Core, Initialize! Ragnarok TCG

[Zeal Ascendant]

Everyone's been crankin' out TCGs lately, so I figure I'll try my hand at one. Ladies and gentlemen:


[center][size=6][size=8][font=courier new,courier,monospace]-RagnaroK[/font][/size][/size][size=8][font=courier new,courier,monospace]-[/font][/size][/center]
[center][size=6][size=8][font=courier new,courier,monospace][size=6][size=7]-TCG[/size][/size][/font][/size][/size][font=courier new,courier,monospace][size=7]-[/size][/font][/center]


[center][i]In the beginning...[/i][/center]
[center][i]God created itself[/i][/center]
[center][i]It called itself E-T-E-R-N-A-L[/i][/center]
[center][i]And It created the planet Aleran[/i][/center]
[center][i]It crafted cores to protect it[/i][/center]
[center][i]There was peace at first[/i][/center]
[center][i]But as we all know[/i][/center]
[center][i]Peace[/i][/center]
[center][i]Cannot[/i][/center]
[center][i]Last[/i][/center]





Welcome to Ragnarok TCG, where you will craft fierce beings out of genetic material, and use them to dominate your opponent. You will take control of cores, gargantuan relics with vast wisdom. Fight for control of the chaotic planet Aleran! Only one race can win!



[b]Part One - Card Types[/b]


There are 5 types of cards in Ragnarok TCG: Cores, Genes, Creatures, Forces, and Equipment. We'll go through them in that order.

[b]Cores[/b]

Cores are the most important type of card in Ragnarok TCG, even though each deck can only have one! They are not included in your main deck or your gene deck - when you start a game (Called a clash), you take out your core and put it into your core zone. It will remain there for the remainder of the game. Cores have varying numbers of shields. When a core is attacked, it loses a shield. When one player's core has no shields, they lose. Let's take a look at one, shall we?

(Ignore the numbers, they don't appear on the actual card)

Sphere of Life (1) [Holo Rare] (2)
Core (3)
[Picture]
Delta (4)
~ +1H Delta (5)
- OPT: Destroy 1 Sigma Card (6)
= When 2 Delta Cards initialize in 1 Turn: +1S (7)
Shields: 9 ( 8 )


1. This is the name. Certain cards might mention other cards, or part of a name, or... well, you know what I mean.
2. This is the rarity. I'll go over the rarities much later on, they aren't as important now.
3. This is the type. All cores will say core, all creatures will say creature, etc.
4. This is the card's gene type. Most cards have a gene type, but a few don't. For cores, most equips, and forces, gene types don't matter as much, but they are VERY important for creatures and some other equips. More on these later.
5. This is an effect, a continuous one at that. Continuous effects are marked by a ~ symbol. Effects appear on creatures, cores, and equips - force cards just have text that tells you what to do (It doesn't count as an effect). +1H Delta means +1 health to all Delta gene-types. You'll learn about health shortly.
6. This is an activation effect, marked by a - symbol. You can choose to activate activation effects whenever you want during your main phase, unless they state otherwise. Sometimes activation effects may have a cost. OPT: Destroy 1 Sigma Card means once per turn, you can destroy one sigma gene-type card.
7. This is the last kind of effect - auto. Auto effects are marked by a = symbol. Auto effects activate automatically when a certain thing happens. The example should be fairly self-explanatory, except for: +1S means gain one shield, and initializing will be explained later.
8. This is the number of shields a core has. Depending on the core's effects, it might have a high or low amount of shields. The range is usually 5 to 15.
Also, keep in mind that cores cannot be destroyed or sacrificed for an effect.

[b]Genes[/b]

Cores seem quite complicated, so lets look at a kind of card that's MUCH more simple yet still essential to the game - genes.

Alpha Gene [Common] (All genes are common)
Gene
[Picture]

Yep. That's all there is to it. You might be thinking "Well, what do you do with them?" now. Actually, I'm sure you're thinking that. Allow me to explain. There are 4 types of genes - Alpha, Delta, Sigma, and Omega. These are also the four gene-types. You need to use genes to develop your creatures (And sometimes equips). Genes go in your 10 card gene deck. You can have any combination of those four genes in it, so long as they equal 10. When your creatures are maturing, you need to place genes on them. But we'll talk about maturing a bit later.

We might as well go over what creatures, etc of certain gene-types look like, so you when you create cards you can have a better idea of what gene-types to make them.

Alpha: Air, light, angels, celestial, ancient machines, divine, birds
Delta: Earth, humans, nature, rock, organic, animals, water
Sigma: Robots, machines, thunder, metal, scrap, cyborgs, aliens
Omega: Demons, fiends, dark, plauge, fire, insects, death, undead

If you can't figure out what gene type something should be, just ask!

[b]Creatures[/b]

Without genes, you cannot make creatures. Without creatures, you cannot win! Creatures are the type of card you'll probably have most of in your deck. But you can't just play your creatures like in other TCGs! Each creature is almost like a blueprint. You have to use genes to build a real copy, and then initialize. Bu first, let's see what a creature looks like:

[Sigma2] (1) Scrapyard Golem [Rare]
Creature
[Picture]
!: When you Initialize Scrapyard Golem, you must Sacrifice a Sigma card. (2)
- Sacrifice a Sigma card: Destroy a card on the field.
3/3 (3)

1. These "chemical formulas" (Which are called costs) dictate what genes you need to use during the maturing process. I should explain that now, heh. Anyway, during your main phase (More later) you can put a creature face down in one of your three mature zones. You can do this for as many creatures as you want, but there are only three spaces, and when you put a creature in one that space will be taken up until it is initialized or otherwise destroyed. Anyway, during each of your mature phases (More later) you can put a gene card from your gene deck onto a face down creature in a mature zone. You can do this for each maturing creature you control. Then, during your initialize phase (Which comes before your mature phase by the way - MOAR LATER), you can select any number of face down maturing creatures who have gene cards on them equal to their cost, flip them face up, put all their gene cards back in the gene deck, and put them into a field zone. This is called initializing. So for example, if you have a maturing scrapyard golem with two sigma genes during your initialize phase, you can initialize it!
Also, creatures don't have a line saying what gene-type they are. Creatures are treated as every gene-type in their cost.
2. This is a sort of effect you don't really see on cores, but on creatures and equips - a note, marked by a !: symbol. They aren't really effects, just notes about the card or its summoning conditions. Not every creature or equip has a note - in fact, most don't.
3. These are a creatures attack (first) and health (second). When creatures engage in battle, they both simultaneously deal damage equal to their attack to the others' health. If a creature's health is ever 0, it is destroyed and sent to the discard pile. Creatures go back to full health at the end of each turn.

[b]Forces[/b]

Forces don't need to be explained much, they sort of explain themselves. Here's an example:

Genetic Accelerator [Uncommon]
Force
[Picture]
Select 1 Maturing Creature you control: Place 1 Gene from your Gene Deck on it.


That's it. Forces don't have those fancy effect symbols or keywords, they just tell you what to do. They can only be activated during your main phase, unless otherwise stated. They don't have gene-types either (Although some might require you to sacrifice or manipulate a certain gene or gene-type as a cost). There are a wide variety of forces that do quite a lot of things. Use them all to your advantage!

[b]Equips[/b]

Last but not least, there are equips! These are similar to creatures, except most of them don't have to mature. The ones that have to mature have gene-types and costs, but otherwise they just have a big fat zero in the upper left corner, meaning you can play them and equip them to creatures at any time during your main phase. When equipped, they go under the equipped creature. When the equipped creature dies, the equip card remains on the field. Keep in mind the effects of equips only apply to the creature they are equipped to, or when they are equipped to something. Usually, you can only activate their activation effects during your main phase, unless otherwise stated. They may or may not have equip costs though. Let's look at a simple one:

[0] Grande Blade [Uncommon]
Equip
[Picture]
Equip: N/A (1)
~ +2A


1. When you see Equip: on an equip card, this denotes its costs or requirements. If you see N/A, that means you can equip it to any creature you want at any time during your main phase, without paying any sort of cost. This is just the tip of the iceberg though, there are many other types of equips and effects out there!


Important Note: Card effects > the rules, always. Same as every card game. You should know that.


[b]Part Two - Playing the Game[/b]

Now you know how the cards work (I hope), but how do you [i]play [/i]Ragnarok? This section will help with that!

[b]Getting Started[/b]

To start, you will need a 40 card deck of creatures, equips, and forces (You can have up to 4 copies of a single card in the main deck), a 10 card gene deck, and a core. Card skins, dice, counters, and playmats are good to have around too.

You start by shaking hands with your opponent (Although no one will really do that). Then, roll a die or do rock-paper-scissors to determine who goes first. After that, you and your opponent place your cores in your respective core zones. After that, you both draw 5 cards. You cannot mulligan officially, but you can establish a casual mulligan rule with your friends if you want. Then, play begins with the person going first starting their turn. This is how a turn goes:

[b]Draw Phase[/b]

The turn player draws a card. There is no "standby phase" equivalent in Ragnarok; most effects that would activate in the standby phase activate at the end of the draw phase.

[b]Mature Phase[/b]

In this phase, the turn player places gene cards from his gene deck on face down maturing creatures they control. You can only place one gene card on each maturing creature you control per turn, and you can only place gene cards on a creature with that type of gene in its cost.

[b]Initialize Phase[/b]

Once again, I explained this earlier. The turn player can initialize all applicable creatures (Or equips).

[b]Main Phase[/b]

The turn player can do a variety of things in the main phase. Here they are:

- Play equips with a cost of 0
- Equip equips
- Play forces
- Activate activation effects
- Place creatures in mature zones

I might be missing something, but hopefully not!

[b]Attack Phase[/b]

In this phase, the turn player can declare attacks. To declare an attack, the turn player picks up a creature and gently taps an opponent's unit they wish to attack. After that, a battle occurs like I explained earlier. When the opponent has no creatures left, the turn player can declare attacks on their opponent's core. Each attack to a core takes away one shield, no matter how much attack the attacking creature has. Each player cannot conduct their Attack Phase until their third turn.

[b]End Phase[/b]

In this phase, the turn player can take a second to analyze the field, their hand, etc, and declare when they end their turn. Certain effects may take place here.



Like earlier stated, play continues until one players' core has no shields left. That person loses, and the other is declared the winner. Certain cards may have effects stating alternate win conditions though, so keep an eye out for those!



[b]Part Three - Rarities and Sets[/b]

Each pack of Ragnarok costs 5$, and contains 15 cards of these rarities:

Common - 9:1 - Set symbol is solid black. No holofoil.
Uncommon - 3:1 - Set symbol is bronze. No holofoil.
Rare - 1:1 - Set symbol is silver. 1:5 chance of a holofoil image.
Holo Rare - 1:4 (Replaces an uncommon) - Set symbol is gold. Holofoil image.
Ultra Rare - 1:10 (Replaces an uncommon) - Set symbol is holographic white. Holofoil name and image.
Final Rare - 1:30 (Replaces an uncommon) - Set symbol is holographic rainbow. Entire card is holographic.

Additionally, each pack contains two random, common genes.


Sets so far:

[spoiler="Set 1: Clash of the Cores]
Cyber Heart - Blazing Pheonix [Final Rare]
Core
Sigma
- OPT: At the end of your Mature Phase, you can pick up all Gene Cards placed on Maturing Creatures that turn and redistribute them among your Maturing Creatures.
~ When a Sigma Creature with a cost of 4 or more Gene Cards is Initialized, you can search your Deck for a Sigma Creature and add it to your hand.
Shields: 5

[Alpha2Omega2] Bloodwing Angel [Ultra Rare]
Creature
- Sacrifice an Alpha Creature you control: Bloodwing Angel gets +2A
= +1S every time Bloodwing Angel defeats an opponent's Creature.
3/3

[Sigma2Omega1] Mechasura [Ultra Rare]
Creature
- Sacrifice an Omega Gene on a Maturing Creature you control: Mechasura can attack twice this turn.
3/2

[Alpha1Sigma1] Thunder Flier [Holo Rare]
Creature
= When this card is Initialized, you can destroy cards on the field equal to the number of Sigma Genes used to Initialize this card -1
2/1

Sphere of Life [Holo Rare]
Core
Delta
~ +1H Delta
- OPT: Destroy 1 Sigma Card
= When 2 Delta Cards initialize in 1 Turn: +1S
Shields: 9

[Sigma2] Scrapyard Golem [Rare]
Creature
!: When you Initialize Scrapyard Golem, you must Sacrifice a Sigma card.
- Sacrifice a Sigma card: Destroy a card on the field.
3/3

[Omega2] Wrath Wraith [Rare]
Creature
- Place Wrath Wraith in an empty Mature Zone you control. During your next Initialize Phase, you can Initialize this card regardless of cost. When you do: Destroy a Creature on the field.
2/1

Thunder Fist [Rare]
Force
Return a Sigma Gene on a Maturing Creature you control to the Gene Deck: 1 Creature you control gets +3A.

Begin Assembly [Rare]
Force
Select 1 Sigma Creature in your Deck: Place it in an empty Mature Zone you control. During your next Mature Phase, you can not place a Gene Card on it.

[Alpha1Delta1] Star Sabertooth [Uncommon]
Creature
- Sacrifice Star Sabertooth: Place an Alpha Gene from your Gene Deck on a Maturing Creature you control; 1 Delta Creature you control gets +1A.
2/1

[0] Grande Blade [Uncommon]
Equip
Equip: N/A
~ +2A

Genoshock [Uncommon]
Force
Return 1 Gene Card on a Maturing Monster you opponent controls to the Gene Deck.

Genetic Accelerator [Uncommon]
Force
Select 1 Maturing Creature you control: Place 1 Gene from your Gene Deck on it.

Delta Drawn [Uncommon]
Force
Return 1 Delta Gene on a Maturing MOnster you control to the Gene Deck: Draw 2 cards.

[Delta1] Fearless Soldier [Common]
Creature
[i]He doesn't care anymore... about anything but the fighting. He will keep on going until he dies.[/i]
2/1

[Alpha1] Fairy Guide [Common]
Creature
= When this card is Initialized, place 1 Alpha Gene from your Gene Deck onto a Maturing Creature you control.
0/1

[Sigma1] Iron Guard [Common]
Creature
[i]No one will pass any gate blocked by this living hunk of scrap iron.[/i]
1/2

[Omega1] Prankster Imp [Common]
Creature
- 1 Creature your opponent controls: -1H. Prankster Imp cannot attack this turn.
1/1

[Omega1Delta1] Rock Dragoon [Common]
Creature
[i]It's said fantastic gems lie under its scales... if only they could be broken.[/i]
2/2

Battlenchant [Common]
Force
1 Creature you control gets +1A.

Blood Tribute [Common]
Force
Sacrifice an Omega Creature you control: Add Omega Creatures from your Deck to your Hand with a number of Omega Genes included in their cost equal to the number of Omega Genes included in the sacrificed creature's cost.

[0] Crush Gauntlet [Common]
Creature
Equip: N/A
~ +1A
- Sacrifice Equipped Creature and Crush Gauntlet: Destroy 1 Creature



[/spoiler]






And that will be all for now. I'll update fairly often (I hope) with new cards, mechanics, and sets. Feel free to make cards of your own, it would be much appreciated! Also, if there's anything you need me to confirm, explain, or elaborate on, or if I missed anything, please comment! Anyway, hope you enjoy!

[.Rai]

So, it's actually a really, really slow version of Duel Masters?

[Zeal Ascendant]

[quote name='.Rai' timestamp='1323633521' post='5700979']
So, it's actually a really, really slow version of Duel Masters?
[/quote]

Never played duel masters, but probably :I Although many creatures will only have a cost of 1 or 2, or means of getting on the field faster.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that you can have up to 4 copies of any card in your main deck. Sorry!

[.Rai]

[quote name='~ GMK ~' timestamp='1323633688' post='5700991']


Never played duel masters, but probably :I Although many creatures will only have a cost of 1 or 2, or means of getting on the field faster.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that you can have up to 4 copies of any card in your main deck. Sorry!
[/quote]

So, yeah, it's Duel Masters in a nutshell.

[Zeal Ascendant]

[quote name='.Rai' timestamp='1323633894' post='5701003']
So, yeah, it's Duel Masters in a nutshell.
[/quote]

Well honestly, all I really know about duel masters is that you try to take out your opponents shields (which admittedly, I kind of based the damage system off). But it seems kind of weird that it would be so similar...

Well, hopefully as I work on this it will become less like duel masters anyway...

Would it help if I changed the word shields to something else, and have different cores have different amounts of health?

[.Rai]

[quote name='~ GMK ~' timestamp='1323634216' post='5701025']


Well honestly, all I really know about duel masters is that you try to take out your opponents shields (which admittedly, I kind of based the damage system off). But it seems kind of weird that it would be so similar...

Well, hopefully as I work on this it will become less like duel masters anyway...

Would it help if I changed the word shields to something else, and have different cores have different amounts of health?
[/quote]

Different cores with different amounts of health but with different powered effects would work perfectly.

It immediately diversifies the game.

After you've got a base set or so down, start introducing maybe a new gene or something.

[Zeal Ascendant]

[quote name='.Rai' timestamp='1323634376' post='5701034']
Different cores with different amounts of health but with different powered effects would work perfectly.

It immediately diversifies the game.

After you've got a base set or so down, start introducing maybe a new gene or something.
[/quote]

Alright, good idea.

Thanks for the advice!

EDIT: Edited so that cores have varying amounts of shields, and that you can have up to 4 copies of a single card in the main deck.

[Zeal Ascendant]

Added the examples and some new cards to set 1; edited a couple things.

[Zeal Ascendant]

Added some more cards and edited some stuff. Once again, sorry for any rough edges! Please point out any errors or inconsistencies, and ask any questions you need to ask. And most importantly, help make some cards!

Also, bump.

[Zeal Ascendant]

Added a few cards and ironed out a couple errors. Once again, I apologize for any rough edges, please tell me about any so I can fix them! And remember, make some cards because I can't do this all on my own ^^

[Dr. Cakey]

You know there are more than four Greek letters? Besides, everyone knows Omega is always reserved for god status.

I like it. The cores, I think, are what set it apart the most.

[Zeal Ascendant]

[quote name='Dr. Cakey-chan' timestamp='1324133195' post='5712473']
You know there are more than four Greek letters? Besides, everyone knows Omega is always reserved for god status.

I like it. The cores, I think, are what set it apart the most.
[/quote]

Of course I know there are more greek letters. It would just be to complicated if there were... uh... how many greek letters are there exactly? Whatever, you get my point. Keeping it to 4 or maybe 5 in the future is a lot simpler. And idc about omega.

Thanks!