.hack//Enemy

.hack//Enemy

Designers	Mike Reynolds and Chuck Kallenbach
Publishers	Decipher, Inc.
Players	2
Playing time	approx 20 min.
Chance	Some
Age range	12+
Skills	Card playing Arithmetic Basic Reading Ability

.hack//Enemy is a trading card game released in 2003 by Decipher, Inc. The game is based on the .hack anime franchise and fictional universe.

.hack//Enemy won the Origins Award for Best Tradeable Card Game of 2003.

Gameplay involves playing monsters in an attempt to score points, and playing your PCs (Player Characters, heroes, etc.) to block the monsters. It was released along with the .hack anime shows, video games, and other media. It was discontinued late 2005 after its fifth set, although organized play is still supported where there is interest.

Set names

• Set 1: Contagion
• Set 2: Distortion
• Set 3: Epidemic
• Set 4: Isolation
• Set 5: Breakout

Gameplay

The game objective is to score victory points by attacking your opponent with monsters, using a deck of 60 cards. First player to 7 points wins the game.

Destiny

Every card has a Destiny number, located in its upper-right hand corner. To determine who goes first in a game, the players shuffle and cut their deck, and the highest number goes first. Same number, cut again. Other than determining who goes first, the destiny number is one of the most important aspects of the card game's features. The destiny number adds a random value to your card's strength that can help your PC in battle, or harm your strategy if your deck-building skills are poor. Destiny will be explained more in depth in the gameplay section.

Card types

Monsters: The cards used to destroy your opposition. They have a numerical strength value, akin to attack points in various other TCG. Every monster has a certain number of score points, located in the upper-left corner of the card. The average monster has a score point of 1, but some of the stronger cards have a score of 0. Powerful monster cards with 2 or more score points are rare in the game. When a monster with score points is victorious in battle, it is then placed in the score pile. 7 points in the score pile is needed to win the game. The occasional monster card can have a Reward, located at the very bottom of the card, that takes effect upon a monster's victory.

PCs(Player Characters): The cards used to defend yourself against the opponent's monster. Based on the characters from the popular anime series (ex: Blackrose). Without a PC in play, you are defenseless against an opponents attack and therefore at risk for losing the game. There cannot be more than one of a PC with the same name in play as one of your allowed 3 PC's, but you may replace said wounded PC with another of itself to make it healthy once more. Like a monster, they also have a numerical strength value (located about halfway down the card on the left side) that determines whether or not they win against tho opposition. PCs can also have tolerance spheres under their strength, which can prevent injury or fatality to your PC. PCs also have classes, like Wavemaster (ex: Mistral or Elk) or Heavy Axeman (ex: Subaru) for example, that correspond with the character in the anime series. The classes decide what type of armor and weapons could be equipped to your PC. Many players base their deck themes off of a certain class to gain additional benefits for all of their PCs, (ex: a Long Arm themed deck).

Items: Cards equipped to a PC to increase a character's stats. Primarily, items subtypes are either weapons (to up strength) or armor (to up defense). Items can be specific to a character's class, for example a staff for a Wavemaster. Only one item of each subtype can be equipped to a character in play at a time.

Field: The card that represents where your PC and monsters are in “The World”. Used to assist your monster cards. Only one field card can be in play at a time and its effects are continuous until another field card is played, in which the first active field card would be discarded.

Actions: “Hidden” face-down until activated on your opponent's turn, action cards say when to flip them over, and assist your PC in battle. To add strength to your PC, you must flip before you draw destiny.

Events: Cards that simulate events that occur in “The World”, these cards have effects that can only be used once, then discarded. You can only use one per turn.

Grunty: Based on the hippo-like creature in the anime series, these cards are useful in that their effects can be activated without having to play a card from your hand. A Grunty must be a certain size before its effect can be activated, which is achieved by feeding it. A card is placed face-down under the Grunty to feed it. The number of cards underneath it determines its size. The maximum size a Grunty can reach is 5.

Playing area

Deck: A player's deck is placed at the bottom-right hand corner of the playing area.

PCs: In the upper-left hand corner of the field is where the PCs and their supporting cards can be played.

Portal: To the right of the PC area is where any number of storable monsters can be placed.

Hidden: Located in the center of the playing area, up to 5 cards can be placed face-down. Only Action cards can be activated from the hidden position.

Score Pile: The lower-left hand side of the playing area is for monsters with score points who were victorious in battle. Used to keep track of score points.

Discard Pile: Monsters and PCs that were defeated in battle are placed to the right of the deck, as well as destiny cards, and actions/events when their effects end.

Gameplay

First Turn:After deciding which player starts the game, each player draws 5 cards from their deck.

Play Step: They may choose to play a card of any type. Only one card can be played per turn, so you can't play a PC and then use a supporting item in the same turn. Players may choose to discard their entire hand in the event of a very bad draw, but they can only do so during the very first turn. When you discard, however, you cannot play a card.

Spot Step: “Spotting” is used when trying to play a certain card that has special requirements before you can put it on the field, like a monster needing a card of a certain element on the field before it can be played. Spotting can occur on both your field and your opponent's.

Battle Step: Attack:If you have monsters on the field you can choose to attack your opponent. The opponent can choose whether or not they want to accept your challenge, but if there is more than one monster on your field, your opponent can't just pick and choose which of their PCs get attacked; either they all get attacked, of if your opponent decides not to fight then your monsters can attack directly, guaranteeing that you get the corresponding score points. Sometimes your opponent may decide to not engage in battle so they may spare their PCs and save them for a later turn. If your opponent decides to engage in battle, then they decide which of your monsters gets to attack which of their PCs. If there are more of your monsters than there are of his PCs then they assign those monsters to attack their remaining PCs in any manner. A battle is between a PC and all of the monsters assigned to attack it. Their total strength values are compared, and at this point, actions are now put into play to affect their strength values. Afterwards both players “draw destiny” (the yellow number at the top-right corner of the card). They add the destiny number to their cards current strength value to get their card's total strength. The enemy monster dies if the PCs total strength is higher. If the monster's strength is higher or equal to the PC, then it is “wounded”. A PC cannot be wounded twice, and if attacked again will die. If any of your monsters were victorious in battle, their rewards go into effect at this time. One, and only one monster with score points will go to the score pile to add to your total score.

Defense: A PCs Tolerance comes into play when it is attacked by a monster. The number of silver spheres shown under a character's strength prevents your PC from getting wounded or killed if they lose a fight. The number of tolerance points is added to your PC's battle strength and if the opposing monster's strength is less than that of your character's strength + its tolerance, your PC will not be wounded or killed. If its original battle strength was less than its opponent, however, the PC will still lose the fight and your opponent will score points, but at least your PC survives this turn. Some PCs and items can add tolerance to your defending PC.

When a fight is resolved between a PC and a monster, a player can pick another fight, and the turn ends when all fights are over. Fighting, of course, is always optional and if a player opts not to fight then their turn ends automatically. Players take turns until one player wins the games by achieving 7 score points.

External links

• http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/480741/despite-all-appearances-a-very-worthwhile-game