How to play

Win your first match.

Eleven short sections. Read them, then go beat the Voidwarden.

Play vs Sim

01 / 11

The goal

Defeat the other squad's fighters. A team left with only its Miners loses, so Miners on their own can't save you.

The battle HUD: each squad's portraits, health and gear down its side, the turn order across the top — Recorded in the game.

02 / 11

The draft

Ten picks in snake order. You never take more than two of one class, and your two Miners join automatically. In PvP each pick has a 20-second clock.

12345678910

You · APicks firstOpponent · BActs first in battle

Player B acts first in battle to offset A's first pick.

Picking the Data Shaman from the draft rail, locking it in and placing it — Recorded in the game.

03 / 11

Deploy

Place your five picks anywhere in your 22-tile start zone. The opponent can't see where you put them, and you can't see theirs. In PvP you get 60 seconds. Your Miners start beside your home crystal.

YouYour zone, in blueOpponentHidden

Deployment: your placement grid in blue on the left, the opponent's hidden zone outlined in orange on the right — Recorded in the game.

04 / 11

The reveal

Both squads appear at once. Now you find out what they drafted and where they're standing. Everything you guessed during deploy gets graded here.

Both squads drop onto the board at once, then START MATCH — Recorded in the game.

05 / 11

Your turn

Choose one of your ready units, then move and act in either order. You can also forge on your turn; it doesn't use an action. Players alternate, and each unit acts once per round, unless the Mutagenist set's Haste Tonic lets it act again. When one side runs out of ready units, the other finishes the round.

Your turn

The strip shows who acts next. A "?" is a unit nobody has chosen yet.

Three turns with the full HUD: Blink Slash, Fire Storm pulling enemies together, then Arrow Rain, with the turn order strip at the top — Recorded in the game.

06 / 11

Abilities and resources

Every fighter class has a basic attack, a special that costs its resource (energy, mana, rage, focus or reagents) and a passive. Specials are the swing moves. Spend them where they count. The Miner has only its pickaxe and its Prospector passive.

The Assassin dashes through a line of enemies with Blink Slash — Recorded in the game.

Blink SlashSpecial50 energy

Dash up to 4 tiles in a straight line, damaging every enemy in the path. A Squire's Bulwark stops the dash.

01 / 05

Squire

Rage

Spear ThrustBasic

Shield SlamSpecial50 rage

FortifiedPassive

Assassin

Energy

Dagger SlashBasic

Blink SlashSpecial50 energy

BackstabPassive

Data Shaman

Mana

Fire StrikeBasic

Fire StormSpecial50 mana

ClarityPassive

Archer

Focus

LongbowBasic

Arrow RainSpecial60 focus

Pinning ShotPassive

Alchemist

Reagents

Acid FlaskBasic

ElixirSpecial50 reagents

Field MedicPassive

Miner

No resource

Pickaxe StrikeBasic

ProspectorPassive

07 / 11

Crystals and the forge

Each side starts with 5 crystals, enough for one piece. Your Miners mine the rest. Small nodes give 2 crystals a swing for 4 swings; large nodes give 3 a swing for 5 swings. Prospector: each turn a Miner doesn't swing (walking counts), it stores +1 crystal, up to 3. Its next swing at a node adds them all. Hitting an enemy keeps them stored.

A Miner holding 3 stored crystals walks to a large node and swings: PROSPECTOR +3, +6 crystals — Recorded in the game.

The forge

Every fighter has four gear slots: weapon, head, body and feet. A piece is its slot's material plus its set's material, then a 1-crystal fee: 5 crystals in all. A forged piece gives 25% more than its two materials. Forge for any of your fighters on your turn. It doesn't use an action. Replace a piece and you get half its crystals back, rounded down. Gear adds at most +2 move. Miners can't wear gear.

Each slot's material

2WeaponPower Core+12 attack power

2HeadCapacitor Bank+15 max resource

2BodyCooling Gel+100 max health

2FeetQuantum Chip+1 move

The forge on the Squire: Vanguard at two of four pieces with Momentum on, and the Vanguard Helm next for 5 crystals — Recorded in the game.

08 / 11

Gear sets

Each fighter class has three sets, 15 in all. Two pieces of one set unlock its first bonus; four unlock its second. You can mix: two pieces of one set and two of another turn on both first bonuses. In battle, each unit's row in the team panel shows its four slots and a chip for every set it wears.

The Squire charges three tiles and Shield Slams the Data Shaman into the Archer behind it — Recorded in the game.

Lance Charge4-piece

Shield Slam becomes a charge: dash up to 3 tiles in a straight line to an enemy, then slam it. Can't charge while Pinned, and a Squire's Bulwark can only be slammed from next to it.

01 / 03

Squire

Swipe for all three →

Sentry

Protects a squishy back line

Sentry Lance, weapon
Sentry Helm, head
Sentry Plate, body
Sentry Greaves, feet

2 piecesWatchful: Fortified reaches 3 tiles (from 2).
4 piecesIntercept: Once per round, when an enemy hits an ally within 2 tiles, the Sentry takes the hit instead, with its own defense.

Berserker

Damage carry

Berserker Lance, weapon
Berserker Helm, head
Berserker Plate, body
Berserker Greaves, feet

2 piecesBloodrage: +25% Spear damage while below half health. Rage from hits is doubled.
4 piecesRampage: Spear heals the Berserker for 30% of the damage it deals, and also hits one enemy next to the target for half damage.

Vanguard

Engage and lockdown

Vanguard Lance, weapon
Vanguard Helm, head
Vanguard Plate, body
Vanguard Greaves, feet

2 piecesMomentum: Spear deals +20 damage for each tile the Squire walked this turn before attacking, up to +60.
4 piecesLance Charge: Shield Slam becomes a charge: dash up to 3 tiles in a straight line to an enemy, then slam it. Can't charge while Pinned, and a Squire's Bulwark can only be slammed from next to it.

Assassin

Swipe for all three →

Wraith

Executioner

Wraith Blade, weapon
Wraith Hood, head
Wraith Garb, body
Wraith Treads, feet

2 piecesIsolation: Backstab also triggers when the target has no ally within 2 tiles.
4 piecesExecute: Dagger Slash deals +50% damage to targets below 40% health. A kill refills energy.

Reaper

Attrition and anti-heal

Reaper Blade, weapon
Reaper Hood, head
Reaper Garb, body
Reaper Treads, feet

2 piecesLacerate: Dagger Slash applies Bleed: 25 damage at the start of the target's turn for 2 turns, stacking up to 3.
4 piecesHemorrhage: Blink Slash makes every enemy it passes Bleed. Bleeding enemies receive 50% less healing.

Shadow

Mobility and escape

Shadow Blade, weapon
Shadow Hood, head
Shadow Garb, body
Shadow Treads, feet

2 piecesSlip: Blink Slash reaches 1 tile further, and the Assassin can still walk after it.
4 piecesVanish: After a kill, the Assassin is Hidden through its next turn: enemies can't single it out (area attacks still hit), and its Dagger Slash always counts as a Backstab.

Data Shaman

Swipe for all three →

Hexer

Shuts down enemy carries

Hexer Staff, weapon
Hexer Hood, head
Hexer Robe, body
Hexer Boots, feet

2 piecesFeedback: Fire Strike drains 10 of the target's mana, rage or energy and gives it to the Shaman.
4 piecesStatic Field: Fire Storm costs 90 mana (from 50) and Silences the enemy at its centre for 1 turn: it can't use its Special.

Pyromancer

Damage-over-time carry

Pyromancer Staff, weapon
Pyromancer Hood, head
Pyromancer Robe, body
Pyromancer Boots, feet

2 piecesKindling: Fire Strike applies Burn for 1 turn.
4 piecesWildfire: Burn stacks up to 3 and deals 50% more. When a Burning unit dies, its Burn spreads to its adjacent allies.

Void Arcanist

Grouping and burst

Void Arcanist Staff, weapon
Void Arcanist Hood, head
Void Arcanist Robe, body
Void Arcanist Boots, feet

2 piecesOverclock: Clarity triggers on 50% of turns (from 25%) and restores 20 mana (from 15). Fire Storm costs 10 less mana.
4 piecesSingularity: Fire Storm pulls every enemy in its area 1 tile toward the centre before it hits, and its hits ignore flat defense.

Archer

Swipe for all three →

Deadeye

Sniper carry

Deadeye Bow, weapon
Deadeye Cap, head
Deadeye Quiver, body
Deadeye Boots, feet

2 piecesSteady Aim: If the Archer hasn't moved this turn, the Longbow reaches 1 tile further.
4 piecesHeadshot: Longbow hits from 5 or more tiles get +15% crit chance and ignore flat defense.

Frost Stalker

Area lockdown

Frost Stalker Bow, weapon
Frost Stalker Cap, head
Frost Stalker Quiver, body
Frost Stalker Boots, feet

2 piecesChill: Pinning Shot chance rises from 25% to 40%. Pinned enemies take 15% more damage.
4 piecesDeep Freeze: Arrow Rain Pins every enemy it hits (from a 15% chance).

Skirmisher

Self-peel against divers

Skirmisher Bow, weapon
Skirmisher Cap, head
Skirmisher Quiver, body
Skirmisher Boots, feet

2 piecesPoint Blank: The Longbow can shoot adjacent enemies, and knocks them back 1 tile.
4 piecesOverwatch: Once per round, when an enemy walks within 3 tiles, the Archer shoots it at once for 30% damage, with a 50% chance to Pin it where it stands.

Alchemist

Swipe for all three →

Herbalist

Sustain

Herbalist Flask, weapon
Herbalist Mask, head
Herbalist Coat, body
Herbalist Boots, feet

2 piecesRemedy: Field Medic heals 80 (from 50).
4 piecesRegrowth: Elixir also heals allies next to the target for 150, and gives everyone it heals Regen: 60 health at the start of their next 2 turns.

Plague Doctor

Debuffs and anti-heal

Plague Doctor Flask, weapon
Plague Doctor Mask, head
Plague Doctor Coat, body
Plague Doctor Boots, feet

2 piecesContagion: Acid Flask also Corrodes enemies next to the target.
4 piecesMiasma: Corroded enemies take 40 poison damage at the start of their turn and receive 50% less healing.

Mutagenist

Carry enabler

Mutagenist Flask, weapon
Mutagenist Mask, head
Mutagenist Coat, body
Mutagenist Boots, feet

2 piecesPotent Tonic: Elixir's Invigorate gives +40 attack and ability power (from +25) and +1 Move.
4 piecesHaste Tonic: Once every 3 turns, an Elixir on an ally that already acted this round lets it act again. It's healed as usual.

09 / 11

Status effects

Statuses show on a unit's portrait in the HUD. Learn these and the board starts reading itself.

Burn

50 damage a turn and −25 defense.

Corroded

Takes 20% more damage.

Stun

Loses its turn.

Pinned

Can't move, but can still act.

Fortified

The Squire's aura: allies within 2 tiles take 20% less damage and can't be backstabbed.

Invigorated

+25 attack and ability power.

Prospecting

A Miner's stored crystals, up to 3. Its next swing at a node adds them all.

10 / 11

Counters

Who beats whom. The draft marks the same thing on every portrait, so draft against what they've already taken. The Miner has no counters.

SquireStrong vs AssassinWeak vs ShamanWeak vs Archer

AssassinStrong vs ShamanStrong vs ArcherStrong vs AlchemistWeak vs Squire

Data ShamanStrong vs SquireWeak vs AssassinWeak vs Alchemist

ArcherStrong vs SquireStrong vs AlchemistWeak vs Assassin

AlchemistStrong vs ShamanWeak vs ArcherWeak vs Squire

11 / 11

Playing online

vs Player matches you with the first player waiting. Turns are 45 seconds, and the clock turns red for the last 10. Miss three turns in a row and you forfeit. Drop out and you have 30 seconds to reconnect. vs Sim has no clock at all.

Your turn 0:45Opponent's turn 0:45Your turn 0:08

Each pick: 20 seconds
Deploy: 60 seconds
Each turn: 45 seconds
Missed turns: 3 in a row forfeits
Reconnect: 30 seconds
vs Sim: No clock

The turn clock in its last seconds: ROUND 1, YOUR TURN 0:08, in red — Recorded in the game.

Free · No wallet needed

That's the guide.

The Voidwarden has no clock. You have no excuse.

Play vs Sim Play vs Player