Turn Sequence
So you're ready now to play a real game of Legends of Norrath. This will help guide you through how a turn progresses and the different things that you can do during your turn and your opponent's.
Before the game starts, several things will happen. The server will randomly decide who goes first. Then, both players will place their level 2 quest and draw 6 cards. Starting with the player going first, both players will have the opportunity to deal 1 damage to his or her avatar and redraw 6 new cards. You can only do this once, so if you don't like your second hand either, that's just too bad because you're stuck with it.
There are four phases per turn. The four phases in order are the draw phase, the quest phase, the ready phase, and the main phase. On the first turn, the player who goes first does not draw any cards. After that turn, every turn will follow this same sequence.
At the beginning of your draw phase, you will gain your power for the turn. You will gain power equal to 3 plus the number of quests completed by both players. So if both players have completed 1 quest, you will gain 5 power at the beginning of your draw phase. Any power you have left over from the previous turn will get flushed right before you gain your power for the turn. This means you can't "save" power by not playing things. Use it or lose it is the rule on power.
After you gain your power for the turn, you draw two cards. That ends the draw phase. If at any time, you are forced to draw a card and can't, you lose the game. One quick clarification on this. You do not lose when you have no cards left in your deck. You only lose when you actually have to draw. This means if you start your turn with 2 cards left in your deck, after you draw them both during your draw phase, you will have that turn to win before you have to draw a card again.
After the draw phase is the quest phase. At the beginning of the quest phase, if you have a ready ability that has at least one level, you MUST choose a quest to attempt. You cannot voluntarily choose not to attempt a quest. There are times when people would like not to quest because they don't want to apply any of their abilities, but if you have one ready there is no choice.
There will be two quests in play at all times. When you choose a quest to attempt, you can choose either quest in play whether it is your or your opponent's. Once you choose which quest to attempt, if your opponent has any units at that quest, combat begins involving your avatar and those units.
When in combat, the attacking player will have a total attack, and the defending player will have a total defense. Both these values will start at 0. The attacking player can exert any ready attackers to add their attack value to his total. The defending player can exert any ready defenders to add their defense value to his total defense. Both players can also play tactics that affect their totals. Once both players are finished adding things to their respective total, those totals are compared and the higher total wins the combat.
The winning side now has the option to exert for a damage bonus (in the case of a tie, both sides can exert for damage bonus). All combat begins with both sides having a base damage of 1. When something is exerted for damage bonus, you add their damage bonus to the total damage. Each player can only exert one thing for damage bonus per combat. After damage bonus is added, the losing side applies damage to defenders equal to the total damage of the winning side. In case of a tie, both sides will apply damage to their own units/avatars based on the total damage of the other side.
After combat resolves, you choose one of your ready abilities with a level to apply at that quest. That ability is then destroyed, and you place tokens at the quest equal to the level of the ability. If that gives you tokens equal to or greater than the level of the quest, you complete that quest. The next quest in your line will take its place, and you will get the one extra power from completing that quest at the beginning of your ready phase. You still get to apply an ability even if you lose the combat.
If you choose to attempt a quest with no opposing units, you simply skip straight to the part where you apply an ability. You don't have to have a combat to apply an ability. You can see how many quests both players have completed on the quest meter in the center of the playmat.
After the quest phase is the ready phase. This is by far the simplest phase in the game. All of your exerted cards become ready. That's it. It may be a little bit of a shock to anyone who has played other TCG's that you ready things in the middle of the turn instead of right at the beginning, but that's how it works. That is the only thing that happens in the ready phase.
The last phase is the main phase. During the main phase, you have several options. You can play an item, an ability, or a unit. You can also use any activated ability with the main phase icon or start a raid with all of your ready units at a quest.
To play an item or ability, simply double click on the one you want to play. The cost of the card will automatically be deducted from your available power, and the card will enter play. You only have 3 ability slots, so keep that in mind. Playing a unit is similar. The only difference is that you have to choose which quest to place the unit. You can choose either quest to place your units. There are advantage and disadvantages to overloading one quest with all your units as well as spreading them out between the two.
You can also choose to use any activated power that has the main phase icon. This will often include your avatar ability along with some other cards. After all that, you can also start a raid from a quest. To start a raid, choose a quest. Click the little green flag on that quest. All of your ready units at that quest will then start a raid. If your opponent has units at that quest, the raid will involve your units and his. If he does not have units at that quest, the raid will involve his avatar instead. Follow all the same steps outlined above.
You can only raid from each quest once per turn. Remember that when you're playing your units. Sometimes it's better to spread them out so you can raid from both quests. Other times, it's better to load them up on one side to make sure you win the raids they do start.
One quick note on faction. When you play a card that has either Light or Shadow faction, you will gain faction equal to the cost of that card. So for example, if you play a 3 cost Shadow card, you gain 3 Shadow faction. Once you have gained ten points in either faction, your avatar becomes either Light or Shadow. This turns on extra benefits for a lot of cards, but it also brings you pain if you want to play a card of the opposite faction. Once you become Shadow, playing a Light card will deal 2 damage to your avatar. Many decks only include cards of one faction, but there is no restriction to do that. Some decks do play both factions. If you decide to do that, make sure you keep on eye on your faction. You can do so by checking your faction monitor on the right side of the circle that shows your avatar.
You should be ready to start your adventures in Legends of Norrath. The more you play, the better you will get. Above all else though, remember it's a game and just have fun.
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