Your First Match (0 to 1)

Welcome to the Phalanx Duel battlefield. This walkthrough will show you what actually happens during your first few turns.

The Objective

Your goal is simple: Reduce your opponent’s Life Points (LP) to 0, or destroy all of their deployed cards.

Step 1: The Setup

Both players draw a Hand of 12 cards.

• You take turns placing one card at a time onto your 4x2 grid.
• Your goal is to build a wall of defense while positioning your strong cards for a counterattack.
• Once your 8 board slots are full, you will have exactly 4 cards left in your hand.

Pro Tip: Do not put your highest value card in the front row where it can be easily picked off. Hide it in the back row to create a “second wave” attacker.

Step 2: The Attack

The game alternates in turns. On your turn, you will declare an attack.

1. Choose your attacker: Select a card in your Front Row.
2. Choose their defending column: You cannot target a specific card; you must target the whole column.

Example of an Attack:

• You attack with a 10 of Spades in your front row.
• You target the opponent’s column. They have a 3 of Hearts in the front row and a 4 of Clubs in the back row.

The Cascade:

• Your 10 hits their 3 of Hearts. The 3 is destroyed (10 > 3).
• The remaining damage is 7 (10 - 3 = 7).
• That 7 “carries over” and hits their 4 of Clubs. The 4 is destroyed (7 > 4).
• The remaining damage is 3 (7 - 4 = 3).
• Because the entire column collapsed, that 3 damage hits the opponent’s Life Points (LP).

Because your attacker was a Spade, that final LP damage is doubled! The opponent loses 6 LP.

Step 3: Reinforcement

After combat resolves, the defending column is now empty. The opponent must use their Reinforcement Phase to deploy new cards from their hand into the empty slots.

• If they do not have enough cards to fill the front row, they leave a massive hole in their defense for you to exploit next turn.
• At the end of the turn, players draw back up to their Hand Limit (4 cards).

You Are Ready

That is the core loop: Deploy, Attack, Resolve the Cascade, Reinforce.

As you play, you’ll discover how the suit modifiers (Shields and Weapons) create dramatic twists. But for now, you know enough to begin.

Play Your First Match Online Now

After a few matches, you’ll probably make some beginner mistakes. When you do, read the Road to Champion guide to level up.