The Deck

90 cards across six suits, ranked Space Force (highest) down to Special Ops, Soldiers, Mercenaries, Militia, and Pirates (lowest). Each suit has the same 15 cards: three Level 1 bombs (Grenade Launcher, Rocket, Dynamite), three Level 2 bombs (Cruise Missile, Rapid Missiles, Semtex), three Level 3 bombs (Airstrike, Chemical Bomb, Stealth Bomber), two Level 4 bombs (Nuke, Meteor), three shields (Kevlar, Brick Wall, Shield), and one Counter-Strike.

Setup

Each side is dealt 7 cards. The rest form a face-down draw pile.

Playing a Round

Both sides play one card. Higher level always wins, no matter the suit. If levels tie, the higher-ranked suit wins. The winner captures both cards played — they're banked as points and out of the game for good.

Breaking a Same-Suit Tie

If both bombs are the same level and the same suit, suit rank can't settle it — so each level has its own pecking order instead: Level 1, Dynamite < Grenade Launcher < Rocket. Level 2, Semtex < Rapid Missiles < Cruise Missile. Level 3, Chemical Bomb < Stealth Bomber < Airstrike. Level 4, Nuke < Meteor. This order only ever comes into play when the suit is identical on both sides — a higher suit still beats a lower suit on a same-level clash no matter which specific card either side played.

Who Leads

The coin toss decides who opens Round 1 — the opener reveals blind, and the other side reacts with full knowledge of what they're up against. From Round 2 on, the lead passes to whoever just won the round. So a hot streak comes with a catch: winning hands you the harder job of revealing first next round, while a loss puts you in the reactive seat.

Shields

Kevlar blocks Level 1 bombs, Brick Wall blocks Level 2, and Shield blocks Level 3. A shield beats any bomb at or under its cap. Nukes and Meteors (Level 4) are unblockable — no shield stops them. If two shields meet, the higher-cap shield wins; a tie goes to the higher-ranked suit.

Counter-Strike

Flips a bomb back on its owner — the bomb is blocked and you capture the round instead. It can't touch a Nuke or Meteor. A Counter-Strike beats any shield. If two Counter-Strikes meet, the higher-ranked suit wins.

Refilling & Winning

After each round, both sides draw back up from the pile if cards remain. Once the pile is empty, hands just get smaller each round — both sides draw the same way, so they run out together. Whoever has captured the most cards when the deck runs dry wins the match.

Sudden Death

If the captured count is tied when the deck runs dry, it isn't over — the whole deck reshuffles for one last decisive draw. You reveal first, the NPC reveals right after, and the same rules that settle every other round settle this one too. Win it and the match is yours; lose it and the match is lost. It's rare, so make it count.

The Campaign

Ten decks, ten looks. Win a match to unlock the next deck — the mechanics never change, but the art, the arena colors, and the NPC's deck do. Beat Level 10 to clear the campaign.