Dreadgate (TCG)

Glyphmaster’s Gateway is a two-player card game where players go head to head to push the most units through a magical gateway.

The Great Purge was a multinational effort to exterminate all magic users on Galwyndor. After decades of ruthless killing that would signal the end of the 3rd Great War, two vast armies set upon the last of the Draol, a mage named Atury. The Glyphmaster. Desperately trying to escape his fate, the Glyphmaster opened a Keldra Gateway, a complex spell that was beyond his abilities. The two armies followed Atury and his disciples into the portal, suddenly finding themselves in a strange land called Errod, which turned out to be another world entirely. Twenty years later, the Gateway has mysteriously reopened, and players must fight their way back to Galwyndor before it closes.

It is played on a 5×5 grid with players on opposites sides of the game board. Each player uses 1 of 5 possible decks, each with a different specialization (Sorcery, Champion, Divine, Engineering, Artifice). Each deck consists of 60 cards, and players can construct their card decks accord to their own preferences, with only a few minor limitations.

Deck Structure

Each deck consists of 60 cards made up of the following types:

• Heroes
• Glyphs
• Units
• Spells/Abilities
• Equipment

Base decks of different crafts will have different configurations.

Winning Conditions

There are different win conditions for each format.

Standard

The thematic object of the game is to get as much power through the Gateway as possible, or to prevent your opponent from using the gateway. This is done by adding up the power of every unit through the gateway. The game is over under the following

• the power total for a player's units through that gateway reaches 25
• the power total for units in a player's boneyard reaches 40

Tactical

In Tactical format, only units and equipment are used. There are no glyphs, spells or abilities, and there is no gateway. Players simply do battle.

• the power total for units in a player's boneyard reaches 40

Actions

During each player's turn, they have 7 action points they can use (unless a card gives or removes a number of action points they may take). Hero cards also give a bonus action point towards a specific action. There are currently six types of actions:

• Deploying
• Attacking
• Maneuvering
• Abilities
• Drawing
• Equipping

During a turn, a player may use up to all their actions, in any order. Unused AP do not carry over to their next turn, but some may be used to cast spells or abilities during their opponent's turn (Instants). A unit may only maneuver once per turn and attack once per turn unless something gives the player the ability to do otherwise. Units brought onto the battlefield cannot maneuver or attack during the same turn.

Deploying

Deploying means placing a unit onto the battlefield from your hand. The cost to do so is equal to their vitality. Units must be placed on the far outer ring when first deployed, and may not attack or maneuver yet by default.

Attacking

If an enemy unit is within range and in an eligible attack space (your unit can attack in that direction), a unit may attack for 1 action. Units, unless otherwise specified, may only attack once per round.

Maneuvering

Units may maneuver into unoccupied spaces, so long as it is within maneuver range and in their maneuver direction, for 1 action. Units, unless otherwise specified, may only maneuver once per round.

Abilities

Abilities can be played for the action cost listed on the card. These are things like enchant abilities, spell abilities, intrigue abilities, etc. Some abilities apply to a single unit, and others (battlefield abilities) may apply to the whole battlefield.

Drawing Cards

Cards may be drawn for 1 action apiece. There is no limit to how many cards you can draw, so long as you have the actions to do so.

Equipping

Equipment may be attached to units (or the battlefield) for their cost listed on the card.

Stats and Icons

Each unit and hero has several stats:

• - all icons
• Vitality - their life total; this is also their cost to deploy them
• Attack - their attack power
• Defend - their defending power
• Range - how far they can attack
• Maneuver - how far they can maneuver
• File:Unique icon.png Unique - a deck may only contain 1 copy of a card with this icon

Card Types

There are several card types used by each craft:

Heroes

Heroes are special units that enable deployment of craft-specific units and abilities. Each hero also has two special abilities. Color cards cannot be used unless a hero of that color is present (unless the card states otherwise). Two heroes in each deck are multi-colored, meaning they can be used to play both colors.

If there is no hero, only universal cards (brown) can be used. If a hero dies, units already present are still in play, but no new color units or abilities may be played unless specifically noted. Each craft has four hero cards.

Glyphs

Glyphs provide powerful magical abilities. Each craft has 5 unique glyphs to utilize.

Units

Units are the maneuver forces one must use to attack and defend, and ultimately push through the Dreadgate. Units are either of a particular craft (color) or universal. Universal units can be used by anybody, and without a hero. Color units must be brought out with a hero of that color unless otherwise specified (some units have autonomy, for example).

Spells and Abilities

Abilities and spells are unique actions for each craft that provide some advantage. Some are instant, which means they can be used at any time, whether it is your turn or not (as in response to an opponent's action).

Equipment

Equipment cards can be attached to units to provide some benefit. There are several types of these, and this is only important if another card is susceptible or targets a specific type of equipment (the card will specify). For example, spectral units can only be killed with relic weapons or spells.

• Equipment
• Weapons
• Armor
• Relic
• Relic Weapon
• Relic Armor

Combat

During an attack, the unit with the higher points (attack for the attacker, defense for the defender) wins. The other unit is killed, and removed from play. If both attack and defense are equal, nothing happens. Multiple units can attack the same target; the defending player decides how to defend.