KARDS - The WWII Card Game News

[h2]The Fall Release has arrived![/h2]

This third major release of the year brings a major new feature, card changes and general enhancements, including:

• Blitz Tournaments
  
• Card balancing
  
• Reinforcements from the reserves
  
• New battle ready decks
  
• World Championship 2024

…and more!

Check out the full breakdown below of all the thrilling things that have arrived with the Fall Release on September 19th, as well as a comprehensive list of bug fixes included in this update.




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[h2]Blitz Tournaments[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/544810/view/7101702525906828592



This new game mode introduces single-elimination, sit-and-go tournaments for eight players, offering quick, competitive matches. The action starts as soon as eight players are ready, and with a shortened turn timer, matches move swiftly. Players can enter with 200 gold or 20 diamonds, and bring their best deck to compete for valuable rewards like Gold cards, Standard and Officer Core Card Packs.

The mode also features a seasonal leaderboard, resetting each month to highlight top players and keep the competition fresh. This is the first iteration of Blitz Tournaments; further improvements and expansions are planned based on player feedback and our own insights. Be ready for fast-paced, focused competition when the update drops on September 19th.
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[h2]Card Balancing[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/544810/view/4580812447675798256



The September 2024 balance patch brings adjustments to 14 cards in KARDS, aimed at fine-tuning the current meta. While the overall game balance is in good shape, a few cards, including those with the Retribution mechanic, are seeing tweaks to maintain competitive diversity. Notable changes include updates to Uprising, Yank, and Outrage, all designed to keep these cards in check while preserving their strategic value. Buffs to underused cards like First Responders and 2e RMT aim to open up new deck-building opportunities.

In addition to the card adjustments, several text updates will clarify abilities without impacting gameplay.
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[h2]Reinforcements from the Reserves[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/544810/view/4611211111602689554



18 reworked reserve cards return to active duty. These reworked cards aim to support minor themes and revitalize old archetypes rather than significantly shake up the game. Each major nation receives three reworked cards, with one card each for France, Italy, and Poland. Players can find these cards in Core and Covert Ops packs or within the new Battle Ready decks.

The reworks range from tactical adjustments, like the revamped Tactical Withdrawal, to more impactful changes like KV-2’s new ability.
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[h2]New Battle Ready Decks[/h2]

New Battle ready decks have arrived! Following the introduction of Battle Ready Decks in the Spring Release, we have seen quite the demand for new Battle Ready Decks with each major release.

We follow the call and introduce five brand-new Battle Ready Decks. Each of the decks revolve around a specific theme and allow you to jump into action right away. These are new decks:

• Bratwurst & Baguette (Germany, France)
  
• Double Dipping (USA, Italy)
  
• Guards! Guards! (Britain, Finland)
  
• Smoke & Mirrors (Japan, Soviet)
  
• Heavy Metal (Soviet, Germany)

Any battle ready deck can be accessed and built from the Battle Ready Decks menu after it has been acquired. Access this menu from the “Create a New Deck” interface.
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[h2]World Championship 2024[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/544810/view/7101702525892848422



Get ready for the KARDS World Championship 2024!

The KARDS World Championship is the biggest esports event of the year in KARDS. It’s open for anyone interested and somewhat skilled in competitive gameplay.

The first in-game qualification round starts shortly after the Fall release. Mark the 28th of September as the start of the first in-game qualifier!

Learn all about the World Championship 2024, how to join and the prizes of the various stages:

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[h2]Account[/h2]

• The user account can be deleted without taking the user to the website. Fixed.

[h2]Audio[/h2]

• The sound of the adding a unit is not played after the unit has been added to the support line. Fixed.

[h2]Battle[/h2]

• In the interaction between SEAGULL and KV-1 1941, SEAGULL's effect did not refresh before the card draw at the start of the turn. Fixed.
  
• The added defense for the "Alpine" unit is shown after the CARELESS TALK countermeasure is triggered and destroys the unit. Fixed.
  
• The damage shown on the CARRIER BATTLE is not changed after shuffling back to the deck. Fixed.
  
• The YAMAGATA REGIMENT unit ability is not triggered after a "Covert" unit is deployed. Fixed.
  
• The CANNONE DA 47 unit ability is triggered if a "Covert" unit is located on your battlefield. Fixed.
  
• COMMANDOS KIEFFER can damage "Covert" units. Fixed.
  
• The COLD TRAP countermeasure is not triggered after a "Covert" unit has attacked. Fixed.
  
• The GRUMMAN GOOSE unit ability is not triggered after the unit with 0 attack attacked the enemy HQ. Fixed.
  
• Five units are located on the support line after rearranging by the NIGHT BOMBING order ability if "Covert" unit is located on the support line. Fixed.
  
• The default version of the unit is added to hand after the "Salvaged" unit buffed by RETRIBUTION order is destroyed. Fixed.
  
• The BRYANSK IRREGULARS unit destruction ability is triggered on the redeployed unit in the same turn. Fixed.
  
• The revealed 103RD CAVALRY RECON unit ability is triggered on the next turn after it is added to the battlefield. Fixed.
  
• The 37MM BOFORS GUN unit ability is triggered after a "Covert" unit is moved to the frontline. Fixed.
  
• The excess damage is dealt to the enemy HQ after the FRIENDLY FIRE countermeasure is triggered. Fixed.
  
• After VICIOUS SALVO order is used, the adjacent units are suppressed and then the target unit is dealt 3 damage. Fixed.

[h2]Campaigns[/h2]

• The national logo does not match the campaign nation after completing the battle. Fixed.
  
• The "Objective Stars" are not highlighted in red during the "Matanikau" mission after failing. Fixed.

[h2]Localization[/h2]

• Several small bugs in the various localized versions have been fixed.

[h2]User Interface[/h2]

• If alternate art is activated, the default art of the MEN OF STEEL order is shown before choosing the ability instead of activated alternate art.. Fixed.
  
• The icons of the units are not shown after reconnection to the battle on the enemy's turn. Fixed.
  
• The "Desert Binoculars" item overlaps the card on the support line if the support line is full. Fixed.
  
• Gold cards are shown as non-gold after clicking and canceling dragging in the "Deck Builder" menu. Fixed.
  
• Not all enemy board items are interactive in the battle. Fixed.
  
• Cold coffee? Outragous! There is no smoke above the Tin Coffee Cup on the enemy side. Fixed.
  
• The action in the "Battle Log" is shown twice after the KURUME REGIMENT unit is destroyed by the CODE OF BUSHIDO order. Fixed.
  
• The "Lighter Star" can be triggered without opening it. Fixed.
  
• Crate points were shown incorrectly if the Crate timer is 0 and the user gets the crate points before getting the crate reward. Fixed.
  
• The pop-up with the "Daily missions" sometimes fails to be shown after launching the game. Fixed.
  
• The description of the "Suppress" ability is missing in the pop-up after hovering on the 36TH CAVALRY in the collection view. Fixed.
  
• Text is not removed from a unit after the unit is supressed. Fixed.
  
• The "Blitz" text is not shown on the deployed units after the EXPLOIT THE GAP order is used. Fixed.
  
• The quantity of the cards in the battle-ready deck is shown as 0 in the "Shop" menu if these gold cards are already in the "Collection" menu. Fixed.
  
• The reject timer immediately disappeared after using the Reject function on the Mission pop-up. Fixed.
  
• Various minor bugs have been fixed in the tutorial missions.

That’s all for now. We thank all of our players and the KARDS Community in general for reporting bugs and discussing the game balance. If you want to get involved, join us on Discord!

We are thrilled to announce a brand-new feature coming to KARDS with our upcoming autumn update on September 19th: Blitz Tournaments!

This exciting new game mode will allow you to compete in sit-and-go tournaments against other players, bringing a whole new dimension of gameplay to the battlefield.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about Blitz Tournaments and how to get ready for this exciting addition to KARDS!

[h2]What are Blitz Tournaments[/h2]

Blitz Tournaments are a fresh take on competitive play in KARDS, introducing a sit-and-go format where eight players face off in a thrilling knockout tournament. Sit-and-go here means that the tournament starts as soon as eight players have signed up and are ready to play, resulting in minimal waiting time before the action starts.

These tournaments are designed to be quick, perfect for those who crave battles with something at state and without long waits.

[h2]How Do Blitz Tournaments Work[/h2]



Here’s how Blitz Tournaments will function:

• Instant Start: The tournament kicks off as soon as eight players have signed up and are ready to play. No more waiting around—just jump in and start battling!
  
  
• Bring Your Best Deck: Players can bring any deck of their choice to the tournament, just like in regular ranked or casual matches. Your chosen deck will be used throughout the entire tournament, so choose wisely!
  
  
• Fast-Paced Matches: To keep the action moving, Blitz Tournaments feature a significantly shortened turn timer. This change ensures a thrilling experience and keeps matches fast and dynamic, preventing any long, boring waits between turns and especially between tournament rounds.
  
  
• Continuous Play: After you’ve won your match, the next round will begin as soon as your opponent is ready (after a short notification). This means you can quickly move through the tournament without unnecessary delays.

[h2]Entry Requirements and Rewards[/h2]



Blitz Tournaments are open to everyone, making it easy to jump in and compete whenever you’re ready. There are a couple things to pay attention to though:

• Entry Fee: The cost to enter a Blitz Tournament is 200 gold or 20 diamonds. If you drop out of the tournament before the first match has started, you will automatically get a full refund.
  
  
• Rewards: The winner of the tournament will take home 1 Officer Core Card Pack, a special wildcard, and a limited Gold card, while the runner-up will receive 1 Standard Core Card Pack and a limited wildcard. The third- and fourth placed will get 1 Standard Core Card Pack. Unfortunately, players who couldn't score a single win and finish in places 5-8 won’t receive any prizes. However, securing just one win will ensure a prize payout and with two wins you are already in the plus.

Matches played in Blitz Tournaments will not count towards daily missions, seasonal rank, or national progression. This allows you to fully focus on the tournaments without any distractions, providing a pure competitive experience.

[h2]Leaderboard and Competitive Spirit[/h2]



To add even more excitement to the Blitz Tournaments, we’re introducing a new leaderboard that will track the number of tournaments won by players . This leaderboard will display the competitors, showcasing their achievements and supporting the competitive spirit.

• Seasonal Leaderboard: The Blitz Tournaments leaderboard will reset with each new season (month), allowing players to start fresh and compete for the top spots regularly. This seasonal reset ensures that everyone has a chance to climb the ranks and make their mark, regardless of when they start participating.
  
  
• Recognition and Bragging Rights: Players who consistently perform well in Blitz Tournaments will see their names featured on the leaderboard, earning recognition for their skills and strategies. This is a great way to challenge yourself, improve your gameplay, and gain some well-deserved fame!

[h2]Continued Iteration[/h2]

While we are excited to see Blitz Tournaments arriving in KARDS, this is just the beginning and first iteration of our in-game tournament feature(s). We will continue to build on this feature, expand and improve it. Even though we already have some solid ideas about the next steps, your feedback and input will have a significant impact on details as well as the overall implementation timeline.

We’re eager to see how this new mode is received by you, our community, and will be keeping a close eye on your feedback, questions, comments, and the overall popularity of Blitz Tournaments.

Blitz Tournaments will arrive with our Autumn Update on September 19th. Get ready!

Attention, soldiers!

We are thrilled to announce the KARDS 2024 World Championship!

The KARDS World Championship is the biggest eSports event of the year in KARDS. It’s open for anyone interested and somewhat skilled in competitive gameplay - read on for all the details!

[h2]Tournament Stages and Formats[/h2]

The KARDS World Championship is split into three main stages, conducted from September to December 2024. To become the World Champion, you must be successful in these stages, starting with the open in-game qualifiers and ending with the final 16 participants playing for the crown and title of KARDS World Champion 2024.

The first place of each seasonal in-game ladder 2024 (up to August) and all Officer Club Championship (OCC: Clash) tournaments from January 2024 and up to November 2024 are pre-qualified to participate in Stage 2 (the top 128 player Knockout stage) of the World Championship. Also pre-qualified are the top 4 players from last year’s World Championship.

[h3]Stage 1: Open Qualifiers[/h3]

The open in-game qualifiers are held in two sections (A and B) between September and November and are open for anyone with rank 3 (Lieutenant General) or better to enter.

Join one (or both if needed) of the open qualifiers available through the KARDS client during weekends between September 28th and November 3rd to qualify for the second stage of the tournament.

• The top 57 players from each of the two qualifiers will advance to the Knockout Stage.
  
• The top 500 players in each of the open qualifiers also earn the exclusive KARDS 2024 World Championship card back.

 Each qualifier is held on Saturday and Sunday over the course of three consecutive weekends (i.e. 6 sessions in each). Each player needs to successfully complete a minimum of 3 out of the 6 sessions to post a legal qualifier score. Each session lasts for 4 hours, during which participating players have to complete at least 9 games to successfully complete the qualification session. Note that only the first 9 games are counted towards your score - any additional games after the required games can be important for tiebreakers, so we do recommend playing a few extra games during the sessions to improve your chances in tiebreakers. 

For each win a player receives 5 points for the qualification ladder, for each loss a player receives 1 point. A player’s final score is the combined total score from their best 3 sessions out of 6 in the qualifier in question. 

[h3]Stage 2: Top 128 player Knockout Stage[/h3]

Players qualified through the in-game open qualifiers and pre-qualified players are drawn into a swiss-format tournament with seven rounds to determine the top 16 players. This tournament will take place November 23rd and 24th and is organized out-of-client.

The first 3 rounds take place on November 23rd, the remaining 4 rounds on November 24th. Each round consists of best-of-three series in conquest (meaning that any deck that wins cannot be selected again for the remainder of that series). No deck bans at this stage.

Players at this stage playing at least one round will receive 300 Diamonds as a prize.

The top 16 players from the Knockout stage will proceed to the Grand Finals of the World Championship.  

[h3]Stage 3: The Grand Finals[/h3]

On December 14th and 15th, the sixteen finalists from the Knockout stage will battle for the title of the KARDS 2024 World Champion! The Grand Finals take place online covered by a full broadcast.

On December 14th, the finalists will play in a single-elimination, best-of-five knockout tournament. The finalists need to bring four decks, all from different nations; with one deck ban. The first day has two rounds to determine the final four, the second day is fully dedicated to the final four players fighting for the crown and top spot.

As in previous years, the prize pool is $12 000 shared amongst the competing top players.

This two-day event will be live streamed on the KARDS Twitch, YouTube and Huya channels, as well as Bilibili.

[h2]Prizes[/h2]

Participating in the World Championship at any stage is a fun and exciting experience - but of course, we also want to provide our brave participants with some extra goodies!

The rewards for the KARDS 2024 World Championship are:

• The top 500 players in each qualifying section (A and B) in the Open Qualifier for the World Championship will receive the exclusive KARDS 2024 World Championship card back.
  
  
• Every player that participates in the top 128 player Knockout Stage will receive 300 diamonds to spend on anything they desire in the in-game shop.
  
  
• The competing sixteen finalists of the Grand Finals will fight for their share of the 12,000 USD prize pool.

[h3]Prepare Your Forces![/h3]

With the first set of qualifiers right around the corner in September, now is the time to start preparing your forces for battle. Start thinking about what types of decks you want to bring and what cards you need to get to be in fighting shape to take on the world's best players!

We will continue to publish more details on the KARDS 2024 World Championship in the coming weeks and months.

 Check regularly for updates - join us on Discord and follow us on Twitch, Youtube, Facebook, and X to make sure you don’t miss any of the action!

[h2]A new Skirmish event is live now until September 15![/h2]

Here’s everything you need to know.

Skirmish is a special game mode, easily accessible from the main screen, where you play with a different set of rules. These rules vary between the Skirmishes - you’ll face something different at every new Skirmish event.

[h3]Get ready for thrilling matches with this Skirmish rule[/h3]

• Choose your own deck to battle with.
  
• Each deck must contain 13 Fighters, 13 Bombers and 13 Orders.

In addition to the exciting and unique battle experience you’ll get with this Skirmish ruleset, you’ll also get a free random card pack as your first win reward in this Skirmish!

Access the Skirmish event from the game's main screen or from the battle screen to get a detailed overview of the game mode, rules and prize.

This Skirmish is available from Friday, September 13th (12:00 GMT) until Sunday, September 15th at 18:00 GMT. Join this special event and win your Skirmish to claim victory and the spoils!

Please let us know what you think of the event in the comments below or on the KARDS Discord.

See you in the Skirmish this weekend!

Hello friends!

On the whole, the meta is in a pretty healthy place. There are no dominating decks and many different archetypes thrive. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement. The Retribution mechanic continues to polarize the player base, plus it hurts the viability of various other decks. One of the new kids on the block - the French Mill deck - has also become slightly too big for its breeches and needs a slight adjustment. And as always we round out things with a few key buffs to help support or enable new decks.

But before we go into more details of cards receiving nerfs and buffs, let’s start with some text updates on a few cards. These are not intended to strengthen or weaken cards as such, and more just to align them better with current technical capabilities and future changes. Let’s take a look.

[h2]UPRISING[/h2]



Old: Deal damage to target unit and all other units equal to Polish units destroyed this battle.
New: Deal damage to all units equal to Polish units destroyed this battle.

Uprising is actually going to its original design. The only reason the targeting version was required was for players to be able to see the amount of damage to be dealt, but it made the text on the card quite clunky. Now that we can show numerical counts on cards in hand, the targeting requirement is no longer needed, so the card is going back to the original version.

[h2]FEIGNED RETREAT & CONTEST DOCTRINE[/h2]



Old: Discard your hand. When you deploy a unit this battle, draw a card.
New: Discard your hand. Your HQ gets: “When you deploy a unit this battle, draw a card.”



Old: Develop a German medium or heavy tank. Tanks you deploy this battle get +1+1.
New: Develop a German medium or heavy tank. Your HQ gets: “Tanks you deploy this battle get +1+1.”

These cards (and the one below) will functionally continue to work exactly the same. However, we want to clarify that their battle-lasting abilities are actually becoming part of the HQ. This has no impact at the moment, but if we do add cards in the future that interact with HQs (like Suppress them), then this will make it clear that it will impact these effects.

Alright, let’s take a look at cards getting a change this round.

[h2]YANK[/h2]



Old: This battle the first time you Develop each turn, also Develop a RETRIBUTION.
New: Your HQ gets: “This battle the first time you Develop each turn, also Develop a RETRIBUTION.”

Yank is also specifying its ability is now a part of the HQ, but on top of that it is also seeing a price hike of one. Yank continues to give great long-term value, especially while its effect cannot be interacted with at all. The slight cost increase is not a great hindrance, but does often mean that it comes online a turn slower, making it that much more risky spending a turn not affecting the board. Let’s see if this keeps it in check, or if we need to yank its chains some more.

[h2]OUTRAGE[/h2]



Increasing the cost of Outrage however is likely to have a much greater impact, especially for the value-enabling BLUE & GRAY and 121st INFANTRY REGIMENT units. OUTRAGE still generates a valuable RETRIBUTION to punish your enemies, but justice now comes at a greater cost. Will justice finally be served to those nefarious RETRIBUTION lovers, or will those that oppose them still end up black and blue (and gray)? Only time will tell.

[h2]B-24J[/h2]



Old: Deployment: Suppress all enemy units.
New: Deployment: Suppress target enemy unit and adjacent units.

Suppressing the whole enemy army greatly affects many loved archetypes, such as tokens, mobilize and alpine. It is a shame when a single card can have such a negative impact, so we are nerfing the B-24J a bit. WHITE DEATH is now the only card capable of blanking the enemy board, but as a minor ally card it is a lot less influential. Suppressing up to three key units can still be quite potent, so if you find yourself on the receiving end of cards like BOMBER MAFIA, make sure you position your units with B-24J in mind.

[h2]HONOR & LOYALTY[/h2]



Some people say the French Mill deck is an honorless phoney of a real deck, but let’s compromise and say it is a natural resistance to slower decks. Nevertheless, it is gaining a bit too much traction for our tastes, so we are curbing its enthusiasm a bit. Let’s see how many players will remain loyal to it after this change.

[h2]FIRST RESPONDERS[/h2]



The first response to this card has been fairly negative, as even if it can come down like a ton of bricks against aggro decks, it was a bit too slow at release to really hit home. Now that it can come down a turn earlier it is a much better tool against aggressive strategies and can also provide valuable support to guard matters decks or counter-measure decks. Let’s see if the second response improves on the first one.

[h2]92nd NAVAL BRIGADE[/h2]



This card probably saw more adjustments in testing before Covert Ops launched than any other, ranging from 3 to 5 defense and between 2 and 4 in kredit loss. In the end we opted for a fairly conservative version, as we didn’t want the Covert deck to be too strong. This has not been the case, though the deck is quite decent, and there is room for a slight improvement. More potent seamen has a higher chance of penetrating the meta and giving birth to something wonderful.

[h2]WORKERS UNITE![/h2]



When WORKERS UNITE! came back in its changed form we feared it would union with some other cards for some horrible combo shenanigans. Now that the card has been allowed to percolate for a bit we are less fearful of this possibility and are willing to give it a more fair treatment. We will see if this will allow them to clock more time in decks and work their way to victory.

[h2]SHOCK ATTACK[/h2]



SHOCK ATTACK is one of the early examples of a card being nerfed after being spoiled but before the official release, such was the shock of its earliest incarnation. We are not tuning it all the way back to 1 kredit, but at 2 kredits it still offers a lot more danger for a fire and brimstone deck to emerge. As the old saying goes: “Where there’s smokescreen, there’s fire.”

[h2]EMPIRE OF THE SUN[/h2]



White haired Kards veterans with wild eyes and wobbly walk insist this card was once the mainstay of a potent Japan Control deck. Such mad ramblings should of course be dismissed out of hand, but maybe there is some truth to the rumors - an old-school Japan Control deck would be a thing of beauty for sure. Let us tempt fate and see what happens.

[h2]2e RMT[/h2]



With a French card being nerfed, according to our interpretation of the Geneva Convention we must buff another French card to balance things out. The 2e RMT has an extremely strong ability, but it is a bit too slow to have a competitive impact. With a reduced cost it is now a much more attractive prospect, even if its other stats needed to be adjusted accordingly.

[h2]STUBBORN DEFENSE[/h2]



Old: When an enemy attacks your unit, give your unit +2 defense.
New: When an enemy attacks your unit, give your unit +1 defense. Draw a card if your unit survives.

STUBBORN DEFENSE has seen some limited play, but has on the whole stubbornly refused to become part of the competitive scene. We are now applying the magic bacon that automatically makes everything tastier - card draw. With bacon now being involved this is the real bacon and will for bacon see a lot of bacon in the near bacon. Bacon.

That is all. We hope that alongside the 18 reworked cards returning from the reserve pool there will be plenty of interesting things for you guys to try out and some popular decks are bound to see some changes as well. We will see how the meta develops over the next few weeks, we will of course monitor things closely and make adjustments if needed. All these changes are going live on September 19th. Keep an eye out for the full patch notes as well, as there are a lot of bug fixes as well as UX adjustments in the update. See you on the battlefield, commander!