KARDS - The WWII Card Game News

Hello friends!

A new expansion is on the horizon, Naval Warfare, dealing with all things, uh… navally. As is the norm when a new expansion drops, a balance patch is included. The intention is to smooth out the meta by hitting some of the strongest decks, to give the new cards a room to breathe. Also, it also gives us a chance to adjust some cards that are thematically linked to the new expansion. Finally, as with all balance patches, we can address play patterns that we feel are antagonistic to the majority of the player base, as we have done in the past with draw and kredit denial strategies for instance. The balance patch for Naval Warfare has examples of all of these, so let’s stop naval gazing and get to it!

We will start with the nerfs as usual, followed by the buffs. We will then round things out by going over 4 cards returning from the Reserved Pool that are seeing some changes.

[h2]Card Balance Changes[/h2]

[h3]CLAIM THE SKIES[/h3]
Old: Your air unit with the highest attack gets +1+2, then Fights target enemy unit.
New: Your air unit with the highest attack gets +1+1, then Fights target enemy unit.

Claim the Skies can claim to single-handedly make Soviet-Italy control viable, alongside its best buddy Fiat G.50. Many aggressive decks have fallen victim to a turn 2 Fiat followed by a turn 3 Claim. This is still possible, but 1 less defense makes the affected air unit slightly easier to deal with. The Skies can still be Claimed, and will, but the current version is pushed a bit too high.


[h3]HONOR AND LOYALTY[/h3]
Old: 3k, Shuffle target unit into owner’s deck. The owner then draws 2 cards.
New: 1k, Shuffle target friendly unit into your deck, then draw 2 cards.

All the honorable gentlemen happily providing their opponents with extra cards are now forced to provide said pleasure only to themselves. But as the saying goes - you cannot love others until you have learnt to love yourself. The shuffle strategy is something France is exploring in Naval Warfare, so it is fitting to adjust this card to lean into that more heavily.


[h3]SOMUA S35[/h3]
Old: Operation cost - 1k
New: Operation cost - 2k

Somua S35 has become a lynchpin in several strong aggro decks, alongside its partner in crime 13e Dragons. Its power stems from its strong ability coupled with a very solid body for its cost. So of course we are changing the operation cost. Makes perfect sense, right? Well, we do want Somua to continue to be a strong card and retain the attributes that make it attractive. But it is slightly overtuned, so the operation cost is the best one to adjust to keep the card strong, but rein it in slightly.


[h3]INFANTRY REGIMENT 36[/h3]
Old: Attack - 4
New: Attack - 3

To the shock of no-one, this heavily pushed Finnish card sees a lot of play. It offers great value and highlights the strength of Shock paired with Blitz. So much so that it can promote non-interactivity on the battlefield, which is not something we like to see. So we are tuning this bad boy down a bit, by taking away one of its big guns (if you squint real hard it has been erased from the art).


[h3]AUNT FRIEDA (TANK MANEUVER and AIR SUPPORT)[/h3]
[h3]TANK MANEUVER[/h3]
Old: Give a friendly tank +2+2. Add AIR SUPPORT to your hand.
New: Give a friendly tank +2+1. Add AIR SUPPORT to your hand.

[h3]AIR SUPPORT[/h3]
Old: Give a friendly fighter +3+3.
New: Give a friendly fighter +2+2.

Crazy ol’ Aunt Frieda may pinch your cheeks and pat you on the head when she visits, but she will also crush you into the ground under the weight of all her buffs. While we dare not touch Aunt Frieda herself, we are kicking her sidekicks Tank Maneuver and Air Support. The overall buffs are still potent, but easier to live with, according to your Uncle Earnest.


[h3]ONE ROOF[/h3]
Old: 5k, Draw 2 cards. Gain 2 kredits for each kredit slot you have lost this battle.
New: 4k, Draw 2 cards. Gain 4 kredits if you have lost 2 or more kredit slots this battle.

This is a very significant change that warrants some extra explanation. The SKD deck that came into existence in Covert Operations has seen a couple of nerfs since and has in the last few months only existed as a combo deck of sorts. Despite the deck having a very lackluster performance (it has a below 40% winrate on average), it remains popular with a portion of the playerbase, for its whacky gambling-like playstyle. It culminates in a single turn when the player tries to go “off” by playing multiple cards at once. However, this single-turn, OTK-style turn feels very confusing and frustrating to other players, especially newer or more casual ones, as it is impossible to keep track of what is happening. This is something we are not fond of supporting and want to change.

The issue is that while One Roof stays in its current form, it is impossible to develop the SKD archetype any further, because it would just exacerbate the issues mentioned above even further. The only way for us to do some SKD stuff in the future is if we start by changing One Roof. And that is what we are doing now. We realize that this change kills what little remains of SKD viability for the time being, but it does give us an opportunity to do more SKD stuff down the road, because it is an interesting archetype that is worth exploring more. Think of it as uprooting the weed to give breathing space for new seeds to grow.


[h3]KM BISMARCK[/h3]
Old: Deal 7 damage to target HQ.
New: Deal 8 damage to target HQ.

The crew of KM Bismarck has been hard at work making it all shiny and spiffy to celebrate becoming a Navy card, commemorated with a new KM prefix to help identify it. With all the gunk removed, the ship is now performing at optimal level, regaining the 1 damage it lost in an evil balance patch a long time ago.


[h3]7th SCOTTISH BORDERERS[/h3]
Old: No Smokescreen.
New: Has Smokescreen.

The 7th Scottish Borderers prove that knowledge is power. Their issue has been that hoarding all this knowledge makes them prime candidates for bullying by other units on the battlefield. This constant abuse has slowly transformed them into grumpy recluses that like to hide and we are acknowledging this by giving them Smokescreen. Bullying is bad, people!


[h3]101st AIRBORNE[/h3]
Old: 5k to deploy.
New: 4k to deploy.

With brand-new manufacturing methods we have managed to streamline the production cost of some cards, allowing us to print this old stalwart at a reduced cost. We could keep all the kredits saved for ourselves, but decided in our endless benevolence to pass the discount directly to you, dear player. An iconic unit like this needs to be accessible to the masses.


[h3]IJN YAMATO[/h3]
Old: 4k, Your Japanese units get: “Destruction: Deal 2 damage to the enemy HQ.”
New: 10k, Your Japanese units everywhere get: “Destruction: Deal 2 damage to the enemy HQ.”

IJN Yamato aka Yamato is seeing a facelift the same as KM Bismarck. The card is now much more expensive, because the previously limited ability is now, well, everywhere. This gives solid inevitability to burn decks, putting the enemy on a strict clock. Note that everywhere means your units on the battlefield, in your hand and in your deck. Units that are added later or that are currently removed from the battle (with Sendai for instance) are not counted.


[h3]TRENTO DIVISION[/h3]
Old: No Blitz. Deployment: Destroy an enemy unit with 4 or more attack if you control another unit with 4 or more attack.
New: Has Blitz. Deployment: Destroy an enemy unit if you control another unit with 4 or more attack.

Trento was burdened with an overly restrictive deployment ability. The new ability has been simplified a bit - now you can target any enemy unit, but you still need another 4+ attack unit. Trento is so excited to finally get a chance to get into decks that it broke out in a rash of Blitz in its hurry to become relevant.


[h3]16th TARNOW REGIMENT[/h3]
Old: 5k to deploy, defense 7.
New: 4k to deploy, defense 6.

We have decided to brutally nerf 16th Tarnow Regiment by slashing its defense all the way down to 6. Admit it, it had it coming. But we are nothing if not kind-hearted so we are throwing them a bit of bone by reducing the cost to 4. But that savage defense reduction, sheesh! Will the Poles ever get a chance at a decent deck again?

That’s it for the balance edits to active cards. The final four changes are to cards returning from the Reserve Pool. These four cards were chosen to return specifically because of their thematic ties to the expansion and we wanted to make it even more explicit by tying them directly to some of the new mechanics.

[h2]Returning Reserve Card Reworks[/h2]

[h3]SUNDERLAND Mk V[/h3]
Old: 6k to deploy, 6 defense. At the start of your turn, draw a card.
New: 4k to deploy, 5 defense. At the end of your turn, draw a random Navy card from your deck.

Sunderland has lived in Neverland since it came into being. It has spent its time in purgatory to slim down into a lean, mean 4 cost machine and adopted a slightly changed ability that has thematic connection to Naval Warfare and, more importantly, triggers end of turn instead of start.



[h3]U-16[/h3]

Old: Countermeasure. 1k, When the enemy gives an order, the enemy discards a random card.

New: Order. 2k, Retreat target unit. Draw a card if there is a Navy card on top of your deck.

Ah yes, sweet, sweet U-16, how we have missed you in all your glory. Sure, you are now an order, not a countermeasure, and your cost is now 2 instead of 1. And you have a new ability. Totally different ability. Related to the new Navy stuff. And you are now a Navy card yourself. But nevermind that, in our mind you are always the same pure, sweet U-16.


[h3]ROUT[/h3]
Old: 2k, Destroy target unit with cost 1 or less. Gain 1 kredit.
New: 1k, Convert target unit with cost 2 or less into ROUTED TROOPS.

The sudden loss of Sudden Strike took the Germans by surprise and many predicted it would rout them. But they rallied by getting Rout back from rotation - a Rout that is connected with the new Routed Troops no less. A routing success, some would call it.



[h3]BLOCKADE[/h3]
Old: 3k, Deal 1 damage to any target. Units in enemies hand cost 1 more.
New: 5k, Deal 2 damage to each enemy unit. Deal 3 instead if there is a Navy card on top of your deck.

Blockade has a history of being an annoying card, in all its many reincarnations. It is now (yet again) seeing some changes, this time (surprise, surprise) connected with the new Navy theme. The British have a long history of being interested in things being on top of other things, so it felt natural to fit it into that theme.

That is it, all done! These changes, alongside all the new expansion cards, will drop on June 18th. You can start your theorycrafting engines now to be ready to hit the ground running. Please continue to provide us with your feedback, it is invaluable to us. See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello, Commanders!

The Naval Warfare expansion is on the horizon, arriving on 18 June - and with it comes a major new mechanic we’re especially excited to share: Convert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq-KudKY1k8

With the upcoming Summer Expansion 'Naval Warfare' arriving June 18th, we introduce a thrilling new game mechanic: Convert. Convert can transform, during a match, existing cards into new cards. This conversion is only temporary during a match and doesn't affect the cards in your collection. The changed card can be on the battlefield, in hand or even in deck. The transformations can be beneficial, changing a card into something stronger or negative, make it worse.

Positive conversion - Evolution of units and equipment. Lessons learned leading to doctrinal or material upgrades, like the British army adapting after the Dunkirk evacuation or the Germans developing better tanks after early campaigns. Positive convert reflects this progression - units becoming more elite, experienced, or technologically superior over time.

Negative conversion - War wasn’t always about progress. Many units, especially on the Eastern Front, were decimated, routed, or poorly supplied. For example, German Volkssturm units, formed late in the war, were poorly trained and ill-equipped. Soldiers often suffered from exhaustion, cold, or fear, leading to mass desertion or breakdowns, especially in prolonged campaigns.

Convert will tie in with the Neutral Spawn-Only Cards, as some of the cards with Convert can spawn these cards. These cards are not nation specific and can be added to any nation with the same effect. The three types are:

• PLAN - order that costs 2 kredits, that when played, is used to draw a card.
  
  
• PRODUCTION - order that costs 0 kredits, that when played, gives you 1 additional kredit that turn.
  
  
• ROUTED TROOPS - infantry unit that costs 1 kredit to deploy, 1 kredit to operate, has 1 attack / 1 defense.

These have been covered better in a previous video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9pDIYIac28

The primary nations that utilize Convert in Naval Warfare will be:

[h2]Soviet[/h2]



KV-85

Costs 2 kredits to deploy and 2 kredits to operate. 5 Attack and 5 Defence. Rarity: Special.

On deployment: Convert a card in hand to your last destroyed unit. Lose 2 kredits at the start of your next turn.

[h2]Germany[/h2]



JAGPANZER IV

Costs 3 kredits to deploy and 2 kredits to operate. 4 Attack and 4 Defence. Rarity: Special.

When you attack and destroy an enemy unit, Convert a random card in the enemy hand into PRODUCTION. .

[h2]Britain[/h2]



MOSQUITO B Mk IV / MOSQUITO F Mk II

Costs 4 kredits to deploy and 2 kredits to operate. Changes from Bomber to Fighter at the end of every turn. 3 Attack and 3 Defence and Blitz as a bomber, 4 Attack and 4 Defence and Ambush as a fighter . Rarity: Special.

[h2]Poland[/h2]



ORP GENERAL HALLER

Order: Costs 8 kredits to use. Intel 1 and Convert target unit and adjacent units into Routed Troops. Rarity: Limited.

The Convert mechanic in KARDS captures the volatile nature of WW2 warfare, where units could improve through experience or technology - but also degrade due to attrition, panic, or logistical failure. We're thrilled to bring this new dimension to KARDS with the Naval Warfare Expansion, arriving on 18 June.

Make sure to keep an eye on our social media and the latest news for more intel on the new things arriving this summer!

Hello, Commanders!

The Naval Warfare expansion is on the horizon, arriving on 18 June - and with it comes a major new feature we’re especially excited to share: Neutral Spawn Only Cards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9pDIYIac28

Naval Warfare will bring several new things, a new keyword, a new mechanic and neutral non-nation specific cards. In this article we will focus on these new cards. For now they enter play when spawned which happens through different triggers. These cards aren't part of any deck because they're not standard military assets. Instead, they are outcomes of specific battlefield conditions:

• PLAN: Not a weapon, but a response.
  
• PRODUCTION: Not a factory, but an improvised allocation.
  
• ROUTED TROOPS: Not the standard of a unit, but a symptom of breakdown.

These cards add depth by mirroring how warfare isn't only about units and firepower, but also about disruption, improvisation, and morale collapse - concepts central to WWII’s ebb and flow.

PLAN is an order that costs 2 kredits to play and you get to draw a card. It happens mostly as a countermeasure that counters an enemy orders, converts it to the enemy hand as Plan.



HMS SCEPTRE
Countermeasure: Costs 2 kredits to use. Counter an enemy order then Convert it to PLAN and return it to hand.

• PLAN represents the wartime necessity to rapidly adjust strategies in response to enemy actions. The HMS SCEPTRE, a British submarine, symbolizes stealth and disruption - by converting an enemy order into PLAN, it reflects the idea of disrupting enemy intentions and forcing them to reconsider, essentially returning their own efforts as a diluted form.
  
• During WWII, the British were masters of intercepting enemy communications (like Ultra/Enigma) and turning intelligence into counter-strategies. PLAN reflects this redirection - a strategic pause, not a full denial, where the enemy regroups rather than executes.

PRODUCTION is an order that costs 0 kredits, that when played, gives you 1 additional kredit that turn. This card gives you a small advantage. Mostly for Germans.



957. VOLKSGRENADIER

Costs 2 kredits to deploy and 1 kredit to operate. 3 Attack and 2 Defence. Rarity: Standard.

On deployment: Add a PRODUCTION to your hand.

• It can be straight forward, as a means of an extra push.
  
• PRODUCTION can represent forced reallocation of resources, often under duress. Converting enemy resources into fleeting production bonuses, suggesting psychological or logistical disruption of enemy operations.
  
• In WWII, when key units were destroyed enemy forces were often thrown into confusion, resulting in last-minute supply shifts or emergency measures — boosting production temporarily but at the cost of strategic depth. Converting enemy cards into PRODUCTION mimics how the loss of major assets might shift priorities from long-term strategy to short-term scrambling.

ROUTED TROOPS - infantry unit that costs 1 kredit to deploy, 1 kredit to operate, has 1 attack / 1 defense.



ORP GENERAL HALLER
Order: Costs 8 kredits to use. Intel 1. Convert target unit and adjacent units into ROUTED TROOPS.

• ROUTED TROOPS embody units that have broken ranks, lost cohesion, or been driven back under pressure - a phenomenon all too common in WWII.
  
• For Poland, this represents the overwhelmed resistance during the 1939 invasion, where scattered units often fought independently after the collapse of central command.
  
• For Germany, later in the war, as fronts collapsed, many German units were similarly routed — disorganized conscripts, Volkssturm militias, or remnants of shattered divisions.
  
• In-game, spawning ROUTED TROOPS from certain effects reflects the psychological toll of warfare - players may end up with ineffective, disorganized units on the battlefield, symbolizing retreat, panic, or conscripted desperation.

The new neutral spawn-only cards introduce an exciting dimension to KARDS, representing universal themes seen throughout World War 2. We're thrilled to debut this innovative concept with Naval Warfare, launching on 18 June.

Stay tuned for more intel on what’s coming with Naval Warfare, including an in-depth look at the new Convert mechanic!

Hello, Commanders!

The Naval Warfare expansion is on the horizon, arriving on 18 June - and with it comes a major new feature we’re especially excited to share: player profiles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6cDrktEbLU

Your profile is your personal space to track your accomplishments, celebrate your victories, and show off your unique identity as a player. This is the next step in the journey that started with United Front in March with the introduction of player portraits. We’re now expanding that into a full player profile, giving you more ways to express your individual identity in-game.



On the left side of the new profile, you’ll find your core stats:

• Player portrait
  
• Current rank
  
• Player name
  
• Highest rank
  
• Highest officer club position
  
• Highest battle mode win streak
  
• Total number of unique cards owned

On the right side, you’ll see a display of your earned medals and ribbons. You can hover over each one for more info, and select up to five banners to be featured at the top of your profile - perfect for highlighting your proudest moments.

Achievements are awarded for a wide variety of in-game milestones:

• Winning PvP matches
  
• Completing Draft runs
  
• Advancing national progress
  
• Reaching specific ranks
  
• Destroying enemy units

Some achievements are straightforward. There are also a few special commendations hidden in plain sight, crafted for those who complete unique or unexpected challenges. We won’t spoil the surprises - those are yours to uncover.

To view your profile, just click your name at the top of the screen and select “Profile.” You’ll be able to switch between the Profile and Achievements tabs to get a full overview of your progress and accolades.



You’ll also be able to view other players’ profiles and see how your stats compare. If you’d prefer to keep your service record confidential, you can choose to opt out and keep your profile private.

This new system gives you more ways to track your journey, celebrate your successes, and stand out in the community. We can’t wait for you to dive in when Naval Warfare arrives on 18 June.

Stay sharp and keep scanning the horizon for more intel on what's coming your way!

Finding Victory Inside Defeat

The Battle of France began when Germany invaded the Low Countries, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg and France on 10 May 1940. The Germans had changed warfare with their Blitzkrig tactics and were operating on Manstein’s plan - Case Yellow. The plan was a reverse of Molke’s plan in the Great War. The previous plan was to draw the Allies into Germany and encircle them with an attack through the low countries. Manstein’s plan was to attack the Low Countries, draw the Allied forces there and then encircle them with a pincer from the Ardennes to the English Channel.

It worked perfectly.

While the French First and Seventh Armies and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) were being drawn into the Low Countries the Germans made a breakthrough at the Ardennes and Sedan. Now the French First Army, BEF and Belgian Army were all cut off and their only hope of escape was the port of the French city Dunkerque.



Soldiers from the BEF fire at low flying German aircraft during the Dunkirk evacuation. Source Wikipedia.

As the Allies retreated, confusing battles raged along the perimeter. The Germans surrounded five French divisions near Lille. Cut off, the French fought on valiantly for four days, buying the retreating Allies valuable time.



The French soldiers fought valiantly but were held back by late orders, communication issues, poor supply and lack of anti-aircraft support.

On 24 May the Germans halted their advance. They had met their major objectives in 14 days of Blitskrieg and now consolidated their gains and reorganized their armies for a continued offensive. The German airforce was given the task to destroy the forces trapped at Dunkirk.



The Panzer I, JU 87 Stuka and Panzer II were all at the forefront of the German invasion of France.

This respite gave the Allied forces time to reorganise, build their defence and pull back their exposed forces. It also gave the Royal Navy a chance to implement the rescue of the Allied troops in Operation Dynamo. Initial plans were modest, to save 45.000 men in two days. On the first day only 7,669 Allied soldiers were saved but this number grew daily. Soon the navy was aided by the little Ships of Dunkirk, 850 privately owned boats crewed by officers and sailors of the Royal Navy as well as civilians. The small boats made it possible to reach the troops on the beach directly rather than entirely relying on harbour facilities.



The 2nd battalion of the Cheshire regiment, 5th Brigade and 70th Brigade were all part of the BEF in France and among those evacuated at Dunkirk.

On 26 May the Germans renewed their offensive and the Allied rearguard fought bitterly to keep the evacuation beaches open. The Luftwaffe attacked the beach with heavy bombing. The RAF flew over 3,500 sorties to support Operation Dynamo, never giving the Luftwaffe the chance to operate freely.

After nine days 338,226 soldiers were rescued, 224,320 British and 123,906 French and Belgian. The losses were also staggering. Almost all the BEF heavy equipment was lost, 6 destroyers sunk, 220 other vessels sunk, including small craft sunk and the RAF lost 145 aircraft.

The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill initially called the Battle of Dunkirk a colossal military disaster. Yet this sentiment would change. The core of the British Army, its soldiers, had been saved to fight another day. Civilians and military had all pitched in to bring the boys home. The English nation was galvanised to continue the fight. This pulled everyone together in the Dunkirk spirit. In defeat, the British found victory.

“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

- Winston Churchill, 4 June 1940 at the House of Commons.



Allied troops in Dunkirk stoically waited in line for passage to the safety of England.