Shards of Infinity Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• GETTING STARTED
  • Contents
• SETUP
  • Board Setup
• GAMEPLAY
  • General Rules
  • Turn Breakdown
    • 1. Play Phase
    • 2. Attack Phase
    • 3. End Phase
• CARD TYPES
  • Character Cards
  • Ally Cards
  • Mercenary Allies
  • Champion Cards
• GAME ACTIONS
  • Playing Cards
  • Gaining Mastery (Mastery)
  • Mastery Threshold Bonus
  • Attacking Champions and Players
  • Using Shield Cards (Shield)
  • Gaining Health (Health)
  • Banishing Cards
  • Ending Your Turn
  • Game End
• F.A.Q.
• GLOSSARY
• CREDITS

GETTING STARTED

In Shards of Infinity, players compete to gain mastery of the Infinity Shard, a small fragment of a weapon of unlimited power. You must either be the first to master this powerful artifact, or you must destroy anyone else who has one before it is too late.

Each turn, you will play cards to gain resources. Gems (Gem) allow you to recruit Allies and Champions. Use Power (Power) to attack enemy Champions and players. Mastery (Mastery) lets you unlock new abilities from your cards, leading to ultimate control of the Infinity Shard. The last player with Health (Health) remaining wins the game.

Contents

• 4 Character Cards with Health and Mastery Tracker
• 128 Cards, including:
  • 88 Black-Bordered Center Deck Cards
  • 40 White-Bordered Starting Deck Cards (Four 10-card starting decks of 7 Crystal, 1 Blaster, 1 Shard Reactor, 1 Infinity Shard)

SETUP

Shards of Infinity can be played with 2-4 players.

Randomly determine which player goes first. From there, play proceeds in a clockwise direction.

Each player has a character card to track their Health (Health) and Mastery (Mastery). Each player begins the game with 50 Health. Players begin the game with different amounts of Mastery — the player going first starts with 0 Mastery, while each other player gets 1 more than the previous player.

Example: If there are 4 players, the player going first starts with 0 Mastery, second gets 1 Mastery, third gets 2 Mastery, and the last player gets 3 Mastery.

Each player has a starting deck consisting of seven Crystals, one Shard Reactor, one Blaster, and one Infinity Shard. Players shuffle their own starting deck and then draw five cards (leaving five cards remaining in their deck).

Shuffle all black-bordered cards face down to form the center deck. From the center deck, flip six cards face up in a row between all players. This forms the center row. Place the center deck on one side of the center row.

Board Setup

The play area is laid out as follows:

• Center Row — six face-up cards shared by all players.
• Center Deck — placed on one side of the center row.
• Play Zone — the area in front of each player where played cards go.
• Character Card — each player's own, next to their Play Zone.
• Starting Hand (5 cards) — drawn from your starting deck.
• Starting Deck (remaining 5 cards) — placed face down in front of you.

GAMEPLAY

General Rules

To play a card from your hand, place it face up in front of you in your Play Zone. Cards in the Play Zone don't go to your discard pile until the end of your turn.

At any time, if your personal deck is empty and you need to draw a card or reveal a card from the top of your deck, shuffle all cards in your discard pile to replenish your deck. If you need to draw multiple cards and your deck runs out in the middle of the draw, shuffle the discard pile to replenish the deck and draw any required cards.

Cards you recruit during your turn are placed into your discard pile.

Whenever a card leaves the center row, replace it immediately from the center deck. This happens before anything else occurs.

At the end of each turn, discard any cards left in your hand. Then draw 5 new cards for your next turn.

Some cards may have text that contradict these rules. If card text ever contradicts the rules, follow the card text instead.

Turn Breakdown

Each turn is broken down into three phases.

1. Play Phase

During the Play Phase, you may take the following actions in any order.

• Play cards from your hand to gain Gems, Power, Health, Mastery, as well as other effects.
• Exhaust Champions to gain their effects.
• Recruit any number of Allies, Champions, or Mercenaries by paying their Gem cost. Once recruited, place them into your discard pile.
• Fast-play any number of Mercenaries by paying their Gem cost and putting them into the Play Zone, gaining their effect immediately.
• Once per turn, you may use your Character's focus ability by spending 1 Gem to gain 1 Mastery.
• Use Power to destroy Champions.

2. Attack Phase

• Assign any remaining Power to attack your opponents. Damage does not have to be assigned evenly between opponents.
• After all damage is assigned, players who are attacked may reveal any number of cards with Shields (Shield) from their hand to prevent damage equal to the number in the Shield icon of the revealed cards.
• Reduce each player's Health by the total Power assigned to them, minus any shield reduction they used.
• Any players with 0 or less Health are out of the game.

3. End Phase

During the end phase, the following actions are performed in order.

• Put each fast-played Mercenary on the bottom of the center deck.
• Put each Ally from your Play Zone into your discard pile. Champions remain in play.
• Place all unplayed cards in your hand into your discard pile.
• Draw 5 cards from your personal deck.
• End the turn.

You now know all the rules of the game! If you are familiar with deckbuilding games, you can try playing now, or read on for more details.

CARD TYPES

Character Cards

Character cards represent each player in the game. Character cards are used to track your Health and Mastery totals. Whenever you take damage (see Attacking Champions and Players), you reduce your Health dial that amount. If your Health dial gets to 0 Health, you lose. You cannot go above 50 Health.

Each Character Card has a Focus ability. To Focus, exhaust your character card (by turning it sideways) and pay 1 Gem to gain 1 Mastery. Exhaust powers, including Focus, may only be used once per turn. Gaining Mastery can unlock special abilities on your cards (See Mastery Threshold Bonus below). If you get to 30 Mastery, you are ready to unlock the ultimate power of the Infinity Shard. You cannot go above 30 Mastery.

Anatomy of a Character Card:

• Name — at the top of the card (example: Tetra).
• Health Tracker — on the right side, starting at 50 Health.
• Mastery Tracker — on the lower right, with a maximum of 30 Mastery.
• Focus Ability — at the bottom of the card: "Focus — Pay 1 Gem. Exhaust: Gain 1 Mastery." Focus abilities may only be used once per turn.

Ally Cards

You can recruit Allies when they are in the center row by paying their Gem cost and putting them into your discard pile.

You can play any number of Ally cards from your hand each turn. When you play an Ally from your hand, gain the effect listed on the card. If an ally has multiple effects, perform them in the order listed. Allies stay in front of you in your Play Zone until the end of your turn, and then go to your discard pile.

Anatomy of an Ally Card:

• Name — the card's title.
• Gem Cost — the number of gems you must spend to recruit this card.
• Faction & Card Type — shown along the lower part of the card.
• Effect — what the card does when played or in play.
• Rarity — each mark indicates a copy of the card in the center deck.

Mercenary Allies

When you recruit an Ally, it becomes a part of your deck for the rest of the game, but you need to wait until you draw it to gain its effect. Sometimes, you need an effect immediately, and that is where Mercenaries come in.

In addition to having the option to recruit a Mercenary just like other allies, you may fast-play a Mercenary instead. To fast-play a Mercenary while it is in the center row, pay its Gem cost, gain its effect immediately and put it into the Play Zone. At the end of each turn, all fast-played Mercenaries move from the Play Zone to the bottom of the center deck (NOT your personal deck). You may only fast-play a Mercenary once and you may not recruit a Mercenary after it is fast-played.

Mercenary Allies that are fast-played count as an Ally played that turn. This means that fast-play Mercenaries can help you meet requirements for Unify and Dominion effects.

Anatomy of a Mercenary Card:

• Name — the card's title.
• Gem Cost — the number of gems you must spend to recruit or fast-play this card.
• Mercenary Indicator — marks the card as a Mercenary.
• Faction & Card Type — shown along the lower part of the card.
• Effect — what the card does when played or in play.
• Rarity — each mark indicates a copy of the card in the center deck.

Champion Cards

Champions are recruited just like Allies and go to your discard pile once recruited. Unlike Allies, once a Champion has been played it stays in your Play Zone from turn to turn. Champions go to the discard pile only when they've been dealt damage equal to their Health or destroyed by a card's effect.

You can play any number of Champion cards from your hand each turn. After you play a Champion from your hand, you may exhaust it to use its effect any time during your turn. To exhaust a champion, turn it sideways to indicate it has been used, then follow the instructions after the word exhaust. Each champion may only be exhausted once per turn. At the end of your turn, reset all Champions you control so they are ready to be used again on your next turn.

To attack a Champion, use the Power gained during your turn and deal damage to it as though it were a player. In order for a Champion to be destroyed, a player must deal damage equal to the Champion's Health in a single turn (Champions do not track damage from turn to turn). When a Champion is destroyed, it is put into its controller's discard pile. It may be drawn and played again on a future turn.

Anatomy of a Champion Card:

• Name — the card's title.
• Gem Cost — the number of gems you must spend to recruit this card.
• Champion Health — the damage that must be dealt in a single turn to destroy it.
• Faction & Card Type — shown along the lower part of the card.
• Effect — what the card does when played or in play.
• Rarity — each mark indicates a copy of the card in the center deck.

GAME ACTIONS

Playing Cards

Playing a card means to take it from your hand and put it in front of you in your Play Zone.

When playing an Ally card, announce its effect, and follow the instructions on the card in order from top to bottom. Any choices required by the card must be made at that time and any conditionals must already be met for additional effects to be gained. Gems or Power generated can be used until the end of your turn. You do not have to pay any costs to play Allies from your hand.

Example: Reactor Drone says, "Gain 3 Gems." When you play Reactor Drone, you gain the 3 Gems immediately, but you can wait until later in the turn to decide how to spend your Gems.

Champions are played just like Allies, except Champions remain in the Play Zone and can be exhausted on each of your turns. Every effect written after exhaust and below it will occur once a Champion is exhausted.

Gaining Mastery (Mastery)

Gaining Mastery is a way to make your cards more powerful.

Once during your turn, you may spend 1 Gem to gain 1 Mastery. This is called your Character Focus ability.

Your Mastery total is tracked on the bottom right of your Character Card. Card effects may grant additional Mastery in a turn. You can have a maximum of 30 Mastery.

Mastery is not spent to gain card bonuses. When you gain Mastery, it is gained permanently for the rest of the game.

Mastery Threshold Bonus

Some cards have a Mastery Threshold Bonus.

When playing a card with a Mastery Threshold Bonus, you are granted the bonus ability when you play the card if you have at least the amount of Mastery listed on the card. You do not need to spend Mastery in order to gain a Mastery Threshold Bonus.

Example: If you play Infinity Shard while you have 10 Mastery, you gain 3 Power instead of 2 Power. If you have 20 Mastery, you will gain 5 Power, and if you have 30 Mastery, then you will gain Infinite Power.

(The Infinity Shard card reads: "Gain 2 Power." / "Mastery 10: Gain 3 Power instead." / "Mastery 20: Gain 5 Power instead." / "Mastery 30: Gain Infinite Power.")

Cards only check for a Mastery Threshold Bonus at the time they are played or exhausted. Mastery gained later in the turn will not impact them.

If a card played gains Mastery and has a Mastery Threshold Bonus, the Mastery the card provides will count towards the Mastery Threshold Bonus.

Example: if you have 9 Mastery and play Fungal Hermit, you would gain 1 Mastery, making your total 10 Mastery. This would make it so you get the Mastery Threshold Bonus from Fungal Hermit, and you would gain 5 Health.

Attacking Champions and Players

During your turn, cards you play may produce Power (Power). Power is used to attack Champions and players.

To attack a Champion, use enough Power to equal the Champion's Health total. When you destroy a Champion, put it into its controllers discard pile. You may attack Champions at any time during your turn. Be sure to remember that damage dealt to Champions does not carry from turn to turn, so only attack a Champion if you have enough Power to destroy it that turn.

To attack a player, use your remaining Power at the end of the turn. Though Champions can be attacked at any time, all damage to enemy players must be done at once at the end of your turn. You may divide your Power among your opponents any way you choose.

Using Shield Cards (Shield)

Cards with Shields (Shield) are used to prevent damage to you. These cards will have a Shield on the left side of the card.

To use a card's Shield, reveal it from your hand when you would be dealt damage to reduce the amount of damage taken. You may reveal any number of cards with Shield from your hand to prevent damage.

Example: John is attacking Sarah for 7 Damage. Sarah has Command Seer in her hand. Since Command Seer has 5 Shield, she reveals it and only takes 2 damage, reducing her damage wheel from 50 to 48.

Cards with Shield are not discarded when used to prevent damage during an opponent's turn, but remain in your hand and can thus be used as a Shield in a future turn and/or played as normal during your turn. A Shield may NOT be used to prevent damage to your Champions.

Gaining Health (Health)

Some cards allow you to gain Health. Once Health is gained, increase your Health on your Character Card by the amount stated. Player Health cannot go above 50 Health.

Banishing Cards

When a card tells you to banish a card from your hand and/or your discard pile, you may put a card from that zone into your banished pile. Cards in your banished pile are no longer in your deck and are removed from the game. If a card allows you to banish a card from your hand, you may not banish a card that you've already played that turn, as that card is no longer in your hand. Banishing your weaker cards, especially some of your starting cards, allows you to draw powerful cards more often.

Ending Your Turn

After you are done playing cards from your hand, recruiting/fast-playing Allies and recruiting Champions, place any remaining cards from your hand and any Allies in your Played Zone into your discard pile. Any unspent Gems and Power disappear and do not carry over to your next turn. Draw five cards to replenish your hand. When you end your turn, play passes clockwise around the table.

Game End

A player is eliminated when their Health is reduced to 0. When only one player remains, that player is declared the winner!

F.A.Q.

Q: If I play Cache Warden and it gains me my 10th Mastery, do I draw a card from its bonus?

A: Yes. You will first gain 1 Mastery from the top half of the card effect, putting you to 10 Mastery or more. This will allow you to then draw a card.

Q: When I exhaust Systema AI, do I gain the Mastery Threshold Bonus listed beneath the exhaust text?

A: Yes. Once you exhaust a Champion, everything after and below the exhaust text occurs.

Q: Can I use Shields to defend Champions?

A: No. Shields are only used to prevent damage to players.

Q: If I fast-play a Spore Cleric, does it count as an Undergrowth Ally played for purposes of Unify and Dominion?

A: Yes. When you fast-play a card, it is as though you played it from your hand. Spore Cleric will count towards Unify / Dominion bonuses.

Q: Can Thorn Zealot's Unify ability be used to destroy Li Hin, The Shattered?

A: Yes.

Q: Do I discard shield cards from my hand when I use them to prevent damage?

A: No. To use a Shield, you reveal the card from your hand. The card will stay in your hand for you to play as normal on your next turn. In multiplayer games, you may use the same shield card to prevent damage from different opponents.

Q: Can I use multiple shield cards to prevent damage?

A: Yes. You may reveal any number of cards with Shield to prevent damage.

Q: If I banish a card from my hand, may I still use it to gain its effect?

A: No. You get a card's effect when you play that card. Once you play it, it's no longer in your hand.

Q: Can I use a Crystal to gain 1 Gem and then banish it with Shade?

A: No, cards you play remain face up in front of you until the end of your turn and only then go to your discard pile. If you want to banish a card from your hand, you won't be able to get the effect from it first.

Q: Where do cards go when they're banished?

A: Cards that are banished go to the banish pile. This pile essentially is a removed from game zone.

GLOSSARY

Allies: Allies are the champions you can recruit to aid you. When you play an Ally from your hand, you gain the effect listed on the card. It goes to your discard pile at the end of your turn.

Banish: When a card is banished, it is placed in the banish pile (removed from the game).

Champions: After you play a Champion from your hand, you can gain benefits from it every turn. Champions remain in play until destroyed by an opponent.

Destroy: Destroy means to put into the discard pile from play and generally refers to Champions.

Exhaust: An Exhaust ability may be used once during your turn at any point of your choosing. We recommend turning your card from vertical to horizontal to help track when you use a card's Exhaust ability. You may use any number of different Exhaust abilities in a single turn.

Fast-Play: You have the option to fast-play Mercenary Allies in the center row. This means that when you pay their Gem cost, you have the option to gain their effect immediately. If you fast-play a Mercenary, it goes to the bottom of the center deck at the end of the turn.

Gems (Gem): Gems are the resource used to recruit cards.

Health (Health): If your Health becomes 0, you are out of the game. You can't be above 50 Health.

Mastery (Mastery): Mastery makes your cards more powerful. You cannot spend Mastery and you do not lose it at the end of the turn, rather builds up from turn to turn.

Mecenary: When you pay the Gem cost of a Mercenary, you may recruit it to your discard pile or fast-play it.

Power (Power): Power is used to attack enemy players and Champions.

CREDITS

Lead Game Design: Gary Arant and Justin Gary

Additional Game Design / Development: Ben Lundquist, Jason Zila

Project Management Lead: Gary Arant

Graphic Design: Ryan O'Connor

Illustrations: Aaron Nakahara, Digital Art Chefs, Rod Mendez, Thien Nguyen

Creative Development: George Rockwell, Ryan O'Connor, Justin Gary, Gary Arant

Flavor Text: George Rockwell, Ryan O'Connor

Special Thanks: Bryan Hughes, Theresa Duringer (and all who playtested with her at Temple Gates Games), Glover Parker, Randall Parker