Welcome to the Penny Arcade Card Game
C
This simple rules sheet will teach you everything you need to know
and you and your opponent will be playing out Gabe and Tychos fight
for The Watch in no time! If there is a term you do not understand
in this rules sheet please refer to the glossary for clarification.
Summary of Play
In the Penny Arcade CCG you assume the role of Gabe or Tycho
as they engage in one on one combat. Your goal is to reduce your
opponents vitality to 0, a knock out, or to run your opponent out
of cards, an exhaustion victory. Penny Arcade plays on the UFS
engine, which allows players to play unlimited cards in a turn
as long as they can continue to make their control check. Cards
become harder and harder to play, the more you play. Players take
turn attacking one another until one player exhausts themselves or
is knocked out.
e Game
There are two ways of winning the game:
You reduce your opponents vitality to 0.
Your opponent runs out of cards.
If either of these things happens you win the game!
e Card
There are five different card types. Each card type has distinctive
colors and features to set it apart from the other types. Every card
also is labeled with what type of card it is in a box in the middle
of the left side of the card.
Characters
The character card represents you and is the persona you are
assuming for this fight. A character card is covered in art
and contains a swooping text box. Character cards are easily
recognizable since they look different from the other card types.
A. Difficulty: How hard it is to play the card. Every card
will have a difficulty. The use of difficulty on character
cards will be explained in future UFS releases.
B. Name: The title of the card.
C. Block Symbol: How effective this card is in helping you
defend yourself from your opponents attacks. There are
three possible block symbols: high zone , mid zone
, or low zone . are clear to your opponent. Only cards in the card pool or the staging
D. Hand Size: How many cards you are able to hold during
the game.
E. Vitality: How tough your character is. Vitality tells you
how many points of damage you can take before being
knocked out.
F. Resource Symbols: What cards you can play. Resources
are used in the full UFS CCG, so you do not need
to worry about them while using these theme decks.
For comprehensive rules you can refer to the Sabertooth
Games website or the UFS rules that will be released
with our upcoming UFS releases.
G. Keywords: Card descriptions. Keywords may be
referenced by other cards or have game rules that impact
play. Some cards will have multiple keywords.
H. Ability Text: Describes any special abilities your card has.
I. Vital Statistics: The physical statistics of your character,
and include Gender, Height, Weight, and Blood Type.
Other cards may reference a characters vital statistics.
J. Control: Helps you play cards. It also allows you to
generate random numbers when necessary. Every card
will have a control number.
K. Flavor Text: Flavor text serves no game purpose, but can
be insightful as well as comical.
B placed on top of the pile face up. Players may not rearrange the
A order (see Playing the Game to learn how to play cards and abilities):
C
D Your Hand
E but if you fail an attempt to play a card from your hand during your
F momentum. This represents gaining the upper hand in the fight.
G e End Phase
I of the fight. Whenever you add cards to your momentum, make sure
H can be seen. You may not look at cards that are in your momentum.
J the following steps in order:
K Card States (Ready and Committed)
Attacks
Attack cards represent the punches, kicks, and moves you are using
to knock out your opponent. Play attack cards to take away your
opponents vitality. Attacks have a red border.
Actions
Like attacks, action cards represent the various maneuvers you are
using to win the fight, except they do not deal damage. Actions are
played from your hand for their effect. Actions have a blue border.
Foundations
Foundations represent your characters training and preparation for
the fight. Foundations will stay on the board once you play them.
You can use them for their abilities or as a resource to help you play
other cards. Foundations have a grey border.
Assets
Assets represent places or objects that may influence the action.
Much like foundations, assets will stay around once you have them
in play. Unlike foundations, however, assets cannot be used to help
you play other cards. Assets have a green border.
PA rules sheet 1 3/29/06, 11:56 AM
A
B
D
E
F G
H
J I
K L
All four of the aforementioned card types have nearly identical
card anatomy.
A. Difficulty
B. Name
C. Block Symbol
D. Speed and Zone Symbol: (Attacks only) How hard it is
to block this attack and which zone the attack is in: high
zone , mid zone , or low zone .
E. Damage: (Attacks only) How much vitality your
opponent loses if they do not block this attack.
F. Card Type Indicator Character Foundations
G. Resource Symbols
H. Keywords
I. Related Fighter Image
J. Ability Text
K. Flavor Text
L. Control
Areas of Play
During a game, the playing surface will be divided into several different
areas where cards can be placed. Physically, these areas can be
anywhere you like on your side of the playing surface as long as they
area are considered to be in play for the purposes of card effects.
e Card Pool
Any cards you play during the current turn are played into your
card pool. The first card you play is placed in the far left of your
card pool. Each time you successfully play a card, it is placed to the
right of the previously played card. If you run out of room, you
may begin another row in your card pool below the existing row,
continuing to play cards to the right of previously played cards. At
the end of the turn, any cards that stay in play are moved to your
staging area while any other cards are placed into your discard pile.
e Staging Area
At the beginning of the game, your character card will start in your
staging area. In addition, any cards that stay in play will be moved
into the staging area at the end of the turn they are played.
Your Deck
Place your deck of cards here.
Your Discard Pile
After a card is destroyed or its effect ends it is placed here.
Sometimes cards will be placed into your discard pile immediately
they are played. Any time a card is put into your discard pile it is
order of their discard piles.
Your Removed From the Game Pile
Any cards that have been removed from the game go here.
Cards that are removed from play are no longer part of your deck.
While your hand is not on the playing surface, it is an area of play
and can be affected by cards and abilities. Your hand is where you
hold cards you are waiting to play at just the right moment.
Your Momentum
After successful attacks, you may be able to add cards to your
Some abilities can use cards in your momentum to sway the outcome
they are face down and placed under your character card where they
Cards in this game have two states: ready and committed. When
a card is straight up and down it is ready and can be used to
perform an action. Generally, in order to use a card you need to
commit it. To commit a card you turn it sideways ninety degrees.
This shows that the card has been used and is no longer ready.
To ready a card, do the opposite and return it to its ready state.
Getting Started
To start a game, you and your opponent each need to choose a deck.
After decks are chosen, each player searches through his or her
deck and finds one character card to place in his or her staging area.
Each player then shuffles his or her remaining cards and places
them in his or her deck area.
Randomly decide (flip a coin, rock-paper-scissors) who gets the
option of taking the first turn. Whoever wins the decision may choose
to go first or second. If you are playing a series of games, the person
who lost the last game may decide who takes the first turn. The player
who takes the first turn commits their character card.
Each player draws a number of cards equal to the hand size printed
on his or her character card. Players also start with an amount of
vitality equal to the vitality printed on his or her character cards.
You may want to use paper and pencil or counters to keep track of
how much vitality you have. Life counters are included.
Card Pool
Staging Area
Assets Deck Discard
Removed
e Turn
During a game you and your opponent will alternate taking turns
until someone wins the game. Each turn has three phases.
e Ready Phase
If you are taking the very first turn of the game, then skip this
phase entirely and go on to the Combat Phase. In the Ready Phase
you take following steps in order.
1. Ready all of your committed cards.
2. You may choose and discard one card from your hand.
This step is optional.
3. Draw cards from your deck until the number of cards
in your hand equals your characters hand size. If the
number of cards in your hand is already equal to or greater
than you characters hand size you do not draw any cards.
4. Proceed to the Combat Phase.
e Combat Phase
The Combat phase is where most of the action in a game happens
and is the most important part of your turn. Most cards and
abilities will be played during this phase. During your Combat
phase you get to take a number of Actions, called Forms. You may
play any number of Forms one after another until you decide you
do not wish to play anymore.
During your Combat Phase you may take the following Forms in any
Play an attack card from your hand.
Play a foundation card from your hand.
Play an asset card from your hand.
Play an action card with a form (F) ability from your hand.
Play a form (F) ability on a character, foundation, or asset in
your staging area.
You may take any number of Forms during your Combat Phase,
Combat phase you can no longer play Forms and must move on to
your End phase. Blocks are exempt from this if you fail an attempt
to Block during your own Combat phase your phase does not end.
After your Battle Phase ends (either voluntarily or involuntarily)
you must move on to your End Phase. To complete your turn, take
1. Clear card pools. When cards are played into your card
pool, they are placed from left to right. When you are clearing
your card pool, you start with the farthest card to the right
and work back to your left. If the card is an attack, action, or
block, discard it. If the card is a foundation or asset, ready it
and move it to your staging area. Both players clear their card
pools in this step.
2. After you have cleared you card pool, your turn ends. Go to
your opponents Ready Phase.
Playing the Game
Control Checks
Throughout the game you will be required to make control checks
in order to perform certain actions. To make a control check, take
the top card of your deck and discard it. The control number on
the discarded card is the number you use for your control check.
For a check to be successful this number must be equal to or
greater than the difficulty of the action or card you are playing.
Usually, if you fail a control check trying to play a card from your
hand, your Battle Phase will end and you must move to your End
Phase. In addition, some actions will have an additional cost that
needs to be paid before you can make a control check. See the
Abilities section for more information on costs.
 Playing Cards
In order to win the game, you need to play cards. When you want
to play a card from your hand, place that card in your card pool
(directly to the right of any previously played cards), pay any
costs required, and make a control check. If your control check is
successful, the card stays in your card pool. If you fail the check,
the card you are trying to play is discarded.
Progressive Difficulty
During your turn you may play as many cards as you like, as long
as you continue to pass your control checks. Each card you play,
however, adds to the difficulty of playing then next card. This is
called progressive difficulty. After you place the card you want
to play into your card pool, but before you make a control check,
count the number of cards in your card pool to the left of the card
you are trying to play. You must add this number to the difficulty
of the card you are trying to play. This means that if I already have
three cards in my card pool, the next card I try to play will have +3
added to its difficulty.
Foundations & Playing Cards
Normally if you fail a control check while playing a card, the card is
discarded. If you have any ready foundations in your staging area,
however, all is not lost. After you fail a control check, you may
commit a number of ready foundations equal to the amount you
failed the control check by. If you do, you pass the control check.
If you decide not to commit any ready foundations (or do not have
enough foundations to commit) the control check fails as normal
and the card you are trying to play is discarded.
Attacks, Blocking, & Damage
Attacks are red-bordered cards that deal damage you your opponent.
You play attacks from you hand as you would any other card.
Place the card into you card pool to the right of any previously
played cards, pay any costs, make a control check, and commit
any ready foundations if necessary. Unlike other cards, however,
after you successfully play an attack there are two more steps to
take before resolving the attacks effect: the enhance step and the
block step.
The enhance step allows players to use enhance (E) abilities to
modify the effectiveness of the attack. Starting with the player who
played the attack, players alternate playing one enhance at a time
on the attack. If either player does not have an enhance they wish
to play, they may pass. After both players have passed on playing
enhances, move to the block step.
In the block step, the defender decides whether or not to block the
attack. If the defender decides not to block, they are dealt damage
equal to the damage of the attack. Subtract that amount from the
defenders vitality total. If the defender decides to block the attack,
he or she must choose a block card in his or her hand to block with.
Blocks have a circular symbol in the top right corner. In order to
block, the defender must choose a card with the appropriate block
symbol. A high zone attack can be blocked by a high or mid zone
block. A mid zone attack can be blocked by any block. A low zone
attack can be blocked by a low or mid zone block.
When the defender plays a block, it is played just like any other card.
Place the block into the card pool to the right of any previously
played cards. The difficulty of the block is equal to the number
printed in the block zone symbol plus the speed of the attack the
defender is attempting to block. In addition, remember to add +1
for every card already played in the defenders card pool. If the
control check for the block is failed, then the block card is discarded
immediately and the defender is dealt damage from the attack
normally. If the block is successful, check the attack zone and the
block zone. If the block zone matches the attack zone the defender
takes no damage. If the block zone does not match the attack zone
the defender takes half of the attacks damage, rounding up.
Momentum
While you are clearing your card pool during the End Phase, you
may have a chance to add cards to your momentum. If an attack
did at least 1 damage to your opponent, instead of discarding that
card you may place it in your momentum face down. While having
momentum doesnt do anything by itself, some cards will allow you
to use your momentum to create an effect.
Abilities
Abilities are printed on cards and represent what they can do. When
printed on a card, each ability type will follow the same format:
(Ability Type Abbreviation)(Cost): (Effect).
There are three ability types: forms (F), enhances (E), and responses
(R). Only the abbreviation will be printed on the card. Some
abilities require you pay a cost before they come into play or are
used. This cost will be printed after the ability type but before the
colon. What effect the ability has on the game will be printed after
the colon. For example, you want to play the following form ability:
F Commit 1 foundation: Draw 1 card.
Before you can draw 1 card, you must first commit 1 foundation.
If you have no ready foundations to commit, then you cannot use
this ability. When you are playing a card from your hand, you must
pay any costs before you make your control check. In addition,
you may only play abilities on cards that are ready. Below is a short
explanation of the ability types and when they are played.
Form (F): Forms are played as actions during your Battle Phase.
If printed on an action card, you will get its effect directly after you
have successfully played it into your card pool. Forms printed are
generally one-use abilities and cannot be played again from your
card pool. A form printed on a card in your staging area can be
played multiple times, as separate actions, as long as you can pay
the cost. Remember you cannot play a form that is printed on a
committed card.
Enhance (E): Enhances are abilities that modify attacks.
An enhance may be played after an attack is played but before
blocking is declared. During an attack, only enhances printed on
the attack card being played or printed on cards in either players
staging areas can be used. Players alternate playing enhances,
starting with the person playing the attack.
PA rules sheet 2 3/29/06, 11:56 AM
Response (R): Responses are abilities that are played in response
to a specific situation and can be played during either players turn.
The trigger for the response will be printed after the colon, but
before the responses effect. Responses printed on actions cards
are played in the same way as other actions cards, except they can be
played during your opponents turn. Like form action cards, once
you have played a response card from you hand, you cannot play its
ability again while it is in your card pool. Players alternate playing
responses, starting with the player whose turn it is. Each response
may only be played once per trigger.
Character Name Enhance/Form/Response
Some abilities will be preceded by a character name. In order to
play these abilities, your character cards name and the character
name before the ability must match. In all other regards they are
played as their ability type.
Keyword Abilities
Some enhance abilities are so common that they appear simply as
keyword abilities. Below is a description of these keyword abilities
and how they are played. Other than their appearance on the card,
they are played in exactly the same way as other enhance abilities.
Multiple: X When you play a multiple ability, you may take
up to X cards in your momentum and place them face down in
your card pool to the right of the current attack. Each card you
place in your card pool counts as a copy of the current attack. No
control check is required and each copy has its own enhance step
and block step, although abilities on the copies cannot be played.
When a player clears their card pool, any momentum cards placed
there are discarded.
Powerful: X When you play a powerful ability, you may discard
any number of cards from your momentum (the number of cards
does not have to equal X). For each momentum card discarded this
way, the current attack gets +X damage.
Stun: X After you play a stun ability, your opponent commits X
of their foundations.
Miscellaneous
Maximum Vitality
Your vitality can never exceed the vitality printed on your character
card. If a card or ability would take your vitality above the printed
value, you lose this excess vitality.
Cycling Your Deck
After you have drawn the last card from your deck, you immediately
shuffle your discard pile and place it in your deck area. Remove the
top ten cards of your deck from the game. If removing ten cards
would leave you with no cards in your deck, you are exhausted and
you lose the fight immediately.
e Golden Rule
Whenever a card contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence.
Glossary
Card Pool: Any cards played during the current turn are played into
the card pool. The card pool is considered in play for card effects.
Commit: To change a card from ready to committed by turning it
sideways, generally by using the card for an effect.
Committed: The description of a card that is turned sideways
indicating that is has been used. Abilities printed on committed
cards cannot be used.
Control Check: Control checks are used to play cards and abilities.
Discard the top card of your deck and check the control number on
the discarded card. If it is equal to or greater than the difficulty of
the card or ability being played, you are successful.
Destroy: Only cards in your staging area can be destroyed. If a
card is destroyed, remove the card from your staging area and place
it in your discard pile face up.
Enhance: An ability used to modify the effectiveness of an attack.
Enhances are played after an attack is successfully played, but
before a block has been declared. Multiple, Powerful, and Stun are
common enhances called keyword abilities.
Form: The standard type of action or ability in UFS. Forms are
played during the Combat Phase.
Momentum: Attacks that deal at least 1 damage to your opponent
can be added to your momentum in the End Phase. Cards in your
momentum can sometimes be used for an effect later in the fight.
Ready: The description of a card that is in an upright position
and able to be used. Also, to change a card from committed to an
upright position.
Response: An ability that is played as a response to specific trigger
event. Responses can be played during either players turn.
Staging Area: Any cards with lasting effects, including assets and
foundations, will be moved to your staging area at the end of the
turn they are played. The staging area is considered in play for
card effects.
Unblockable: If an attack is unblockable, you skip the block step
of an attack. Players may still play abilities during the enhance step
of an attack.
You control: You control the cards you have in play on your side of
the playing surface. While you are the controller of a card, you may
use its abilities. Normally the controller of a card will be the player
who played it, although it is possible for a player to gain control of his
opponents cards during the course of a fight. After a fight ends, any
cards a player controls but does not own are returned to their owner.
Credits
CEO: Steve Horvath
Head of Product Development: Erik-Jason Yaple
Original Game Design: Ryan Miller
Lead Developer: David Freeman
Development Team: Erik-Jason Yaple, Seth Morrigan
Flavor Text: Jerry Holkins
Project Manager: T Carl Kwoh
Illustrations: Mike Krahulik & Mohammed Haque
Art Director: Jim Callahan
Production Manager: Rowland Cox
Production: Ben Misenar, Ulisse Razzini, Robert Stickel
Organized play directors: Josh Morris & Kevin Beadle
Rules Sheet Designed by: Robert Stickel
Play Tested by: T Carl Kwoh, Josh Morris, Brian Mitchell, Daria
Turtle Patrie, Jon Manuel, Rick Fuqua, Mark Fischer, Joseph
Spagnola, Stephanie Spagnola, John Eldercat Elder, Jason
Hardcore Hawver.
Special Thanks: Mike Krahulik, Jerry Holkins, Robert Khoo,
, Mohammed Haque, Tim Shields, Anthony Coleman,
Tiffany Lutnick-Coleman, Marty & John Freeman, Bob Watts.