Phalanx Duel: Official Tutorial
Welcome to the Phalanx Duel tutorial! This guide will walk you through your first match, from your first draw to your final strike.
1. Your Command Center: The Hand
Your Hand is where your tactical options live. In Phalanx Duel, your hand is private and usually limited to 4 cards.
- Management: You only draw at the end of your turn.
- Strategy: Knowing when to hold a high-value King or a defensive Diamond is the difference between a Player and a Master.
2. The Battlefield
Matches take place on a 4x2 grid for each player.
- Front Row (Rank 0): Your active combatants. Only cards in the front row can initiate attacks.
- Back Row (Rank 1): Your reserves. When a front-row card is destroyed, the card behind it collapses forward to take its place.
3. Phase 1: Deployment
Before the first turn, both players participate in a Deployment Phase.
- In Classic mode, you draw 12 cards.
- You and your opponent alternate placing cards from your Hand until your board is full (8 cards) and you have exactly 4 cards remaining.
- Tip: Put high-value cards behind weaker ones to create surprise “second-wave” attacks when the front row collapses.
4. Attacking and Defending
Declaring an Attack
To attack, select a card in your front row and then select a defending column on the opponent’s side.
The Target Chain
Damage resolves in a “chain” from front to back:
- Front Card: Takes damage equal to the attacker’s value.
- Back Card: If the front card is destroyed, any remaining damage (Carryover) hits the back card.
- Player LP: If the back card is also destroyed, the remaining damage hits the opponent’s Life Points (LP) directly.
5. Suit Bonuses (Shield -> Weapon -> Clamp)
Suits trigger at boundaries (the transition between targets). They resolve in this canonical order:
| Suit | Type | Timing | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| ♦ Diamonds | Shield | Card -> Card | Reduces carryover damage before it hits the next card. |
| ♣ Clubs | Weapon | Card -> Card | Doubles carryover once after the first destruction. |
| ♥ Hearts | Shield | Card -> Player | Total value of destroyed Hearts reduces final player damage. |
| ♠ Spades | Weapon | Card -> Player | Doubles all damage that reaches the player LP. |
6. Special Cards: Aces and Face Cards
- Aces: A front-row Ace can ONLY be destroyed by another Ace.
- Jacks / Queens / Kings: Use “Rank Eligibility.” A 10 cannot destroy a King, regardless of the damage value. The attack simply “Clamps” and stops.
7. Reinforcement: Rebuilding the Line
After combat, you enter the Reinforcement Phase. You can place cards from your hand into any empty slots in your back row.
Pro Tip: Always try to keep your front row full. A hole in your front line is a direct path for the opponent to hit your Life Points!
8. Victory
The game ends when a player’s Life Points reach zero or they violate the Pass Limit (3 consecutive passes or 5 total passes).
Now you’re ready to duel! Play Phalanx Duel Now