Marvel Trading Card Game - Gameplay

Gameplay

Marvel Trading Card Game is a collectible card game with similarities to other card games, like Magic: The Gathering. The game was designed to portray the VS System rules exactly the same as the physical version, created by baseball card manufacturer Upper Deck Entertainment. Players start each match with a premade deck of cards, from which they draw a number of cards to form a hand. Cards in the hand can be subsequently put into play, and each card represents a character or ability that is played against similar cards possessed by the opponent.

Matches are formatted into segmented turns during which players can act. Each turn a player draws two cards to add to their hand, and cards in a hand can be put onto the playing field. The playing field is made of up individual rows where cards can be placed; there are six rows for each player. Cards are played by spending "resource points" which act as a form of energy. The more powerful a card is, the more resource points are required to play it. Resource points are gained by specifically assigning any card in the hand to a resource row, and only one card can be made into a resource each turn. More powerful cards, such as Magneto, require a higher available pool of resources and so can only be played in later turns in a match. Once put into play from the player's hand, a card can be used to provide a benefit to the player or to attack the opponent. Types of cards include characters, such as Onslaught and Namor; each character has an attack and defense rating that represents how much damage they can inflict and sustain. Other cards include locations and equipment, which can be used to boost the statistics and abilities of characters, and "plot twists" which encompass a wide range of effects, such as forcing an opponent to forfeit some of the cards in their hand. Each player has a life bar that is depleted with each successful attack by an opponent, and a player loses the match when their life bar is empty.

Whenever a card in play is activated or otherwise used, such as resources, it is referred to as "tapped" and is generally unavailable for further use until the next turn. Unlike Magic, however, characters can attack and defend in the same turn, unless they are "stunned" in combat. Damage is calculated by adding the difference between an attacking character's attack and the defending character's defense, plus the resource cost of the card. Any damage not absorbed by a defending character is applied to the player's life total. The location of a card on the playing field can affect its statistics; in order to attack, characters further away from the opponent must possess a projectile weapon or the ability to fly, for instance. Adjacent characters with a matching team affiliation within the Marvel universe can also reinforce one another's attack and defense, such as the Spider Friends and X-Men. Cards activating an ability can be countered by the opponent, and these abilities and counters combine to form a "chain" that dictates the order in which their effects are applied.