RIFTS Collectible Card Game
RIFTS Collectible Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
What is Rifts CCG?
Rifts CCG will introduce more Booster Packs containing brand new cards, along with additional major powers to play.
In these rules and on the cards, Rifts CCG is assumed to be played by 2 players. Each player must have his own deck and nation card. See the "Multi-Player Rules" section for rules on playing with more than 2 players.
More information on the Rifts role-playing game can be found at Palladium Books' website at www.palladiumbooks.com and at local participating retail stores.
What is a CCG?
In a Collectible Card Game, each player creates a customized deck from the cards in his collection and uses it for play. Many players will maintain various different decks to add variety to their games. You can pull apart and re-arrange your deck between games, however you like.
To get started, each player requires a Rifts CCG Starter Deck. Each Starter Deck is identical.
To further customize your deck, you can buy Booster Packs of randomly assorted cards. Many retailers stock Booster Packs at or behind their front counter. Ask your retailer where Booster Packs are stocked in their store. Subsequent expansions of Rifts CCG will introduce more Booster Packs containing brand new cards, along with additional major powers to play.
Card Types & Card Anatomy
There are 5 types of cards in Rifts CCG: nation cards, field units, base units, assets, and events. Once played, all cards except events remain in play until discarded, killed, or removed from the game.
Nation Cards are the foundation of each player's deck. You start with a nation card in play, of your choice, and cannot place additional nation cards in your deck or play nation cards during the game. Your nation card cannot be discarded, killed, or removed from the game.
BLUE-bordered Base Units represent the infrastructure, cities, and heroes at your command. They recruit, supply, and lead your forces.
RED-bordered Field Units are the military forces at your command. They are used to attack your opponent and to destroy forces attacking you.
Note: Field units and base units are both considered "units".
GREEN-bordered Assets are played on other cards to enhance or limit their abilities. Field Assets are played on field units, Base Assets on base units, and Nation Assets on nation cards.
BLACK-bordered Events are played for a one-time effect, and are then discarded after this effect is fulfilled.
Card Diagrams
The card diagrams on pages 3 and 4 of the printed rulebook show a Base Unit (blue), a Field Unit (red), a Field Asset (green) and an Event (black). The diagram callouts name the parts of each card as described below.
Your First Few Games
For your first few games of Rifts CCG, we suggest that you use the "Upstart Warlord" nation card included in your starter deck. Set aside the other 8 nation cards for now. Rather than playing one of the major nations, playing the Upstart Warlord allows you to become familiar with a variety of traits and cards (which, in a storyline context, represent your previously unknown dictatorship purchasing armaments from various sources).
To begin, remove the other 8 nation cards that were included in your starter deck. Place the Upstart Warlord card into play, then shuffle the remaining 71 field unit, base unit, event, and asset cards; these 71 cards will constitute your deck.
The Upstart Warlord card's special ability allows you to ignore trait requirements when playing cards, which will make the game faster to learn. You can also play your first few games without using the "Additional Rules" section.
Once you've learned the basic game mechanics, you will want to purchase booster packs in order to construct more streamlined nation-specific decks using the other 8 nation cards included with your starter deck.
Card Anatomy
Please refer to the card diagrams on the opposite page. The sections of the cards are as follows:
- Name - The name of the card.
- Card Border - Shows the card type (Red for field unit, Blue for base unit, Green for asset, Black for event, Marble White for nation card).
- Traits - Traits indicate which factions, societies, and races the card is associated with. Traits affect resource generation. Many card effects also refer to other cards with specific traits.
- Effect Text - Any unique effects of a card will be listed in non-bold text after traits and special abilities.
- Ratings - Attack (AT) / Counter-Attack (CA) / Damage Capacity (DC) ratings of the card. Only unit cards have ratings.
- Decking Value - The Decking Value number in the blue circle is the number of points the card is worth when discarded from your hand or deck to satisfy decking damage. Units, which do not have the blue circle, have a Decking Value of 1 unless noted otherwise on the card.
- Caption - Captions, printed in smaller type and in italics, are intended to provide information and insight into the Rifts universe. They have no effect on game play.
- Special Abilities - In boldface and ALL CAPITALS, special abilities are a unit's extra powers. See the "Special Abilities" section of the rules.
- Cost - The number and type of resources you must pay to play the card, if any.
Getting Ready to Play
Deck Construction
In a collectible card game such as Rifts CCG, you choose which cards go into your deck. The only restriction is that you cannot have more than SIX copies of the same card in your deck, unless the card says that you may do so.
In addition to your deck, you start the game with your nation card, which begins in play. Your nation card is not considered part of your deck for deck size purposes.
Your nation card lists the maximum number of cards you may have in your deck. The minimum number of cards you may have is 5 lower than the maximum. (So if your maximum deck size is 80, you may have from 75 to 80 cards in your deck, plus your nation card.)
Secret Weapon Piles (see Additional Rules) are not considered part of your deck for deck size purposes.
Card Costs & Resource Generation
Each resource has traits. When a card generates resources, all of those resources have the same traits as the card. In order to easily keep track of which resources have which traits, you should only add resources to your pool as required to play each card, rather than rotate all of your base units to create a huge pool, then try to remember which resources came from which cards.
Example: The City of Free Quebec card has the text "Generates:2" and has the Free Quebec and Tech traits. When City of Free Quebec is rotated to generate resources, it generates 2 resources which are added to its controller's Resource Pool. Both resources have 2 traits, the Free Quebec trait and the Tech trait. Note that City of Free Quebec does not generate 2 Free Quebec resources plus 2 Tech resources; it produces 2 resources total and each resource has 2 traits.
Since resources are added to, and paid from, the Resource Pool, you may rotate a card to generate 2 resources, then split those resources up to pay for 2 cards which cost 1 point each.
Example: James, playing Free Quebec, rotates his Free Quebec nation card to generate 2 resources, each with the Free Quebec and Tech traits, and adds them to his Resource Pool. He then pays 1 Free Quebec resource from his pool to play Le Surete du Quebec, which costs 1 Free Quebec resource. Next he pays 1 Tech to play Pre-Rifts Industrial Complex, which costs 1 Tech. James's Resource Pool is now emptied. He may rotate additional cards to generate more resources and play more cards, or he can move on to the next stage of his turn.
Card Costs
The cost to play a card is listed on the bottom line of each card. All costs are paid in resources, which are generated by your nation card, base units, and some special card effects. If a card has no text in the card cost area, it is free to play.
All resource pools are emptied at the end of each turn. There is no penalty for generating resources but not spending them.
Resource Generation
When you generate resources, they are added to your Resource Pool. You may then pay resources from your Resource Pool in order to play cards. Your nation card and most base units have the text "Generates:" followed by a number. This number indicates how many resources the card generates. Cards must rotate to generate resources, unless otherwise noted on the card.
Paying Costs
Most cards and activation costs require resources with specific traits. For example, a cost of "5 Tech" requires 5 resources, all of which must have the Tech trait. The resources used may have additional traits as well, but they must have the required trait.
Some cards have more than one cost listed. Choose only one of these costs and pay it.
Example: Robert, playing Tolkeen, has the Khosrou field unit card in his hand. Khosrou has three costs listed: 4 Lazlo, or 4 Dragon, or 5 Magic. Robert may pay 4 Lazlo resources, or 4 Dragon resources, or 5 Magic resources to play Khosrou. If he pays 4 Lazlo, those Lazlo resources may also have the Dragon trait, or any other traits. However, Robert cannot pay 2 resources with the Lazlo and Tech traits and 2 resources with the Dragon and Magic traits. He must pick one of the three costs and all resources paid must have that resource in common, regardless of what other traits they may have.
Beginning the Game
Each player begins with his nation card in play, and his deck. Shuffle your deck, then choose and/or draw your starting hand as specified on your nation card.
The player with the smaller maximum deck size (listed on his nation card) chooses whether he goes first or second.
If both players have the same maximum deck size, look at the bottom card on each player's deck. Whichever player has the card with the higher decking value chooses to go first or second. If the decking values on the bottom cards are the same, break the tie using highest cost, then highest AT, then highest CA, then highest DC. If still tied, cut both decks and look again.
Also, if both players have the same maximum deck size, whichever player goes second gains the bonus that his nation card generates +1 additional resource on the first turn only.
No player may look at his starting hand (except for any cards he was allowed to choose, rather than draw randomly), until you have determined which player goes first.
Rules of Play
The Sequence of Play
Each player's turn is divided into five rounds. Some rounds are divided into additional sub-phases. During your turn, proceed through all rounds and sub-phases. Your opponent will then take his turn and go through all of the rounds himself, then it will be your turn again, and so on until the game has ended.
The sequence of play is as follows:
- The Ready Round
- Ready Round Sub-phase
- The Draw Round
- Draw Cards Sub-phase
- The Play Cards Round
- The Attack Round
- Declare Attacks Sub-phase
- Compute Damage Pools Sub-phase
- Assign Damage Sub-phase
- The End Turn Round
- Kill Units Sub-phase
- C&C Rearrange Sub-phase
- End Turn Sub-phase
The Ready Round
During your Ready Round Sub-phase, ready all of your cards simultaneously (restore all of your rotated cards to their upright, readied position). Your opponent does not ready his cards during your Ready Round, but must wait until the Ready Round of his own turn.
The Draw Round
During your Draw Cards Sub-phase, you must draw a card. Your nation card may instruct you to draw more than one card. If you draw the last card in your deck, you immediately lose the game.
The Play Cards Round
The Play Cards Round is when you may play field units, base units, and assets from your hand. These cards cannot be played from your hand at other times unless a card specifically allows it. To play a field unit, base unit, or asset, pay the resources required (if any) from your resource pool, and put the card into play. Aside from the one you start the game with, nation cards cannot be played during the game. Base units and field units enter play rotated. Assets enter play readied.
It is usually convenient to play your base units in one row (usually in the rear) and your field units in another row in front of the base units. This allows you to keep track of the different card types more easily.
Important note on Sub-phases and event play: All Sub-phases are considered to be "non-interruptible," meaning events cannot be played, and card effects cannot be used, while the specific activities of that sub-phase are being carried out. However, there is a gap before and after each sub-phase, during which events may be played and card effects may be used.
Example: The Attack Round proceeds as follows:
Base Units - Rules
The resources used to play base units must be generated by your nation card, not from other units. It is usually convenient to rotate your nation card and play base units at the start of your Play Cards Round.
First Turn Rule: On the first turn, the player who goes first draws one fewer card than he would normally draw during the Draw Round.
A base unit card that is played as a stacked copy (see "Stacking") may also only be played using resources from your nation card.
CITY and HERO Cards
If a City or Hero card is in play as a unit (not as a stacked copy), no other player may play a copy of that card as a unit until the current unit leaves play, with one exception: if two players are both using the same nation card, then they may both play CITY units even if their opponent has that unit in play (representing a schism within that City in the civil war).
If a City or Hero unit is killed, another copy of that card can still be played later on that game. (The City has been rebuilt, or the Hero escaped at the last moment without dying....)
Field Units - Rules
If you play a field unit, and you already control a number of field units greater than or equal to your Command & Control (C&C), the new field unit is placed outside your C&C. (At the end of the turn you will have an opportunity to re-arrange your C&C structure.) (See "Command & Control" section, later in these rules.)
Assets - Rules
When you play an asset, you must play it on the required card type. Nation assets must be played on your nation card. Field assets must be played on a field unit and base assets must be played on a base unit. When you place an asset on the required target, the asset is "attached" to that target. It cannot be moved to another target unless a card specifically allows this.
If a card has an asset attached to it, no additional copies of that same asset may be attached to the target. However, other assets with different names may still be played on the card.
Assets are controlled by the player who played the asset. If you play an asset on an opponent's card, you still control the asset even though you do not control the target of the asset.
Unique assets cannot be played if a copy of the card is currently in play.
The Attack Round
During your Attack Round you get to attack an opponent with your field units. The Attack Round is divided into three sub-phases: declaring attacks, computing damage pools, and assigning damage.
1. Declare Attacks Sub-phase. Declare which of your field units are attacking this turn. Only readied field units may attack. You must rotate them when they attack (unless the field unit has the TACTICAL ability). Units that are outside your Command & Control rating must attack every turn, if possible.
2. Compute Damage Pools Sub-phase. Each player now adds up his damage pool. The attacking player creates an Attack Pool by adding up the Attack (AT) rating of all his attacking field units. The defending player creates a Counter-Attack Pool by adding up the Counter-Attack (CA) rating of all his units (including base units, if they have Counter-Attack). Rotated units are -1 Counter-Attack (their Counter-Attack is 1 point less than normal). No unit may have its CA reduced below zero.
What About Events? Events are not restricted to being played during the Play Cards Round. They can be played at any time except during a Sub-phase (Sub-phases are non-interruptible). Events can even be played during an opponent's turn. Events are placed in the discard pile after being played, unless otherwise specified. The effect text of an event expires at the end of the turn, unless otherwise specified.
Using the effects of cards in play, including rotating cards to generate resources or draw cards, is similar to playing an Event card, in that doing so is not restricted to the Play Cards Round and may be performed at any time, except during a Sub-phase.
3. Assign Damage Sub-phase. The defending player then assigns both damage pools however he sees fit, within certain restrictions. All damage from both the Attack Pool and Counter-Attack Pool must be assigned, if possible. Attack Pool damage is sometimes referred to as "decking damage" because it can be assigned to the defending player's hand and deck.
Damage from the Attack Pool may be assigned to the defending player's field units, or to his hand and/or deck. (Note: Damage cannot be assigned to base units unless a card specifically allows it.) When cards are discarded from hand or deck to satisfy damage, each card counts for a number of damage points equal to its Decking Value (usually 1 for field units and base units, higher for many assets and events as listed in the blue circle).
Damage from the Counter-Attack Pool may only be assigned to the units that attacked this turn.
Both the Attack Pool and the Counter-Attack Pool are assigned by the defending player (the player who was attacked).
When assigning damage to units you control, or to your hand and deck, there are three restrictions you must follow:
- You cannot assign damage to a unit you control if the unit currently has lethal damage on it. No "overkill" is allowed. (A card has lethal damage when the damage on it equals or exceeds its Damage Capacity.)
- Once you begin assigning damage to a unit you control, you must continue assigning damage to it until the unit has lethal damage (in which case you must move on to a new target), or the damage pool is emptied. You cannot assign "partial" damage to a target, leaving it alive, and move on to assign damage to another target.
- Your hand and deck are considered a single target for damage. Once you begin assigning damage to your hand and deck by discarding cards, you cannot switch back to assigning damage to your units. You must continue assigning damage to your hand and deck until you run out of cards (losing the game) or the damage pool is emptied. (In practice, this means that you should assign damage to your units first, then move on to assigning damage to your hand and deck.) Your hand and your deck are considered the same target for purposes of assigning damage, so you can discard from your hand, then your deck, then go back to discarding from your hand.
These three restrictions only apply when assigning damage to your own units and hand/deck. When you are assigning your Counter-Attack Pool to an attacker, you may assign "overkill" damage in excess of a unit's Damage Capacity, and you may spread out the damage, moving on to a new target even though you have not lethally damaged the previous target.
Example of Combat: Kevin rotates his Psi-Stalkers, Witchlings, and Bursters cards to attack Mike. Mike controls a Thornhead Demons card, a Titan Juicers card, and a Spider-Skull Walkers card. The Spider-Skull Walkers are rotated because they were played on Mike's previous turn. The Titan Juicers are rotated because they attacked last turn.
In the Declare Attacks Sub-phase, Kevin rotates his three units to attack.
In the gap between Sub-phases, Kevin announces that he wishes to use his Bursters' FIREPOWER Special Ability. He pays 2 resources (the resources' traits are irrelevant because the cost for FIREPOWER is paid in "Any" resources), which increases the Bursters' attack by +2 until the end of this turn. Mike has no events or effects of his own to play, and Kevin does not wish to play additional events or effects, so play continues.
Now comes the Compute Damage Pools Sub-phase. Kevin has an Attack Pool of 14 (5 AT for the Psi-Stalkers, 3 AT for the Witchlings, and 6 AT for the pumped-up Bursters). Mike has a Counter-Attack Pool of 4 (2 CA for the Spider-Skull Walkers since they are rotated and have -1 CA, 2 CA for the Thornhead Demons, and zero CA for the Titan Juicers since they are rotated and have -1 CA).
When the players pause for event and effect play, Mike plays Heroism on his Thornhead Demons, which increases their Damage Capacity from 5 to 10 until the end of this turn.
Play now proceeds to the Assign Damage Sub-phase. Since Mike is the defending player, he assigns both damage pools. Mike assigns 3 points of his CA damage to the Psi-Stalkers, which gives them lethal damage and they will die later this turn unless Kevin uses a card to rescue them. The fourth point of CA damage Mike places on the Bursters, but the damage will heal at the end of the turn since it is not enough to kill the Bursters.
Mike now must assign Kevin's Attack Pool of 14 to his own forces. He could assign all 14 points to his hand and/or deck, and begin discarding, or he may assign some of the damage to his field units before he begins to discard. He cannot begin discarding from his hand and/or deck and then go back to assigning damage to his field units. Mike chooses to begin assigning damage to his Thornhead Demons. Once he begins assigning damage to a target, Mike cannot break off and choose a new target until the damage pool is exhausted or the target has lethal damage. Therefore, Mike must assign 10 points of damage to the Thornhead Demons since their DC is currently 10 (due to the Heroism card played earlier). Once the Thornhead Demons have lethal damage, Mike must choose another target for the remaining 4 points of damage. He discards an Elemental Warlocks card from his hand, then begins discarding from his deck. The first card revealed is Head Shot, which has a decking value of 2. The second card is another Bursters, which has a decking value of 1. Mike has now satisfied all 14 points of damage in the Attack Pool, and combat ends. Had the last card Mike discarded from his deck had a Decking Value higher than 1, it still would have been discarded and Mike would receive no benefits for "over-paying".
The End Turn Round
During the End Turn Round, you resolve a number of game elements before your turn ends and the game moves on to the next player. The Sub-phases of the End Turn Round are: killing units with lethal damage, re-arranging Command & Control (C&C) structure, and the End Turn Sub-phase (during which you heal all damage and empty all resource pools).
1. Kill Units Sub-phase. If a unit currently has lethal damage (meaning it has damage at least equal to its current Damage Capacity) it is "killed" and is discarded from play. If a unit had lethal damage at some point during the turn, but no longer does (due to being healed or having its DC raised), it is no longer lethally damaged and is not killed at this time. All units with lethal damage are killed simultaneously. Place your killed units in your discard pile in any order you wish. If you control a unit that originally belonged to another player, and it is killed, it goes to the discard pile of the player who started the game with the card in his deck, not the discard pile of the player who took control of it from him.
Example: A Dragon Juicer with a DC of 4 has 4 points of damage on him, and therefore has lethal damage. The Dragon Juicer has the text "Each time a Dragon unit controlled by another player is killed, this card permanently gains +1 AT and +1 DC." Another player controls Khosrou, a Dragon unit, who also has lethal damage. Since Khosrou and the Dragon Juicer are both killed simultaneously, the Dragon Juicer does not gain +1 DC in time to save him from being killed.
During the Kill Units Sub-phase, you may discard a stacked copy on a CITY or HERO unit you control to prevent the unit from being killed, and to heal all damage on the unit. This is the only time that a Sub-phase may be interrupted by a player action.
2. C&C Re-arrange Sub-phase. During this sub-phase, both players may re-arrange their Command & Control (C&C) structure however they see fit, moving units within their C&C outside, and units outside their C&C into their C&C. No player may end this sub-phase with more units within his C&C than his current C&C level would allow. Also, you must have the maximum number of units within your C&C if possible; you cannot voluntarily keep units outside your C&C if you have space within your C&C.
3. End Turn Sub-phase. In this Sub-phase, all units in play heal all damage on them, and all resource pools are wiped clean. Immediately after this, without pausing for events and effects, the current turn ends. Neither damage on units nor resource pools accumulate from turn to turn.
Victory
If, at any point, a player does not have any cards remaining in his deck, he immediately loses the game. This includes drawing the last card in your deck; if you do so, you have lost. If your opponent has been defeated (or all opponents, in a game with more than 2 players), then you are victorious!
Specific Card Rules
Special Abilities
Many cards have special abilities which are the same from card to card. These are indicated by the use of bold-face terms all in capital letters, such as SWARM and BACKLASH: 3. The advantages provided by these special abilities are explained here, and are repeated on the back of the rulebook. Some special abilities have the ability name and no additional information (e.g., Tactical.) Others list how powerful the ability is (e.g., Sniper: 2). Some abilities have Activation Costs, requiring a number of resources with the listed traits to be paid in order to activate the ability (e.g., Fallback: 3 Magic.)
Immunity. Opponents cannot target this card with events.
Marauder. When this unit attacks, the defending player must, if possible, immediately discard a non-Hero, non-City base unit he controls, or a stacked copy on a City he controls. (Defending player's choice.)
Proficiency: X. This unit gains +1 AT and +1 DC for each field asset attached to it with the listed trait.
Recycle: X. If this card is in play, the asset's controller may pay X resources to return it to his hand.
Assault. When this unit attacks, immediately assign 1 point of damage on a field unit of your choice controlled by the player you are attacking. (This is done during the Declare Attacks Sub-phase, before the Compute Damage Pools Sub-phase. Assault damage is not part of the damage pool or the standard attack procedure, and is in addition to the unit's normal Attack rating.)
Reinforcement: X. If this unit is a base unit, you may pay X resources to turn it into a field unit. The unit remains a field unit until discarded or removed from play. Field units with the Reinforcement ability keep stacked copies played on them while they were base units. Once a base unit uses reinforcement to become a field unit, if you wish to stack an additional copy on the unit, you must pay the standard unit cost and the reinforcement cost. However, you may play these stacked copies on the field unit using resources from any source, not just those from your nation card.
Backlash: X. If this unit attacks and is killed the same turn, the player it attacked must discard X cards from his hand and/or deck.
Defense: X. When you are attacked reduce the Attack Pool by X. (All Defense abilities are cumulative, so if you have Defense: 2 on one unit and Defense: 1 on another, reduce the Attack Pool by 3.)
Sabotage. When this unit attacks, the player who is attacked must immediately discard a card from his hand or deck. (Ignore the discarded card's Decking Value.)
Fallback: X. At the end of your Attack Round, if this unit attacked this turn, pay X to heal all damage on this unit. If you use this ability, the unit does not ready on your next turn.
Sniper: X. During your turn, rotate this unit and target a ready non-Hero field unit; the target takes X damage.
Swarm. When this unit attacks, it gains +1 AT until end of turn for each unit you control with the same name, not including itself.
Firepower: X. Pay any number of resources with the listed trait, to a maximum of X. This unit gains +1 AT until end of turn for each resource you paid.
Tactical. This unit does not need to rotate when it attacks, although it may still rotate if its controller wishes.
Formation. Rotate this unit and target another unit you control to add this unit's AT to the target's AT until end of turn. Note that this does not make the card with Formation an attacker, even if the unit it assisted did attack this turn.
Additional Rules
You can skip these rules when playing your first few games of Rifts CCG. However, they are considered part of the standard rules and are not optional.
Example: Archie, playing Cyberworks, controls five field units and wishes to play a sixth field unit. The new field unit is placed outside Archie's C&C. It must attack every turn if possible, but since it enters play rotated it cannot rotate to attack this turn. If it is still outside Archie's C&C next turn, it will have to attack. During the Rearrange C&C Sub-phase, Archie decides to place a less valuable unit outside his C&C and moves his new unit within his C&C.
Command & Control
Command & Control (C&C) limits the number of field units you can command during the game. Each nation has a C&C maximum of 5 unless otherwise noted on their nation card. Other cards can increase or decrease C&C from this starting level.
All field units you control are either "within your C&C" or "outside your C&C". When you play a field unit, it is automatically within your C&C unless you currently control a number of field units equal to, or in excess of, your C&C limit. In this case, the new field unit is outside your C&C.
There are a variety of ways to keep track of what is outside your C&C. You can put them in a separate row, use a pen or other object to mark the line between "within" and "outside" C&C, place your nation card between them, etc.
Units that are outside your C&C suffer two penalties. First, they must attack every turn if possible. Second, you cannot rotate them for any purpose except to attack. Your opponent may still use effects to rotate them against your will, however.
During each player's End Turn Round, both players may re-arrange their C&C structure however they see fit, moving units outside their C&C to within their C&C, and vice-versa. However, you cannot voluntarily leave units outside your C&C if there is space for them within your C&C.
Base units are not affected by C&C. You can have any number of base units in play without restriction on what they may do. (Base units which somehow become field units will be affected by C&C, however, just like any other field unit.)
Note: Many card effects refer to "cards you control". A card outside your C&C is still considered to be a card you control, it is simply "outside your C&C".
Stacking
Stacking is a way to play extra copies of your CITY and HERO cards, even though only 1 copy of that card, as a unit, is allowed in play.
If you control a CITY or HERO unit, either a base unit or field unit, you may play additional copies of that same card from your hand and "stack" them on top of the unit. Such cards attach to the unit and are called "stacked copies". They are not units, assets, or events, but instead become a special category of card.
Stacked copies played on a base unit must be paid for using the resources of your nation card, just like normal base units.
The cost to stack a card is the same as the printed cost of the card. So a card that costs 5 Magic to play will also cost 5 Magic to play as a stacked copy on an existing copy of that unit. The cost to stack a card does not increase no matter how many stacked copies are already on the card.
Stacked copies have no ratings, traits, abilities, or effect text. They cannot be targeted except by abilities that specifically refer to them (such as the Marauder ability). The only function of a stacked copy is to modify the unit it is attached to, in the following ways:
- Each stacked copy on a unit provides the unit with +1 Damage Capacity.
- Each stacked copy on a unit adds its own resource generation to the unit's resource generation. For example, if a stacked copy says that it "Generates: 2", the unit it is stacked on will generate 2 extra resources whenever that unit rotates to generate resources. Stacked copies do not generate resources on their own, and you cannot rotate a stacked copy to generate resources; you must rotate the unit, and have the stacked copy increase the unit's generation.
- Whenever the stacked unit is about to be killed because of lethal damage, or is killed directly due to a card or card effect, you may discard a stacked copy on the unit to prevent it from being killed and to heal all damage on the unit. You may even do this during the Kill Units Sub-phase of the End Turn Round. This is the only time that a player action may interrupt a Sub-phase.
Only CITY and HERO cards may be stacked.
Example: James, playing Free Quebec, controls the City of Free Quebec unit. He has another copy in his hand and wishes to stack it on the existing unit. James rotates his nation card (as this is a base unit card he is playing) and stacks his new copy of City of Free Quebec on the City of Free Quebec unit. The City of Free Quebec unit now gains +1 DC, generates 4 resources per turn instead of 2, and should the unit ever be killed, James may discard the stacked copy to rescue it.
Returning Cards to Your Deck
Some card abilities will allow you to take cards in your discard pile and place them back into your deck. When you take cards from your discard pile and place them on the bottom of your deck, you must keep the cards in the same order. The top card in your discard pile must be placed on the bottom of your deck first, then the next card in the discard pile, etc.
Discarding Cards
For Event Cards, and for cards which say "discard this card to....", the card's effects precede its placement in the discard pile. Any card which would be discarded after being played or generating its "discard to..." effect has the invisible last line "...and then place this card in the discard pile."
Rotating and Readying Cards
If a card rotates to provide a bonus, such as an increase to AT, CA, or DC, increasing or granting a special ability, granting a trait, etc., and the card granting the bonus becomes readied, the bonus is cancelled.
Example: AGB 6-96 Glitter Boy Transports card rotates to use its FORMATION ability, giving +5 AT and TACTICAL to a Glitter Girls unit. The player then uses On Full Alert to ready the GB 6-96 Glitter Boy Transports. This cancels the assistance the unit was giving the Glitter Girls, so the Glitter Girls lose the +5 AT bonus and the TACTICAL special ability.
Secret Weapons
In addition to your nation card and your deck, you may begin the game with a Secret Weapon Pile. Some cards in the game have "SECRET WEAPON" printed at the top of the effect text box. Only SECRET WEAPON cards may be placed in your Secret Weapon Pile. Your nation card lists the maximum number of cards your Secret Weapon Pile can hold.
During the game, you may access the cards in your Secret Weapon Pile to take them into your hand. You do this by discarding a number of cards from your hand and/or deck. The first time you access your Secret Weapon Pile, you must discard 1 card. The second costs 4 cards, the third 9, the fourth 16, the fifth 25, the sixth 36, the seventh 49, and the eighth 64 cards. Each time you take a card from your Secret Weapon Pile, you choose which of the cards you take into your hand; you do not draw randomly from the Secret Weapon Pile.
SECRET WEAPON cards may also be placed in your deck just as if they were normal cards. Furthermore, you may place 6 copies of a card in your deck and still place additional copies in your Secret Weapon Pile, since it is not considered part of your deck.
Event & Effect Timing
Events and effect text on cards may be used at any time, except during sub-phases, which cannot be interrupted. (They can be played in the "gap" before and after each sub-phase, however.)
In most games, it will be clear when and how events and card effects interact with one another. These rules are provided to allow an orderly system for resolution of occasional, more complicated timing issues.
Playing Events In Response: "Event Ladders"
Sometimes, an event card will be played, or a card effect will be used, and another player will want to respond with their own event/effect before the initial event/effect is resolved. In Rifts CCG, this is referred to as an "Event Ladder".
In an "Event Ladder", the second player announces that he wishes to begin an Event Ladder before the first event/effect is resolved, and immediately plays his own event/effect in response. The first event/effect becomes the bottom step of the Ladder, and the second event/effect, played in response, becomes the second step. The first player may then respond with another event/effect, then the second player may respond again, and so forth. This building of the Ladder continues until neither player wishes to play additional events or effects. At this point, begin resolving the events and effects, one at a time, in reverse order, from the top of the Ladder back down to the first step. The last event/effect played is the first to resolve, and so on down the Ladder, until finally the first event/effect played is resolved at last.
You are required to pay the costs of events and effects when you use them, even if they are part of an Event Ladder. In order to make this possible, whenever you play an Event or use an effect as part of an Event Ladder, you may simultaneously rotate base units and/or your nation card to add resources to your Resource Pool so that you may play the event/effect. You may also pay other costs, such as rotating a card or discarding cards.
If, at any point during resolution of the steps in the Ladder, an event or effect is to be resolved, and it no longer has a valid target, that event or effect is wasted. No cards are readied, no cards are returned to hand, and no resources are returned to the resource pool simply because the event/effect they were used for is no longer valid. Cards remain rotated, events are played and will be discarded, and resources are still considered spent.
Who Plays First?
Rifts CCG never devolves into a race of who can slap a card on the table fastest, or who can say "I play an event!" first. Whenever both players want to play an event card, or use a card effect, the player whose turn it is always goes first.
At the start of each Round, and during each gap between Sub-phases, the player whose turn it is has the first opportunity to play events or use card effects. His opponent may then choose to begin an Event Ladder in response, or let the event/effect resolve. Once the event/effect resolves, it is then the opponent's turn to play an event/effect. Play of events/effects alternates until neither player wishes to use additional events/effects.
No Round, sub-phase, or gap ends until both players have used all events/effects they wish, at which point play proceeds to the next step.
During most games, you can proceed through the stages of a turn quickly and assume that no events will be played, or effects used, unless your opponent tells you he wishes to do so. Please be courteous and use common sense, and use these timing rules when necessary.
"Alliance" Cards
"Alliance" cards such as "Alliance of Science" and "Alliance of Sorcery" have variable effect text that is subject to change. As of August 1, 2001, they each have the following text:
Alliance of Science SECRET WEAPON. Nation Asset. Tech. When you play this asset, you must choose a trait from the allowed list. When your nation card generates resources, those resources have the chosen trait in addition to their normal traits. The allowed traits list is:
- If your nation card is Coalition States, you may choose Free Quebec or Cyberworks.
- If your nation card is Cyberworks, you may choose Coalition States, Free Quebec, or Pecos Empire.
- If your nation card is Free Quebec, you may choose Coalition States or Cyberworks.
- If your nation card is Pecos Empire, you may choose Cyberworks or Free Quebec.
Alliance of Sorcery SECRET WEAPON. Nation Asset. Magic. When you play this asset, you must choose a trait from the allowed list. When your nation card generates resources, those resources have the chosen trait in addition to their normal traits. The allowed traits list is:
- If your nation card is Federation of Magic, you may choose Pecos Empire or Tolkeen.
- If your nation card is Lazlo, you may choose Federation of Magic or Tolkeen.
- If your nation card is Tolkeen, you may choose Federation of Magic or Lazlo.
Optional Scenario Rules
The optional scenario rules should not be used unless all players agree to them in advance. When playing in tournaments always assume that the standard rules are in effect and that no optional scenario rules are being used unless you have been notified otherwise.
You may combine the various optional & scenario rules however you wish.
Blind R&D Scenario
When you take a card from your Secret Weapon Pile, instead of choosing the card you must shuffle the Secret Weapon Pile and draw randomly. When playing this scenario, you may only have 1 copy of a given Secret Weapon in your Secret Weapon Pile, and if you choose to play with a Secret Weapon Pile, it must have the maximum number of allowable cards in it.
Grande Armeé Scenario
You may have more than 6 copies of any given card in your deck.
Blood Bath Scenario
Counter-Attack of rotated units is not reduced by -1 in this scenario. For even more carnage, you can try the Extreme Blood Bath Scenario in which all rotated units have +1 Counter-Attack.
National Effort Scenario
In this scenario, base units may also be played using resources generated by base units and other sources. They are not restricted to being paid for with your nation card's resources.
Prolonged Struggle Scenario
You may rotate your nation card to double the Decking Value of all cards in your hand and deck until end of turn.
Double Deck Scenario
Each player's deck has double its normal number of cards. You can alter this scenario to use other formulas as well, such as triple-sized decks, decks with +50 cards, etc. The same modification must be applied to each player's deck.
Multi-Player Rules
You can play Rifts CCG with more than 2 players, with a few simple rules modifications. In multi-player games:
- Players should sit in ascending order of their deck size, with the smallest deck going first and the largest going last. Any ties should be broken using the standard method (see Beginning the Game section).
- Any references to "your opponent" mean "an opponent", any reference to "both players" means "all players".
- When you attack, you launch your attack against one opponent of your choice. The other players are not involved, except that they may play events and use card effects.
- Going around the table, each player takes his turn before play reverts to the first player. For event/effect timing purposes, including Event Ladders, play events and use effects in turn sequence around the table, beginning with the current player, then the player who will take his turn next, and so forth.
- The player who goes last gets an additional resource on the first turn. The player who goes first draws one fewer card on the first turn. All players in-between have no modifications on the first turn.
Things to Remember
- Base units may only be played using the resources from your nation card. This also applies to playing a base unit card as a stacked copy.
- Rotated units are -1 Counter-Attack (their Counter-Attack is 1 point less than normal), to a minimum of zero.
- The defending player assigns both damage pools.
- You cannot assign overkill damage to a unit you control.
- Once you begin assigning damage to a target you control, you must continue until it has lethal damage or the damage pool is exhausted. This does not apply when you assign damage to another player.
The printed "Things to Remember" page also carries customer-support contact details, a note on rules questions, and a preview of future expansions and tournament programmes. These are not rules and are omitted here.
Glossary
Counter-Attack (CA) Rating - The middle rating on a unit, CA determines how much damage the unit adds to a Counter-Attack Pool when its controller is attacked. A rotated card has -1 CA. A card's Counter-Attack rating cannot be reduced below zero.
Ability - A special power which several units have in common. For convenience, these powers have been grouped into "abilities" to save space on the cards. Explanations of abilities can be found in the "Special Abilities" section of the rules.
Counter-Attack Pool - The sum of a defending force's CA ratings plus any additional effects supplied from other cards. The defending player assigns the Counter-Attack Pool to any of the attacking field units he wishes.
Attack (AT) Rating - The topmost rating on a unit, AT determines how much damage the unit adds to an Attack Pool when it attacks another player. A card's Attack rating cannot be reduced below zero.
Attack Pool - The sum of an attacking force's AT ratings plus any additional effects supplied from other cards. The defending player assigns the Attack Pool to any of his field units he wishes, and then to his hand and/or deck as decking damage.
CS - Abbreviation for Coalition States.
Damage Capacity (DC) - The bottom rating on a unit, DC determines how much damage may be assigned to a unit. A unit that has damage on it equal to or greater than its DC rating has "lethal damage". You cannot assign additional damage to a unit you control if it has lethal damage. A card's Damage Capacity cannot be reduced below 1.
City - A base unit or field unit with the CITY trait is a unique entity. Only one copy of the card may be in play as a unit, although additional copies of the card may be stacked on the unit. Also, if two players are playing with the same nation card, they may each have their own copy of the unit in play.
Decking Damage - Damage dealt to a player which is satisfied by discarding cards from hand and/or deck. Most decking damage comes from an Attack Pool after any damage from the Attack Pool has been assigned to the defending player's field units. Some cards will cause "direct" decking damage, which can only be satisfied by discarding cards from a player's hand and/or deck.
Control - A card you control is either (a) a card you played and which no player has used an effect to take away from you, or (b) a card played by another player which you have taken control of through card play. Assets are controlled by the player who played the asset, not necessarily by the player who controls the target of the asset. When you seize control of a unit, place it on your side of the table; if it is a field unit it is added to your command structure as if you just played it. When a card is discarded, it goes to the discard pile of the owner, the person who began the game with the card in his deck or Secret Weapon Pile. If you seized control of the card, it does not go into your discard pile.
Decking Value - The number of points a card is worth when discarded from hand or deck to satisfy decking damage. Events and assets have Decking Value listed in the blue circle on the card. Units are usually worth 1 point unless otherwise noted. Certain cards can modify Decking Value, but Decking Value can never be reduced below 1 on any card.
Discard - When you discard a card from play, from your hand, or from your deck, place it on top of your discard pile. If you have to discard multiple cards simultaneously, you choose the order in which they are placed on your discard pile. Note: discarding cards to satisfy decking damage is NOT considered simultaneous; you must place such cards in the discard pile in the order in which you discarded them and you cannot choose the order.
Cost - Listed at the bottom of a card, Cost is the number and type of resources required to play a card that is in your hand. Certain abilities also have costs required to activate them; these costs are listed in Italics after the ability's name.
FQ - Abbreviation for Free Quebec.
Resource Pool - All resources you generate accumulate in a Resource Pool, from which you may spend them. At the end of each player's turn, all Resource Pools belonging to all players are emptied.
Hero - A base unit or field unit with the HERO trait is a unique entity. Only one copy of the card may be in play as a unit, although additional copies of the card may be stacked on the unit.
Rotate / Rotated - To rotate a card, turn it 45 or 90 degrees to show that it is now rotated. You must rotate a card to attack with it (unless it has the Tactical ability), to generate resources with it (unless otherwise noted), or whenever a card requires you to rotate it. A "rotated" card is a card that has been rotated and not yet readied again.
Killed - A unit is "killed" when it is the Kill Units Sub-phase of the End Turn Round, and a unit has lethal damage. A unit can also be killed when a card specifically says to "kill" the unit. When a unit is killed, it is placed in the discard pile of its owner. Stacked City and Hero cards may be rescued from death by discarding a stacked copy on that unit; in this case, the unit escapes and is not considered killed, and all damage on the unit is healed.
Stacked - A unit is considered "stacked" if it has one or more stacked copies attached to it.
Lethal Damage - A unit has lethal damage when it has damage equal to or greater than its DC. It is possible for a unit to have lethal damage at one point in a turn, but no longer have lethal damage during the End Turn Round when it would be killed due to lethal damage.
Stacked Copy - A "stacked copy" is a copy of a CITY or HERO unit which is attached to the unit in order to enhance its power. Stacked copies are not units themselves, nor are they assets or events. They are a special category of card. They have no ratings, traits, abilities, or effect text, and serve only to enhance the unit on which they are stacked.
Nation Card - Each player begins the game with his Nation Card in play and readied. Your nation card lists which nation you represent (a "Coalition States Player" is a player using the Coalition States nation card, for example), as well as your starting deck size, starting hand composition, maximum number of Secret Weapons, starting resource generation (and the traits of those resources), and other information.
Trait - Traits, listed in boldface on a card, represent the various factions and characteristics the card is associated with in the world of Rifts. When a card generates resources, all of those resources have all of the traits listed on that card, unless otherwise noted.
Unique - There can only be one copy of a Unique card in play at any time. Unique cards cannot be stacked unless they are also a City or Hero card. If a Unique card is discarded or removed from play, another copy of the card may be played.
NGR - Abbreviation for New German Republic.
Overkill Damage - Refers to damage assigned to a unit in excess of its Damage Capacity. You cannot assign overkill damage to your own units. Sometimes, you may wish to assign overkill damage to another player's units, in order to make certain that the card cannot be rescued with event play.
Unit - Base units and field units are both considered "units". Stacked copies on a base unit or field unit are not units themselves.
Ready / Readied - To ready a rotated card, turn it back to its original, upright position. You ready all of your cards during the Ready Round of your turn. Some card effects allow you to ready cards at other times.
Remove from Play - When a card is "removed from play" or "removed from the game," it is not placed in the discard pile or elsewhere within the game. It is placed to the side, and has no impact on the game whatsoever. Other copies of the same card can still be played.
Card Checklist
All card titles are trademarks of Palladium Books, Inc. where appropriate as indicated on the titles of the actual cards.
Common Cards
A.R.C.H.I.E. 3-OZ, A-63 All Purpose Robots, AA-10 Bottweilers, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Alliance of Science, Alliance of Sorcery, Artillery Barrage, Basal Daemonix, Black Market, Brok Redman, Burleson the War Mage, Bursters, Chi-Town & Burbs, City of Free Quebec, City of Lazlo, City of Tolkeen, Coalition State of Iron Heart, Coalition State of Lone Star, Crescent Wing Boards, Cyborg Enforcers, Dead Boy Heavy Infantry, Dog Pack Seek-and-Destroy Squads, Dweomer, Elemental Warlocks, Fargo Hive, Feculence Daemonix, Fire Demon Automatons, Flying Titan Power Armor Troops, Golden Age Weaponsmiths, Grind Them to Dust, Head Shot, Heavy Fire, Heroism, Houstown, Large-Scale Tactics, Le Surete du Quebec, Ley Line Walkers, Liberty Reserve Cyborgs, Lockdown, Lord Magi, Los Alamo, Mind Melters, Missile Salvo, Mornn, Naval Superiority, Neuron Beasts, NG-V7 Hunter Mobile Guns, Old Bones, Orpheus, Pre-Rifts Industrial Complex, Psi-Stalkers, Quebecois Infantry, Rolla-Morden Hive, Sea Viper Iron Juggernauts, Shifters, Sky Cycles, Spider-Skull Walkers, Spiny Ravagers, Stormspire, Sundance, Suppression Fire, Techno-Wizard Smiths, Thirst for Battle, Thornhead Demons, Titan Juicers, Tokanii, Town of Solomon, Urban Decay, Vanguard Brawlers, Wild Psi-Stalkers, Winnipeg Hive, Witchlings, Xiticix Nannies, Xiticix Warriors, Xiticix Workers, Xiticix Young Queens, Zimchex
Uncommon Cards
A Cold Day in Hell, A-64 Master Robots, Ambush, Apprentice, Armor of Ithan, Army Recce, Bio-Regeneration, Black Lightning Helicopters, Bloodmist, Brodkil Miscreants, Central War Chief, City of Brass, City Rats, Colonel Rolf Ziechen, Triax Advisor, Commando Strike, Complacency, Cracius the Cunning, Crush Your Enemies, CTX-50 Line Backer Tanks, Cyber-Doc, Cyber-Snatchers, Daring Rescue, Defensive Perimeter, Discreet Observation, Dr. Desmond Bradford, Dragon Juicers, Duluth Hive, Earth Elementals, Earthwake Iron Juggernauts, Engineers, Fargo Xiticix, First Calgary Volunteers, Fleet Admiral Jacques LeFevre, Fort Caldera, Fortifications, Glitter Boy Killers, Glitter Boy Sidekicks, Glitter Boy Squadron, Gray Fox, Hagan Lonovich, Hangdog Daemonix, Heavy Duty Cyborgs, Hit and Run, Immolator Daemonix, Imprimer Cyborgs, Juicer Army of Liberation, Kill Hounds, King Victor Macklin, Know Thy Enemy, Last Stand, Ley Line Nexus, Ley Line Storm, Liberty Reserve Juicers, Magestar, Man-Eagles, Mankind's Salvation, Manslayer Daemonix, Mark V Armored Personnel Carrier, Mechanized Recon Squad, Mental Discipline, Merchant Marine, Mobile Defense, Monst-Rexes, Montreal, Multiply and Conquer, Murder Wraiths, New Lazlo, New Technologies, Nine Rings of Elder, Pack Up and Move Out, Peace and Harmony, Press the Attack, Rebuild, Renegade Dog Boys, Rolla-Morden Xiticix, SAMAS Squadron, Simvan Monster Riders, Sir Winslow Thorpe, Skelebot Platoon, Sorcerers' Revenge, Special Projects, Stolen Battle Plans, Strategic Withdrawal, Stray From the Pack, Sunset Angel, Super SAMAS Squadron, Technological Supremacy, Techno-Wizard Desperados, The Grim Reapers, The Pact, Thomm, Thundering Iron Juggernauts, Titan Combat Robots, Urban Warfare, Violator SAMAS Squadron, Warlord Don Marco, Warlord Uxluth, Water Elementals, Winnipeg Xiticix, Xiticix Killers
Rare Cards
AA-50 Insectons, AC-29 "Air Castle" Bombers, Aerial Attack, Alistair Dunscon, All Bases Covered, Arl Xzzyni, Aurelor the Magnificent, Battle Magi, Bigger Guns, Bodyguards, Booby Trap, Bountiful Resources, Brains Over Brawn, Brethan D'zir, Charge of the Cyber-Knights, Coalition Armored Group, Coalition Juicers, Colonel Marcus Larsen, Colossus Automatons, Coran D'zir, Corrigal of the Nine, Cross-Fire, Death's Head Squadron, Demonbusters, Inc., Dervish Cyborg Troopers, Devouring Swarm, Dispersal, Duluth Xiticix, Emperor Karl Prosek, Emperor Sabre Lasar, Endless Horde of Minions, Erin Tarn, Experiments, Extermination, Force Field, Frank Mire, Coalition Grunt, Freehold, City of Dragons, Full Mobilization, Fury Iron Juggernauts, GB 6-96 Glitter Boy Transport, General Marshall Cabot, General Ross Underhill, Geometric Growth, Glitter Girls, Grahmzin LaMoore, Ground Assault, Hidden Arts, High Magi, IAR-4 Hellraisers, IAR-5 Hellfires, Invulnerability, Iron Dragonfly Heavy Air Juggernauts, Ironbane, Joseph Prosek II, Juicer Assassins, Khosrou, K'zaa, Le Baron Epouvantable, Leizak D'zir, Liberte, Fraternite, Loot and Pillage, M.R. Hummel's Hammerheads, Major Perrin, Mechanized Platoon, Mega-Juicers, Mongoth, Mystic Knights, Nikiden Shodai, On Full Alert, Plato, Poor Yorick, Power Blast, Prime Minister James Lorne, Psi Battallion, Rag'tar Batrick, Rapid Deployment Company, Regroup, Reprogramming, Rise From Chaos, Shemarrian Warriors, Sir Tristram, Slice and Dice, Tactical Nuke, Take Point, Tarantula Glitter Boys, Tazoro Zain, Mystic Knight, Tech Upgrade, Telemechanics, Terror Troopers, The Book of Ten, The Great Purple Mage, The Pecos Raiders, The Sabre Warriors, Total War, Versatility, Warhawk Iron Juggernauts, Weapon Burst, Xiticix Elder Queen, Xiticix Raiding Swarm, Xiticix Super-Warriors