Colors & Universes
Each card has two elements that define what they are, their Color and their Universe. A Universe is the Nintendo franchise that the character, item, event, or location the card represents originates from. Universes use special icons to represent themselves, with the icons also acting as shorthand in card text.

Colors are more complex, as they represent the identity of the subject of the card. They also show what color Energy is required to play them (see "Energy" section), with the amount needed being shown in the upper-left corner of the card, in the form of a circle matching their color and a number. Colors also use symbols as shorthand in card text. The Colors and their attributes are the following:

Red, representing power and bravery, but also flame-like volatility.
Blue represents wisdom, cleverness, and the temperance of a calm sea.
Yellow brings the light of kindness and charity, but also of naivety.
Green is connected to all life, as well as courage and undying loyalty.
Purple deceives and tricks, always lurking in the shadows for its chance to strike.
White is the spirit, willfulness and leadership, but also those who are sturdy or stubborn.

Cards with a shared Universe can often interact with each other in unique ways, while cards of the same color usually share similar gameplay ideas. Building your deck around these two elements is highly important.

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Captain Cards
Captain Cards are the most important part of your deck. They are played at the start of the game, cannot be removed from play fully, and are not counted as part of your deck. These cards represent major characters within Nintendo franchises, playable heroes, major villains, and important allies. They have many unique rules to them, but this will cover the basics.

First and foremost, Captain Cards determine the build of your deck. The deck can only feature cards of the same Universe and cards of the same Color as the Captain it is paired up with. In addition, many Captain cards feature special rules that either allow you to expand the scope of deck building, or make more complex decks easier to play. These are called Captain Abilities.

Captain Cards also represent your health, as well as the win condition of the game. When a Captain is Defeated in Battle (see "Actions" section), they will take a point of damage. When a Captain takes five hits of damage, the player controlling them loses the match. However, battling with your Captain is just as important as avoiding this damage, as Captains tend to be considerably stronger than most other cards, and usually feature powerful Captain Actions (see "Actions" section) which can provide benefits or are able to change the flow of the game.

All Captain Cards are double sided, with both sides featuring unique art and rules text. The reverse side is called the Flipped state, and will be activated once certain objectives or goals are completed. The flip happens immediately, regardless of turn. Some Captain Cards can flip between the two sides, while some will remain flipped for the rest of the match. While most flipped Captain Cards can boost their strength and abilities, others can act as detriments for your opponent to take advantage of. The side a Captain Card starts out on is the side without a large "flip" icon in the bottom left corner. Captain Abilities will usually not be printed on the "flipped" side, but their rules still apply.

For more specifics, see the "Captain Card Rules" section.

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Energy
For most cards, Energy is required to put them into play. Energy is formed as a second deck, containing only the special Energy cards. Each Unit Card (Ally Cards and Captain Cards) has a second color and number symbol at the very bottom of the card. You may use a card's Once-Per-Turn Action to Energize, an action that is fulfilled by drawing the number of cards specified, and then adding the cards you drew of the same Color into the Energy Zone. Cards drawn of a different Color will be sent to the Energy Discard.

Energy will remain in the Energy Zone until you pay the cost of a card, where the amount of Energy required to play the card is removed from the Energy Zone and set to the Energy Discard. Having a consistent flow of Energy is very important, and there are a number of cards that can help to keep Energy in play, or get you Energy faster without sacrificing a unit's turn. By default, each player begins a match by drawing the top three cards of their Energy Deck, and placing all three in the Energy Zone.

While most Energy Cards do not have special rules, there are some that do. In most cases you may only have one of these Special Energies in your Energy Deck, but they are very powerful in return.


Eligible Series:
-Super Mario
-Donkey Kong
-The Legend of Zelda
-Yoshi
-Kirby
-Star Fox
-Earthbound
-F-Zero
-Fire Emblem
-Kid Icarus
-Wario
-Pikmin
-Animal Crossing
-Punch-Out
-Xenoblade Chronicles
-Splatoon
-Arms
-Rhythm Heaven
-Golden Sun
-Chibi-Robo
-Nintendo Wars
-Custom Robo
-Sin & Punishment
-Retro