "Nexus-Solo-Mode-EN", © 2026 Redzen Games), transcribed here as an addition to the core rules above. Solo Mode uses the core rules for setup, turn structure, cards and targeting unless this section says otherwise. The solo rulebook's lore passage (page 12) is omitted.
You can play Nexus solo, against an automated player. The Solo mode in Nexus is a challenging variation of the regular 1v1 game, perfect for testing new faction combinations, sharpening your strategic skills, or simply enjoying the game at your own pace against a very demanding rival.
When playing Solo mode, you use 2 regular factions, but this time against a rival Automa that plays with a special deck formed by 2 Solo factions.
The player's turn works identically to a 1v1 game, but the Automa plays differently, as explained in this rulebook.
Solo Components
- 4 Solo faction decks: Goblins (15 cards), Mindveils (15 cards), Ratmen (15 cards), Slimes (15 cards)
- 4 Randomizers
Automa Setup
After setting up the game for you, following the regular game setup steps, set up the Automa following these steps:
- Choose Solo Factions: Choose the 2 Solo mode factions the Automa will play against. Set aside their randomizers and the Target Priority card. Take their faction cards and shuffle them, creating the Solo deck. Leave the Solo deck in front of you as if it were a regular opponent's deck.
- Create the Solo Hand: Draw the top 5 cards of the Solo deck and, without looking at them, leave them face-down in a pile next to the Solo deck. This is the Solo hand. Next to the Solo deck, leave a space for the Solo graveyard.
- Prepare to Start: Set the Automa's life counter to the amount indicated by its difficulty. For a regular game, set it to 40 W points. As the life counter is limited to 30 W, you may use 2 life counters to track the Automa's W.
The Automa is always the starting player.
Battlefield Line
The Automa plays cards on your opponent's battlefield facing you for easy reading.
All units deployed by the Automa form a line, from left to right, called the battlefield line, which determines the order in which the Automa's units are activated or attack.
Whenever the Automa deploys a new unit, place it on the right side of the battlefield line, to the right of the previously deployed unit. When a rule states that you should "follow the battlefield line", do so starting from the leftmost card and proceed right.
The printed page shows a "Battlefield line order" diagram with W counters and a deployed card; it adds no further rules.
Automa Turn
You must read and resolve the Automa's cards as if you were the Automa itself. This means that when a card says "you" or "your", it is referring to the Automa, not to you as the human player.
In practice, you act on behalf of the Automa, performing all its actions and effects exactly as instructed by its cards and rules.
The Automa plays its turn using the same 4 phases and order as a regular player's turn, although there are some changes on how the Automa plays each phase, explained below:
1. Start of Turn Phase
The Automa draws a card from the Solo deck. Every time the Automa draws a card, it places that card under its current Solo hand.
2. Action Phase
The Automa may activate exhaust abilities and play cards during this phase, in that specific order.
Activate Exhaust (R) Abilities: Following the battlefield line, the Automa activates all R abilities from each of its ready units. Resolve each R ability entirely before activating the next one.
Once you reach the end of the battlefield line, check if any abilities that were not previously resolvable can now be resolved. If no valid R abilities are left to activate, proceed to Play cards (step 2).
Play Cards: The Automa can not decide which card to play each turn, so instead, each turn it draws the top card from the Solo hand and plays it.
- If it is an event, resolve it and place it in the Solo graveyard.
- If it is a unit, place it on the right side of the battlefield line. Resolve any Q ability immediately, as well as any linked effect triggered by playing that card.
If the card has a Chain icon, or the Automa is allowed to play another card for free, first resolve its Q abilities. Then check the battlefield line for any newly available R abilities before playing a new card from the Solo hand.
If there are no more R abilities to activate and the Automa has already played all possible cards this turn, this phase ends.
3. Attack Phase
Each turn, the Automa attacks with all its ready units. To do this, follow the battlefield line and declare an attack with each ready unit. The Automa follows the Target Priority rules (p.6) to choose the targets of its attacks.
4. End of Turn
If the Automa has more than 10 cards in the Solo hand, burn the excess cards, starting from the top. Ready all Automa's exhausted units.
Target Priority
Whenever an Automa's unit attacks, or one of its direct damage effects is activated, it selects its target following the regular targeting rule: if the opponent has a defensive (blue shield) unit in play, the Automa always targets that unit.
If there are no player's defensive units in play, or if the attacker or damage effect can ignore defensive units, the Automa uses the priority table to determine its target.
Use the side of the Target Priority card (found also on the next page) that matches your current W points: blue side if you have 16 or more, or red side if you have 15 or less.
If the Automa's current W points are higher or equal than 50% of its total, use the first row. If the Automa's current W points are lower than 50% of its total, use the second row.
The selected row is the Target Priority list that the Automa will use to select the target of its attack or direct damage.
Automa choices and conflicts: If the Automa has to choose between two possibilities (targets with equal priority, for example), the player makes that decision instead, at their own criteria.
Priority Tables
Player's W 16-30 (blue side). Check target priority from left to right.
- Automa W ≥ 50%
- Support unit (yellow hexagon)
- Defensive unit (blue shield)
- Offensive unit (red round), = DMG.
- Nexus (white diamond, W)
- Automa W < 50%
- Offensive unit (red round)
- Support unit (yellow hexagon), = DMG. | 2- VALUE
- Nexus (white diamond), Max. 5 DMG.
- Defensive unit (blue shield), = DMG.
- Support unit (yellow hexagon), 3+ VALUE
- Nexus (white diamond)
Player's W 1-15 (red side). Check target priority from left to right.
- Automa W ≥ 50%
- Support unit (yellow hexagon), = DMG.
- Nexus (white diamond), Max. 3 VALUE
- Offensive unit (red round), 2+ VALUE
- Defensive unit (blue shield), = DMG.
- Nexus (white diamond)
- Automa W < 50%
- Offensive unit (red round)
- Nexus (white diamond), Max. 5 VALUE
- Support unit (yellow hexagon), = DMG.
- Nexus (white diamond)
Transcription notes for the priority tables: the printed tables place icons and criteria as described above. On the 16-30 table, the "< 50%" support slot shows two criteria ("= DMG." and "2- VALUE") split by a divider under one icon; they are transcribed in that order. The white-diamond (W) slots on the 1-15 table carry "VALUE" criteria as printed, although the rules define VALUE criteria for units only (see Target Selection); the printed text is kept as is.
Key to the criteria: Max (X) DMG is valid only if the dealt damage plus the damage the nexus has already received this turn does not surpass X. = DMG is valid only if the damage dealt is exactly equal to the target's current Hit points. X+ / X- VALUE is valid only if the target's value is equal to X, or higher/lower depending on the symbol (+ or -).
Target Selection
Once you have determined which Target Priority list applies, starting from left to right, check if there is any opponent's target of that type in play.
The type icon may have an additional criteria specified underneath. That criteria must be met in order for the target to be valid. If that criteria is not met, even if there is a target of that type in play, skip to the next target type in the list.
- Max (X) DMG: Only valid if the dealt damage plus the damage the nexus has already received this turn does not surpass X.
- = DMG: Only valid if the damage dealt is exactly equal to the target's current Hit points.
- X+ / X- VALUE: Valid only if the target's value is equal to X, or higher/lower depending on the symbol (+ or -).
If there is no criteria specified, always select the highest value unit of that type as the target.
Once the target is selected, check if the Automa can destroy that unit, taking into account all available attacks and effects from the Battlefield line. If that target cannot be destroyed, target the next opponent's unit of that type in play, and if there is none, move to the next target type in the Target Priority list.
Card Specific Target Priorities
Some cards have their own card specific Target Priorities, shown on the left side of the card. These cards determine their target using that list in order, from top to bottom. If there are no valid targets of those types in play, then follow the priority table to establish the target.
If an icon in the list has a ▼ arrow inside, the target must be the lowest value unit of that type in play.
Other Effects Target
The Target Priority table and card specific Target Priorities only apply when selecting targets of damage effects and attacks. Any other effects (for example exhaust, take control, etc.) will always target the player's unit in play with the highest value, no matter its type.
If the selected Target Priority type is offensive unit (red round), it will only be valid if the attacker is able to target units. Otherwise, skip to the next target type.
Other Considerations
Automa reactions: When an Automa's E ability can be resolved, the Automa will do so immediately before resolving any further steps or actions, and then continue with the Automa's turn normally.
Interacting with the Solo hand: When a card effect adds a card to the Solo hand, immediately shuffle the Solo hand. This does not apply when drawing.
Card effects that trigger for a player when they draw that card from their deck, instead trigger for the Automa when that card leaves the Solo hand.
When using the Assassin's Order faction against the Automa, if the Automa plays an Assassin token from the Solo hand, it plays an additional card after resolving the Assassin's effects.
Solo graveyard order: All cards that go to the Solo graveyard are placed on top of it, face-up. The player may look at or interact with the Solo graveyard at any moment, but its order must remain unaltered at all times, unless an effect states otherwise.
Difficulty
The Nexus Solo mode already offers a tough challenge. Using the difficulty settings below you can take it one step further, giving you the chance to test your skill and strategies:
Hard
- The Automa starts the match with its nexus at 50 W.
- The Automa's choices are decided randomly rather than by the player.
Nightmare
- The Automa starts the game with its nexus at 60 W.
- The Automa's choices are decided randomly rather than by the player.
- Double draw: the Automa draws 2 cards instead of 1 at its Start of turn phase.
- Double play: each Action Phase, the Automa plays 2 cards instead of 1 (cards still allow additional cards to be played).
Custom Difficulty
- Decide the Automa's initial nexus W (40/50/60 W).
- Choose between the Automa's choices being decided randomly or by you.
- Decide if you want to include double draw, double play or both for the Automa.
Solo Faction Rules
Goblins
Mob: Goblins attack in groups, called Mobs. A Mob is formed by 1 or more units with a "Join a Mob" ability.
When a unit is deployed and joins a Mob, place it face-up under the Mob specified in the ability (usually with the same name as the unit's).
When a Goblin has to join a Mob but that Mob is not in play, the Automa reveals the top 4 cards of its deck, takes all units with that same name among them, and places them face-up under the newly deployed unit, without activating their Q abilities. The Mob is now in play. The Automa places the remaining cards at the bottom of their Solo deck.
A Mob is considered 1 single unit on the battlefield for all purposes, with a value equal to the combined values of all units in it. A Mob's Hit points equal its combined value and can only be destroyed as a whole.
If a Mob unit activates an E ability, the complete Mob is exhausted but it only activates once.
After attacking, only 1 unit from the Mob is destroyed.
Slimes
Engulf: Every time a unit with the "Engulf" keyword would attack another unit, after selecting it as target, it will try to engulf it first, using its value.
If the engulfing unit's value is equal or higher than the target Hit points, the target is engulfed successfully. If the engulfing unit's value is lower than the target's Hit points, the Automa discards cards from the top of the Solo hand, adding +1 to the engulfing unit's value for each discarded card until they match the target's Hitpoints. Once a unit is engulfed, place it in the Solo token area.
The Automa will not engulf a unit if doing so would leave the Solo hand with fewer than two cards after discarding the necessary cards. If the engulf cannot be performed, the Automa's unit will instead attack the target normally.
Each turn, the player may skip their draw action at their Start of turn to deploy an engulfed unit of their choice on their battlefield, exhausted.
Engulfing can only target units, and cannot be performed if the target is the opponent's nexus.
Since an engulf is not considered an attack, the engulfing unit is not destroyed after resolving it; however, it does become exhausted.
Stickiness: Slimes attack in order of Stickiness, from highest to lowest. When attacking, the Automa follows the battlefield line normally, but skipping any unit with Stickiness if another unit with higher Stickiness hasn't attacked or engulfed yet.
When reaching the end of the battlefield line, the Automa starts from the beginning until all ready units have either attacked or engulfed, if possible.
Some card abilities refer to total stickiness, which is the sum of the stickiness of all units on the battlefield line.
Mindveils
Daze: Take an opponent's unit from the location specified by the Daze ability and add it to the Solo hand (shuffle the Solo hand afterwards). While that unit remains in the Solo hand, deck or graveyard, it is considered a dazed unit.
When the Automa plays a dazed unit, deploy it exhausted on its owner's battlefield. The Automa then plays another card.
If the player (not the Automa) looks at the Solo hand or deck (because an effect indicates so) and detects one of their dazed units, that unit is deployed exhausted on its owner's battlefield.
Solo Turn Summary
The printed summary page for the Automa turn:
- Start of turn: Draw 1 card.
- Action phase: Resolve all R abilities. Play a card from the Solo hand. Check for resolvable R abilities.
- Attack phase: Attack with all ready units.
- End of turn: Burn excess cards in hand. Ready all exhausted units.