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 multirealm effort to exterminate all magic users on Galwyndor. After decades of ruthless killing that would signal the end of the Fourth 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 43 cards.
The game was never intended to be a CCG, however, the variety of cards allow for possible expansions in the future.
Deck Structure
Each deck consists of 43 cards made up of the following types:
- 3 Heroes
- 5 Glyphs
- 20 Units
- 10 Spells/Abilities
- 5 Equipment
Winning Conditions
The object of the game is to get as many of your own units through the Gateway as possible. The player with the greatest number of units through at the end of play is the winner. The game is over under the following conditions:
- A player can make no possible moves during their turn, to include drawing a card.
- A player has no more units on the battlefield, in hand, or in their deck.
Actions
During each player's turn, they have 7 actions they can perform (unless a card gives or removes a number of actions they may take). Each of the following actions cost 1 AP (Action Point) unless otherwise specified:
- Bringing a unit onto the battlefield
- Maneuvering a unit
- Attacking
- Drawing a card
- Playing a Spell or Ability
- Equipping an item
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.
Stats
Each unit has several stats:
- Attack - their attack power
- Defend - their defending power
- Range - how far they can attack
- Maneuver - how far they can maneuver
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, both units die. Multiple units can attack the same target; the defending player decides how to defend.
Card Types
There are several card types used by each craft:
Heroes
Heroes are units with special abilities. Each craft has three 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.
Spells and Abilities
Abilities are unique talents for each glyph that provide some advantage. Some are instant.
Equipment
Equipment cards can be attached to units to provide some benefit.